لهفيmy yearning علىfor غادةٍa graceful maiden إذاwhen أسفَرتْshe unveiled her face
لهفي على غادةٍ إذا أسفَرتْ
غارَتْgrew jealous وجوهُthe faces الشموسof the suns واستترتْand hid themselves
غارَتْ وجوهُ الشموس واستترتْ
Ah, my longing for a maiden! When she unveils,
My longing for Ghada when dawn breaks
the faces of suns grow jealous and hide.
The faces of suns were jealous and hid
لهاshe has منfrom السمرthe tawny spears قامةٌa stature خطرَتْswayed gracefully
لها من السمر قامةٌ خطرَتْ
كمhow many قتلتshe slew عاشقاًa lover وكمand how many أسرَتْshe captured
كم قتلت عاشقاً وكم أسرَتْ
She has the swaying stature of a tawny spear.
She has a slender figure made of ambergris
How many lovers she has slain, and how many taken captive!
How many lovers has she killed and captured
إذاwhen دعتshe called للنهوضِto rise ميلهاher swaying عطفاwith a bend
إذا دعت للنهوضِ ميلها عطفا
كانَhad سحرthe magic الجفونof the eyelids حملهاburdened her ضعفاwith weakness
كانَ سحر الجفون حملها ضعفا
When she bids her swaying figure rise, bending gracefully,
If she leaned her side to get up
the magic of her eyelids had burdened her with weakness.
The magic of her eyelids was her only weakness
فيon خدِّهاher cheek شامةٌa beauty spot معنبرةٌscented with ambergris
في خدِّها شامةٌ معنبرةٌ
ياO نعمةٌdelight بالشقيقwith anemones مزهرةٌblooming
يا نعمةٌ بالشقيق مزهرةٌ
On her cheek is an ambergris-scented beauty spot.
On her cheek a speckled moles
O delight, blooming with anemones!
What a blessing dotted with beauty
وكمand how many لهاshe has فيin الشفاهِthe lips جوهرةٌa jewel
وكم لها في الشفاهِ جوهرةٌ
تحفُّهاsurrounds it ريقةٌsaliva معطَّرةٌperfumed
تحفُّها ريقةٌ معطَّرةٌ
And how many jewels she has within her lips,
And how many pearls in her lips
surrounded by fragrant saliva.
Adorned with scented saliva
منwhoever رامَsought بالشهدِwith honey أنto يمثلهاliken it رشفاwhen sipped
من رامَ بالشهدِ أن يمثلها رشفا
فإنَّماthen only رامَsought أنto يعسّلهاsweeten it with honey وَصفاin description
فإنَّما رامَ أن يعسّلها وَصفا
Whoever seeks to liken it to honey when sipped
Whoever tries to describe her sips honey
seeks only to sweeten it with honey in words.
Only aims to sweeten her attributes
تحكمrules فيamong الناسthe people عنسهhis sturdy she-camel ورداcoming to water
تحكم في الناس عنسه وردا
حكمthe rule of ابنson of أيوبAyyub فيin سطاًmight ونداand bounty
حكم ابن أيوب في سطاً وندا
His sturdy she-camel rules among people when coming to water [wording uncertain],
She rules people gently like a rose
as Ibn Ayyub rules in might and bounty,
The rule of Ibn Ayyoub fairly and generously
بينbetween عفاةٍseekers of bounty لهfrom him وبينand between عداfoes
بين عفاةٍ له وبين عدا
ماnot يدٌa hand سمِّيتwas called لديهwith him يداa hand
ما يدٌ سمِّيت لديه يدا
between those seeking his gifts and his foes.
Between those who obey him and those who disobey
No hand of his can be called merely a hand:
No hand called against him a hand
وهيَand it is غمامٌa raincloud لمنto whoever تأمَّلهاbeheld it وطفاdense and rain-laden
وهيَ غمامٌ لمن تأمَّلها وطفا
سبحانglory to منHim who للعبادِto the servants أرسلهاsent it لطفاin kindness
سبحان من للعبادِ أرسلها لطفا
to whoever beholds it, it is a dense, rain-laden cloud.
She is a cloud for whoever contemplated her kindly
Glory to Him who sent it to His servants in kindness!
Glory to Him who sent her to people kindly
مؤيّدٌMu’ayyad (supported) فيin مُلاunclear as written مراتبهِhis ranks
مؤيّدٌ في مُلا مراتبهِ
يتَّضحbecomes manifest الملكkingship فيin مناقبهِhis virtues
يتَّضح الملك في مناقبهِ
Mu’ayyad, in [unclear word] his ranks,
Supported in his full power
kingship is manifest in his virtues.
The kingship shows in his virtues
إذاwhen طوىhe folded الأرضthe earth فيwithin كتائبِهِhis battalions
إذا طوى الأرض في كتائبِهِ
ثمَّthen سقاهاhe watered it حياthe rain of مواهبهِhis gifts
ثمَّ سقاها حيا مواهبهِ
When he folds the earth within his battalions,
When he gathered troops on earth
then waters it with the rain of his gifts,
Then revived it alive with his gifts
أنبتhe made grow أزهارهاits flowers ودللهاand made them yielding قطفاfor picking
أنبت أزهارها ودللها قطفا
منfrom بعدafter ماthe time when كادَhe nearly أنto يزلزلهاshake it violently خسفاinto subsidence
من بعد ما كادَ أن يزلزلها خسفا
he makes its flowers bloom and tenderly readies them for picking,
Growing its flowers and picking them gently
after he had nearly shaken it into collapse.
After almost shaking and sinking it
وغادةand a maiden جادwas bountiful سحرthe enchantment مقلتهاof her eye
وغادة جاد سحر مقلتها
وراقَand delighted للناسِthe people روضthe garden طلعتهاof her countenance
وراقَ للناسِ روض طلعتها
And a maiden whose eye’s enchantment was bountiful,
And Ghada the magic of her glances
and whose countenance’s garden delighted people—
And the meadow of her appearance delighted people
جنيتُI reaped نارَthe fire الأسىof sorrow بجنَّتهاin her paradise
جنيتُ نارَ الأسى بجنَّتها
وصُحتand I cried out منfrom صبوتيmy infatuation بوجنتهاwith her cheek
وصُحت من صبوتي بوجنتها
I reaped sorrow’s fire in her paradise,
I gathered the fire of sorrow in her paradise
and cried out in my passion for her cheek:
And my cries recovered in her paradise
وجنَّةand a garden وردٍof roses تشكوlament النفوسُthe souls لهاfor it لهفاwith longing
وجنَّة وردٍ تشكو النفوسُ لها لهفا
بياضُwhiteness مincomplete token شمَّلهاenfolded it وقبَّلهاand kissed it ألفاa thousand times
بياضُ م شمَّلها وقبَّلها ألفا
and a garden of roses for which souls lament with longing.
A paradise of roses that souls long for her
Whiteness [incomplete word] enfolded it and kissed it a thousand times.
Its whiteness embraced and kissed her frequently
Sol 6.1