برزتshe emerged تفاخرshe boasts بالجبينin the brow الأقمرmoon-bright
برزت تفاخر بالجبين الأقمر
هيفاءslender-waisted تغزوناshe assails us بقدّwith a figure أسمرdusky
هيفاء تغزونا بقدّ أسمر
She emerged, glorying in her moon-bright brow.
She appeared boasting with a bright forehead
A slender-waisted beauty assails us with her dusky figure.
Haya invading us with a tanned stature
تختالshe sways proudly تيهاin self-admiration والحياءand modesty يصونهاguards her
تختال تيها والحياء يصونها
فتصيدناand she captures us رغماًby force بطرفٍwith a glance أحورdark-pupilled with bright whites
فتصيدنا رغماً بطرفٍ أحور
She sways in proud self-admiration, while modesty guards her,
Strutting coyly while shyness protects her
and captures us against our will with her dark-eyed glance.
Thus she hunts us forcibly with a squinting glance
فطفقتthen I began نشوانintoxicated الغرامwith passion وقدand already روىhad recounted
فطفقت نشوان الغرام وقد روى
دمعيmy tears أحاديثtales الهوىof love عنfrom مضمريmy hidden feelings
دمعي أحاديث الهوى عن مضمري
Then I grew drunk with passion, while
So the pangs of passion ignited
my tears recounted love's tales from what I kept within.
And my tears narrated the tales of my secret love
عذلreproached العذولthe reproacher بهاbecause of her ولستand I am not بسامعlistening
عذل العذول بها ولست بسامع
كلّاcertainly not وحقand by the sanctity of الحبlove لستI am not بمفتريa liar
كلّا وحق الحب لست بمفتري
The reproacher scolded me for her, but I do not listen.
I blamed the one I blame out of love not falsely
No! By love's sanctity, I am no liar.
If you deny my aching heart then look
انif انكرتyou deny تعذيبthe tormenting قلبيof my heart فانظرواthen look
ان انكرت تعذيب قلبي فانظروا
سوداthe dark core الفؤادof the heart بخدهاon her cheek انif تسفرshe unveils
سودا الفؤاد بخدها ان تسفر
If you deny my heart's torment, then look
At the blackness of my heart from her cheek should it unveil
at the heart's dark core upon her cheek, should she unveil.
I swore and was reminded of carnelian and its pact
نشدتshe sang فذكرنيthen it reminded me العقيقof al-Aqiq وعهدهand its bygone days
نشدت فذكرني العقيق وعهده
وليالand nights وصلof union بالعقيقat al-Aqiq الأنورmost radiant
وليال وصل بالعقيق الأنور
She sang, recalling al-Aqiq and its bygone days to me,
And nights of connection with the shining carnelian
and nights of union at resplendent al-Aqiq.
If my eye glimpses her cheek it makes it blush
انif شامهاglimpsed her طرفيmy gaze توردturned rosy خدهاher cheek
ان شامها طرفي تورد خدها
ولذاكand for that reason لونيmy complexion ظاهرvisible كالنوفرlike the water lily
ولذاك لوني ظاهر كالنوفر
If my gaze glimpses her, her cheek turns rosy;
And so my complexion appears obviously rosy
and thus my complexion appears like the water lily's.
With her mouth beloved ensuring pearls
وبثغرهاand in her mouth حببbubbles تضمنenclosed لؤلوءاpearls
وبثغرها حبب تضمن لؤلوءا
يرويrecounts عقوداnecklaces عنfrom صحاحthe Sihah الجوهريof al-Jawhari
يروي عقودا عن صحاح الجوهري
And in her mouth are bubbles enclosing pearls;
Quenching necklaces of the correct jewels
it recites necklaces of words from al-Jawhari's Sihah.
Is it acceptable that I complain of passion when it starts
أيجوزis it permissible انthat أشكوI complain of اللغوبweariness وقدand already غداhas come to
أيجوز ان أشكو اللغوب وقد غدا
يحكيresembles رضابsweet saliva الثغرof the mouth طعمthe taste الكوثرof Kawthar
يحكي رضاب الثغر طعم الكوثر
May I complain of weariness, now that
To narrate the beats of the mouth's taste of immortality
her mouth's sweet moisture echoes the taste of Kawthar?
She robbed the lovers blind just as
سلبتshe stole منfrom العشاقthe lovers الباباًwits كماjust as
سلبت من العشاق الباباً كما
سلبhe stole العقولminds بلفظهwith his speech والمنظرand appearance
سلب العقول بلفظه والمنظر
She stole the lovers' wits, just as
She robbed minds with her words and sight
he stole minds with his speech and appearance—
My Master with his noble character ascended
مولىa lord بصورin Tyre قدalready سماrose above سورthe rampart العلىof glory
مولى بصور قد سما سور العلى
أكرمhow noble بهhe is شهماa gallant man عليّاAli حيدريHaydari
أكرم به شهما عليّا حيدري
a lord in Tyre, who rose above glory's rampart.
Honouring glorious Haydari with it
How noble he is—a gallant man, Ali Haydari!
With it his horizons shone and sparkled
ضاءتshone بهthrough him افلاكهاits celestial spheres وتلألأتand glittered
ضاءت به افلاكها وتلألأت
كصفاتهlike his virtues إذwhen لاحhe shone كالنجمlike the star السريnoble
كصفاته إذ لاح كالنجم السري
Its celestial spheres shone through him and glittered,
Like his traits when he appeared like a hidden star
like his virtues, when he shone like a noble star.
He came to imitate Al-Asma'i in narration
أضحىbecame يحاكيemulates الأصمعيal-Asma'i روايةin transmitting lore
أضحى يحاكي الأصمعي رواية
وفؤادهand his heart حاكىmirrored فؤادthe heart غضنفرof a lion
وفؤاده حاكى فؤاد غضنفر
He came to emulate al-Asma'i in transmitting lore,
While his heart imitated the heart of Ghadhnafar
and his heart mirrored the heart of a lion.
How many crises has he solved with his wisdom
كمhow many أزمةa crisis قدalready حلهاhe resolved it بذكائهwith his intelligence
كم أزمة قد حلها بذكائه
وكريهةand a dire battle قدalready حلهاhe settled it بالأبترwith the cleaving sword
وكريهة قد حلها بالأبتر
How many a crisis he has resolved with his intelligence,
And how many evils has he solved with the castrated sword
and many a dire battle he has settled with the cleaving sword!
Courageous with every praise and virtue
شهمa gallant man بكلwith every محامدpraiseworthy quality وفضائلand virtues
شهم بكل محامد وفضائل
خصمa foe لكلto every محاربwarrior ليثa lion جريbold
خصم لكل محارب ليث جري
A gallant man, endowed with every praiseworthy quality and virtue,
An opponent to every warrior lion cub
a foe to every warrior, a bold lion.
The rain of generosity amazing in his meadow halt
غيثrain السماحةof generosity عجturn aside بروضتهto his garden وقفand pause
غيث السماحة عج بروضته وقف
تجنيyou gather النداbounty منfrom خيرthe finest غصنbough مثمرfruit-bearing
تجني الندا من خير غصن مثمر
Generosity's rain—turn to his garden and pause;
Bearing fruit the soft bend of a fertile branch
you will gather bounty from the finest fruit-bearing bough.
With his integrity stand amazing in his meadow
بقوامby the mainstay السماحةof generosity عجturn aside بروضتهto his garden وقفand pause
بقوام السماحة عج بروضته وقف
اضحىhe has become يجاذبtugs at كلevery قلبheart قسورof a lion
اضحى يجاذب كل قلب قسور
By generosity's mainstay, turn to his garden and pause;
He came to pull every solid heart
he has come to tug at every lion's heart.
His efforts reached the most high and the virtuous chose
بلغتattained مساعيهhis endeavors عليّاlofty heights واصطفتand selected
بلغت مساعيه عليّا واصطفت
أهلpeople النهىof reason بذكائهthrough his intelligence المتنورenlightened
أهل النهى بذكائه المتنور
His endeavors reached lofty heights and singled out
The people of prohibition with his enlightened mind
people of reason through his enlightened intelligence.
So towards your ascendance ascend praise
فإلىso to علاكyour eminence عليّO Ali مجدglory أقبلتshe has come
فإلى علاك عليّ مجد أقبلت
تهديshe offers مديحاa panegyric بالثناءwith praise الأعطرthe most fragrant
تهدي مديحا بالثناء الأعطر
So to your eminence, glorious Ali, she has come,
Offering the most fragrant praise in eulogy
offering a panegyric with the most fragrant praise.
Take it by the edge of the curtain kindly as it
خذهاaccept her بذيلbeneath the hem السترof the veil لطفاkindly أنهاfor she
خذها بذيل الستر لطفا أنها
برزتshe emerged تفاخرshe boasts بالجبينin the brow الأقمرmoon-bright
برزت تفاخر بالجبين الأقمر
Accept her kindly beneath the veil's hem, for
Appeared boasting with the bright forehead
she emerged, glorying in her moon-bright brow.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1