ووردةٍand a rose يَقْصُرُfalls short عنهاof it الوصفُdescription
ووردةٍ يَقْصُرُ عنها الوصفُ
صورتُهاits form لكلِّfor every طَرْفٍeye ظَرْفُcharm
صورتُها لكلِّ طَرْفٍ ظَرْفُ
And a rose beyond the reach of description,
A rose beyond description,
Its form a delight to every eye,
Its image delights every glance,
بيضاءwhite فيهاin it حمرةٌa blush تشْتَفُّshows through
بيضاء فيها حمرةٌ تشْتَفُّ
بينَbetween بَنانٍfingers للنوالِfor giving وَقْفُdevoted
بينَ بَنانٍ للنوالِ وَقْفُ
White, with a blush showing through,
White with a blush of red that yearns
Between fingers devoted to giving.
Between supple leaves that give and take.
فيهاin it حياةٌlife للورىfor humankind وحَتْفُand death
فيها حياةٌ للورى وحَتْفُ
كأنهاas though it حينwhen جَناهاplucked it القَطْفthe plucking
كأنها حين جَناها القَطْف
In it are life for humankind and death.
In it is life for creation and refuge,
As though, when it was plucked,
As if, when plucked by the hand,
ونافسَand rivaled الكافورَcamphor منهاfrom it العَرْفُthe fragrance
ونافسَ الكافورَ منها العَرْفُ
وابتهجand rejoiced القلبُthe heart بهاin it والطَّرفand the eye
وابتهج القلبُ بها والطَّرف
And its fragrance rivaled camphor,
Its fragrance rivaled camphor,
And heart and eye rejoiced in it,
And the heart and eyes delighted in it,
مجموعُa gathered bundle كِمٍّa flower sheath قدalready حَوَتْهenclosed it كفُّa palm
مجموعُ كِمٍّ قد حَوَتْه كفُّ
كانَwas أحْمَرَred اللونin hue وعادand became يَصْفوpaler
كانَ أحْمَرَ اللون وعاد يَصْفو
It were a gathered flower-sheath enclosed by a palm,
A collection of perfection contained in a palm,
Once red in hue, it then grew pale,
Red at first then turning pure,
حتىuntil لقدindeed كادalmost الصِّباغthe dye يَعْفُوfades
حتى لقد كاد الصِّباغ يَعْفُو
أوor خامةٌa skein of raw silk لمdid not يعلُrise منهاof it الحرفthe edge
أو خامةٌ لم يعلُ منها الحرف
Until its dye had almost faded;
As if the dyer nearly forgot his craft
Or a skein of raw silk whose edge did not rise,
Or it was a substance whose secret was obscure.
رُصَّتْwere packed بهاwithin it قَطائفٌqata’if pastries لاnot تجفوbe coarse
رُصَّتْ بها قَطائفٌ لا تجفو
محكمَةٌtightly fitted منfrom فوقabove صفٍّa row صفُّa row
محكمَةٌ من فوق صفٍّ صفُّ
Soft qata’if pastries packed within it,
Arranged in layers that do not fade,
Firmly arranged, row above row.
Bound tight, row above row,
لمdid not يُفسدspoil التحريرَthe fine workmanship منهاof it اللفُّthe folding
لم يُفسد التحريرَ منها اللفُّ
ترسُبsinks فيin جُلاَّبهاits rosewater syrup وتطفوand floats
ترسُب في جُلاَّبها وتطفو
The folding has not spoiled its fine workmanship:
Unravelling does not spoil its twists,
It sinks and floats in its rosewater syrup.
Seeping through its petals, buoyant and aglow.
Sol 6.1