قَرَّتwere gladdened عُيونُthe eyes of المَجدِglory وَالفَخرِand pride
قَرَّت عُيونُ المَجدِ وَالفَخرِ
بِخِلعَةِby the robe of honor of الشَمسِthe sun عَلىupon البَدرِthe full moon
بِخِلعَةِ الشَمسِ عَلى البَدرِ
The eyes of glory and pride are gladdened
by the sun's robe of honor upon the full moon.
صَبَّتpoured عَلىover عِطفَيهِhis two sides أَطرافَهاits hems
صَبَّت عَلى عِطفَيهِ أَطرافَها
مُعلَمَةًemblazoned بِالعِزِّwith honor وَالنَصرِand victory
مُعلَمَةً بِالعِزِّ وَالنَصرِ
Its hems flowed down both his sides,
emblazoned with honor and victory.
كَأَنَّهاas though it were خِلعَةُa robe of honor ثَوبِthe garment of الدُجىnight's darkness
كَأَنَّها خِلعَةُ ثَوبِ الدُجى
فيon عاتِقِthe shoulder of العَيّوقِCapella وَالنَسرِand the Eagle star
في عاتِقِ العَيّوقِ وَالنَسرِ
As though it were a robe of night's cloth,
on the shoulder of Capella and the Eagle.
زَرَّbuttoned عَلَيهِupon him المَلكُthe king فَضفاضَهاits ample folds
زَرَّ عَلَيهِ المَلكُ فَضفاضَها
وَإِنَّماyet only زَرَّhe buttoned عَلىupon النَسرِthe Eagle star
وَإِنَّما زَرَّ عَلى النَسرِ
The king buttoned its ample folds about him,
yet he buttoned it on none but the Eagle.
خَطَوتَyou walked فيهاin it غَيرَwithout being مُستَكبِرٍarrogant
خَطَوتَ فيها غَيرَ مُستَكبِرٍ
خَطوَwith the step of السُهاal-Suha فيin خِلَعِthe robes of honor of الفَجرِdawn
خَطوَ السُها في خِلَعِ الفَجرِ
You walked in it without arrogance,
with al-Suha's step in dawn's robes of honor.
جاءَتit came عَواناًmature مِنamong تَحِيّاتِهِhis greetings
جاءَت عَواناً مِن تَحِيّاتِهِ
وَأَنتَwhile you مِنهاthrough it فيon عُلىًheights بِكرِvirgin
وَأَنتَ مِنها في عُلىً بِكرِ
It came, a matron among his greetings,
yet through it you stand on virgin heights.
فَكُلَّfor every يَومٍday أَنتَyou فيat صَدرِهِits beginning
فَكُلَّ يَومٍ أَنتَ في صَدرِهِ
فارِسُrider of طِرفِthe noble steed of الحَمدِpraise وَالأَجرِand reward
فارِسُ طِرفِ الحَمدِ وَالأَجرِ
For each day, at its opening, you are
rider of the noble steed of praise and reward.
تَغدوset forth بِكَwith you الأَيّامُthe days نَهّاضَةًever rising
تَغدو بِكَ الأَيّامُ نَهّاضَةً
تَطلُعُascending مِنfrom مَجدٍglory إِلىto فَخرِpride
تَطلُعُ مِن مَجدٍ إِلى فَخرِ
With you the days rise ever higher,
ascending from glory to pride.
فَاِنهَضso rise فَلَوfor if رُمتَyou sought لَحاقَto reach العُلىthe heights
فَاِنهَض فَلَو رُمتَ لَحاقَ العُلى
صافَحتَyou would clasp أَيديthe hands of الأَنجُمِthe stars الزُهرِradiant
صافَحتَ أَيدي الأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ
So rise, for if you sought to reach the heights,
you would clasp the hands of the radiant stars.
وَلَوand if زَجَرتَyou forbade المُزنَthe rainclouds عَنfrom صَوبِهِtheir downpour
وَلَو زَجَرتَ المُزنَ عَن صَوبِهِ
لَضَنَّتِwould surely be miserly الأَقطارُthe regions بِالقَطرِwith rain
لَضَنَّتِ الأَقطارُ بِالقَطرِ
And if you forbade the clouds their downpour,
the regions would withhold their rain,
وَضَمَّتِand would draw in الأَنواءُthe rain-stars أَخلافَهاtheir udders
وَضَمَّتِ الأَنواءُ أَخلافَها
كَماas اِستَمَرَّturned bitter الماءُthe water فيin الغُدرِthe pools
كَما اِستَمَرَّ الماءُ في الغُدرِ
and the rain-stars would draw in their udders,
as the water turned bitter in the pools.
فَأَنتَfor you سِرٌa secret فيin ضَميرِthe inmost heart of العُلىloftiness
فَأَنتَ سِرٌ في ضَميرِ العُلى
كَالعِقدِlike a necklace بَينَbetween الجيدِthe neck وَالنَحرِand the breast
كَالعِقدِ بَينَ الجيدِ وَالنَحرِ
For you are a secret in the heart of loftiness,
like a necklace between neck and breast.
تَبَرَّجَتunveiled themselves مِنكَthrough you وُجوهُthe faces of المُنىwishes
تَبَرَّجَت مِنكَ وُجوهُ المُنى
مُرتَجَّةًswaying فيamid النائِلِbounty الغَمرِoverflowing
مُرتَجَّةً في النائِلِ الغَمرِ
Through you the faces of wishes unveiled themselves,
swaying amid overflowing bounty.
إِنَّكَindeed you مِنare of قَومٍa people إِذاwhen اِستَلأَمواthey don armor
إِنَّكَ مِن قَومٍ إِذا اِستَلأَموا
تَقَبَّلواthey move about فيamong البيضِwhite swords وَالسُمرِand brown spears
تَقَبَّلوا في البيضِ وَالسُمرِ
You are indeed of a people who, when they don armor,
move among white swords and brown spears,
وَقَطَّرواand they topple الخَيلَthe horses بِفُرسانِهاwith their riders
وَقَطَّروا الخَيلَ بِفُرسانِها
خارِجَةًgoing out عَنbeyond حَلقَةِthe ring of الخُضرِdark-armored troops
خارِجَةً عَن حَلقَةِ الخُضرِ
and topple horses with their riders,
out beyond the ring of dark-armored troops;
وَجاذَبواand they wrest الأَيّامَthe days أَثوابَهاtheir garments
وَجاذَبوا الأَيّامَ أَثوابَها
عَنهاfrom them بِأَيديwith the hands of النَهيِprohibition وَالأَمرِand command
عَنها بِأَيدي النَهيِ وَالأَمرِ
and wrest the days' garments
from them, with hands of prohibition and command.
مِنof كُلِّeach طَلقِcheerful الوَجهِof face سَهلِeasy الحَياin modesty
مِن كُلِّ طَلقِ الوَجهِ سَهلِ الحَيا
يَبسُمُhe smiles عَنrevealing أَخلاقِهِhis virtues الغُرِّradiant
يَبسُمُ عَن أَخلاقِهِ الغُرِّ
Each one open-faced, with easy modesty,
smiling to reveal his radiant virtues;
مُقَدَّمٍforemost فيamong القَومِthe people ماas long as قَدَّمَتstands forward
مُقَدَّمٍ في القَومِ ما قَدَّمَت
عَنbeyond ريشِهاits plumage قادِمَةُthe leading feather of النِسرِthe eagle
عَن ريشِها قادِمَةُ النِسرِ
foremost among his people, as long as
the eagle's leading feather stands ahead of its plumage;
رَيّانَsated وَالأَيّامُwhile the days ظَمآنَةٌare thirsty
رَيّانَ وَالأَيّامُ ظَمآنَةٌ
مِنَwith النَدىbounty نَشوانَintoxicated بِالبِشرِwith gladness
مِنَ النَدى نَشوانَ بِالبِشرِ
sated—while the days are thirsty—
with bounty, intoxicated with gladness.
لاnot يُمسِكُrestrains العَذلُreproach يَدَيهِhis two hands وَلاnor
لا يُمسِكُ العَذلُ يَدَيهِ وَلا
تَأخُذُtakes مِنهُfrom him سَورَةُthe frenzy of الخَمرِwine
تَأخُذُ مِنهُ سَورَةُ الخَمرِ
No reproach restrains his hands, nor
does wine's frenzy take hold of him.
إِلَيكَto you سَيَّرتُI sent بِهاin its honor شامَةًa beauty mark
إِلَيكَ سَيَّرتُ بِها شامَةً
واضِحَةًplainly visible فيon غُرَّةِthe brow of الدَهرِtime
واضِحَةً في غُرَّةِ الدَهرِ
To you I sent, in its honor, a beauty mark,
plainly visible upon the brow of time.
شَدّاsang بِهاof it العُترُفُthe cock فيin جَوِّهِits open air
شَدّا بِها العُترُفُ في جَوِّهِ
وَاِرتاحَand rejoiced طَيرُthe birds of الصُبحِdawn فيin الوِكرِthe nest
وَاِرتاحَ طَيرُ الصُبحِ في الوِكرِ
The cock sang it in the open air,
and dawn's birds rejoiced in the nest.
أَبياتُهاits verses مِثلُlike عُيونِthe eyes of المَهاoryx
أَبياتُها مِثلُ عُيونِ المَها
مَطروفَةُtouched الأَلحاظِthe glances بِالسِحرِby sorcery
مَطروفَةُ الأَلحاظِ بِالسِحرِ
Its verses are like the eyes of oryx,
their glances touched by sorcery.
جاءَتit came تُهَنّيكَto congratulate you بِطَوقِon the collar of العُلىeminence
جاءَت تُهَنّيكَ بِطَوقِ العُلى
وَلَفظُهاand its wording يَفتَرُّsmiles عَنrevealing دُرِّpearls
وَلَفظُها يَفتَرُّ عَن دُرِّ
It came to congratulate you on the collar of eminence,
and its words smile to reveal pearls.
فَاِسعَدso rejoice أَباO father of سَعدٍSa'd بِإِقبالِهِat its coming
فَاِسعَد أَبا سَعدٍ بِإِقبالِهِ
فَالهَديُfor the sacrificial offering مَجنوبٌled alongside إِلىto النَحرِslaughter
فَالهَديُ مَجنوبٌ إِلى النَحرِ
So rejoice, Abu Sa'd, at its coming,
for the sacrificial offering is led to slaughter.
ماnot هُوَit إِنعامٌa favor وَلَكِنَّهُbut it is
ما هُوَ إِنعامٌ وَلَكِنَّهُ
ماwhat خَلَعَbestowed as a robe الغَيثُthe rain عَلىupon الزَهرِthe blossoms
ما خَلَعَ الغَيثُ عَلى الزَهرِ
It is no favor bestowed, but rather
what the rain bestows as a robe upon the blossoms.
جاءَتكَit came to you مِنfrom قَبليbefore me وَإِحسانُهاand its excellence
جاءَتكَ مِن قَبلي وَإِحسانُها
يَقومُserves ليfor me عِندَكَwith you بِالعُذرِas an excuse
يَقومُ لي عِندَكَ بِالعُذرِ
It came to you ahead of me, and its excellence
pleads my excuse with you.
وَلَوand had أَجَبتُI answered الشَوقَlonging لَمّاwhen دَعاit called
وَلَو أَجَبتُ الشَوقَ لَمّا دَعا
جاءَكَit would have come to you بيwith me مِنfrom قَبلِbefore أَنthat تَسريit journeys by night
جاءَكَ بي مِن قَبلِ أَن تَسري
And had I answered longing when it called,
it would have brought me to you before this poem set out by night.
Sol 6.1