ازْجُرِrein in القلبَthe heart إذاwhen القلبُthe heart جَمَحْran wild
ازْجُرِ القلبَ إذا القلبُ جَمَحْ
وارْدَعand restrain الطرفthe gaze إذاwhen الطرفُthe gaze طمحْlooked ambitiously afar
وارْدَع الطرف إذا الطرفُ طمحْ
Rein in the heart when it runs wild,
Rebuke the heart when the heart is reckless,
And restrain the gaze when it reaches too far.
And restrain the gaze when the gaze is impudent.
واصْرِفِand turn النفسthe soul إلىtoward عَدنِيَّةٍan Edenic maiden
واصْرِفِ النفس إلى عَدنِيَّةٍ
ذَاتِpossessing غُنْجcoquetry ودلالand coy charm ومَرَحْand merriment
ذَاتِ غُنْج ودلال ومَرَحْ
And turn the soul toward an Edenic maiden,
And turn the soul towards an Edenic abode,
Full of coquetry, coy charm, and merriment.
With charm, grace, and joy.
زانَهاadorned her اللَّهُGod بِخَدٍّwith a cheek مُشْرِقٍradiant
زانَها اللَّهُ بِخَدٍّ مُشْرِقٍ
لوif مَشىwalked الذَّرُّtiny ants عليهon it لَجُرحْit would be wounded
لو مَشى الذَّرُّ عليه لَجُرحْ
God adorned her with a radiant cheek;
God has adorned it with a radiant cheek,
If tiny ants walked upon it, that cheek would be wounded.
If an atom walked on it, it would be wounded.
لوif بَدَتْappeared غُرَّتُهاher bright brow مِنْfrom خِدْرِهاher curtained chamber
لو بَدَتْ غُرَّتُها مِنْ خِدْرِها
قلتَyou would say بَرْقٌlightning فيin ذُراthe heights of المُزنthe rainclouds لمحْflashed
قلتَ بَرْقٌ في ذُرا المُزن لمحْ
If her bright brow appeared from her curtained chamber,
If its mole peeked out from its cheek,
You would say: lightning flashed atop the rainclouds.
You would say it’s a flash of lightning in the darkness of night.
أوor رآهاsaw her البدرُthe full moon فيat مَطْلَعِهِits rising
أو رآها البدرُ في مَطْلَعِهِ
لاكْتَسَىit would clothe itself in ذُلّاًabasement وهَوْناًand humiliation وافْتَضَحْand be disgraced
لاكْتَسَى ذُلّاً وهَوْناً وافْتَضَحْ
Or if the full moon saw her at its rising,
Or if the full moon saw it in its rising,
It would don abasement and humiliation, and be put to shame.
It would be humbled, submissive, and eclipsed.
فَازَwas fortunate مَنْwhoever عَاطَتْpassed يَداهاher two hands يَدَهُhis hand
فَازَ مَنْ عَاطَتْ يَداها يَدَهُ
عَاتقَaged الرَّاحthe wine بكَأسٍin a cup وقَدَحْand a goblet
عَاتقَ الرَّاح بكَأسٍ وقَدَحْ
Fortunate is he to whose hand her two hands have passed
So he who her hands took his hand,
Aged wine in a cup and goblet,
Embraced happiness with a cup and a goblet,
بِبَنانٍwith fingertips كَمَدَارِيlike hairpins of فضَّةٍsilver
بِبَنانٍ كَمَدَارِي فضَّةٍ
طُرِّفَتْwere adorned at the tips بالنُّورِwith light فيin مجرىthe path of السُّبَحْthe prayer beads
طُرِّفَتْ بالنُّورِ في مجرى السُّبَحْ
With fingertips like silver hairpins,
With fingers like rods of silver
Tipped with light along the path of the prayer beads.
Bejeweled with light in the stream of purity.
كُلَّماwhenever سُرَّhe was delighted بِهَاin her قالتْshe said لهto him
كُلَّما سُرَّ بِهَا قالتْ له
زادَكَmay He increase you in اللَّهُGod سروراًjoy وفرحْand gladness
زادَكَ اللَّهُ سروراً وفرحْ
Whenever he delighted in her, she said to him:
Whenever she was happy with him she said:
“May God increase your joy and gladness!
“May God increase your joy and delight.”
ياO حبيبيmy beloved ومَدَىand the goal of أمْنِيَّتيmy longing
يا حبيبي ومَدَى أمْنِيَّتي
بكthrough you زادَgrew العيْشُlife طِيباًin sweetness وصَلَحْand improved
بك زادَ العيْشُ طِيباً وصَلَحْ
O my beloved, and the goal of my longing,
“My love, how I wish for you,
Through you, life has grown sweeter and better.”
With you life grew beautiful and sound.”
وهماand the two of them فيin رَوْضَةa garden عَدنِيَّةٍEdenic
وهما في رَوْضَة عَدنِيَّةٍ
يفْسَحُranges across الطَّرْفُthe gaze مداهاits expanse ماas far as انفسحْit extends
يفْسَحُ الطَّرْفُ مداها ما انفسحْ
And the two of them are in an Edenic garden,
While they are in the garden of Eden,
Where the gaze ranges over its expanse as far as it can reach.
Their gaze roams as far as it unveils.
تَتَغَنَّىsing melodiously الطيْرُthe birds فيalong حَافَاتِهاits edges
تَتَغَنَّى الطيْرُ في حَافَاتِها
بِلُحُونٍwith melodies تدعleave القلبthe heart فَرِحْjoyful
بِلُحُونٍ تدع القلب فَرِحْ
The birds sing along its edges,
The birds sing melodies in its borders,
With melodies that leave the heart joyful.
Melodies that leave the heart joyful.
ونسيمُand the breeze of الريحthe wind يهديbrings لهماto them both
ونسيمُ الريح يهدي لهما
نَفَحَاتِwafts of الوردthe roses منfrom تِلْكَthose الفُسَحْthe open spaces
نَفَحَاتِ الورد من تِلْكَ الفُسَحْ
And the wind’s breeze brings them both
And the breeze whispers to them
Wafts of rose-scent from those open spaces.
Scents of roses from those meadows.
عُوِّضَتْwere recompensed عيناهماtheir two eyes قُرَّتَهَاits soothing delight
عُوِّضَتْ عيناهما قُرَّتَهَا
ثَمَنَas payment for الدَّمْعthe tears الذيthat كانhad been سُفِحْshed
ثَمَنَ الدَّمْع الذي كان سُفِحْ
Their eyes were recompensed with soothing delight,
Their eyes were compensated for their hardship
In payment for the tears that had been shed.
With the price of tears that once poured.
هاكَهَاtake it دُرِّيةًpearl-like منظُومةًstrung together
هاكَهَا دُرِّيةً منظُومةً
شاكَلَmatched الخَاتمُthe ending منْهاof it المُفْتَتَحْthe beginning
شاكَلَ الخَاتمُ منْها المُفْتَتَحْ
Take it, a strand of pearls,
It offers them spherical pearls
Its ending matches its beginning.
Whose seal is opened by the blessed.
Sol 6.1