مَلِكَKing السَماءِof the sky بَهَرتَyou dazzled فيamong الأَنوارِthe lights
مَلِكَ السَماءِ بَهَرتَ في الأَنوارِ
فَفَداكso may he be your ransom كُلُّevery مُتَوَّجٍcrowned one مِنamong ساريnight-travelers
فَفَداك كُلُّ مُتَوَّجٍ مِن ساري
King of the sky, you dazzle among the lights;
O King of the Heavens, you dazzled in the lights,
So may every crowned night-traveler be your ransom.
So every crowned one ransomed you with the highest.
لَمّاwhen طَلَعتَyou rose عَلىover المِياهِthe waters تُنيرُهاyou illuminate them
لَمّا طَلَعتَ عَلى المِياهِ تُنيرُها
سَكَنَتthey grew still وَقَدand indeed كانَتthey had been بِغَيرِwithout قَرارِrest
سَكَنَت وَقَد كانَت بِغَيرِ قَرارِ
When you rose over the waters, lighting them,
When you rose over the waters lighting them up,
They grew still, though they had known no rest.
They calmed, though before they were restless.
وَزَهَتand shone لِناظِرِهاfor its beholder السَماءُthe sky وَقَرَّand grew still ماwhat
وَزَهَت لِناظِرِها السَماءُ وَقَرَّ ما
فيin البَحرِthe sea مِنof عُبُبٍbillows وَمِنand of تَيّارِcurrent
في البَحرِ مِن عُبُبٍ وَمِن تَيّارِ
And the sky shone for its beholder; stilled was all
The sky became adorned for its viewer, and the
The sea held of billows and currents.
Currents and passions in the sea settled.
وَأَهَلَّand raised their voices لِلَّهِto God السُراةُthe night-travelers وَأَزلَفواand offered
وَأَهَلَّ لِلَّهِ السُراةُ وَأَزلَفوا
لَكَto you فيin الكَمالِperfection تَحِيَّةَa greeting الإِكبارِof reverence
لَكَ في الكَمالِ تَحِيَّةَ الإِكبارِ
And the night-travelers lifted their voices to God and offered
The women's apartments praised God and drew near
You, in your perfection, a greeting of reverence.
To you in perfection with reverent greetings.
وَتَأَمَّلوكَand they gazed at you فَكُلُّso every جارِحَةٍlimb لَهُمof theirs
وَتَأَمَّلوكَ فَكُلُّ جارِحَةٍ لَهُم
عَينٌan eye تُسامِرُconverses by night with نورَهاits light وَتُساريand accompanies by night
عَينٌ تُسامِرُ نورَها وَتُساري
And they gazed at you; each limb of theirs became
They contemplated you, and for each of their senses
An eye, conversing with its light by night and journeying with it.
Was an eye conversing with its light companion.
وَالبَدرُand the full moon مِنكَfrom you عَلىover العَوالِمِthe worlds يَجتَليbeholds
وَالبَدرُ مِنكَ عَلى العَوالِمِ يَجتَلي
بِشرَthe gladness الوُجوهِof faces وَزَحمَةِand the throng الأَبصارِof eyes
بِشرَ الوُجوهِ وَزَحمَةِ الأَبصارِ
And the full moon in you beholds across the worlds
The moon through you illuminates all the worlds
The gladness of faces and the throng of eyes.
With radiant faces and dense gazes.
مُتَقَدِّمٌforemost فيin النورِlight مَحجوبٌveiled بِهِby it
مُتَقَدِّمٌ في النورِ مَحجوبٌ بِهِ
موفٍtowering علىover الآفاقِthe horizons بِالأَسفارِon journeys
موفٍ على الآفاقِ بِالأَسفارِ
Foremost in light, yet veiled by it,
Advancing in light, veiled by it,
Towering over the horizons on your journeys.
Enveloping horizons with journeys.
ياO دُرَّةَpearl الغَوّاصِof the diver أَخرَجَhe brought out ظافِراًtriumphant
يا دُرَّةَ الغَوّاصِ أَخرَجَ ظافِراً
يُمناهُhis right hand يَجلوهاhe displays it عَلىbefore النُظّارِthe onlookers
يُمناهُ يَجلوها عَلى النُظّارِ
O diver's pearl! Triumphant, he held out
O pearl of the diver, he came out triumphant,
His right hand, displaying it to the onlookers.
Waving it in his right hand for viewers.
مُتَهَلِّلاًbeaming فيin الماءِthe water أَبدىhe revealed نِصفَهُhalf of himself
مُتَهَلِّلاً في الماءِ أَبدى نِصفَهُ
يَسموhe rises بِهاwith it وَالنِصفُand the half كاسٍclothed عارِbare
يَسمو بِها وَالنِصفُ كاسٍ عارِ
Beaming in the water, he revealed half of himself,
Frolicking in the water, he showed half of it,
Rising with it, the other half clothed yet bare.
Rising with it while the other half hid shyly.
وافىbrought بِكَwith you الأُفُقُthe horizon السَماءَto the sky فَأَسفَرَتand it unveiled
وافى بِكَ الأُفُقُ السَماءَ فَأَسفَرَت
عَنto reveal قُفلِa clasp ماسٍof diamond فيin سِوارِa bracelet نُضارِof gold
عَن قُفلِ ماسٍ في سِوارِ نُضارِ
The horizon brought you to the sky, which unveiled
The horizon fulfilled meeting the sky, so it unveiled
A diamond clasp in a bracelet of gold.
A hidden treasure in the bangle of blossoms.
وَنَهَضتَand you rose يَزهوglories الكَونُthe universe مِنكَfrom you بِمَنظَرٍin a sight
وَنَهَضتَ يَزهو الكَونُ مِنكَ بِمَنظَرٍ
ضاحٍradiant وَيَحمُلُand bears مِنكَfrom you تاجَa crown فَخارِof pride
ضاحٍ وَيَحمُلُ مِنكَ تاجَ فَخارِ
And you rose; the universe glories in your appearance,
And you rose while the universe glimmered from you
Radiant, and bears from you a crown of pride.
With cheerful splendor and wore your crown proudly.
الماءُthe water وَالآفاقُand the horizons حَولَكَaround you فِضَّةٌsilver
الماءُ وَالآفاقُ حَولَكَ فِضَّةٌ
وَالشُهبُand the bright stars دينارٌa dinar لَدىbeside دينارِa dinar
وَالشُهبُ دينارٌ لَدى دينارِ
The water and the horizons around you are silver,
The water and horizons around you are silver,
And the bright stars are one dinar beside another.
And the stars are dinars next to each dinar.
وَالفُلكُand the ship مُشرِقَةُshining الجَوانِبِthe sides فيin الدُجىthe darkness
وَالفُلكُ مُشرِقَةُ الجَوانِبِ في الدُجى
يَبدوappears لَهاfor her ذَيلٌa tail مِنَof الأَنوارِlights
يَبدو لَها ذَيلٌ مِنَ الأَنوارِ
And the ship's sides shine in the darkness;
The planets' edges shine in the darkness,
A tail of lights appears behind her.
Revealing a tail made of lights for them.
بَيناwhile تَخَطَّرُshe sways as she moves فيthrough لُجَينٍsilver مائِجٍbillowing
بَينا تَخَطَّرُ في لُجَينٍ مائِجٍ
إِذsuddenly تَنثَنيshe turns فيthrough عَسجَدٍgold زَخّارِsurging
إِذ تَنثَني في عَسجَدٍ زَخّارِ
While she sways through billowing silver,
While you saunter in turbulent waves,
Suddenly she turns through surging gold.
Folding into a soft, noisy bed.
وَكَأَنَّهاand as though she وَالمَوجُand the waves مُنتَظِمٌarrayed in order وَقَدand already
وَكَأَنَّها وَالمَوجُ مُنتَظِمٌ وَقَد
أَوفَيتَyou rose high ثُمَّthen دَنَوتَyou drew near كَالمُختارِlike the chosen one
أَوفَيتَ ثُمَّ دَنَوتَ كَالمُختارِ
And it is as if she—with the waves in ordered lines, and you
As if you and the waves are arranged, and you
Having risen high, then drawn near like one chosen—
Kept your promise, then approached deliberately.
غَيداءُa graceful maiden لاهِيَةٌat play تَخُطُّwrites لِأَغيَدٍfor a graceful youth
غَيداءُ لاهِيَةٌ تَخُطُّ لِأَغيَدٍ
شِعراًa poem لِيَقرَأَهُso he may read it وَأَنتَand you القاريthe reader
شِعراً لِيَقرَأَهُ وَأَنتَ القاري
Were a graceful maiden at play, writing for a graceful youth
A flirtatious gazelle frolicking and tracing
A poem for him to read—and you are the reader.
Poetry for her lover, and you are the reciter.
فَليَهنِso may it gladden بَدرَthe full moon الأَرضِof earth أَنَّكَthat you صِنوُهُits twin
فَليَهنِ بَدرَ الأَرضِ أَنَّكَ صِنوُهُ
وَنَظيرُهُand its equal قُرباًin nearness وَبُعدَand remoteness مَزارِof visitation
وَنَظيرُهُ قُرباً وَبُعدَ مَزارِ
So may the full moon of earth rejoice that you are its twin,
So the full moon of earth should rejoice that you are its peer,
And its equal in nearness and remoteness of approach.
And match in nearness and remote pilgrimage.
وَحَلاكُماby the beauty of you both ماnot البَدرُthe full moon إِلّاexcept أَنتُماyou two
وَحَلاكُما ما البَدرُ إِلّا أَنتُما
وَسِواكُماand anyone but you two قَمَرٌa moon مِنَamong الأَقمارِthe moons
وَسِواكُما قَمَرٌ مِنَ الأَقمارِ
By the beauty of you both, you two alone are the full moon;
You two are the only moons among all moons.
And anyone else is but a moon among moons.
None but you are a moon among the moons.
أَنتَyou الكَريمُthe generous one عَلىtoward الوُجودِexistence بِوَجهِهِwith his face
أَنتَ الكَريمُ عَلى الوُجودِ بِوَجهِهِ
وَهيَand she الضَنينَةُthe miserly one بِالخَيالِwith the phantom الساريthat roams by night
وَهيَ الضَنينَةُ بِالخَيالِ الساري
You lavish your face upon all existence,
You are generous to existence through its essence,
And she begrudges even her night-roaming phantom.
While she is imaginative with roaming thoughts.
هَيفاءُa slender-waisted beauty أَهواهاI love her وَأَعشَقُand I adore ذِكرَهاthe mention of her
هَيفاءُ أَهواها وَأَعشَقُ ذِكرَها
لَكِنbut أُداريI am discreet وَالمُحِبُّand the lover يُداريis discreet
لَكِن أُداري وَالمُحِبُّ يُداري
A slender-waisted beauty: I love her and adore the mention of her;
She captivated my passion and I love remembering her,
But I am discreet, and a lover is discreet.
But I pretend, and lovers always pretend.
ليI have فيin الهَوىlove سِرٌّa secret أَبيتُI spend the night أَصونُهُI guard it
لي في الهَوى سِرٌّ أَبيتُ أَصونُهُ
وَاللَهُand God مُطَّلِعٌis aware عَلىof الأَسرارِthe secrets
وَاللَهُ مُطَّلِعٌ عَلى الأَسرارِ
I have a secret in love that I guard through the night,
I have a secret in passion I refuse to reveal,
And God is privy to all secrets.
Yet God is aware of all secrets.
Sol 6.1