مَدينةa city كَالزَهرةlike the flower المونقهlovely
مَدينة كَالزَهرة المونقه
تَنفحwafts بِالطِيبwith fragrance عَلىover قَطرِهاher land
تَنفح بِالطِيب عَلى قَطرِها
A city like a lovely flower,
A city like a blossoming flower
Wafting fragrance over her land.
Scented with perfume in every drop
ضفافهاher riverbanks السَحريةmagical المورقهleafy
ضفافها السَحرية المورقه
يَخفقbeats قَلبthe heart النيلof the Nile فيin صَدرِهاher breast
يَخفق قَلب النيل في صَدرِها
Her magical, leafy riverbanks—
Its magical banks fluttering
The Nile's heart beats in her breast.
The heart of the Nile beats in its chest
تَحسبهاyou deem her أُغنيةa song مطرقهpensive
تَحسبها أُغنية مطرقه
نَغمهاset her to music الحسنbeauty عَلىupon نَهرِهاher river
نَغمها الحسن عَلى نَهرِها
You deem her a pensive song,
You'd think it a rhythmic song
Which beauty set to music upon her river.
Its beautiful melody over its river
مُبهمةmysterious أَلحانَهاher melodies مُطلَقهunbound
مُبهمة أَلحانَها مُطلَقه
رَجعهاher refrain الصَيدحringing مِنfrom طَيرِهاher birds
رَجعها الصَيدح مِن طَيرِها
Her melodies are mysterious and unbound;
Its obscure, unbound tunes
Her ringing refrain comes from her birds.
Echo back from its birds
وَسَمسهاand her sun (likely intended) الخَمريةwine-hued المُشرِقهbright
وَسَمسها الخَمرية المُشرِقه
تَفرغempties كَأسthe cup الضوءof light فيinto بَدرِهاher full moon
تَفرغ كَأس الضوء في بَدرِها
And her bright, wine-hued sun
Its radiant, wine-like sunset
Empties the cup of light into her full moon.
Spilling the cup of light at its full moon
أَحنىbowed عَلَيهاover her الغُصنthe branch الفارهstately
أَحنى عَلَيها الغُصن الفاره
وَظللهاand shaded her العَنقودthe cluster مِنof حادرplump
وَظللها العَنقود مِن حادر
The stately branch bowed over her,
The laden branch leaning over it
And the cluster of plump fruit shaded her.
And the grape cluster shading it
وَهامَand was enamored فيهاof her القَمرthe moon الرافهcarefree
وَهامَ فيها القَمر الرافه
يَعزفplays مِنfrom حينa time إِلىto آخرanother
يَعزف مِن حين إِلى آخر
And the carefree moon was enamored of her,
The idle moon hovering over it
Playing, from time to time,
Composing from time to time
قَصيدةa poem أَلهمهاinspired it الإِلَهGod
قَصيدة أَلهمها الإِلَه
يَراعةthe reed pen الفَنانof the artist وَالشاعرand the poet
يَراعة الفَنان وَالشاعر
A poem that God inspired
A poem inspired by God
In the reed pen of artist and poet.
To delight the artist and poet
مَدينةa city السحرof enchantment مراحan evening haunt العَجبof wonder
مَدينة السحر مراح العَجب
وَمغتدىand a morning haunt أَعينهits eyes الساحِرَهenchanting
وَمغتدى أَعينه الساحِرَه
A city of enchantment, wonder's evening haunt,
A city of magic, marvelous resting place
And the morning haunt of its enchanting eyes.
Captivating to the beholder’s eye
تَنامsleep فيهاwithin her حجراتchambers الذَهَبof gold
تَنام فيها حجرات الذَهَب
عَلىupon رِياضgardens نَضرةlush زاهِرَهflowering
عَلى رِياض نَضرة زاهِرَه
Chambers of gold sleep within her
Where rooms of gold sleep
Upon lush, flowering gardens.
In blossoming, verdant gardens
أَضاءَهاlit her الفَجرdawn فَلَماthen when غَرُبَset
أَضاءَها الفَجر فَلَما غَرُبَ
أَضاءَهاlit her بِالأَنفُسwith souls الناضِرَهradiant
أَضاءَها بِالأَنفُس الناضِرَه
Dawn lit her; then, when it set,
Dawn illuminated it, and when night fell
It lit her with radiant souls.
It was lit up by brilliant souls
وَحَفهاand surrounded her الحُسنbeauty بِماwith what قَدhad وَهَبbestowed
وَحَفها الحُسن بِما قَد وَهَب
وَزانَهاand adorned her الحُبlove بِماwith what صَوَرَهfashioned it
وَزانَها الحُب بِما صَوَرَه
And beauty surrounded her with what it had bestowed;
Beauty endowed it with its gifts
And love adorned her with what it had fashioned.
And love adorned it with its images
ياoh لِلغَريرfor the innocent youth الحُلوsweet مَنwho ذاthis one أُحبI love
يا لِلغَرير الحُلو مَن ذا أُحب
وَياand oh لِذاكَfor that الظَبيthe gazelle مِنwho (apparently intended) ساورهassailed him
وَيا لِذاكَ الظَبي مِن ساوره
Oh, the sweet innocent—who is it I love?
Oh, the sweet chatterer, who could love it?
And oh, that gazelle—who has assailed him?
Oh, that gazelle with the bracelet!
أَحنىbowed عَلَيهاover her الغُصنthe branch الفارهstately
أَحنى عَلَيها الغُصن الفاره
وَظللهاand shaded her العَنقودthe cluster مِنof حادرplump
وَظللها العَنقود مِن حادر
The stately branch bowed over her,
The laden branch leaning over it
And the cluster of plump fruit shaded her.
And the grape cluster shading it
وَهامَand was enamored فيهاof her القَمرthe moon الرافهcarefree
وَهامَ فيها القَمر الرافه
يَعزفplays مِنfrom حينa time إِلىto آخرanother
يَعزف مِن حين إِلى آخر
And the carefree moon was enamored of her,
The idle moon hovering over it
Playing, from time to time,
Composing from time to time
قَصيدةa poem أَلهمهاinspired it الإِلَهGod
قَصيدة أَلهمها الإِلَه
يَراعةthe reed pen الفَنانof the artist وَالشاعرand the poet
يَراعة الفَنان وَالشاعر
A poem that God inspired
A poem inspired by God
In the reed pen of artist and poet.
To delight the artist and poet
ماجَsurged بِهاwithin her الشامAl-Sham وَلُبنانهand its Lebanon
ماجَ بِها الشام وَلُبنانه
وَالمُدنand the cities الرائِحَةgoing at dusk الغادِيَهgoing at dawn
وَالمُدن الرائِحَة الغادِيَه
Al-Sham and its Lebanon surged within her,
Damascus and Lebanon are intoxicated by it
And the cities journeying at dusk and dawn.
And the fragrant passing cities
طَوقَهاwreathed her بِالحُبwith love غِلمانهits youths
طَوقَها بِالحُب غِلمانه
وَغِيدهand its graceful maidens اللاعِبَةplayful اللاهِيَهcarefree
وَغِيده اللاعِبَة اللاهِيَه
Its youths wreathed her in love,
Its love-smitten boys surround it
And its graceful maidens, playful and carefree.
With playful, carefree coquetry
أَضفىbestowed عَلَيهاupon her الحُبlove فنانهits artist
أَضفى عَلَيها الحُب فنانه
وَزانَهاand adorned her بِالأَعيُنwith eyes الزاهِيَهradiant
وَزانَها بِالأَعيُن الزاهِيَه
Its artist bestowed love upon her
Love's artist impressed himself on it
And adorned her with radiant eyes.
And adorned it with sparkling eyes
وَفاضَand overflowed بِاللَوعةwith yearning فِتيانهits young men
وَفاضَ بِاللَوعة فِتيانه
عَلىupon الضِفافthe banks الحُرةfree الغالِيَهbeloved
عَلى الضِفاف الحُرة الغالِيَه
And its young men overflowed with yearning
His lovelorn youth poured out
Upon the free, beloved banks.
Onto its precious, free banks
فَياso, oh لذياكfor that one وَماand what شَأنهhis state
فَيا لذياك وَما شَأنه
يُعانقhe embraces الجَنةparadise فيin غانِيَهa beautiful woman
يُعانق الجَنة في غانِيَه
So, oh, that one—and what a state he is in!
Oh, that bliss - what is its business
He embraces paradise in a beautiful woman.
Embracing paradise in its singing?
مَدينةa city وَقعهاset her to music العازفthe musician
مَدينة وَقعها العازف
عَلىto رَخيمmellow الجَرسthe resonance مِنfrom مزهرهhis lute
عَلى رَخيم الجَرس مِن مزهره
A city the musician set to music
A city whose tune the musician struck
To the mellow resonance of his lute.
On the tinkling lyre's string
ذوبmelted down فيهاwithin her الوامضthe flash الخاطفswift
ذوب فيها الوامض الخاطف
سَبائكingots الفُضةof silver مِنfrom عُنصرهits substance
سَبائك الفُضة مِن عُنصره
The swift flash melted down within her
The fleeting, seizing vanish into it
Ingots of silver from its own substance.
Silver ingots from its secret
وَجادَهاand watered her generously المرهمthe drizzling cloud وَالواكفand the pouring cloud
وَجادَها المرهم وَالواكف
بِالكَوثرwith Kawthar الفَياضoverflowing مِنfrom أَنهرهits rivers
بِالكَوثر الفَياض مِن أَنهره
And the drizzling and pouring clouds watered her
The healing balm flowed generously
With overflowing Kawthar from its rivers.
With abundant grace from its rivers
وَهامَand was enamored فيهاof her القَمَرthe moon الرافَهcarefree
وَهامَ فيها القَمَر الرافَه
يَعزفplays مِنfrom حينa time إِلىto آخرanother
يَعزف مِن حين إِلى آخر
And the carefree moon was enamored of her,
The idle moon hovering over it
Playing, from time to time,
Composing from time to time
قَصيدةa poem أَلهمهاinspired it الإِلَهGod
قَصيدة أَلهمها الإِلَه
يَراعةthe reed pen الفَنانof the artist وَالشاعرand the poet
يَراعة الفَنان وَالشاعر
A poem that God inspired
A poem inspired by God
In the reed pen of artist and poet.
To delight the artist and poet
Sol 6.1