بِرْكَةٌa pool بُورِكَتْwas blessed فنحنُso we لَدَيْهَاbeside it
بِرْكَةٌ بُورِكَتْ فنحنُ لَدَيْهَا
نستفيدُgain الغِمارَdeep waters منfrom ضَحْضَاحِshallow water
نستفيدُ الغِمارَ من ضَحْضَاحِ
A blessed pool—beside it we
gain deep waters from the shallows.
نَظَرَتْit gazed فيin قرارِهاits depths بعيونٍwith eyes (also springs)
نَظَرَتْ في قرارِها بعيونٍ
غَازَلَتْنَاflirted with us بأَسْرَعِwith the swiftest الالْتماحِglance
غَازَلَتْنَا بأَسْرَعِ الالْتماحِ
It gazed through eyes within its depths
that flirted with us in the swiftest glance.
تسرِقsteals اللحظَةَa glance اخْتِلاسًاfurtively وتُغْضِيand lowers its eyes
تسرِق اللحظَةَ اخْتِلاسًا وتُغْضِي
نظرةَthe glance of الصَّبِّa lovesick lover خافfeared إِنكارَthe rebuke of لاحa faultfinder
نظرةَ الصَّبِّ خاف إِنكارَ لاح
It steals a glance furtively and lowers its eyes,
like the glance of a lover fearing a faultfinder's rebuke.
قدindeed صَفَتْbecame clear واعتلىand rose الحَبابُthe bubbles عليهاupon it
قد صَفَتْ واعتلى الحَبابُ عليها
فهيso it is سِيَّانِalike معwith كؤوسcups of الرَّاحِwine
فهي سِيَّانِ مع كؤوس الرَّاحِ
It has grown clear, and bubbles rise upon it;
so it is just like cups of wine.
ياO لَهاit has أَسْهُمٌarrows بواطِنُhidden لولاwere it not for
يا لَها أَسْهُمٌ بواطِنُ لولا
زَرَدٌchain mail ظاهرٌvisible لأَيدِيfor the hands of الرِّياحthe winds
زَرَدٌ ظاهرٌ لأَيدِي الرِّياح
Ah, its hidden arrows—were it not for
the visible mail of the winds' hands!
أَيُّwhat a دِرْعٍcoat of mail موْضُونَةِclosely interwoven النِّسْجِweaving تمتدُّextend
أَيُّ دِرْعٍ موْضُونَةِ النِّسْجِ تمتدُّ
السَّواقِيthe channels عنهاfrom it بمِثْلlike الصِّفاحbroad sword blades
السَّواقِي عنها بمِثْل الصِّفاح
What a closely woven coat of mail! Out stretch
the channels from it, like broad sword blades.
فيin جِنانٍgardens لهbelonging to him حُلِيُّthe jewels of العَذَارَىmaidens
في جِنانٍ له حُلِيُّ العَذَارَى
وحِلاَهاand their charms فيin مَعْطِفِa bodily curve وَوِشاحand a sash
وحِلاَها في مَعْطِفِ وَوِشاح
In his gardens are maidens' jewels
and their charms, in curving form and sash:
منof قُدودٍslender figures نُهودُهاtheir breasts عِوَضُin place of الرُّمَّthe pomegranates (first part)
من قُدودٍ نُهودُها عِوَضُ الرُّمَّ
انِcompletion of 'pomegranates' تزهوare resplendent بنُهَّدِwith full-breasted ones of التفاحapples
انِ تزهو بنُهَّدِ التفاح
slender figures whose breasts, instead of pomegranates,
are resplendent with full-breasted apples.
ورُبًىand hills وَرَّدَتْmade rosy خدودَthe cheeks of شَقيقٍanemones
ورُبًى وَرَّدَتْ خدودَ شَقيقٍ
وجَلَتْand polished بالحياwith rain ثُغورَthe mouths of أَقاحِيdaisies
وجَلَتْ بالحيا ثُغورَ أَقاحِي
And hills that reddened the cheeks of anemones
and polished the mouths of daisies with rain.
وقِداحٍand lot-arrows بهاwith them افتَسمْنَاwe shared out (apparent typo) المسرَّاthe delights (first part)
وقِداحٍ بها افتَسمْنَا المسرَّا
تِcompletion of 'delights' جَزُورًاas a slaughtered camel بحَضْرَةِin the presence of الأَقداحِthe goblets
تِ جَزُورًا بحَضْرَةِ الأَقداحِ
And lot-arrows, with which we shared out delights
as a slaughtered camel, in the presence of goblets.
ظَفِرَwon الإِغْتِباقُevening drinking منهاof them بحَظٍّwith a share
ظَفِرَ الإِغْتِباقُ منها بحَظٍّ
لمdid not يَخِبْmiss out عنهon it وافِدُthe guest for الاصْطِباحِmorning drinking
لم يَخِبْ عنه وافِدُ الاصْطِباحِ
Evening drinking won a share of them;
the guest for morning drinking did not miss out on it.
ومُغَنٍّand a singer تناولَتْtook up يدُهُhis hand العوthe lute (first part)
ومُغَنٍّ تناولَتْ يدُهُ العو
دَcompletion of 'lute' فعادَتْthen it returned لناto us علىaccording to الاقْتِراحthe request
دَ فعادَتْ لنا على الاقْتِراح
And a singer whose hand took up the lute
then returned to us, answering our requests.
جَسَّplucked أَوتارَهُits strings فأَفْسَدَand so spoiled منهاamong them
جَسَّ أَوتارَهُ فأَفْسَدَ منها
صالِحاًa sound one صارcame to be فيin يدthe hand of الإِصْطِلاحharmony; reconciliation
صالِحاً صار في يد الإِصْطِلاح
He plucked its strings, and spoiled among them
a sound one that came into the hand of harmony.
بَيْنَamid ريحٍa breeze منfrom المزَامِيرِthe pipes أَسْرَىtraveled by night
بَيْنَ ريحٍ من المزَامِيرِ أَسْرَى
بَيْنَthrough أَجسامِناour bodies معalong with الأَرْواحthe souls
بَيْنَ أَجسامِنا مع الأَرْواح
Amid a breeze from pipes that traveled by night
through our bodies, along with our souls,
وصِباحٍand fair ones قَدْhave عَقَّدُواthey knotted طُرُزَthe embroidered borders of الليthe night (first part)
وصِباحٍ قَدْ عَقَّدُوا طُرُزَ اللي
لِcompletion of 'night' جَمَالاًas adornment علىon وُجوهِthe faces of الصَّباحmorning
لِ جَمَالاً على وُجوهِ الصَّباح
and fair ones who have knotted night's embroidery
as adornment on the faces of morning.
يبعثbrings forth الرَّقْصُdance مِنْهُمُfrom them حركَاتٍmovements
يبعث الرَّقْصُ مِنْهُمُ حركَاتٍ
سَرَقَتْstole بعْضَهاsome of them طِوالُthe long ones of الرِّماحthe spears
سَرَقَتْ بعْضَها طِوالُ الرِّماح
Dance brings forth movements from them,
some of which the long spears have stolen.
هكذاthus هكذاthus وإِلاand otherwise فلاthen no لاno
هكذا هكذا وإِلا فلا لا
طُرُقُthe paths of الجدِّearnestness غَيْرُare different from طُرْقِthe paths of المِزاحِjest
طُرُقُ الجدِّ غَيْرُ طُرْقِ المِزاحِ
Thus, thus—otherwise no, no!
The paths of earnestness are not the paths of jest.
Sol 6.1