لناwe have رَوْضَةٌa garden فيin الدَّارِthe house صِيغَwere fashioned لِزَهْرِهاfor its blossoms
لنا رَوْضَةٌ في الدَّارِ صِيغَ لِزَهْرِها
قَلائدُnecklaces منfrom حَلْيِjewelry النَّدىthe dew وشُنوفُand earrings
قَلائدُ من حَلْيِ النَّدى وشُنوفُ
We have a garden at home; for its blossoms have been fashioned
We have a garden in the house, for whose blossoms were fashioned
necklaces of dew-jewels and pendant earrings.
Necklaces and earrings from the jewels of dew.
يُطيفُcircles بناaround us منهاfrom it إذاwhen ماemphatic particle تنفَّسَتْit breathes
يُطيفُ بنا منها إذا ما تنفَّسَتْ
نَسيمٌa breeze كَعَقْلِlike the intellect of الخالِدِيِّal-Khalidi ضَعيفُfeeble
نَسيمٌ كَعَقْلِ الخالِدِيِّ ضَعيفُ
Whenever it breathes, there wafts around us from it
From it, whenever it breathes, there wafts around us
a delicate breeze, like the Khalidi brothers’ two necklace-poems.
A breeze as feeble as al-Khalidi's intellect.
ونَدمانِand a boon companion صدقٍsincerity نَثرُهُhis prose ونِظامُهand his verse
ونَدمانِ صدقٍ نَثرُهُ ونِظامُه
ربيعٌspring إذاwhen فاوضتَهyou converse with him وخَريفُand autumn
ربيعٌ إذا فاوضتَه وخَريفُ
And a true boon companion, whose prose and verse
And a true boon companion, whose prose and verse
are spring and autumn whenever you converse with him.
Are spring and autumn when you converse with him.
وماءٍand water حكىresembled أشعارَthe poems of حَمْدٍHamd ببَردِهin its coldness
وماءٍ حكى أشعارَ حَمْدٍ ببَردِه
ولكنَّهbut it مَحياًlife وتلكَand those حُتوفُdeaths
ولكنَّه مَحياً وتلكَ حُتوفُ
And water that rivals Ḥamd’s poems in its coldness—
And water that resembled Hamd's poems in its coldness,
yet it is your life, while those are death.
But it is life, and those are deaths.
وقدand indeed رَقَّgrew thin ثَوبُthe robe of الغيمِcloud حتَّىuntil كأنماas though
وقد رَقَّ ثَوبُ الغيمِ حتَّى كأنما
تُنَشَّرُare unfurled دُونَbefore الأُفْقِthe horizon منهfrom it سُجوفُcurtains
تُنَشَّرُ دُونَ الأُفْقِ منه سُجوفُ
The cloud’s robe has now grown so sheer that it seems
And the robe of cloud has grown so thin, as though
curtains from it are being unfurled below the horizon.
Curtains from it were being unfurled before the horizon.
فزُرْso visit مجلِساًa gathering قدindeed فَضَّلَfavored اللهُGod أهلَهits people
فزُرْ مجلِساً قد فَضَّلَ اللهُ أهلَه
وشَرَّفَهُمُand honored them إنَّindeed الأديبَthe man of letters شَريفُnoble
وشَرَّفَهُمُ إنَّ الأديبَ شَريفُ
So visit a gathering whose people God has favored
So visit a gathering whose people God has favored
and ennobled; truly, the man of letters is noble.
And honored; indeed, the man of letters is noble.
ولاand do not تَعْدُgo beyond أفعالَthe deeds of الشريفِthe nobleman فإنهfor it is
ولا تَعْدُ أفعالَ الشريفِ فإنه
زمانٌa time رقيقُdelicate الحُلَّتَيْنِthe two robes ظَريفُrefined
زمانٌ رقيقُ الحُلَّتَيْنِ ظَريفُ
Go no further than the noble man’s deeds, for he is
And do not go beyond the nobleman's deeds, for this is
a whole age unto himself—exquisite in both robes, and charming.
A time, delicate in both its robes, refined.
Sol 6.1