وَمُهتَزَّةِand swaying الأَعطافِthe flanks نازِحَةِdistant العَطفِaffection
وَمُهتَزَّةِ الأَعطافِ نازِحَةِ العَطفِ
مُنَعَّمَةِsoft الأَطرافِthe limbs فاتِرَةِlanguid الطَرفِthe gaze
مُنَعَّمَةِ الأَطرافِ فاتِرَةِ الطَرفِ
And a woman with swaying flanks, yet distant in affection,
Her limbs sway and her affections allure,
Soft of limb and languid of gaze,
Her figure is supple and her will demure,
تَثَنّىshe sways عَلىupon قَدٍّa figure غَريبٍwondrous قَوامُهُits proportions
تَثَنّى عَلى قَدٍّ غَريبٍ قَوامُهُ
وَتَضحَكُand she smiles عَنrevealing مُستَعذَبٍsweet-tasting أَفلَجِgap-toothed الرَصفِthe tooth-row
وَتَضحَكُ عَن مُستَعذَبٍ أَفلَجِ الرَصفِ
She sways, her figure wondrous in its proportions,
She walks with a gait so unique and spare
And smiles to reveal a sweet mouth with spaced teeth.
And smiles with a charm so subtle and rare.
إِذاwhen بَعُدَتshe is distant أَبلَتshe wears out وَإِنand if قَرُبَتshe draws near شَفَتshe heals
إِذا بَعُدَت أَبلَت وَإِن قَرُبَت شَفَت
فَهِجرانُهاfor her estrangement يُبليwears out وَلُقيانُهاand meeting her يَشفيheals
فَهِجرانُها يُبلي وَلُقيانُها يَشفي
When she is far away, she wears me out; if she draws near, she heals me.
When distant, she yearns; when present, she heals,
For her estrangement wears me out, and meeting her heals me.
Her absence brings sorrows, her company feels
بَذَلتُI offered لَهاto her الوَصلَunion الَّذيwhich بَخِلَتshe was stingy بِهِwith it
بَذَلتُ لَها الوَصلَ الَّذي بَخِلَت بِهِ
وَأَصفَيتُهاand I devoted to her الوِدَّaffection الَّذيwhich لَمnot تَكُنshe was تُصفيgiving sincerely
وَأَصفَيتُها الوِدَّ الَّذي لَم تَكُن تُصفي
I offered her the union she begrudged,
Like the joy of life's essence long denied me,
And gave her the sincere affection she did not return.
Her friendship is gentle, her wrath terrified me,
وَأَبدَيتُand I revealed وِجدانيmy passion بِهاfor her وَصَبابَتيand my yearning
وَأَبدَيتُ وِجداني بِها وَصَبابَتي
وَإِنَّand indeed الَّذيwhat أُبديI reveal لَدونَsurely less than الَّذيwhat أُخفيI conceal
وَإِنَّ الَّذي أُبدي لَدونَ الَّذي أُخفي
And revealed my passion for her and my yearning,
I've shown her my passion, my innermost fire,
And surely what I reveal is less than what I conceal.
Though it's less than the love I struggled to hide.
دُنُوّاًnearness! فَقَدfor indeed تَيَّمتِyou have enthralled me بِالبُعدِwith distance وَالنَوىand separation
دُنُوّاً فَقَد تَيَّمتِ بِالبُعدِ وَالنَوى
وَوَصلاًand union! فَقَدfor indeed عَنَّيتِyou have tormented me بِالصَدِّwith rejection وَالصَدفِand aversion
وَوَصلاً فَقَد عَنَّيتِ بِالصَدِّ وَالصَدفِ
Draw near, for you have enthralled me with distance and separation;
If she chooses to love me, I'm filled with desire,
And grant union, for you have tormented me with rejection and aversion.
If she chooses to leave, I'm steeped in ire.
أَماdoes ... not? يَظفَرُattains المَحرومُthe deprived عِندَكِat your hands بِالجِداbounty
أَما يَظفَرُ المَحرومُ عِندَكِ بِالجِدا
وَلاand not يَطمَعُhopes المَظلومُthe wronged عِندَكِat your hands فيfor النِصفِfair treatment
وَلا يَطمَعُ المَظلومُ عِندَكِ في النِصفِ
Can the deprived not gain bounty at your hands,
To the one long deprived is her love ever lost?
And can the wronged not hope for justice from you?
Can one she has spurned still seek her at cost?
لَعَمرُby the life of أَميرِthe Commander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful لَقَدindeed كَفىhe has warded off
لَعَمرُ أَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ لَقَد كَفى
نَوائِبَcalamities دَهرٍtime مِثلُهُone like him مِثلَهاtheir like يَكفيwards off
نَوائِبَ دَهرٍ مِثلُهُ مِثلَها يَكفي
By the life of the Commander of the Faithful, he has warded off
By the Lord of the Faithful, I've suffered enough,
the calamities of time; one such as he can ward off their like.
At the hands of a fate and a lady so rough.
غَداhe has become وَهوَand he is كَهفُthe refuge of المُسلِمينَthe Muslims وَرِدءُهُمand their support
غَدا وَهوَ كَهفُ المُسلِمينَ وَرِدءُهُم
فَأَكرِمso, how noble! بِهِhe is مِنas رِدءِa support for قَومٍa people وَمِنand as كَهفِa refuge
فَأَكرِم بِهِ مِن رِدءِ قَومٍ وَمِن كَهفِ
He has become the Muslims' refuge and their support;
Tomorrow he'll be the true refuge we seek,
How noble he is as a people's support and refuge!
So honor him well, both as shelter and peak.
كَريمُnoble السَجاياinborn traits وافِرُabundant الجودِgenerosity وَالنَدىand bounty
كَريمُ السَجايا وافِرُ الجودِ وَالنَدى
فَلاso not ناقِصُscant in النُعمىfavors وَلاand not جامِدُfrozen الكَفِّthe hand
فَلا ناقِصُ النُعمى وَلا جامِدُ الكَفِّ
Noble in character, abundant in generosity and bounty,
Noble of nature, generous to a fault,
So neither scant in favors nor frozen of hand.
No blessing he lacks, no closed hand ever taut.
يَحِنُّhe yearns إِلىfor المَعروفِkindness حَتّىuntil يُنيلَهُhe bestows it
يَحِنُّ إِلى المَعروفِ حَتّى يُنيلَهُ
كَماas حَنَّyearned إِلفٌa lover مُستَهامٌlove-stricken إِلىfor إِلفِa beloved
كَما حَنَّ إِلفٌ مُستَهامٌ إِلى إِلفِ
He longs to do good until he bestows it,
He yearns to give goodness its proper due,
As a love-stricken lover yearns for his beloved.
As yearns for its kin a beast born anew.
وَيَقلَقُand he grows restless حَتّىuntil يُنجِزَhe fulfills الوَعدَthe promise مِثلَlike ماthe way
وَيَقلَقُ حَتّى يُنجِزَ الوَعدَ مِثلَ ما
يُجافيlifts his feet away الَّذيone who يَمشيwalks عَلىon رَمَضِthe scorching heat of الرَضفِheated stones
يُجافي الَّذي يَمشي عَلى رَمَضِ الرَضفِ
And he is restless until he fulfills his promise, just as
He refuses to rest until promise is kept,
one walking on scorching stones keeps lifting his feet.
Like one who walks far across deserts adept.
مَتىwhen ماever أَصِفI describe أَخلاقَكَyour virtues الغُرَّthe radiant تَعتَرِضthere come before me
مَتى ما أَصِف أَخلاقَكَ الغُرَّ تَعتَرِض
غَرائِبُwonders of أَفعالٍdeeds تَزيدُare greater عَلىthan الوَصفِdescription
غَرائِبُ أَفعالٍ تَزيدُ عَلى الوَصفِ
Whenever I describe your radiant virtues, there come before me
When I describe him, his merits pour forth
wondrous deeds that surpass description.
In a stream of great deeds that astound at their worth.
وَإِمّاand if ever أَعِدI promise نَفسيmyself عَلَيكَrelying on you رَغيبَةًa rich gift
وَإِمّا أَعِد نَفسي عَلَيكَ رَغيبَةً
مِنَof النَيلِbounty أُصبِحI become فيin أَمانٍsafety مِنَfrom الخُلفِpromise-breaking
مِنَ النَيلِ أُصبِح في أَمانٍ مِنَ الخُلفِ
And if, relying on you, I promise myself a rich gift
Either I find hope that his gifts will allow
of bounty, I am secure against a broken promise.
Me to bask in his grace, or forget my vain vow.
وَماand not أَلفُa thousand أَلفٍa thousand مِنfrom جَداكَyour bounty كَثيرَةٌmuch
وَما أَلفُ أَلفٍ مِن جَداكَ كَثيرَةٌ
فَكَيفَso how أَخافُI fear الفَوتَmissing out عِندَكَwith you فيregarding أَلفِa thousand
فَكَيفَ أَخافُ الفَوتَ عِندَكَ في أَلفِ
And a thousand thousand from your bounty is no great sum;
Though countless the boons he has granted me, free,
So how could I fear missing out on a thousand from you?
Having known such generosity, how could he now let me be?
Sol 6.1