منfrom الغيبthe unseen أسرىjourneyed by night إليهاto her الولهْlonging
من الغيب أسرى إليها الولهْ
فكانتso she was لوجدfor the rapture الهوىlove أولهْits beginning
فكانت لوجد الهوى أولهْ
From the unseen, longing journeyed by night to her.
With longing from afar, I came to her
So she was the beginning of love's rapture.
And found, if passion had a first, 'twas her
تنامshe sleeps علىupon رقصةdance الأغنياتthe songs
تنام على رقصة الأغنيات
صلاةa prayer علىupon سرناour secret منزلةْsent down
صلاة على سرنا منزلةْ
She sleeps upon the dance of songs,
She sleeps to rhythms of melodies
A prayer sent down upon our secret.
A prayer for our secret trysting place
لحاراتهاfor her alleys الدفءthe warmth أنَّاthat we نراهْwe see it
لحاراتها الدفء أنَّا نراهْ
تحارis bewildered بهby it مهجةheart مشعلهْaflame
تحار به مهجة مشعلهْ
Her alleys have the warmth that we behold;
In her lanes, warmth we see it there
A heart aflame is bewildered by it.
Bewitching the core of its flame’s flare
يعانقهاembraces her الظلthe shadow بوحاconfession وعشقاand passionate love
يعانقها الظل بوحا وعشقا
كأنas though الندىthe dew ظلَّهاher shadow بللهْmoistened it
كأن الندى ظلَّها بللهْ
The shadow embraces her in confession and passion,
Embraced by shadows, ardently, lovingly
As though the dew had moistened her shadow.
As if the dew had soaked it thoroughly
كأنيas though I بهاin her جنةa paradise منof هيامardor
كأني بها جنة من هيام
مطارحهاher places بالهوىwith love مثقلةْladen
مطارحها بالهوى مثقلةْ
To me she seems a paradise of ardor,
She seems a garden of daydreams to me
Her places laden with love.
Her pillows heavy with love’s reverie
وأزهارهاand her flowers قدalready تدلتhung down كماlike
وأزهارها قد تدلت كما
مصابيحlamps منfrom سحرهاher enchantment مسدلهْhanging down
مصابيح من سحرها مسدلهْ
And her flowers have hung down like
Her flowers dangling as though they were
Lamps hanging down from her enchantment.
Lanterns from her magic hanging there
وأبوابهاand her doors نامfell asleep فيهاwithin them الرحيقُthe nectar
وأبوابها نام فيها الرحيقُ
تراهاyou see them علىtoward بعضهاone another مقبلهْturning
تراها على بعضها مقبلهْ
And her doors—nectar has fallen asleep within them;
Her doors where perfume had fallen asleep
You see them turning toward one another.
You'd think some leaning towards others in a heap
تشفis translucent كماlike غيمةa cloud منof عبيرfragrance
تشف كما غيمة من عبير
بعطرwith the perfume of مساءاتهاher evenings مثقلهْladen
بعطر مساءاتها مثقلهْ
She is translucent, like a cloud of fragrance,
She sips like a cloud of fragrant air
Laden with the perfume of her evenings.
With the scent of her evenings rich and rare
لشهباءto Shahba أرجوزةa rajaz poem العاشقينthe lovers
لشهباء أرجوزة العاشقين
وآهاتهمand their sighs فيin المدىthe distance مرسلهْsent forth
وآهاتهم في المدى مرسلهْ
To Shahba belong the lovers' rajaz poem
To the starry-eyed, the lover's ode
And their sighs, sent forth into the distance.
And their sighs through the horizon's breadth flowed
لهاto her ماwhat يخبئconceals سحرenchantment الصباحthe morning
لها ما يخبئ سحر الصباح
وماand whatever ينطويlies enfolded فيin الرؤىthe visions منof ولهْlonging
وما ينطوي في الرؤى من ولهْ
Hers is what morning's enchantment conceals,
In her is all the charm of dawn kept hid
And whatever longing lies enfolded in visions.
And what stirs wrapped in visions, from the first glance did
Sol 6.1