غريرةan innocent maiden زانهاadorned her الحياءmodesty
غريرة زانها الحياء
ءisolated hamza (no lexical meaning) ولاand do not تبسميsmile (feminine imperative) لامرءat a man يبسمsmiles
ء ولا تبسمي لامرء يبسم
An innocent maiden whom modesty adorns.
Modesty adorns her beauty
And do not smile at a man who smiles.
Do not smile at any man who smiles
تتوقlongs نفسيmy soul إلىfor لقاهاmeeting her
تتوق نفسي إلى لقاها
ونفسهاand her soul تشتهيdesires اللقاءthe meeting
ونفسها تشتهي اللقاء
My soul longs to meet her,
My soul yearns to meet her
And her soul desires the meeting.
And her soul desires the meeting
فإنand if خلاis empty الجوthe surroundings والتقيناand we meet
فإن خلا الجو والتقينا
نغضwe lower أبصارناour gazes حياءout of modesty
نغض أبصارنا حياء
And if we are alone and meet,
If we meet alone
We lower our eyes in modesty.
We lower our gazes in shyness
وأرسلand I send forth الشِّعرpoetry وهيwhile she تلهوplays
وأرسل الشِّعر وهي تلهو
وترسلand she lets flow الشَّعرthe hair للوراءto the back
وترسل الشَّعر للوراء
And I let verse flow while she plays,
She plays with her hair while distracted
And she lets her hair flow back.
And pulls her hair behind her back
وإنand indeed نظاتهاher glances (apparent typo) إليَّtoward me
وإن نظاتها إليَّ
تشفgive a glimpse عنof أطيبsweetest الرجاءhope
تشف عن أطيب الرجاء
And indeed her glances toward me
When she glances at me
Reveal the sweetest hope.
It reveals the sweetest hope
تلعبshe plays بالقلبwith the heart كيفhowever شاءتshe wishes
تلعب بالقلب كيف شاءت
وإنand though يكنis طبعهits nature الاباءproud defiance
وإن يكن طبعه الاباء
She plays with the heart however she pleases,
She plays with my heart as she wishes
Though proud defiance is its nature.
Even if its nature is reluctance
جميلةbeautiful نزهةa delight لطرفيfor my gaze
جميلة نزهة لطرفي
بوجههاin her face روضةa garden وماءand water
بوجهها روضة وماء
Beautiful, a delight to my gaze,
Beautiful, pure are her eyes to me
Her face holds a garden and water.
Her face is a meadow and water
عيونهاher eyes نرجسnarcissi الروابيthe hills
عيونها نرجس الروابي
يلحظglances at منwhomever شاءwishes فيin الخفاءsecret
يلحظ من شاء في الخفاء
Her eyes are the narcissi of the hills,
Her eyes are narcissus of the hills
Gazing in secret at whomever they wish.
Whoever desires sees in secret
خدودهاher cheeks الوردroses وهيand she غصنa branch
خدودها الورد وهي غصن
معتدلwell-proportioned كاملcomplete النماءgrowth
معتدل كامل النماء
Her cheeks are roses, and she is a branch,
Her cheeks are roses and she a branch
Well-proportioned and fully grown.
Matured, complete in growth
سقاهwatered it ماءwater الجمالbeauty ربLord
سقاه ماء الجمال رب
يزيدadds فيto الخلقcreation ماwhatever يشاءHe wills
يزيد في الخلق ما يشاء
The Lord watered it with beauty's water;
Watered by the water of beauty, Lord
He adds to creation whatever He wills.
Increases in creation what He wills
تمرshe passes بالدارby the house وهيwhile she غضبىis angry
تمر بالدار وهي غضبى
وإنand if ألحI persist تظهرshe shows الرضاءcontentment
وإن ألح تظهر الرضاء
She passes by the house while angry,
She passes by the house angry
And if I persist, she shows contentment.
Yet if asked, shows acceptance
لقدindeed خشيناwe feared العدىthe foes فأمسىso it became
لقد خشينا العدى فأمسى
رسولmessenger قبلاتناour kisses الهواءthe air
رسول قبلاتنا الهواء
Indeed, we feared our foes, so it came to be:
We feared harm, so the evening
The air was the messenger of our kisses.
Became the messenger of our kisses
يجرنيdrags me للشقاءto misery قلبيmy heart
يجرني للشقاء قلبي
وهوand it سبيليmy path الىto الهناءbliss
وهو سبيلي الى الهناء
My heart drags me to misery,
My heart leads me to misery
Yet it is my path to bliss.
Yet it is my path to bliss
ذكرتI remembered أيامهاher days الخواليbygone
ذكرت أيامها الخوالي
وكلand all أمنيتيmy wish العزاءconsolation
وكل أمنيتي العزاء
I remembered her bygone days,
I remembered her golden days
And all I wished for was consolation.
And all my wish is consolation
وبينand between أمنيةa wish وذكرىand a memory
وبين أمنية وذكرى
تضيعare lost أعمارناour lives هباءlike dust
تضيع أعمارنا هباء
And between a wish and a memory,
Between a wish and a memory
Our lives vanish into dust.
Our lives vanish into nothingness
Sol 6.1