كمhow many مُقلَةٍan eye منamong مُقَلِthe eyes الحُورthe houris
كم مُقلَةٍ من مُقَلِ الحُور
تَبسمُsmiles بينbetween التthe fi- ّينِ-g والطُّورِand the Mount
تَبسمُ بين الت ّينِ والطُّورِ
How many an eye among the houris' eyes
How many bashful maidens glance coy
Smiles between the fig and the Mount!
Smiling amid date palms and Mount Tuur
كحلاءُkohl-dark دَعجاءُdeep-black-eyed ولكنّهاbut it
كحلاءُ دَعجاءُ ولكنّها
تنظرُgazes مِنfrom نورٍlight علىupon نُورِlight
تنظرُ مِن نورٍ على نُورِ
Kohl-dark and deep-black, yet it
With kohl-rimmed eyes, so lovely and yet
Gazes from light upon light.
Gazing with Light upon Light so pure
مِسكيَّةٌmusky عَرفاًin scent ولوناًand in color فإنfor if
مِسكيَّةٌ عَرفاً ولوناً فإن
تَرقرقَتit ripples سالَتit flows بكافُورwith camphor
تَرقرقَت سالَت بكافُور
Musky in scent and hue; for if
Of musky scent and hue - when she but turns
It ripples, it flows with camphor.
Her countenance, camphor flows for sure
تلكَthat one الّتيwhich بوركَwas blessed فيin رِسلِهاits milk
تلكَ الّتي بوركَ في رِسلِها
فانبجَسَتand so it gushed forth بالعَبَقِwith the fragrance الجُوريof Damask roses
فانبجَسَت بالعَبَقِ الجُوري
That is the one whose milk was blessed,
She in whose honor blessings were bestowed
And so gushed forth with Damask-rose fragrance.
Upon the prophets, and musk did pour
تُنبِتُit yields بالدُّهنِwith oil وصِبغٍand a relish لهُit has
تُنبِتُ بالدُّهنِ وصِبغٍ لهُ
لدونةٌsmoothness فيin كُلِّevery حُنجُورِthroat
لدونةٌ في كُلِّ حُنجُورِ
It yields oil and a relish whose
With oils and dyes that please, in every box
Smoothness is felt in every throat.
She holds a yearning heart held in her cure
صَافِيpure ضَميرinner heart الغَيبِthe unseen ذِيpossessing رونَقٍluster
صَافِي ضَمير الغَيبِ ذِي رونَقٍ
منfrom ريقَةِthe saliva الجَونَةِthe dark one مَقصُورِbleached
من ريقَةِ الجَونَةِ مَقصُورِ
Pure in its hidden heart, endowed with luster,
Of spirit pure, graced with a brilliant light
Bleached from the dark one's saliva.
Confined in a pearl shell kept secure
سُبحانَglory be to مَنthe One who أَبدعَهُfashioned it كَوكباًas a star
سُبحانَ مَن أَبدعَهُ كَوكباً
مُلتَمِعاًgleaming منfrom قطعِpatches دَيجُورِdeep darkness
مُلتَمِعاً من قطعِ دَيجُورِ
Glory to Him who fashioned it as a star,
Glory to He who made her as a star
Gleaming from patches of deepest darkness.
Studded with gems of gold immature
ياO جَنّةًgarden أرَّقنِيkept me sleepless حُبُّهاlove for it
يا جَنّةً أرَّقنِي حُبُّها
هلwould ...? لكِfor you فيin نَفثَةِa sigh مَصدُورِone with an aching chest
هل لكِ في نَفثَةِ مَصدُورِ
O garden whose love has kept me sleepless,
O Paradise, your love leaves me distraught
Would you welcome a sigh from one with an aching breast?
Can you whisper to my breast obscure?
ماwhat تَأمُرينَdo you command اليومَtoday فيconcerning وامِقٍa lover
ما تَأمُرينَ اليومَ في وامِقٍ
يُدنيكِdraws you close منto قَلبٍa heart وتامورand heart's lifeblood
يُدنيكِ من قَلبٍ وتامور
What do you command today concerning a lover
What do you command today, at daybreak
Who draws you close to his heart and lifeblood?
Drawing you closer to my heart demure?
ياO حَبَّذاhow lovely دَوحُكِyour grove منas ناعِمٍluxuriant
يا حَبَّذا دَوحُكِ من ناعِمٍ
مُستصحَبِaccompanied by البَهجَةِbeauty منظُورِbeheld
مُستصحَبِ البَهجَةِ منظُورِ
O how lovely your luxuriant grove,
Blessed is your presence, so gentle and kind
Ever attended by beauty, a sight to behold!
Bringing joy made visible, seen for sure
يرفُلit struts فيin سُندسِfine silk أَبرادِهits mantles
يرفُل في سُندسِ أَبرادِه
إذاwhen تَعرَّىis stripped bare كلُّevery يَخضُورِgreen plant
إذا تَعرَّى كلُّ يَخضُورِ
It struts in the fine silk of its mantles
He saunters in silk robes, when all plants fade
When every green plant is stripped bare.
And verdant hills no more their hues endure
إنif كُفِرَis deemed faithless الكَرمُthe vine فماthen not زلتَyou have ceased ذاpossessing
إن كُفِرَ الكَرمُ فما زلتَ ذا
جَيبٍa bosom علىover الإيمانfaith مَزرُورِbuttoned shut
جَيبٍ على الإيمان مَزرُورِ
If the vine is deemed faithless, you have always had
If generosity's denied, you remain still
A breast buttoned fast upon faith.
True in your faith, with goodness made secure
تلكَthat one يُوَلّيهاgive it over to الخَناlewdness أهلُهاits keepers
تلكَ يُوَلّيها الخَنا أهلُها
وخُطَّةand the way الإسرافِof excess والزّورِand falsehood
وخُطَّة الإسرافِ والزّورِ
That one, its keepers give over to lewdness
While others fall to vice and lies, you stand
And the way of excess and falsehood;
As shelter and safety, blessed and pure
وأنتand you طُهرٌpurity وأمانٌand safety لَناfor us
وأنت طُهرٌ وأمانٌ لَنا
منfrom كُلّevery مَخشِيٍّfeared thing ومَحذُورِand dreaded thing
من كُلّ مَخشِيٍّ ومَحذُورِ
But you are purity and safety for us
Nearest to God are houses, if left empty,
From everything feared and dreaded,
Far from all that His law does abjure
أُنسُsolace بُيوتِhouses اللَهِof God إنif أوحشَتthey grow desolate
أُنسُ بُيوتِ اللَهِ إن أوحشَت
وبُعدُهاand their distance منfrom كُلّevery مَحظُورِforbidden thing
وبُعدُها من كُلّ مَحظُورِ
The solace of God's houses when they grow desolate,
The best of good is this which will remain
And their distance from every forbidden thing.
Noble through days, of virtues most mature
فأَشرَفand so stood forth الخيرُthe goodness الّذيthat لمnot يزَلcease
فأَشرَف الخيرُ الّذي لم يزَل
ذاpossessing شرَفٍhonor فيthroughout الدَّهرِtime مَذكُورِremembered
ذا شرَفٍ في الدَّهرِ مَذكُورِ
Thus stood forth the goodness that has always been
Pour down on us from your garden carried
Honored and remembered through the ages.
In a sea, with bounty running o'er
أَفِضpour forth عَليناupon us منsome of جَناكَyour harvest الّذيwhich
أَفِض عَلينا من جَناكَ الّذي
فاضَoverflowed بِبَحرٍin a sea فيكَwithin you مَسجُورِaflame
فاضَ بِبَحرٍ فيكَ مَسجُورِ
Pour upon us some of your harvest, which
By your efforts made in faith, surpassing all
Has overflowed in a sea aflame within you.
Oaths of slaves whose deeds have no tenure
حِلفيَmy alliance أَولىworthier منthan دِنانٍjars غَداbecame
حِلفيَ أَولى من دِنانٍ غَدا
سَعيُكَyour labor فيهاin them غَيرُnot مشكورِthanked
سَعيُكَ فيها غَيرُ مشكورِ
My bond is worthier than jars:
Is there, in one whose heart is freshly tender
Your labor in them has gone unthanked.
Reward each morn for you, made safe and sure?
هلwould ...? لكَfor you فيin ذيone possessing كَبِدٍa liver رَطبَةٍmoist
هل لكَ في ذي كَبِدٍ رَطبَةٍ
تُصبِحُyou would become فيهاfor it جِدَّgreatly مأجُورِrewarded
تُصبِحُ فيها جِدَّ مأجُورِ
Would you care for one with a moist liver,
For whom you would be richly rewarded?
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1