وربَّand many a فتاةٍmaiden كرِئمِlike a white gazelle الصّريthe thicket (continued)
وربَّ فتاةٍ كرِئمِ الصّري
مِ(completes 'thicket') يُسكرintoxicates منwhoever راءَهاsees her طرفُهاher glance
مِ يُسكر من راءَها طرفُها
And many a maiden, like a white gazelle of the thicket,
has a glance that intoxicates whoever beholds her.
إذاif رامَattempted قَرنانُهاher cuckold كفَّهاrestraining her
إذا رامَ قَرنانُها كفَّها
تحكَّمheld sway فيover رأسهِhis head كفُّهاher palm
تحكَّم في رأسهِ كفُّها
If her cuckold tries to restrain her,
her palm holds sway over his head.
سقتنيshe gave me to drink بريقتِهاwith her saliva خمرةًwine
سقتني بريقتِها خمرةً
يَطيبُis pleasing لشاربهاto its drinker صِرفُهاits undiluted form
يَطيبُ لشاربها صِرفُها
She gave me the wine of her saliva,
whose unmixed draught delights its drinker.
فماfor no ظبيةٌdoe منamong ظباءِthe gazelles of العقيal-ʿAqīq (continued)
فما ظبيةٌ من ظباءِ العقي
قِ(completes 'al-ʿAqīq') ضلَّstrayed بذاتِat Dhāt الأَضاal-Aḍā خِشفُهاher fawn
قِ ضلَّ بذاتِ الأَضا خِشفُها
For no doe among the gazelles of al-ʿAqīq,
whose fawn strayed at Dhāt al-Aḍā,
بأملحَlovelier منهاthan her إذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) رنتshe gazed
بأملحَ منها إذا ما رنت
مدلّهةًdistraught قدalready سجاgrew still طَرفُهاher gaze
مدلّهةً قد سجا طَرفُها
is lovelier than she when she gazes,
distraught, her gaze grown still.
ولاnor بانةٌa bān tree رنّحتهاswayed it الصبَّاthe east wind
ولا بانةٌ رنّحتها الصبَّا
وهزَّand shook ذوائَبهاits tresses عصفُهاits gusts
وهزَّ ذوائَبها عصفُها
Nor is a bān tree swayed by the east wind,
its tresses shaken by the wind's gusts,
بأحسنَmore beautiful منthan قدِّهاher figure قامةًin stature
بأحسنَ من قدِّها قامةً
إذاwhen اهتزّswayed فيin مشيهاher walking عِطفُهاher flank
إذا اهتزّ في مشيها عِطفُها
more beautiful in stature than her figure,
when her flank sways as she walks.
تَجِلُّare too exalted عنfor النّعتِdescription أخلاقُهاher qualities الthe
تَجِلُّ عن النّعتِ أخلاقُها ال
حِسانُbeautiful ويتعبُنيand wearies me وصفُهاdescribing them
حِسانُ ويتعبُني وصفُها
Her beautiful qualities transcend description;
and describing them wearies me,
كنظمِlike versifying مناقبِthe virtues of تاجcrown of الملوthe kings (continued)
كنظمِ مناقبِ تاج الملو
كِ(completes 'kings') أصبحَhas come to يُعجزنيdefeat me رصفُهاarranging them
كِ أصبحَ يُعجزني رصفُها
like versifying the virtues of Tāj al-Mulūk:
arranging them now defeats me.
وفيُّfaithful to العهودِpledges صدوقُever true to الوعوpromises (continued)
وفيُّ العهودِ صدوقُ الوعو
دِ(completes 'promises') لاnot يتأتَّىis possible لهfor him خلفُهاbreaking them
دِ لا يتأتَّى له خلفُها
Faithful to pledges, ever true to promises,
he cannot fail to keep them.
وشمسُand a sun of علاًglory دائمٌeverlasting نورُهاits light
وشمسُ علاً دائمٌ نورُها
وإشراقُهاand its radiance لاnot يُرَىis seen كسفُهاits eclipse
وإشراقُها لا يُرَى كسفُها
And a sun of glory, whose light endures,
and whose radiance is never seen eclipsed.
إذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) النوائبُcalamities حاولنَهُseek to assail him
إذا ما النوائبُ حاولنَهُ
يُصرَّفis turned aside عنby أمرهِhis command صَرفُهاtheir reversals
يُصرَّف عن أمرهِ صَرفُها
When calamities seek to assail him,
their reversals are turned aside at his command.
وإنand if أجلبتmustered حادثاتُthe calamities of الزماtime (continued)
وإن أجلبت حادثاتُ الزما
نِ(completes 'time') فأهوَنُthen the easiest ماthing عندهfor him صرَفُهاrepelling them
نِ فأهوَنُ ما عنده صرَفُها
And if the calamities of time muster against him,
driving them off is his easiest task.
خلائقُqualities كالماءِlike water معسولةٌhoney-sweet
خلائقُ كالماءِ معسولةٌ
بلrather الراحُwine ناسبَهاmatched them لُطفُهاits delicacy
بل الراحُ ناسبَها لُطفُها
His qualities are like water, honey-sweet—
rather, wine matches them in delicacy.
Sol 6.1