مرَّتshe passed كوردٍlike a rose فيin الضُّحىmidmorning مُزهرِblooming
مرَّت كوردٍ في الضُّحى مُزهرِ
علىover بساطِthe carpet of الرّدهةِthe hall الأخضَرِgreen
على بساطِ الرّدهةِ الأخضَرِ
She passed like a rose blooming at midmorning,
A maiden passed at dawn, in the garden bright,
across the hall's green carpet.
On the carpet of green porch, a blossoming sight.
ومثلَand like غصنٍa branch رنحتهswayed it الصَّباthe east wind
ومثلَ غصنٍ رنحته الصَّبا
جرَّرَتِshe trailed الذَّيلَthe trailing hem علىover المرمرthe marble
جرَّرَتِ الذَّيلَ على المرمر
And like a branch swayed by the east wind,
Like a bending branch in the gentle breeze,
she trailed her hem over the marble.
She dragged her dress on the marble with ease.
وحسنُهاand her beauty الرّيانُlush فيin ثوبهاher gown
وحسنُها الرّيانُ في ثوبها
كالسَّمنِlike clarified butter يومon a day of البردِcold بالسكَّرwith sugar
كالسَّمنِ يوم البردِ بالسكَّر
And her lush beauty within her gown
Her beauty shines in her dress, like butter
is like clarified butter with sugar on a cold day.
On a cold day, with sugar makes it better.
وجنتُهاher cheek شفّافةٌtranslucent لونُهاits color
وجنتُها شفّافةٌ لونُها
إنif تمزجِyou mix الأبيَضَwhite بالأحمرwith red
إن تمزجِ الأبيَضَ بالأحمر
Her cheek is translucent; its hue is as
Her cheeks transparent, colored rosy white,
if you mixed white with red.
As red and white perfectly unite.
فالحسنُso beauty والصحَّةُand health فاضاboth overflowed معاًtogether
فالحسنُ والصحَّةُ فاضا معاً
كماjust as يفيضُoverflows الماءُwater فيin الأنهرthe rivers
كما يفيضُ الماءُ في الأنهر
So beauty and health overflowed together,
Beauty and health overflowing copiously,
as water overflows in rivers.
Like water running high in the streams free.
وخدُّهاand her cheek مُستَعِرٌablaze خلقةًby nature
وخدُّها مُستَعِرٌ خلقةً
لاnot مُستَعارٌborrowed فهوfor it is جانٍa culprit بريinnocent
لا مُستَعارٌ فهو جانٍ بري
And her cheek is naturally aflame,
Her blushed cheek, a natural perfection,
not borrowed—for it is a culprit, yet innocent.
Not artificially made complexion.
وشَفَتاهاand her lips وردةٌa rose نوَّرَتhas blossomed
وشَفَتاها وردةٌ نوَّرَت
وثغرُهاand her mouth سمطٌa strand منof الجَوهَرjewels
وثغرُها سمطٌ من الجَوهَر
And her lips are a rose that has blossomed,
Her lips are a rose that made her smile shine,
and her mouth is a strand of jewels.
Her mouth a jewel, richest of its kind.
والرِّيقُand the saliva فيهِin it خمرةٌwine حرمتwas forbidden
والرِّيقُ فيهِ خمرةٌ حرمت
منfrom غيرِother than كرمِthe vineyard of الدَّيرِthe monastery لمnot تُعصَرbe pressed
من غيرِ كرمِ الدَّيرِ لم تُعصَر
And the saliva in it is forbidden wine,
Her saliva is a wine that is denied,
pressed from no vineyard but the monastery's.
Undrawn from vines, the convent beside.
وعينُهاand her eye زهراءُradiant مُستأنِسٌfinding solace
وعينُها زهراءُ مُستأنِسٌ
بهاin it ضليلُone who is lost البَلدِthe land المُقفرdesolate
بها ضليلُ البَلدِ المُقفر
And her eye is radiant; solace is found
Her eyes are radiant, glowing in the dark,
in it by one lost in the desolate land.
Comforting the lost in landscapes stark.
وشعرُهاand her hair الأشقَرُblond مُسترسِلٌflowing freely
وشعرُها الأشقَرُ مُسترسِلٌ
كالموجِlike waves يومَon a day of الهدءِcalm فيin الأبحُرthe seas
كالموجِ يومَ الهدءِ في الأبحُر
And her blond hair flows freely,
Her blond hair cascades like the waves crawl,
like waves in the seas on a day of calm.
On a calm day, slowly rise and fall.
تسيرُshe walks والأحداقُand the eyes منfrom خَلفِهاbehind her
تسيرُ والأحداقُ من خَلفِها
فَتُشبهُso she resembles القائدَthe commander فيin المدفرthe fray (meaning uncertain)
فَتُشبهُ القائدَ في المدفر
She walks, and eyes follow behind her,
She walks as the curls follow behind,
so she resembles a commander in the fray.
Like a leader with army, we find.
كمhow many مرّةٍa time بتناwe spent the night علىin لذَّةٍdelight
كم مرّةٍ بتنا على لذَّةٍ
كأنناas though we were علوةُʿAlwa والبُحتريand al-Buhturi
كأننا علوةُ والبُحتري
How often we spent the night in delight,
How often we were in utter joy,
as though we were ʿAlwa and al-Buhturi.
Like poets Al Buhturi and Al Awdha.
Sol 6.1