حدائقgardens ملتفةclosely intertwined الجنانِthe groves
حدائق ملتفة الجنانِ
رستtook root بشاطيon a bank ترعbrimming with water ريَّانِwell-watered
رست بشاطي ترع ريَّانِ
Gardens with closely interwoven groves,
Gardens of intertwined bliss
Rooted on a brimming, well-watered bank,
Anchored on my river bank of gushing springs
تمتارdraw sustenance بالأعجازthrough the hindparts للأذقانِfor the chins
تمتار بالأعجاز للأذقانِ
لاnot ترهبfear المحلdrought منfrom الأزمانِthe seasons
لا ترهب المحل من الأزمانِ
Drawing sustenance through their hindparts for their chins.
Bearing wonders for the minds
They fear no drought from the seasons,
Unafraid of the ravages of time
ولاand not توفّيpay in full ختلthe deceit الذؤبانِof the wolves
ولا توفّي ختل الذؤبانِ
ولاand not ترىare seen ناشدةseeking الرعيانِthe herdsmen
ولا ترى ناشدة الرعيانِ
Nor pay the price of the wolves’ deceit,
Unfulfilled yearning of the wolves
Nor are they seen calling for herdsmen,
Unseen pleadings of the shepherds
ولاand not تخافfear عَرَّةmange الأوطانِof the home grounds
ولا تخاف عَرَّة الأوطانِ
سحمblack الرؤوسthe heads كمتchestnut-brown الأبدانِthe bodies
سحم الرؤوس كمت الأبدانِ
Nor fear the mange of their home grounds.
Unafraid of the nakedness of homelands
Black of head, chestnut-brown of body,
Gray heads and bent bodies
لهاfor them بيومon a day of البارحthe hot summer wind الحَنَّانِthe moaning
لها بيوم البارح الحَنَّانِ
مثلlike تناجيwhispered conversation الخُرَّدthe maidens الحِسانِthe beautiful
مثل تناجي الخُرَّد الحِسانِ
On a day of the moaning summer wind, they sound
That yesterday were full of joy
Like beautiful maidens whispering together.
Like the chatter of gentle partridges
إنif هيthey أبدتdisplay زينةthe adornment الرهبانِof the monks
إن هي أبدت زينة الرهبانِ
لاحتgleamed بكافورwith a palm-flower sheath علىupon إهانِfruit-stalks
لاحت بكافور على إهانِ
If they display the adornment of monks,
If they show the adornment of monks
They gleam with spathes upon their fruit-stalks.
Light camphor appears over disgrace
يطلعsprouts منهاfrom them كبدa liver الإنسانِof a human
يطلع منها كبد الإنسانِ
إذاwhen بدتappeared ملمومةgathered together البنانِthe fingers
إذا بدت ملمومة البنانِ
From them sprouts a human liver,
Human livers come out
When it appears with fingers gathered close,
When the date palms seem burdened
عُلَّتْwas drenched بِوَرْسٍin wars dye أوor بزعفرانِin saffron
عُلَّتْ بِوَرْسٍ أو بزعفرانِ
حتىuntil إذاwhen شُبِّهَwas likened بالآذانِto the ears
حتى إذا شُبِّهَ بالآذانِ
Drenched in wars dye or saffron.
Dyed with safflower or saffron
Until, when it is likened to the ears
Until it looks like ears
منof حُمرِasses الوحشthe wild لدىat العيانِdirect sight
من حُمرِ الوحش لدى العيانِ
شَقَّفَهُsplit it open عِلجانtwo non-Arab workmen ماهرانِboth skilled
شَقَّفَهُ عِلجان ماهرانِ
Of wild asses, when seen,
From the redness of beasts in plain sight
Two skilled non-Arab workmen split it open,
Shaped by skilled craftsmen
عنrevealing لؤلؤpearls صيغfashioned علىupon قضبانِrods
عن لؤلؤ صيغ على قضبانِ
مصوغةfashioned منfrom ذهبgold خلصانِpure
مصوغة من ذهب خلصانِ
Revealing pearls fashioned upon rods,
Of pearls lined on rods
Wrought of pure gold.
Cast in pure gold
ثمthen يُريis seen للسبعafter seven nights والثمانيand eight nights
ثم يُري للسبع والثماني
قدalready حالchanged مثلlike الشذرgold beads فيamong الجمانِpearls
قد حال مثل الشذر في الجمانِ
Then, after seven or eight nights, it appears
Shown to the seventh and eighth
Transformed, like gold beads amid pearls,
Like sparks in coal
يضحكsmiles عنrevealing مشتبهmatching الأقرانِthe companions
يضحك عن مشتبه الأقرانِ
كأنّهas though it were فيamid ناضرverdant الأغصانِthe branches
كأنّه في ناضر الأغصانِ
Smiling to reveal companions all alike,
Laughing at the similar peers
As though, amid the verdant branches, it were
As if among the blossoming branches
زُمَرَّدٌemerald لاحgleamed علىupon تيجانِcrowns
زُمَرَّدٌ لاح على تيجانِ
حتىuntil إذاwhen تمَّwere completed لهfor it شهرانِtwo months
حتى إذا تمَّ له شهرانِ
Emerald gleaming upon crowns.
An emerald shines on crowns
Until, when it has reached two months,
Until two months are complete for it
وأنسدلتand hung down عثاكلclustered sprays القنوانِof the date-bunches
وأنسدلت عثاكل القنوانِ
كأنّهاas though they were قضبrods منof العقيانِpure gold
كأنّها قضب من العقيانِ
And the sprays of the date-bunches hang down,
And the veils of the lutes fall
As though they were rods of pure gold,
Like canes of reeds
فُصِّلنthey were studded بالياقوتwith rubies والمرجانِand coral
فُصِّلن بالياقوت والمرجانِ
رأيتهyou saw it مختلفvaried الألوانِthe colors
رأيته مختلف الألوانِ
Set with rubies and coral,
Adorned with ruby and coral
You see it in varying colors:
I saw it in different colors
منsome of قانىءdeep-red أحمرred أرجوانيpurplish
من قانىء أحمر أرجواني
وفاقعand vivid أصفرyellow كالنيرانِlike flames
وفاقع أصفر كالنيرانِ
Some a deep, purplish red,
Vermilion, purple, orange like fire
And some vivid yellow, like flames,
Like garlands on beauties
مثلlike الأكاليلthe garlands علىupon الغوانيthe beautiful women
مثل الأكاليل على الغواني
Like garlands upon lovely women.
Partial English translation: 32 of 33 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1