لَوif عايَنَتhad beheld عَيناكَyour two eyes بَهجَةَthe splendor of جِلَّقاJillaq (Damascus)
لَو عايَنَت عَيناكَ بَهجَةَ جِلَّقا
وَرَأَيتَand you had seen مَنظَرَهاher appearance البَهيجَlovely المونِقاenchanting
وَرَأَيتَ مَنظَرَها البَهيجَ المونِقا
If your eyes had beheld the splendor of Jillaq,
and you had seen her lovely, enchanting aspect,
لَرَأَيتَyou would have seen حُسناًa beauty كُلُّevery حُسنٍbeauty دونَهُbeneath it
لَرَأَيتَ حُسناً كُلُّ حُسنٍ دونَهُ
تُعييrender powerless البَليغَthe eloquent speaker صِفاتُهُits qualities أَنto ينطِقاspeak
تُعيي البَليغَ صِفاتُهُ أَن ينطِقا
you would have seen a beauty beneath which all beauty lies,
whose qualities leave the eloquent unable to speak.
وَأَزالَand swept away حَملاتِthe charges of الكَتائِبِthe battalions فيin الوَغىbattle
وَأَزالَ حَملاتِ الكَتائِبِ في الوَغى
مَوجُthe surge of اِطِّرادِthe steady flow of مِياهِهاher waters مُتَدَفِّقاgushing
مَوجُ اِطِّرادِ مِياهِها مُتَدَفِّقا
And the battalions' charges in battle were swept away
by the rushing surge of her steadily flowing waters.
جَنّاتُthe gardens of عَدنٍEden لَمnot تَكُنwere مُمتازَةًdistinguished
جَنّاتُ عَدنٍ لَم تَكُن مُمتازَةً
عَنهاfrom her بِشَيءٍby anything عَزَّwas precious إِلّاexcept بِالبَقاin eternity
عَنها بِشَيءٍ عَزَّ إِلّا بِالبَقا
The gardens of Eden are not distinguished
from her by anything precious, save eternity.
وِلدانُهاher youths وَنِساؤُهاand her women كَالحورِlike the houris وَالand the
وِلدانُها وَنِساؤُها كَالحورِ وَال
وِلدانِyouths بَلrather أَبهىlovelier وَأَشهىand sweeter مَنطِقاin speech
وِلدانِ بَل أَبهى وَأَشهى مَنطِقا
Her youths and women are like the houris and the
youths—nay, lovelier and sweeter of speech.
مِنamong كُلِّevery جائِلَةِloose-hanging الوِشاحِsash تَخالُهاyou would think her
مِن كُلِّ جائِلَةِ الوِشاحِ تَخالُها
بَدراًa full moon عَلىupon الغُصنِthe bough الرَّطيبِsupple تَأَلَّقاshining
بَدراً عَلى الغُصنِ الرَّطيبِ تَأَلَّقا
Among them, each loose-sashed woman you would take for
a full moon shining upon a supple bough.
وَمُهَفهَفٍand a slender youth ثَمِلِdrunkenly swaying القَوامِin figure يَحُلُّhe unties بِالwith the
وَمُهَفهَفٍ ثَمِلِ القَوامِ يَحُلُّ بِال
لَحَظاتِglances مِنfrom ذيone possessed of الدينِfaith ماwhat عَقَدَhas bound التُّقىpiety
لَحَظاتِ مِن ذي الدينِ ما عَقَدَ التُّقى
And a slender youth with a drunkenly swaying figure, who with
glances undoes in the devout what piety has bound.
لَوif شاءَhe wished جاءَhe would come بِماwith what تُحَتِّمُهُyou insist upon it إِذاwhen
لَو شاءَ جاءَ بِما تُحَتِّمُهُ إِذا
ماever (emphatic) اِهتَزَّhe sways مِنfrom تيهِthe proud conceit of الصِباyouth مُتَمَنطِقاgirdled
ما اِهتَزَّ مِن تيهِ الصِبا مُتَمَنطِقا
Were he willing, he would grant what you demand, when
he sways, girdled, in the proud conceit of youth.
ماnot إِنat all (emphatic) يُلامُis blamed فَتىًa young man يُرىis seen فيin جِلَّقٍJillaq (Damascus)
ما إِن يُلامُ فَتىً يُرى في جِلَّقٍ
أَيّامَduring the days of طيبِthe pleasantness of سُبوتِهاher Saturdays أَنthat يَعشَقاhe falls in love
أَيّامَ طيبِ سُبوتِها أَن يَعشَقا
No youth seen in Jillaq can be blamed
for falling in love during her delightful Saturdays.
أَنّىwherever التَفَتَّyou turn بِهاwithin her رَأَيتَyou see أَهِلَّةًcrescent moons
أَنّى التَفَتَّ بِها رَأَيتَ أَهِلَّةً
تَرنوgazing بِمِثلِwith the like of عُيونِthe eyes of غزلانِgazelles of النَّقاthe sand dunes
تَرنو بِمِثلِ عُيونِ غزلانِ النَّقا
Wherever you turn within her, you see crescent moons
gazing with eyes like those of the dunes' gazelles.
مَيدانُهاher square لِلهَمِّfor sorrow أَمسىhas become مَغرِباًa setting-place
مَيدانُها لِلهَمِّ أَمسى مَغرِباً
لَكِنbut لِشَمسِfor the sun of الحُسنِbeauty أَضحىhas become مَشرِقاa rising-place
لَكِن لِشَمسِ الحُسنِ أَضحى مَشرِقا
Her square has become the place where sorrow sets,
but where the sun of beauty rises.
كَمhow many مِنa (partitive) غَريبٍstranger جاءهاcame to her مُتَبَغدِدٍaffecting Baghdadi airs
كَم مِن غَريبٍ جاءها مُتَبَغدِدٍ
فَبَدَتthen appeared مَحاسِنُهاher charms لَهُto him فَتَدَمشَقاand so became Damascene
فَبَدَت مَحاسِنُها لَهُ فَتَدَمشَقا
How many a stranger came to her with Baghdadi airs,
then saw her charms and turned Damascene!
مَنwhoever ذَمَّهاdisparages her يَوماًever وَفَضَّلَand prefers غَيرَهاother than her
مَن ذَمَّها يَوماً وَفَضَّلَ غَيرَها
فَلذاكَthen that one مَوسومُis branded الجَبينِon the forehead بِأَحمَقاwith 'fool'
فَلذاكَ مَوسومُ الجَبينِ بِأَحمَقا
Whoever ever disparages her and prefers another
has 'Fool' branded on his forehead.
مَنwhoever كانَused to يَفخَرُboast بِالخَليجِof the canal وَكَسرِهِand its breaching
مَن كانَ يَفخَرُ بِالخَليجِ وَكَسرِهِ
وَالنيلُand the Nile قَدhas عَمَّspread over البِلادَthe land وَطبَّقاand covered completely
وَالنيلُ قَد عَمَّ البِلادَ وَطبَّقا
Whoever boasts of the canal and its breaching,
when the Nile has spread across and covered the land—
فَلِكُلِّthen for every سَبتٍSaturday مِنof دِمَشقَDamascus مَفاخِرٌglories
فَلِكُلِّ سَبتٍ مِن دِمَشقَ مَفاخِرٌ
أَصبَحنَthey have become أَولىworthier بِالفَخارِof pride وَأَليَقاand more fitting
أَصبَحنَ أَولى بِالفَخارِ وَأَليَقا
let him know: every Saturday in Damascus has glories
that have become worthier and fitter for pride.
بَلَدٌa city تَراهُyou see it إِذاwhen البِلادُthe cities تَسابَقَتcompete
بَلَدٌ تَراهُ إِذا البِلادُ تَسابَقَت
فيin حَلبَةِthe arena of التَفضيلِpreference جاءَit comes الأَسبَقاforemost
في حَلبَةِ التَفضيلِ جاءَ الأَسبَقا
It is a city you see, when cities compete,
come first in the arena of excellence.
أَكرِمhow splendid بِنَبتِare the plants of رِياضِهِits gardens وَغِياضِهِand its groves
أَكرِم بِنَبتِ رِياضِهِ وَغِياضِهِ
وَالنّورُand the blossoms نورٌlight بِالحَدائِقِaround the gardens مُحدِقاencircling
وَالنّورُ نورٌ بِالحَدائِقِ مُحدِقا
How splendid the plants of its gardens and groves!
And the blossoms are light encircling the gardens.
وَالوُرقُand the grey doves تَشدوsing وَالغُصونُand the branches رَواقِصٌdancing
وَالوُرقُ تَشدو وَالغُصونُ رَواقِصٌ
إِذwhen هَبَّblew فيamong الوَرَقِthe leaves النَسيمُthe breeze فَصَفَّقاand then clapped
إِذ هَبَّ في الوَرَقِ النَسيمُ فَصَفَّقا
And the grey doves sing, while the branches dance,
as the breeze stirs among the leaves and claps.
فَكَأَنَّماso it is as though الأَرضُthe earth السَماءُthe sky طلاوَةin loveliness
فَكَأَنَّما الأَرضُ السَماءُ طلاوَة
وَالزَهرُand the flowers كالزُهرِlike the radiant الكَواكِبِstars رَونَقاin splendor
وَالزَهرُ كالزُهرِ الكَواكِبِ رَونَقا
So it is as though the earth were the sky in loveliness,
and the flowers like the radiant stars in splendor:
مِنsome أَبيَضٍwhite يَقَقٍpure white وَأَصفَرَand yellow فاقِعٍvivid
مِن أَبيَضٍ يَقَقٍ وَأَصفَرَ فاقِعٍ
لَوناًin hue يَسُرُّdelighting الناظِرينَbeholders وَأَزرَقاand blue
لَوناً يَسُرُّ الناظِرينَ وَأَزرَقا
some purest white, some vivid yellow
in hue, delighting beholders, and some blue.
وَكَأَنَّماand it is as though المَنثورُthe stock blossoms مَنظوماًstrung together عَلىupon
وَكَأَنَّما المَنثورُ مَنظوماً عَلى
قُضُبِstems of الزَبَرجَدِperidot وَالزُمُرُّدِand emerald مُشرِقاshining
قُضُبِ الزَبَرجَدِ وَالزُمُرُّدِ مُشرِقا
And the stock blossoms seem strung upon
stems of peridot and emerald, shining bright.
لَمnot يَخلُقِhas created الرَحمَنُthe All-Merciful يَوماًon any day مِثلَهاher equal
لَم يَخلُقِ الرَحمَنُ يَوماً مِثلَها
أَبَداًever وَظَنّيand my belief أَنَّهُthat He لَنwill not يَخلُقاcreate
أَبَداً وَظَنّي أَنَّهُ لَن يَخلُقا
The All-Merciful has never created her equal,
not ever—and I believe He never will.
Sol 6.1