عرفتُهI knew him والنجادُand the sword-belt الحُرُّnoble رائدُهُhis guide
عرفتُه والنجادُ الحُرُّ رائدُهُ
يزهوhe glories بأخلاقِهِin his character كالغصنlike a branch بالوَرَقِin the leaves
يزهو بأخلاقِهِ كالغصن بالوَرَقِ
I knew him, with the noble sword-belt as his guide.
I knew him, and free men were his leaders,
He gloried in his character as a branch in its leaves.
He prides himself on his morals, like a branch prides itself on its leaves.
لمdid not تَثْنِdiminish هُوجُwild gusts المعاصيsins منfrom شمائلهhis virtues
لم تَثْنِ هُوجُ المعاصي من شمائله
ولاَnor نَفَحاتِwafts الطيبِfragrance فيin الخُلُقِcharacter
ولاَ نَفَحاتِ الطيبِ في الخُلُقِ
The wild gusts of sin did not diminish his virtues,
The surges of disobedience did not bend his traits,
Nor the fragrant wafts within his character.
Nor the scents of musk in manners.
كأنماas though ذابَmelted فيهwithin him الفجرُdawn منبثِقاًbreaking forth
كأنما ذابَ فيه الفجرُ منبثِقاً
فطهّرتْand so was purified نفسهhis soul كالفجرِlike dawn فيin البُنُقِthe garment gussets
فطهّرتْ نفسه كالفجرِ في البُنُقِ
As though dawn had melted within him, breaking forth,
It is as if dawn melted into him, emerging,
And his soul was purified, like dawn amid the garment gussets.
So his soul purified itself like dawn in the dunes.
واشتاقَهاand longed for her الزهرُthe blossoms نفساًa soul طابَwas pure عُنْصُرُهاher essence
واشتاقَها الزهرُ نفساً طابَ عُنْصُرُها
فعاذَso it sought refuge بالأَرْوْعَينِin the two most wondrous things الحسنِbeauty والعَبَقِand fragrance
فعاذَ بالأَرْوْعَينِ الحسنِ والعَبَقِ
And the blossoms longed for her, a soul whose essence was pure,
And the flowers longed for a soul whose essence was perfumed,
So they sought refuge in the two marvels, beauty and fragrance.
So he took refuge in beautiful and fragrant myrtle.
عذراءa maiden كالنجمةِlike the star الغراءradiant كاسيةwearing
عذراء كالنجمةِ الغراء كاسية
مطارفَmantles النورlight تجلوdispelling غيهبَdarkness الغَسَقِnightfall
مطارفَ النور تجلو غيهبَ الغَسَقِ
A maiden, like the radiant star, wearing
A virgin like a bright star, dressed
Mantles of light, dispelling the darkness of nightfall.
In the veils of light that illuminate the darkness of night.
إلاexcept الردىdeath غيمةa cloud منfrom حولهاaround her فخبتand so she dimmed
إلا الردى غيمة من حولها فخبت
كأنّهاas though she were نجمةstar الملاّحthe mariner فيon الأُفُقِthe horizon
كأنّها نجمة الملاّح في الأُفُقِ
Only death—a cloud around her—and she dimmed,
Except misguidance is a cloud around her that faded away,
As though she were the mariner’s star on the horizon.
It is as if she is the star of the sailor on the horizon.
Sol 6.1