صِفَةُ الطُلولِ بَلاغَةُ القِدمِ

صِفَةُ الطُلولِ بَلاغَةُ القِدمِ

فَاِجعَل صِفاتَكَ لِاِبنَةِ الكَرمِ

فَاِجعَل صِفاتَكَ لِاِبنَةِ الكَرمِ

Describing ruins is the eloquence of antiquity;

The traits of hopes are the eloquence of feet

Describing ruins is the eloquence of a bygone age,

so devote your descriptions to the daughter of the vine.

So make your traits for the daughter of generosity

So dedicate your verses to the daughter of the vine.

لا تُخدَعَنَّ عَنِ الَّتي جُعِلَت

لا تُخدَعَنَّ عَنِ الَّتي جُعِلَت

سُقمَ الصَحيحِ وَصِحَّةَ السُقمِ

سُقمَ الصَحيحِ وَصِحَّةَ السُقمِ

Never be lured away from her who was made

Do not be deceived from the one who was made

Do not be beguiled away from she who serves

sickness for the healthy and health for sickness,

The sickness of the healthy and the health of the sick

As sickness to the sound, and health unto the sick,

وَصَديقَةِ الروحِ الَّتي حُجِبَت

وَصَديقَةِ الروحِ الَّتي حُجِبَت

عَن ناظِرَيكَ وَقَيِّمِ الجِسمِ

عَن ناظِرَيكَ وَقَيِّمِ الجِسمِ

and friend of the spirit, which is veiled

And the soul's friend who was veiled

The spirit's bosom friend, who lies concealed

from your eyes—the guardian of the body.

From your sights and the health of the body

From your gazing eyes and the body's guard.

لا كَرمُها مِمّا يُذالُ وَلا

لا كَرمُها مِمّا يُذالُ وَلا

فُتِلَت مَرائِرُها عَلى عَجمِ

فُتِلَت مَرائِرُها عَلى عَجمِ

Her vine is not one to be debased, nor

Her generosity is not from what is disgraced and not

Her vine is not the common stock that men degrade,

were her cords twisted around hard cores.

Her secrets were unveiled to the non-Arabs

Nor were her strands woven on a hollow core.

صَهباءَ فَضَّلَها المُلوكُ عَلى

صَهباءَ فَضَّلَها المُلوكُ عَلى

نُظَرائِها بِفَضيلَةِ القَدمِ

نُظَرائِها بِفَضيلَةِ القَدمِ

Tawny wine, which kings preferred over

The fair one whom the kings preferred over

A golden vintage, preferred by kings above

her peers for the distinction of age.

Her peers with the merit of antiquity

All her peers, by virtue of her ancient date.

فَإِذا أَطَفنَ بِها صَمَتنَ لَها

فَإِذا أَطَفنَ بِها صَمَتنَ لَها

صَمتَ البَناتِ مَهابَةَ الأُمِّ

صَمتَ البَناتِ مَهابَةَ الأُمِّ

So when they circle around her, they fall silent before her,

So when they whispered about her they were silent before her

When gathered round her, they fall silent in her court,

with daughters' silence in awe of their mother.

The silence of the daughters fearing the mother

As daughters hush in reverence of their mother.

وَإِذا هَتَفنَ بِها لِنازِلَةٍ

وَإِذا هَتَفنَ بِها لِنازِلَةٍ

قَدَّمنَ كُنيَتَها عَلى الإِسمِ

قَدَّمنَ كُنيَتَها عَلى الإِسمِ

And when they call upon her in a calamity,

And when they cheered her for an event

And if they call upon her when a crisis falls,

they put her honorific before her name.

They put her nickname before the name

They honor her by title before they speak her name.

وَإِذا أَرَدنَ لَها مُحاوَرَةً

وَإِذا أَرَدنَ لَها مُحاوَرَةً

رَوَّحنَ ما عَزَّبنَ مِن حِلمِ

رَوَّحنَ ما عَزَّبنَ مِن حِلمِ

And when they wish to converse with her,

And when they wanted to converse with her

And if they seek to hold communion with her soul,

they bring back whatever good sense they had sent wandering.

They made gentle what they had of wisdom

They revive the wisdom that had long been banished.

شُجَّت فَعالَت فَوقَها حَبَباً

شُجَّت فَعالَت فَوقَها حَبَباً

مُتَراصِفاً كَتَراصُفِ النَظمِ

مُتَراصِفاً كَتَراصُفِ النَظمِ

She was mixed with water and raised bubbles above herself,

She was inspired so she did above it layers

When broached with water, bubbles mount her crest,

closely packed like pearls upon a string.

Arranged like the arrangement of prose

Aligned in perfect order like a string of pearls,

ثُمَّ اِنفَرَت لَكَ عَن مَدَبٍّ دَبّاً

ثُمَّ اِنفَرَت لَكَ عَن مَدَبٍّ دَبّاً

عَجلانَ صَعَّدَ في ذُرا أُكمِ

عَجلانَ صَعَّدَ في ذُرا أُكمِ

Then she opened to you, revealing a creeping track,

Then it turned away from you from a creeping slowly

Then she reveals to you a creeping path,

hurrying upward over the summits of hills.

Hastening clouds ascended into high clouds

Hastening its climb upon the summits of the hills.

فَكَأَنَّما يَتلو طَرائِدَها

فَكَأَنَّما يَتلو طَرائِدَها

نَجمٌ تَواتَرَ في قَفا نَجمِ

نَجمٌ تَواتَرَ في قَفا نَجمِ

As though following her fleeing ones

As if its prey is followed by a star

As though there follows in her fleeing tracks,

were a star following in another star's wake.

Recurring in succession like stars

Star after star in rapid, bright succession.

وَكَأَنَّ عُقبى طَعمِها صَبرٌ

وَكَأَنَّ عُقبى طَعمِها صَبرٌ

وَعَلى البَديهَةِ مُزَّةُ الطَعمِ

وَعَلى البَديهَةِ مُزَّةُ الطَعمِ

And her aftertaste is as though it were bitter aloe,

And as if the aftertaste of its flavor is patience

It seems her final aftertaste is bitter aloe,

while at first she is sweet-tart in flavor.

And over spontaneity the delight of taste

Though at the first sensation, she is tart and sharp.

تَرمي فَتَقصِدُ مَن لَهُ قَصَدَت

تَرمي فَتَقصِدُ مَن لَهُ قَصَدَت

جَمَّ المِراحِ دَريرَةَ السَهمِ

جَمَّ المِراحِ دَريرَةَ السَهمِ

She shoots and strikes down the one she aims at,

She throws and aims at whoever she intended

She strikes her target—the one she meant to hit—

full of high spirits, her arrow swift.

The truer of steps, swift of arrow

With abundant joy, swift as a driven arrow.

فَعَلامَ تَذهَلُ عَن مُشَعشَعَةٍ

فَعَلامَ تَذهَلُ عَن مُشَعشَعَةٍ

وَتَهيمُ في طَلَلٍ وَفي رَسمِ

وَتَهيمُ في طَلَلٍ وَفي رَسمِ

So why are you heedless of a wine brightened with water,

So why are you confused about a shining one

Why then turn blindly from the radiant wine,

and wander lovesick among ruins and remnants?

And obsessed with ruins and drawings

To wander lost in love for ruins and for dust?

تَصِفُ الطُلولَ عَلى السَماعِ بِها

تَصِفُ الطُلولَ عَلى السَماعِ بِها

أَفَذو العِيانِ كَأَنتَ في العِلمِ

أَفَذو العِيانِ كَأَنتَ في العِلمِ

You describe the ruins from what you hear of them;

You describe hopes through hearing about her

You describe the ruins only by what you hear;

is an eyewitness, then, like you in knowledge?

More eloquent than seeing as if you have knowledge

Is the eyewitness equal to your second-hand lore?

وَإِذا وَصَفتَ الشَيءَ مُتَّبِعاً

وَإِذا وَصَفتَ الشَيءَ مُتَّبِعاً

لَم تَخلُ مِن زَلَلٍ وَمِن وَهمِ

لَم تَخلُ مِن زَلَلٍ وَمِن وَهمِ

And when you describe a thing by following others,

And if you describe something following

For when you describe a thing as a mere mimic,

you are not free from slips and misconceptions.

You will not lack errors and delusions

You shall not escape from error and illusion.