أياO منyou who تقصرfall short أوصافناour descriptions
أيا من تقصر أوصافنا
وأمداحناand our praises فيهof him عماof what جرىhas come to pass
وأمداحنا فيه عما جرى
O you, our descriptions fall short,
and our praises of you cannot match what has come to pass.
كأنكas though you الغزتyou posed a riddle ليto me فيabout الذيthat which
كأنك الغزت لي في الذي
غداhas come to be ولهand it has النشرspreading فيماwithin what انطوىlies enfolded
غدا وله النشر فيما انطوى
It is as though you posed me a riddle about that which
has come to spread through what lies enfolded.
إذاwhen مرit passes فيthrough الروضthe garden خرتbowed down لهbefore it
إذا مر في الروض خرت له
غصونboughs الأراكarāk trees وبانand bān trees اللوىal-Liwā
غصون الأراك وبان اللوى
When it passes through the garden, there bow before it
the boughs of arāk and al-Liwā’s bān trees.
يمدis lengthened ويقصرand is shortened فيin لفظهits pronunciation
يمد ويقصر في لفظه
فللجوso, for the air هذاthis وذاand that للجوىfor love’s anguish
فللجو هذا وذا للجوى
Its name is pronounced with a long ending or a short one:
the former is for the air, the latter for love’s anguish.
Sol 6.1