شاقَstirred to longing الحمامَthe doves برامتينat Rāmatayn فغرداand so they sang
شاقَ الحمامَ برامتين فغردا
جيدُthe neck القضيبof the bough يزينهُadorns it عقدa necklace النّدىof dew
جيدُ القضيب يزينهُ عقد النّدى
The doves at Rāmatayn were stirred to longing and sang,
The pigeons cooed on the roof ridge twice and sang,
by the bough's neck, adorned with a necklace of dew.
The smooth stick adorned with dew beads.
هزَّتswayed معاطفهُits limbs تحياتُthe greetings الصّباof the east wind
هزَّت معاطفهُ تحياتُ الصّبا
كالقدِlike a slender figure جاذبهُtugged at it الصّباyouthful ardor فتأودواand so they swayed
كالقدِ جاذبهُ الصّبا فتأودوا
The east wind's greetings swayed its limbs;
His garments fluttered with the morning breeze's greetings,
like a slender figure tugged by youthful ardor, they swayed.
Attracting them like a thread attracts the morning breeze and they cooed.
شلّتstreamed down سهامthe arrows المزنof rainclouds فيamong هضباتهاits hills
شلّت سهام المزن في هضباتها
فكأنَّso it was as though جدولهاits rivulet حسامa keen sword جرداunsheathed
فكأنَّ جدولها حسام جردا
The rainclouds' arrows streamed down among its hills,
The arrows of rain weakened on its slopes,
so its rivulet seemed a sword unsheathed.
As if its streams were bare swords.
يمضيflows onward فيغمدand so sheathes فيin الغديرthe pool شباتهits point
يمضي فيغمد في الغدير شباته
فلأجلand because of ذلكthat لايزالstill remains مزرّداclad in chain mail
فلأجل ذلك لايزال مزرّدا
It flows onward, then sheathes its point in the pool,
It flows and sheaths itself in the pond with its youth,
and for that reason remains clad in chain mail.
That's why it remains always polished.
صدأthe rust الظلالof shadows يزيدincreases رونقthe sheen حسنهof its beauty
صدأ الظلال يزيد رونق حسنه
أرأيتَhave you seen سيفاًa sword قطُّever يصقلbeing polished بالصّدأwith rust
أرأيتَ سيفاً قطُّ يصقل بالصّدأ
The rust of shadows heightens its beauty's sheen.
The rust on its shadows increases its beauty,
Have you ever seen a sword polished with rust?
Have you ever seen a sword polished by rust?
ماhow كانwould have أغنىenriched راحتيكyour two palms بسفحهاat its foot
ما كان أغنى راحتيك بسفحها
لوif كانwere يمكنpossible جمعto gather ماwhat قدalready بدّداit had scattered
لو كان يمكن جمع ما قد بدّدا
How rich your palms would have been at its foot,
Your footsteps on its plains would not have been richer,
if one could gather what it had scattered!
If it were possible to gather what they had scattered.
خلعbestowed الحياthe rain طرباًin rapture علىupon أعطافهاits flanks
خلع الحيا طرباً على أعطافها
بالنهرwith the river ثوباًa robe بالنسيمby the breeze مجّعداcreased
بالنهر ثوباً بالنسيم مجّعدا
The rain, in rapture, bestowed upon its flanks
The snakes slid in rapture over its slopes,
a robe of river-water, creased by the breeze.
With the river a garment and with the breeze rumpled.
مازالit kept يبكيweeping over باسماتthe smiling ones among ظبائهits gazelles
مازال يبكي باسمات ظبائه
حتىuntil رأيتَyou saw البرقthe lightning جفناًan eyelid أرمداinflamed
حتى رأيتَ البرق جفناً أرمدا
It kept weeping over its smiling gazelles,
The gazelles still weep until you see
until you saw the lightning as an inflamed eyelid.
The lightning become a blind eyelid.
شغلkept occupied البكاءُweeping علىfor الشبابyouth وعصرهand its days
شغل البكاءُ على الشباب وعصره
جفنيَّmy two eyelids أنto أبكيI weep for الحسانthe beautiful women الخرَّداthe bashful maidens
جفنيَّ أن أبكي الحسان الخرَّدا
Weeping for youth and its days has kept
Crying over youth and its era has preoccupied my eyes,
my eyelids from weeping for the fair, bashful maidens.
Too sad to cry over the faded beauty.
خانbetrayed الصّباyouth والغانياتand the beauties كلاهماboth of them
خان الصّبا والغانيات كلاهما
عهدَthe covenant الوصالof union وأخلفانيand both failed me الموعداthe promised meeting
عهدَ الوصال وأخلفاني الموعدا
Youth and lovely women both betrayed
The morning breeze and the singers both
the covenant of union, and both broke their promise to meet me.
Broke the promise of union and missed the appointment.
لوif كانwere يمكنpossible ردُّto restore ماwhat هوit فائتٌis gone
لو كان يمكن ردُّ ما هو فائتٌ
لوددتI would wish أوor يفدىit could be ransomed بذلتI would give لهfor it الفدىthe ransom
لوددت أو يفدى بذلت له الفدى
If what is gone could be brought back,
If it were possible to regain what is past,
I would wish it back; or, if it could be ransomed, I would pay its ransom.
I would have wished or ransomed it with my soul.
ولكمand how often منيتI was afflicted بليلةٍwith a night مسودةٍpitch-black
ولكم منيت بليلةٍ مسودةٍ
لوif أمّهاsought it ضوءُthe light الصباحof morning لماwould not اهتدىhave found its way
لو أمّها ضوءُ الصباح لما اهتدى
And how often I was afflicted with a pitch-black night:
How I wished for a pitch-black night,
had morning's light sought it, it would not have found its way.
Even if the light of dawn could not find its way.
علقتhung suspended كواكبُthe stars أفقهاof its horizon فكأنّماso it was as though
علقت كواكبُ أفقها فكأنّما
شربتthey had drunk وطالand outlasted بهاfor them السهادwakefulness الرقداsleep
شربت وطال بها السهاد الرقدا
The stars of its horizon hung suspended, as though
The stars on its horizon hung as if
they had drunk, and wakefulness had outlasted sleep for them.
Drunk, plunged in deep slumber.
وكأنَّand as though ساريthe night-roving البرقlightning خافfeared بجنحهاin its darkness
وكأنَّ ساري البرق خاف بجنحها
أمراًsome peril فسلَّand so drew منfrom الوميضthe flash مهنداًan Indian-steel sword
أمراً فسلَّ من الوميض مهنداً
And it seemed the night-roving lightning feared, in its gloom,
As if the lightning rod feared its wings
some peril, and drew an Indian-steel sword from the flash.
And descended, retiring from flashing.
صمتتfell silent رواعدthe rumblings سحبهof its clouds فكأنّماso it was as though
صمتت رواعد سحبه فكأنّما
ريعتwere frightened قلائصهاtheir young she-camels فسرنَand so they went on بلاwithout حداa camel-driver's chant
ريعت قلائصها فسرنَ بلا حدا
The rumblings of its clouds fell silent, as though
The foundations of its clouds fell silent as if
their young she-camels had taken fright and went on without a driver's chant.
Their quivers were emptied, flowing without limit.
وأجبتُand I answered هاتفةَthe calling voice الغرامِof love ولوand if دعاcalled
وأجبتُ هاتفةَ الغرامِ ولو دعا
طيفa phantom الخيالof imagination لماwould not أجابhave answered بهwith it الصدىthe echo
طيف الخيال لما أجاب به الصدى
And I answered love's calling voice; yet had a call come
And I answered the lover's call even if
from a phantom vision, no echo would have answered it.
The echo of imagination would not respond to it.
كلفاًenamored بهاجرةٍof a forsaking woman جفانيshunned me طيفهاher phantom
كلفاً بهاجرةٍ جفاني طيفها
فشقيتُso I suffered وسناناًdrowsy بهاbecause of her ومسهداand sleepless
فشقيتُ وسناناً بها ومسهدا
Enamored of a woman who forsakes me, whose phantom shunned me,
Burdened by an emigrant whose apparition abandoned me,
so I suffered because of her, drowsy and sleepless alike.
So I suffered, and a set of teeth and pillow.
وحديثهاand her speech نعمhow excellent الغناءthe singing يهزُّنيsways me
وحديثها نعم الغناء يهزُّني
هزَّthe swaying الأراكةof the arak-tree مطلقاًunbound ومقيداand fettered
هزَّ الأراكة مطلقاً ومقيدا
And her speech—what lovely singing!—sways me,
Her talk is beautiful singing that shakes me,
as an arak-tree is swayed, whether I am free or bound.
Shaking the litter unleashed and tied down.
يحلوit is sweet فيقصرand so grows short فيin المسامعthe ears طولهits length
يحلو فيقصر في المسامع طوله
ويزيدand increases حسنَthe beauty نضارةٍof freshness ماwhenever ردّداit is repeated
ويزيد حسنَ نضارةٍ ما ردّدا
It is sweet, so its length seems brief to the ears,
It is sweet and shortens in the ears by its length,
and gains in fresh beauty whenever repeated.
Increasing the beauty of delicate repetition.
وكأنّهُand it is as though لفظwords الهناءِof congratulation بمقدمِat the arrival of الـthe
وكأنّهُ لفظ الهناءِ بمقدمِ الـ
ـملكking العزيزal-ʿAzīz (the Mighty) الذّهits sweetest part ماwhat جدّداis renewed
ـملك العزيز الذّه ما جدّدا
And it is like words of congratulation at the arrival of the
As if it were the utterance of bliss with the advent of
king al-ʿAzīz—its sweetest words are those renewed.
The mighty king who renewed and did not perish.
Sol 6.1