نَدَىًdew فِيin الأَقْحِوانَةِthe chrysanthemum أَمْor رِضَابُsaliva
نَدَىً فِي الأَقْحِوانَةِ أَمْ رِضَابُ
وَطَلُّand dew فِيin الشَّقِيقَةِthe anemone أَمْor سَرَابُa mirage
وَطَلُّ فِي الشَّقِيقَةِ أَمْ سَرَابُ
Dew in the chrysanthemum—or saliva?
And dew in the anemone—or a mirage?
فَتِلْكَso that one وَهَذِهِand this one ثَغْرٌa mouth وَكَأْسٌand a cup
فَتِلْكَ وَهَذِهِ ثَغْرٌ وَكَأْسٌ
بِذَاin this one ظَلْمٌthe sheen of teeth وَفِيand in هّذَىthis one شَرَابْwine
بِذَا ظَلْمٌ وَفِي هّذَى شَرَابْ
So the one is a mouth, the other a cup:
in the one, the sheen of teeth; in the other, wine.
وَخُضْرُand green خَمَائلٍgroves كَسَجُومِlike bodies (uncertain reading) غِيدٍgraceful maidens
وَخُضْرُ خَمَائلٍ كَسَجُومِ غِيدٍ
قَدْindeed انْتُقِشَتْwere adorned وَرَقَّand grew tender بِهَاamid them الخِطَابُthe speech
قَدْ انْتُقِشَتْ وَرَقَّ بِهَا الخِطَابُ
And green groves, like the bodies of graceful maidens,
have been adorned, and speech amid them has grown tender.
يُريكُshows you بِهَاamid them الشَّقِيقُthe anemone سَوَادَthe blackness of هُدْبٍeyelashes
يُريكُ بِهَا الشَّقِيقُ سَوَادَ هُدْبٍ
وَحُمْرةَand the redness of وَجْنَةٍa cheek فِيهَاin it الْتِهَابُa blaze
وَحُمْرةَ وَجْنَةٍ فِيهَا الْتِهَابُ
In them, the anemone shows you the blackness of lashes,
and the redness of a cheek aflame.
وَوُرْقُand ash-gray حَمَائمٍdoves فِيon كُلِّevery فَنٍbough
وَوُرْقُ حَمَائمٍ فِي كُلِّ فَنٍ
إِذَاwhen نَطَقَتْthey speak لَهَاthey have لَحْنٌa melody صَوَابُfaultless
إِذَا نَطَقَتْ لَهَا لَحْنٌ صَوَابُ
And ash-gray doves on every bough,
when they speak, their melody is faultless.
لَهَاthey have بِالظِّلِّin the shade أَزْرَارٌbuttons حِسَانٌbeautiful
لَهَا بِالظِّلِّ أَزْرَارٌ حِسَانٌ
وَأَطْوَاقٌand collars وَمِنْand of وَرِقٍsilver ثِيَابُgarments
وَأَطْوَاقٌ وَمِنْ وَرِقٍ ثِيَابُ
In the shade they have lovely buttons,
and collars, and garments of silver.
كَأَنَّas though النَّهْرَthe river سَيْفٌa sword مَشْرِفيِّMashrafi
كَأَنَّ النَّهْرَ سَيْفٌ مَشْرِفيِّ
لَهُit has فِيin كَفِّthe palm of صَيْقَلِهِits polisher اضْطِرَابُquivering
لَهُ فِي كَفِّ صَيْقَلِهِ اضْطِرَابُ
As though the river were a Mashrafi sword,
quivering in its polisher's palm.
تُجَرِّدُهُunsheathes it يَمينُthe right hand of الشَّمْسِthe sun طَوْراًat times
تُجَرِّدُهُ يَمينُ الشَّمْسِ طَوْراً
وَطَوْراًand at times بِالظِّلاَلِin the shadows لَهُit has قِرَابُa sheath
وَطَوْراً بِالظِّلاَلِ لَهُ قِرَابُ
At times the sun's right hand unsheathes it,
and at times the shadows are its sheath.
يُعَابُis faulted السَّيْفُthe sword إِذْwhen فِيon جَانبِيِهِits two sides
يُعَابُ السَّيْفُ إِذْ فِي جَانبِيِهِ
فُلُولٌnicks وَهْوَyet it مِنْهَاfor them لاَnot يُعَابُis faulted
فُلُولٌ وَهْوَ مِنْهَا لاَ يُعَابُ
A sword is faulted when its two edges
bear nicks; yet the river is not faulted for them.
فَإِنْso if قُلْتَyou say الحَبَابُthe serpent انْسَابَslithered away ذُعْراًin fear
فَإِنْ قُلْتَ الحَبَابُ انْسَابَ ذُعْراً
وَرُمْتَand you mean الرَّقْشَspeckling صَدَّقَكَbears you out الحَبَابُthe bubbles
وَرُمْتَ الرَّقْشَ صَدَّقَكَ الحَبَابُ
So if you say, 'The serpent slithered away in fear,'
and mean its speckles, the bubbles bear you out.
وَلِلأَغْصَانِand the branches have هَيْنَمَةٌa murmur تُحَاكِيechoing
وَلِلأَغْصَانِ هَيْنَمَةٌ تُحَاكِي
حَبَايِبَlovers رَقَّgrew tender بَيْنَهُمُbetween them العِتَابُthe reproach
حَبَايِبَ رَقَّ بَيْنَهُمُ العِتَابُ
And the branches have a murmur echoing
lovers whose mutual reproaches have grown tender.
تَثَنَّتْthey swayed وَالحَمَامُwhile the doves لَهَاto them يُغَنِّيsing
تَثَنَّتْ وَالحَمَامُ لَهَا يُغَنِّي
كَشَرْبِlike drinkers of مَدَامُةٍwine شَرِبُواthey drank وَطَابُواand grew merry
كَشَرْبِ مَدَامُةٍ شَرِبُوا وَطَابُوا
They swayed while the doves sang to them,
like wine-drinkers who drank and grew merry.
Sol 6.1