بَعَثْتَyou sent بهthrough it حَنَانًاtenderness أَمْor جِناناgardens
بَعَثْتَ به حَنَانًا أَمْ جِنانا
وصُلْتَand you attacked بهِwith it لِسانًاa tongue أَمor سِناناa spearhead
وصُلْتَ بهِ لِسانًا أَم سِنانا
Did you send through it tenderness—or gardens?
Did you send it as affection or madness?
And did you wield it as a tongue—or a spearhead?
Did you convey it as a tongue or teeth?
وقلَّدْتَand you garlanded الطُّروسَthe pages بهwith it كلاماًwords
وقلَّدْتَ الطُّروسَ به كلاماً
يُفَصَّلُis strung فيupon التَّرائِبِthe upper chest أَمor جُمَاناpearls
يُفَصَّلُ في التَّرائِبِ أَم جُمَانا
And did you garland the pages with words
And you adorned the birds with speech through it
strung upon the breast—or with pearls?
Is it distinctly articulated or mumbling?
قريضٌverse زارَvisited بلrather روضٌa garden أَرِيضٌluxuriant
قريضٌ زارَ بل روضٌ أَرِيضٌ
فآتاناso it gave us المحاسِنَthe beauties إِذwhen أَتاناit came to us
فآتانا المحاسِنَ إِذ أَتانا
Verse came visiting—nay, a luxuriant garden,
A visitor who brought a garden, nay a flower bed
and gave us beauties when it came to us.
So he brought us beauties when he came to us
نُعانِيwe labor over أَوor نعايِنُwe behold منهfrom it لفظاًwording
نُعانِي أَو نعايِنُ منه لفظاً
مُعاناًaided بالبلاغةby eloquence لاnot مُعانَىlabored over
مُعاناً بالبلاغة لا مُعانَى
We labor over—or behold—its wording,
We suffer or examine in it an expression
aided by eloquence, not labored over.
With eloquence not meanings
يَروعُit awes وقدand may يروقُit charms فأَيُّso what بِيضٍwhite blades or fair women
يَروعُ وقد يروقُ فأَيُّ بِيضٍ
تَذَكِّرُناremind us القيونَthe smiths أَوِor القِياناthe singing girls
تَذَكِّرُنا القيونَ أَوِ القِيانا
It awes, yet may charm: what gleaming blades or fair maidens
It startles and it may please, so which eggs
bring smiths—or singing girls—to our minds?
Remind us of cradles or coffins?
قرأْناwe read منof محاسِنِهاits beauties فنوناًvarieties
قرأْنا من محاسِنِها فنوناً
وكِدْناand we almost أَنto نُسَمِّيهَاcall it قُرَاناa Qur'an
وكِدْنا أَن نُسَمِّيهَا قُرَانا
We read in it many forms of beauty,
We have read in its beauties diverse arts
and almost called it a Qur'an.
And we almost called it Quran
شرائِعُlaws مُوجِباتٌrequiring أَنthat تُدَانَاbe obeyed
شرائِعُ مُوجِباتٌ أَن تُدَانَا
بدائِعُmarvels مانِعاتٌforbidding أَنْthat تُدانَىbe approached or matched
بدائِعُ مانِعاتٌ أَنْ تُدانَى
Laws that demand obedience;
Laws warranting our judgment
marvels that forbid being matched.
Marvels preventing our judgement
فلوso if حَسَّانُHassan فازَwon بهاwith it لَحلَّىhe would have adorned
فلو حَسَّانُ فازَ بها لَحلَّى
بجوهَرِهاwith its jewels قلائِدَهُhis necklaces الحِساناthe beautiful ones
بجوهَرِها قلائِدَهُ الحِسانا
Had Hassan gained it, he would have adorned
If Hasan attained it he would have adorned
his lovely necklaces with its jewels.
His necklaces with its jewels
ولوand if رامَsought ابْنُson of هانِىٍءٍHani' اتِّصالاًaccess
ولو رامَ ابْنُ هانِىٍءٍ اتِّصالاً
بصعبto the difficulty of مَرَامِهاattaining it يوماًone day لهاناhe would have been humbled
بصعب مَرَامِها يوماً لهانا
And had Ibn Hani' sought to reach
If Ibn Hani had sought to reach
its hard-to-attain goal one day, he would have been humbled.
Its difficult purpose he would have despaired
ولوand if أَنِّيthat I أَطَقْتُwas able أَطَلْتُI would have prolonged قوليmy speech
ولو أَنِّي أَطَقْتُ أَطَلْتُ قولي
فلمand did not أَتْرُكْI leave out فلاناًso-and-so أَوor فلاناso-and-so
فلم أَتْرُكْ فلاناً أَو فلانا
And had I been able, I would have prolonged my speech,
Had I been able I would have prolonged my words
and left out neither this man nor that.
And left no so-and-so or so-and-so
أَباO Abu حَسَنٍHasan ملَكْتَyou possessed الحُسْنَbeauty طُرًّاentirely
أَبا حَسَنٍ ملَكْتَ الحُسْنَ طُرًّا
فأَسْقِطْso cast down شانِياًa hater أَوْor فَاعْلُthen rise شَاناin stature
فأَسْقِطْ شانِياً أَوْ فَاعْلُ شَانا
O Abu Hasan, you have possessed all beauty;
O Abu Hasan you possessed beauty as wealth
so cast down a hater, or rise in stature.
So depose a lowly one or act magnanimously
نَصَبْتَyou raised علىover صِقِلِّيَةٍSicily لواءًa banner
نَصَبْتَ على صِقِلِّيَةٍ لواءً
هَدَاناit guided us فيthrough دُجَىthe darkness of خطبٍa calamity دَهاناthat befell us
هَدَانا في دُجَى خطبٍ دَهانا
You raised a banner over Sicily,
You have raised over Sicily a banner
which guided us through the darkness of a calamity that befell us.
Guiding us in the darkness of perilous affairs
بداit appeared عَلَمًاa mountain فكنتَand you were عليهupon it نارًاa fire
بدا عَلَمًا فكنتَ عليه نارًا
ولولاand but for الحِلْمُforbearance سَمَّيْتُI would have named الدُّخاناthe smoke
ولولا الحِلْمُ سَمَّيْتُ الدُّخانا
It appeared as a mountain, and you were a fire atop it;
It appeared as a flag and you were its fire
but for forbearance, I would have named the smoke.
And were it not for forbearance I would have called it smoke
وكمand how many رُزِقَwere granted المكانَةَstanding منof أُناسٍpeople
وكم رُزِقَ المكانَةَ من أُناسٍ
لَوِif اختيرواthey were chosen لماwould not have وَجَدواthey found مكاناa place
لَوِ اختيروا لما وَجَدوا مكانا
And how many men have been granted standing
And how many were given status from people
who, if selection were made, would have found no place!
If chosen they would have not found a place
فديتُكَmay I be your ransom منas خليلِa friend ليto me خليلٍintimate
فديتُكَ من خليلِ لي خليلٍ
كُفيتُI was spared بهthrough him الزَّمانَةَinfirmity والزَّماناand time
كُفيتُ به الزَّمانَةَ والزَّمانا
May I be your ransom, my own intimate friend,
I ransom you from a friend who is my friend
through whom I was spared infirmity and Time.
I was content with him in days and times
وقدand indeed شاهَدْتُI have seen إِخوانًاbrothers ولكِنْbut
وقد شاهَدْتُ إِخوانًا ولكِنْ
هُمُthey الإِخوانُthe brothers إِنif نظرواthey saw الخِواناthe dining table
هُمُ الإِخوانُ إِن نظروا الخِوانا
And I have seen brothers, yet
I have seen brothers but
they are brothers only when they see the dining table.
They are brothers if they look to brotherhood
وكمand how many منa person who تَسْكُنُgrow still الأَجفانُthe eyelids منهof him
وكم من تَسْكُنُ الأَجفانُ منه
إِذاwhen أَسكنتهyou lodge him منكfrom you الجِفاناthe large serving bowls
إِذا أَسكنته منك الجِفانا
And how many a man's eyelids grow still
How many a lid is weighed down by him
when you lodge him among your serving bowls.
When you weigh down their lids from you
Sol 6.1