إلىto روضةِthe garden الآدابِof letters ريحانةsweet basil الندىof generosity
إلى روضةِ الآدابِ ريحانة الندى
تحاياgreetings حفاظof fidelity حركتهاstirred them يدُthe hand الودِّof affection
تحايا حفاظ حركتها يدُ الودِّ
To the garden of letters, the sweet basil of generosity,
To the garden of literature, the breeze of dew,
greetings of fidelity, stirred by the hand of affection.
Greetings of protectors set in motion by the hand of affection,
فجاءتso they came كأنفاسِlike breaths الرياحof the winds تسحّبتْdrifted
فجاءت كأنفاسِ الرياح تسحّبتْ
علىover رشحاتِdroplets الطَّلِّof dew منfrom وجنةthe cheek الوردof the rose
على رشحاتِ الطَّلِّ من وجنة الورد
So they came like breaths of wind, drifting
It came like breaths of wind pulling along,
over droplets of dew from the rose's cheek.
On droplets of dew from the cheek of a rose.
وَالطَيرُand the birds جَذلانjoyous مُبتَهِجdelighted
وَالطَيرُ جَذلان مُبتَهِج
بَينَamong فارِدٍa solitary one وَمُزدَوِجand a paired one
بَينَ فارِدٍ وَمُزدَوِج
And the birds are joyous, delighted,
The birds chirping joyfully,
some solitary, some paired.
Among those outstretched and paired,
قَدalready صدحtrilled ومرحand frolicked
قَد صدح ومرح
وغنىand sang بكلwith every مقترحrequested tune
وغنى بكل مقترح
They have trilled and frolicked,
Calling out merrily and frolicking,
and sung every requested tune.
Singing of every proposal,
جوارٍmaidens علىon قضبboughs الأراكof the arak tree تناوحتcalled to one another
جوارٍ على قضب الأراك تناوحت
وماand not هيthey للأحشاءto the vitals إِلاّexcept جوارحwounders
وما هي للأحشاء إِلاّ جوارح
Maidens on the arak boughs called to one another,
Doves on the branches of trees cooing,
yet to the vitals they are nothing but wounders.
Yet to the intestines they are but entrails.
هوit الحديقةthe garden إِلاّexcept أنthat صبيهاits boy (probably intended: its rain)
هو الحديقة إِلاّ أن صبيها
صوبa shower النهيprohibition (probably intended: intellect) وجناهand its fruit زهرةthe blossom الكلمof words
صوب النهي وجناه زهرة الكلم
It is a garden, save that its rain [probable reading]
It is but a garden except that its youth,
is a shower of intellect [probable reading], and its fruit the blossom of words.
Incline towards propriety and its abundance is the flower of speech,
لاno بلrather هوit السلكthe thread لمdid not تنظمstring جواهرهits jewels
لا بل هو السلك لم تنظم جواهره
أيَديhands النواظمof the stringers لكنbut بريةthe sharpened tip القلمof the pen
أيَدي النواظم لكن برية القلم
No, rather it is the thread: its jewels were not strung
Nay, it is but a thread whose jewels,
by stringers' hands, but by the pen's sharpened tip.
Were not strung by the hands of composers, but the wilderness of the pen,
يسيلflows بهwith him نقلmovement الحظىfavor (probably intended: footsteps) فتردهthen holds him back
يسيل به نقل الحظى فترده
رجاحةheft أعكانbelly-folds لهbelonging to him وترائبand chest bones
رجاحة أعكان له وترائب
The shifting of footsteps [probable reading] sets him flowing, yet he is held back
It flows with the conveyance of dreams so it returns them,
by the heft of his belly-folds and chest bones.
The competence of its pillars and its wonders.
Sol 6.1