نَدَىًdew فِيin الأَقْحِوانَةِthe daisy أَمْor رِضَابُsweet saliva
نَدَىً فِي الأَقْحِوانَةِ أَمْ رِضَابُ
وَطَلُّand dew فِيin الشَّقِيقَةِthe anemone أَمْor سَرَابُa mirage
وَطَلُّ فِي الشَّقِيقَةِ أَمْ سَرَابُ
Is it dew in the daisy, or sweet saliva?
Dew in the cups or a mirage in the iris,
And dew in the anemone, or a mirage?
This and that, a mouth and a cup,
فَتِلْكَfor that one وَهَذِهِand this one ثَغْرٌa mouth وَكَأْسٌand a cup
فَتِلْكَ وَهَذِهِ ثَغْرٌ وَكَأْسٌ
بِذَاin this one ظَلْمٌthe gleam of teeth وَفِيand in هّذَىthis one شَرَابْwine
بِذَا ظَلْمٌ وَفِي هّذَى شَرَابْ
For that one is a mouth, and this a cup:
With injustice is darkness and in passion is drink.
in one, the gleam of teeth; in the other, wine.
The green of slender date palms has stirred
وَخُضْرُand green خَمَائلٍthickets كَسَجُومِlike the streaming tears of غِيدٍlithe maidens
وَخُضْرُ خَمَائلٍ كَسَجُومِ غِيدٍ
قَدْalready انْتُقِشَتْhave been patterned وَرَقَّand grew tender بِهَاamong them الخِطَابُspeech
قَدْ انْتُقِشَتْ وَرَقَّ بِهَا الخِطَابُ
And green thickets, like the streaming tears of lithe maidens,
And the address is adorned with its leaves.
have been patterned, and speech has grown tender among them.
The iris shows it the blackness of ink
يُريكُshows you بِهَاin them الشَّقِيقُthe anemone سَوَادَthe blackness of هُدْبٍeyelashes
يُريكُ بِهَا الشَّقِيقُ سَوَادَ هُدْبٍ
وَحُمْرةَand the redness of وَجْنَةٍa cheek فِيهَاwithin it الْتِهَابُa fiery glow
وَحُمْرةَ وَجْنَةٍ فِيهَا الْتِهَابُ
There the anemone shows you the blackness of eyelashes,
And the redness of a cheek inflamed with love.
and the redness of a cheek aglow.
The leaves of doves, excellent in every art,
وَوُرْقُand gray حَمَائمٍdoves فِيon كُلِّevery فَنٍbranch
وَوُرْقُ حَمَائمٍ فِي كُلِّ فَنٍ
إِذَاwhen نَطَقَتْthey speak لَهَاthey have لَحْنٌa melody صَوَابُtrue
إِذَا نَطَقَتْ لَهَا لَحْنٌ صَوَابُ
And gray doves on every branch,
When they speak, their tune is right.
when they speak, have a melody that rings true.
In the shade, its buttons are beautiful
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 wear beautiful buttons,
And collars, and garments of leaves.
and collars, and garments of silver.
As if the river were a demanding sword
كَأَنَّas though النَّهْرَthe river سَيْفٌa sword مَشْرِفيِّMashrafi
كَأَنَّ النَّهْرَ سَيْفٌ مَشْرِفيِّ
لَهُit has فِيin كَفِّthe palm of صَيْقَلِهِits polisher اضْطِرَابُa quivering
لَهُ فِي كَفِّ صَيْقَلِهِ اضْطِرَابُ
The river is like a Mashrafi sword,
In the grasp of its polish is turmoil.
quivering in its polisher's palm.
The right hand of the sun undresses it at times
تُجَرِّدُهُunsheathes it يَمينُthe right hand of الشَّمْسِthe sun طَوْراًat times
تُجَرِّدُهُ يَمينُ الشَّمْسِ طَوْراً
وَطَوْراًand at times بِالظِّلاَلِwith shadows لَهُit has قِرَابُa sheath
وَطَوْراً بِالظِّلاَلِ لَهُ قِرَابُ
At times the sun's right hand unsheathes it,
And at times it is clothed in shadows.
and at times the shadows serve it as a sheath.
The sword is reproached when on its sides
يُعَابُis faulted السَّيْفُthe sword إِذْwhen فِيalong جَانبِيِهِits two edges
يُعَابُ السَّيْفُ إِذْ فِي جَانبِيِهِ
فُلُولٌnotches وَهْوَyet it مِنْهَاfor them لاَnot يُعَابُis faulted
فُلُولٌ وَهْوَ مِنْهَا لاَ يُعَابُ
A sword is faulted when its edges bear
Are remnants, yet it is flawless.
notches; yet the river is not faulted for them.
If you say the loved ones fled in panic,
فَإِنْso if قُلْتَyou said الحَبَابُthe serpent (also: bubbles) انْسَابَslithered away ذُعْراًin fright
فَإِنْ قُلْتَ الحَبَابُ انْسَابَ ذُعْراً
وَرُمْتَand you meant الرَّقْشَthe speckled snakes صَدَّقَكَwould prove you right الحَبَابُthe bubbles
وَرُمْتَ الرَّقْشَ صَدَّقَكَ الحَبَابُ
So if you said, 'The serpent slithered away in fright,'
And you cast the veil, the loved one will confirm you.
and meant the speckled snakes, the bubbles would bear you out.
And for the branches a humility that imitates
وَلِلأَغْصَانِand the branches have هَيْنَمَةٌa whispering تُحَاكِيresembling
وَلِلأَغْصَانِ هَيْنَمَةٌ تُحَاكِي
حَبَايِبَlovers رَقَّgrew tender بَيْنَهُمُbetween them العِتَابُreproach
حَبَايِبَ رَقَّ بَيْنَهُمُ العِتَابُ
And the branches have a whispering that resembles
Lovers whose rebuke has softened between them.
lovers whose mutual reproaches have grown tender.
They bent while the doves sing to them
تَثَنَّتْthey swayed وَالحَمَامُwhile the doves لَهَاto them يُغَنِّيsing
تَثَنَّتْ وَالحَمَامُ لَهَا يُغَنِّي
كَشَرْبِlike a company of drinkers of مَدَامُةٍwine شَرِبُواthey drank وَطَابُواand grew merry
كَشَرْبِ مَدَامُةٍ شَرِبُوا وَطَابُوا
They swayed while the doves sang to them,
Like drinking wine - they drank and were content.
like wine-drinkers who drank and grew merry.
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1