قلsay للذيto the one who غصdived فيin بحرa sea منof الفكرthoughts
قل للذي غص في بحر من الفكر
بذهنهwith his mind فحوىthen gathered ماwhat شاءhe wished منof دررpearls
بذهنه فحوى ما شاء من درر
Say to him who dived into a sea of thoughts
Tell the one who drowned in a sea of thought,
With his mind, then gathered whatever pearls he wished:
With his mind comprehending whatever gems he desired,
للَهto God (expressing admiration) عذراءa maiden زفتwas led as a bride منكfrom you رائحةًgoing forth at evening
للَه عذراء زفت منك رائحةً
تختالshe struts منfrom حبرهاher ink المرقومinscribed فيin حبرpatterned robes
تختال من حبرها المرقوم في حبر
By God, what a maiden, sent from you as a bride at evening!
“For God's sake, an aroma wafted from you
She struts in patterned robes of her inscribed ink.
That exults from her inscribed ink over ink.”
صداقهاher bridal dower الصدقsincerity منof وديmy affection ومنزلهاand her dwelling
صداقها الصدق من ودي ومنزلها
بصيرتيmy inner vision وسوادand the core القلبthe heart لاnot بصريmy eyesight
بصيرتي وسواد القلب لا بصري
Her dower is the sincerity of my affection, and her dwelling
Her dowry is truthfulness from my affection, and her home
My inner vision and my heart's core, not my eyesight.
Is my insight and the blackness of my heart, not my vision.
كأنماas though خامرتنيintoxicated me منthrough بشاشتهاher cheerfulness
كأنما خامرتني من بشاشتها
راحwine وسكرand drunkenness بلاwithout راحٍwine ولاnor سكرintoxicating drink
راح وسكر بلا راحٍ ولا سكر
As though, through her cheerfulness, I were overcome
It was as if her cheerfulness intoxicated me
By wine and drunkenness, without wine or intoxicating drink.
With comfort and drunkenness without comfort or drunkenness.
هزتshook بدائعهاher marvels عطفيmy sides منfrom طربrapture
هزت بدائعها عطفي من طرب
لحسنهاat her beauty هزةa shaking المشغوفthe love-struck one للذكرat remembrance
لحسنها هزة المشغوف للذكر
Her marvels shook my sides with rapture
Her wonders shook my kindness out of joy
At her beauty, as remembrance shakes the love-struck.
For her beauty - the shake of one enamored by recollection.
ماnot كنتI was أحسبI think أنthat النيراتthe heavenly lights غدتbecame
ما كنت أحسب أن النيرات غدت
بصيدهاin capturing them شركsnares الأوهامimaginings والفكرand thoughts
بصيدها شرك الأوهام والفكر
I never thought the heavenly lights had become
I did not expect the lamps to become
Prey to the snares of imagination and thought.
With her catch, the partners of illusions and thought.
ولاnor توهمتI imagined أيامdays الربيعspring ترىare seen
ولا توهمت أيام الربيع ترى
فيin ناجرNajir غصةa choking torment الأنوارthe blossoms والزهرand flowers
في ناجر غصة الأنوار والزهر
Nor did I imagine spring days could be seen
Nor did I imagine the days of spring to see
In Najir, the choking torment of blossoms and flowers.
In the bud of lights and flowers knotted sorrows.
أماas for الجزاءrepayment فشيءthen it is something لستI am not مدركهable to attain it
أما الجزاء فشيء لست مدركه
ولوand even if بدرتI hastened إلىto التوجيهdispatching بالبدرwith bags of coins
ولو بدرت إلى التوجيه بالبدر
As for repayment, that is something beyond my reach,
As for reward, it is something I cannot grasp
Even if I hastened to send bags of coins.
Even if I ventured to offer guidance with the full moon.
لكنbut جزائيmy repayment صفاءpurity الودaffection أضمرهI harbor it
لكن جزائي صفاء الود أضمره
إذاwhen القلوبthe hearts انطوتfolded inward منهof it علىaround كدرdregs
إذا القلوب انطوت منه على كدر
But my repayment is the pure affection I harbor
But my reward is the purity of affection I harbor
When hearts enfold its dregs.
When hearts fold over distress.
جاراكraced you ذهنيmy mind فيon مضمارهاher racecourse فكباthen stumbled
جاراك ذهني في مضمارها فكبا
ذهنيmy mind وفزتand you won بخصلwith the prize السبقfirst place والظفرand victory
ذهني وفزت بخصل السبق والظفر
My mind raced you on her course, then stumbled—
She raced my mind in her arena, so my mind grew weary
My mind—while you won the prize of first place and victory.
And she won the feat of victory and success.
وهلand can بطليوسBadajoz فيin نظمٍverse مناظرةٌa rival
وهل بطليوس في نظمٍ مناظرةٌ
يوماًever لقرطبةٍto Cordoba فيin حكمthe judgment ذيone possessing نظرdiscernment
يوماً لقرطبةٍ في حكم ذي نظر
And can Badajoz, in verse, be a rival
Did Ptolemy in rhythmic correspondence one day
Ever to Cordoba, in the judgment of one with discernment?
Equal Cordoba in the judgment of one with insight?
Sol 6.1