بَعثْتَyou sent بِهاwith her عذراءَa virgin حاليةَadorned النَّحْرِthe throat
بَعثْتَ بِها عذراءَ حاليةَ النَّحْرِ
مشهَّرَةَresplendent الجِلبابِthe cloak حُوريَّةَhouri-like النَّجرِlineage
مشهَّرَةَ الجِلبابِ حُوريَّةَ النَّجرِ
You sent her, a virgin adorned at the throat,
You sent her, a virgin with a slender neck,
in a resplendent cloak, of houri lineage.
Dressed in a flowing robe, a houri of high rank,
تأنَّىtook his time لهاfor her طَبٌّan expert بإخلاصِby purifying طيبِهاher fragrance
تأنَّى لها طَبٌّ بإخلاصِ طيبِها
فأفرغthen he poured فيهاinto her رُوحَthe spirit رَيحانةِa fragrant bloom الزَّهْرِthe flowers
فأفرغ فيها رُوحَ رَيحانةِ الزَّهْرِ
An expert took his time refining her fragrance,
He prepared for her a perfume of pure sincerity,
then poured into her the spirit of the flowers' fragrant bloom.
And instilled in her the spirit of a fragrant flower,
وألبسَهاand he clothed her وَشياًbrocade يَزُرُّhe buttons جيوبَهits neck-openings
وألبسَها وَشياً يَزُرُّ جيوبَه
علىat النَّحْرِthe throat منهاof her والذُّيولَand the skirts علىat الخَصرِthe waist
على النَّحْرِ منها والذُّيولَ على الخَصرِ
And dressed her in brocade, fastening its neck-openings
And dressed her in a diaphanous garment,
at her throat, and its skirts at her waist.
That reveals her neck and trails over her waist,
مُضمَّنةًcontaining ماءًwater صَفاbecame clear مثلَlike صفوِهاher clarity
مُضمَّنةً ماءً صَفا مثلَ صفوِها
فجاءso it appeared كذَوْبِlike molten التِّبْرِunworked gold فيwithin جامدِsolid الدُّرِّpearl
فجاء كذَوْبِ التِّبْرِ في جامدِ الدُّرِّ
Filled with water whose clarity matched her own,
Containing limpid water like her own purity,
it appeared like molten gold within solid pearl.
It came like fresh snow in solid gold,
ينوبُit stands in بكفِّيin my palm عنfor أبيهits father وقدand already مضىhe has gone
ينوبُ بكفِّي عن أبيه وقد مضى
كماjust as نُبْتَyou stood in عنfor آبائِكyour forefathers السادةِthe lords الغُرِّthe illustrious
كما نُبْتَ عن آبائِك السادةِ الغُرِّ
It takes its father's place in my palm, now that he is gone,
To take the place of his father, who had passed away,
just as you succeeded your forefathers, those illustrious lords.
Just as you took the place of your noble ancestors,
وَيَشْرَكُنيand shares with me فيin نَشرِهِits fragrance الريحُthe wind غُدوةًat dawn
وَيَشْرَكُني في نَشرِهِ الريحُ غُدوةً
فتجريthen it flows إلىtoward الآفاقِthe horizons طَيِّبَةَsweet النشرِfragrance
فتجري إلى الآفاقِ طَيِّبَةَ النشرِ
And at dawn the wind partakes with me of its fragrance,
And the morning breeze makes me her partner,
then streams toward the horizons, sweetly fragrant.
Spreading her sweet scent to the horizons,
فياso, O لكَfor you منof بَرٍّa kindly one يخبِّرُtells عنabout فتىًa young man
فيا لكَ من بَرٍّ يخبِّرُ عن فتىً
حَفِيٍّsolicitous بناfor us فيin كلevery نائبةٍcalamity بَرِّkind
حَفِيٍّ بنا في كل نائبةٍ بَرِّ
So, what a kindly one you are, telling of a young man
What an excellent son, who tells of a young man,
solicitous for us in every calamity, and kind.
Who protected us in every time of distress,
فإنْso if يَكُhe has حيَّانيhe greeted me بهاwith her فارسيَّةًPersian
فإنْ يَكُ حيَّاني بها فارسيَّةً
فسوفَthen will أحيِّيهI greet him بمُعربَةِwith an Arabic expression of الشُّكْرِthanks
فسوفَ أحيِّيه بمُعربَةِ الشُّكْرِ
So if he has greeted me with her, a Persian maiden,
If he brings her to me an Arabian mare,
then I shall greet him with thanks voiced in Arabic.
I will thank him with excellent poetry,
وكمand how many منof يَدٍa favor للحُرِّof the noble man عنديَwith me ثَيِّبٍnonvirgin
وكم من يَدٍ للحُرِّ عنديَ ثَيِّبٍ
كشفْتُI unveiled محُيَّاهاher face بقافيةٍwith a rhyme بِكْرِvirgin
كشفْتُ محُيَّاها بقافيةٍ بِكْرِ
And many a favor from the noble man is in my keeping, no longer virgin,
And how many free hands have I caressed,
whose face I have unveiled with a virgin rhyme.
That I inspired with virgin rhymes,
Sol 6.1