صَيَّرَتyou made بَدرَthe full moon النَظمof verse بَعدَكَafter you غارِباsetting
صَيَّرَت بَدرَ النَظم بَعدَكَ غارِبا
لَمّاwhen اِمتَطَيتyou mounted مِنof البَلاغةeloquence غارِباa lofty crest
لَمّا اِمتَطَيت مِن البَلاغة غارِبا
You made the full moon of verse set in your wake
when you mounted eloquence's lofty crest.
وَعَلَوتَand you ascended صَهوَتَهُits back بِثاقِبِwith piercing فِكرَةٍthought
وَعَلَوتَ صَهوَتَهُ بِثاقِبِ فِكرَةٍ
نظمتit strung لَكَfor you الزُهرthe radiant النُجومstars كَواكِباas celestial orbs
نظمت لَكَ الزُهر النُجوم كَواكِبا
And climbed upon its back with a piercing thought
that strung for you the radiant stars as orbs—
مِنfrom كُلِّevery ساحِرَةِenchantress اللِّحاظِof glances إِذاwhen رَنَتshe gazed
مِن كُلِّ ساحِرَةِ اللِّحاظِ إِذا رَنَت
سَلَّتshe drew عَلَيكَagainst you مِنَfrom الجُفونthe eyelids قَواضِباkeen blades
سَلَّت عَلَيكَ مِنَ الجُفون قَواضِبا
Each an enchantress of glances who, when she gazed,
drew keen blades against you from her eyelids.
مِنfrom ريمِgazelles وَجرَةَof Wajra أَوor شَوارِدِthe wanderers رامَةٍof Rama
مِن ريمِ وَجرَةَ أَو شَوارِدِ رامَةٍ
أَلفَتthey grew familiar with حِماكَyour sanctuary رَبارِباًherds of wild antelope وَرَبائِباand fosterlings
أَلفَت حِماكَ رَبارِباً وَرَبائِبا
From Wajra's gazelles or Rama's wandering does,
that made your sanctuary home, wild herds and fosterlings.
غيدٌlissome maidens تَوَشَّحَتِthey donned المَعانيmeanings حُلَّةًas a robe
غيدٌ تَوَشَّحَتِ المَعاني حُلَّةً
وَتَسَربَلَتand clothed themselves وَشيthe embroidery الرَبيعof spring سَبائِباfine cloth lengths
وَتَسَربَلَت وَشي الرَبيع سَبائِبا
Lissome maidens who donned meanings as a robe,
and clad themselves in fine lengths of spring's embroidery.
وَسَمَتand they rose إِلىto الجَوزاءOrion فَاِستَلبتand so stole حلىthe jewels
وَسَمَت إِلى الجَوزاء فَاِستَلبت حلى
ذاكَthat النِظامnecklace وَقَلَّدَتهُand hung it as a necklace ترائِباupper chests
ذاكَ النِظام وَقَلَّدَتهُ ترائِبا
They rose to Orion and stole the jewels
of that necklace, and hung it across their breasts.
وَمَشَتand they walked فَأَزرَتand so put to shame بِالقَضيبِthe slender bough رَشاقَةin grace
وَمَشَت فَأَزرَت بِالقَضيبِ رَشاقَة
وَالظَبيand the gazelle لَحظاًin glances وَالغَزالَةand the sun حاجِباin brow
وَالظَبي لَحظاً وَالغَزالَة حاجِبا
They walked, putting the slender bough to shame in grace,
the gazelle in glances, and the sun in the arch of the brow.
ياO حُسنَهاher beauty عَرَبِيَّةًas an Arab maiden لَوif ساجَلَتshe vied
يا حُسنَها عَرَبِيَّةً لَو ساجَلَت
سَحبانَSahban راحَhe departed لِذَيلِthe hem of عِيٍّineloquence ساحِباdragging
سَحبانَ راحَ لِذَيلِ عِيٍّ ساحِبا
How lovely she is, an Arab maiden! Had she vied
with Sahban, he would have left trailing the hem of ineloquence.
أَوor طارَحَتshe challenged قُسَّQuss الفَصاحَةof eloquence لَفظَهاher speech
أَو طارَحَت قُسَّ الفَصاحَة لَفظَها
ماnot قامَhe stood يَوماًever فيin عُكاظٍUkaz خاطِباas an orator
ما قامَ يَوماً في عُكاظٍ خاطِبا
Or had she challenged eloquent Quss with her words,
he would never have stood as an orator at Ukaz.
أَوor شامَhe beheld بارِقَthe lightning ثَغرِهاof her smile غَيلانُGhaylan لَمdid not
أَو شامَ بارِقَ ثَغرِها غَيلانُ لَم
يَربعhe lingered عَلىat أَطلالthe ruins مَيَّةَof Mayya نادِباlamenting
يَربع عَلى أَطلال مَيَّةَ نادِبا
Or had Ghaylan glimpsed the lightning of her smile, he would not
have lingered at Mayya's ruins, lamenting.
فَبِهاfor in her رَقيقُdelicate اللَّفظِwording وَالمَعنىand meaning مَعاًtogether
فَبِها رَقيقُ اللَّفظِ وَالمَعنى مَعاً
كَالراحِlike wine بِالماءِwith water القراحِpure تَناسُباin harmony
كَالراحِ بِالماءِ القراحِ تَناسُبا
For in her, delicate wording and meaning blend,
in harmony, like wine with pure water.
إِنif فاخَرَتshe vied يَوماًone day بِحُسنِin the beauty of نِظامِهاher ordering
إِن فاخَرَت يَوماً بِحُسنِ نِظامِها
شُهبَthe brilliant النُجومstars طَوالِعاًrising وَغَوارِباand setting
شُهبَ النُجوم طَوالِعاً وَغَوارِبا
If ever she vies, through her beautiful ordering,
with the brilliant stars, rising and setting,
فيماin what حَوَتهُshe contained it مِنَof الفَخارِglory بِمَدحِthrough praising مَنone who
فيما حَوَتهُ مِنَ الفَخارِ بِمَدحِ مَن
بَهَرَhe outshone المُلوكthe kings مَقانِباin cavalry squadrons وَمَناقِباand noble deeds
بَهَرَ المُلوك مَقانِبا وَمَناقِبا
it is through the glory she holds in praising him
who outshone kings in cavalry squadrons and noble deeds:
ظِلُّthe shadow الإِلَهِof God مُرادُMurad مَنone who خَضَعَتbowed لَهُto him
ظِلُّ الإِلَهِ مُرادُ مَن خَضَعَت لَهُ
هامُthe heads المُلوكof kings مَشارِقاًeastern lands وَمَغارِباand western lands
هامُ المُلوك مَشارِقاً وَمَغارِبا
God's shadow, Murad, to whom have bowed
the heads of kings in East and West.
ملكٌa king سِنانthe spearhead قَناتِهِof his lance وَبَنانِهِand his fingertips
ملكٌ سِنان قَناتِهِ وَبَنانِهِ
يَتباريانvie with each other دَماًblood وَعُرفاًand bounty ساكِباpouring forth
يَتباريان دَماً وَعُرفاً ساكِبا
A king whose lance-tip and fingertips
vie in pouring forth blood and bounty;
ذُوpossessed of سَطوَةٍmight فيin الخافِقَينَEast and West وَعَزمَةٍand resolve
ذُو سَطوَةٍ في الخافِقَينَ وَعَزمَةٍ
مِنهاbecause of it زَعيمthe leader الفُرسِof the Persians وَلّىhe turned away هارِباًfleeing
مِنها زَعيم الفُرسِ وَلّى هارِباً
possessed of might in East and West, and a resolve
before which the Persian leader turned and fled.
لاmay not زالَتِcease الأَملاكُthe angels تَحرُسُguarding مُلكَهُhis kingdom
لا زالَتِ الأَملاكُ تَحرُسُ مُلكَهُ
وَالسَعدُand good fortune يُلفىbe found طالِعاًrising لاnot غارِباsetting
وَالسَعدُ يُلفى طالِعاً لا غارِبا
May the angels ever guard his kingdom,
and may fortune be found rising, never setting,
ماas long as قَرّظتextolled حللthe robes القَريضof poetry يراعَةٌa reed pen
ما قَرّظت حلل القَريض يراعَةٌ
وَكَسَتهُand clothed it ديباجَbrocade البَديعof rhetorical ornament عَصائِباas headbands
وَكَسَتهُ ديباجَ البَديع عَصائِبا
as long as a reed pen extols the robes of verse
and clothes it in headbands of rhetoric's brocade.
Sol 6.1