نَوحُthe lament of الحَمامِthe doves الوُرقِash-gray فيamid أَوراقِهاher leaves
نَوحُ الحَمامِ الوُرقِ في أَوراقِها
دَلَّguided أَخاthe companion of الشَوقِlonging عَلىto أَشواقِهاtheir longings
دَلَّ أَخا الشَوقِ عَلى أَشواقِها
The lament of gray doves amid her leaves
revealed their longings to longing's companion.
فَأَظهَرَso he revealed الدَمعَtears وَأَخفىand concealed زَفرَةًa sigh
فَأَظهَرَ الدَمعَ وَأَخفى زَفرَةً
خافَhe feared عَلىfor الباناتِthe ban-trees مِنbecause of إِحراقِهاburning them
خافَ عَلى الباناتِ مِن إِحراقِها
So he let tears show and concealed a sigh:
he feared for the ban-trees, lest it burn them.
لَوif بَكَتِwept الوُرقُthe gray doves بِبَعضِwith some of دَمعِهِhis tears
لَو بَكَتِ الوُرقُ بِبَعضِ دَمعِهِ
لامَّحَتِwould have been effaced الأَطواقُthe neck-rings مِنfrom أَعناقِهاtheir necks
لامَّحَتِ الأَطواقُ مِن أَعناقِها
Had the gray doves wept with some of his tears,
the rings would have washed away from their necks.
فَاعجَبso marvel لَهاat them شاكِيَةًcomplaining باكِيَةًweeping
فَاعجَب لَها شاكِيَةً باكِيَةً
لَمnot تَسلُكِhave passed الدُموعُtears فيthrough آماقِهاtheir eye-corners
لَم تَسلُكِ الدُموعُ في آماقِها
Marvel, then, at them, complaining and weeping,
though no tears have coursed through their eye-corners.
ماnot أَفرَقَتrecovered مُهجَتُهُhis soul مِنَfrom الجَوىlove's burning anguish
ما أَفرَقَت مُهجَتُهُ مِنَ الجَوى
لَكِنَّهُyet he أَشفىcame to the brink عَلىof فِراقِهاparting with it
لَكِنَّهُ أَشفى عَلى فِراقِها
His soul found no relief from love's anguish,
yet he came to the brink of parting with it.
وَعُجand turn aside عَلىto دِمَشقَDamascus تُلفِyou will find بَلدَةًa city
وَعُج عَلى دِمَشقَ تُلفِ بَلدَةً
كَأَنَّماas though الجَنّاتُParadise's gardens مِنpart of رستاقِهاher countryside
كَأَنَّما الجَنّاتُ مِن رستاقِها
And turn aside to Damascus: you will find a city
as though Paradise's gardens were part of her countryside.
سَقىmay water دِمَشقَDamascus اللَهُGod غَيثاًrain محسباًamply sufficient
سَقى دِمَشقَ اللَهُ غَيثاً محسباً
مِنfrom مُستَهَلِّthe downpour of ديمَةٍa steady raincloud دفّاقِهاits copious flow
مِن مُستَهَلِّ ديمَةٍ دفّاقِها
May God water Damascus with abundant rain,
from a steady raincloud's copious downpour.
مَدينَةٌa city لَيسَis not يُضاهىmatched حُسنُهاher beauty
مَدينَةٌ لَيسَ يُضاهى حُسنُها
فيamong سائِرِall البُلدانِthe cities مِنthroughout آفاقِهاtheir horizons
في سائِرِ البُلدانِ مِن آفاقِها
A city whose beauty is unmatched
among all the cities, from horizon to horizon.
تَوَدُّwishes زَوراءُZawra' العِراقِof Iraq أَنَّهاthat she
تَوَدُّ زَوراءُ العِراقِ أَنَّها
مِنهاof her وَلاand not تُعزىbe ascribed إِلىto عِراقِهاher Iraq
مِنها وَلا تُعزى إِلى عِراقِها
Iraq's Zawra' wishes that she
belonged to Damascus, not to her own Iraq.
أَهدَتgave لَهاto her يَدُthe hand of الرَبيعِspring حُلَّةًa robe
أَهدَت لَها يَدُ الرَبيعِ حُلَّةً
بَديعَةَexquisite in التَفويفِvariegated striping مِنby خَلّاقِهاits maker
بَديعَةَ التَفويفِ مِن خَلّاقِها
The hand of spring has gifted her a robe
exquisitely striped by its maker.
بنَفسَجٌviolets مِثلlike خُدودٍcheeks أُدمِيَتmade to bleed
بنَفسَجٌ مِثل خُدودٍ أُدمِيَت
بِالقُرصِby pinching وَالتَجميشِand amorous caresses مِنby عُشّاقِهاtheir lovers
بِالقُرصِ وَالتَجميشِ مِن عُشّاقِها
Violets like cheeks made to bleed
by their lovers' pinching and fond caresses;
وَنَرجِسٌand narcissi أَحداقُهُtheir pupils رانِيَةٌgazing
وَنَرجِسٌ أَحداقُهُ رانِيَةٌ
عَنaway from مُقَلِthe eyes of الغيدِgraceful maidens وَعَنand from أَحداقِهاtheir pupils
عَن مُقَلِ الغيدِ وَعَن أَحداقِها
and narcissi, their pupils gazing
away from graceful maidens' eyes and pupils.
تنزّلَtook their place المَنثورُstock flowers مِنin رِياضِهاher gardens
تنزّلَ المَنثورُ مِن رِياضِها
تَنَزُّلَlike the placement of الأَعلامِornamental stripes مِنupon شقاقِهاtheir lengths of cloth
تَنَزُّلَ الأَعلامِ مِن شقاقِها
Stock flowers take their place in her gardens
like ornamental stripes upon their lengths of cloth.
فَأَرضُهاso her earth مِثلُlike السَماءِthe sky بَهجَةًin splendor
فَأَرضُها مِثلُ السَماءِ بَهجَةً
وَزَهرُهاand her flowers كَالزَهرِlike the stars فيin إِشراقِهاtheir radiance
وَزَهرُها كَالزَهرِ في إِشراقِها
Her earth is thus as splendid as the sky,
and her flowers are like stars in their radiance.
مِياهُهاher waters تَجريflow خِلالَthrough رَوضِهاher garden
مِياهُها تَجري خِلالَ رَوضِها
جَريَlike the running of الثَعابينِserpents لَدىduring اِستِباقِهاtheir racing one another
جَريَ الثَعابينِ لَدى اِستِباقِها
Her waters flow through her garden,
like serpents racing one another.
مُسفرةٌradiant أَنهارُهاher rivers ضاحِكَةٌlaughing
مُسفرةٌ أَنهارُها ضاحِكَةٌ
تَنطَلِقُbrighten الوُجوهُfaces لانطِلاقِهاbecause of their free flow
تَنطَلِقُ الوُجوهُ لانطِلاقِها
Her rivers are radiant and laughing;
faces brighten at their free flow.
نَسيمُthe breeze of رَيّاthe fragrance of رَوضهاher garden مَتىwhenever سرىpasses by night
نَسيمُ رَيّا رَوضها مَتى سرى
فَكّfrees أَخاone burdened with الهُمومِcares مِنfrom وَثاقِهاtheir bonds
فَكّ أَخا الهُمومِ مِن وَثاقِها
Whenever her garden's fragrant breeze passes by night,
it frees the careworn from the bonds of care.
قَدindeed رَبَّعَhas settled for spring الرَبيعُspring فيin رُبوعِهاher quarters
قَد رَبَّعَ الرَبيعُ في رُبوعِها
وَسيقَتِand were brought المُنىwishes إِلىto أَسواقِهاher markets
وَسيقَتِ المُنى إِلى أَسواقِها
Spring has taken up residence in her quarters,
and wishes have been brought to her markets.
لاnot تَسأَمُgrow weary العُيونُthe eyes وَالأُنوفُand the noses مِنof
لا تَسأَمُ العُيونُ وَالأُنوفُ مِن
رُؤيَتِهاseeing her يَوماًever وَلاnor اِستِنشاقِهاbreathing in her scent
رُؤيَتِها يَوماً وَلا اِستِنشاقِها
Eyes and noses never tire of
beholding her or breathing in her scent.
فَكَمand how many بِهاin her مِنa شادِنٍyoung gazelle تَحسُدُهُenvy him
فَكَم بِها مِن شادِنٍ تَحسُدُهُ
لِحُسنِهِfor his beauty البُدورُthe full moons فيin اتِّساقِهاtheir fullness
لِحُسنِهِ البُدورُ في اتِّساقِها
How many a young gazelle she holds, envied
for his beauty by moons in their fullness!
كَأَنَّماas though رُضابُهُhis saliva الصَهباءُtawny wine بَلrather
كَأَنَّما رُضابُهُ الصَهباءُ بَل
مَذاقُهُits taste أَطيَبُsweeter مِنthan مَذاقِهاits taste
مَذاقُهُ أَطيَبُ مِن مَذاقِها
His lips' moisture seems tawny wine—nay,
its flavor is sweeter than the wine's.
وَمِنand of بدورٍfull moons فيin الخُدورِcurtained chambers لَمnot تَزَلcease to be
وَمِن بدورٍ في الخُدورِ لَم تَزَل
كَوامِلاًfull لَمnot تَدنُhave drawn near مِنto مَحاقِهاtheir moonless phase
كَوامِلاً لَم تَدنُ مِن مَحاقِها
And many moons in curtained chambers, ever
full, never nearing their dark phase.
فَأَيُّso what أُنسٍdelight ثَمَّthere لَمnot تُلاقِهِyou have encountered it
فَأَيُّ أُنسٍ ثَمَّ لَم تُلاقِهِ
وَأَيَّةُand which الراحاتِcomforts لَمnot تُلاقِهاyou have encountered them
وَأَيَّةُ الراحاتِ لَم تُلاقِها
What delight have you not encountered there,
and what comforts have you not found?
بِعَدلِthrough the justice of فَخرِFakhr الدينِal-Din قَرَّfound comfort أَهلهاher people
بِعَدلِ فَخرِ الدينِ قَرَّ أَهلها
عَيناًin their eyes وَزادَand increased اللَهُGod فيin أَرزاقِهاher sustenance
عَيناً وَزادَ اللَهُ في أَرزاقِها
Through Fakhr al-Din's justice her people have found
coolness of eye, and God has increased her sustenance.
زَوَّجَهاhe married her to الأَمنَsecurity وَناهيكَand how fine بِهِhe is
زَوَّجَها الأَمنَ وَناهيكَ بِهِ
بَعلاًas a husband فَطيبُfor the sweetness of العَيشِlife مِنpart of صَداقِهاher bridal gift
بَعلاً فَطيبُ العَيشِ مِن صَداقِها
He wedded her to Security—and what a fine
husband! For life's sweetness is part of her bridal gift.
فَأَقسَمَتso she swore لاnever نَشَزَتwould rebel عَنهُagainst him وَقَدand indeed
فَأَقسَمَت لا نَشَزَت عَنهُ وَقَد
أَقسَمَhe swore لاnever مالَinclined إِلىtoward طَلاقِهاdivorcing her
أَقسَمَ لا مالَ إِلى طَلاقِها
So she swore never to rebel against him; and he
swore never to incline toward divorcing her.
Sol 6.1