طَلَعَrose البَدرُthe full moon فيin دُجىnight-darkness الشَعَرِthe hair
طَلَعَ البَدرُ في دُجى الشَعَرِ
وَسَقىand watered الوَردُthe rose نَرجِسَthe narcissus الحَوَرِthe eyes’ dark-and-white contrast
وَسَقى الوَردُ نَرجِسَ الحَوَرِ
The full moon rose in the darkness of her hair,
The full moon rose in the night-darkness of her hair,
and the rose gave drink to the narcissus-eyes of the wide-eyed beauty.
And the rose watered the narcissus of her dark-and-white eyes.
غادَةٌa graceful maiden تاهَتِtook pride الحِسانُthe beautiful women بِهاin her
غادَةٌ تاهَتِ الحِسانُ بِها
وَزَهاand shone نورُهاher radiance عَلىabove القَمَرِthe moon
وَزَها نورُها عَلى القَمَرِ
A graceful maiden through whom fair women lost their way,
A graceful maiden in whom beautiful women took pride,
whose radiance outshone the moon.
And her radiance outshone the moon.
هِيَshe أَسنىmore radiant مِنthan المَهاةِthe sun سَناًin radiance
هِيَ أَسنى مِن المَهاةِ سَناً
صورَةٌa form لاnot تُقاسُis compared بِالصُوَرِwith forms
صورَةٌ لا تُقاسُ بِالصُوَرِ
In splendor she is lovelier than the oryx doe,
She is brighter in radiance than the sun,
a form with which no other form can compare.
A form that cannot be compared with other forms.
فَلَكُthe sphere النورِof light دونَbeneath أَخمَصِهاthe arch of her foot
فَلَكُ النورِ دونَ أَخمَصِها
تاجُهاher crown خارِجٌoutside عَنِbeyond الأُكَرِthe spheres
تاجُها خارِجٌ عَنِ الأُكَرِ
The sphere of light lies beneath the hollow of her sole;
The sphere of light lies beneath the arch of her foot,
her crown extends beyond the heavenly spheres.
Her crown extends beyond the spheres.
إِنif سَرَتshe journeyed فيin الضَميرِthe mind يَجرَحُهاwounds her
إِن سَرَت في الضَميرِ يَجرَحُها
ذلِكَthat الوَهمُimagining كَيفَhow then بِالبَصَرِby sight
ذلِكَ الوَهمُ كَيفَ بِالبَصَرِ
If she passes through the inward mind, it wounds her—
If she passes through the mind, she is wounded
that imagining; what, then, of sight?
By that imagining—what then of sight?
لُعبَةٌa doll ذِكرُناour remembrance يُذَوِّبُهاmelts her
لُعبَةٌ ذِكرُنا يُذَوِّبُها
لَطُفَتshe became subtle عَنbeyond مَسارِحِthe ranges النَظَرِof sight
لَطُفَت عَن مَسارِحِ النَظَرِ
A plaything—our remembrance melts her;
A doll, melted away by our remembrance,
she is too subtle for the fields where vision ranges.
Too subtle for the ranges of sight.
طَلَبَsought النَعتُdescription أَنto يُبَيِّنَهاreveal her
طَلَبَ النَعتُ أَن يُبَيِّنَها
فَتَعالَتso she rose higher فَعادَso it returned ذاpossessed of حَصَرِspeechlessness
فَتَعالَت فَعادَ ذا حَصَرِ
Description sought to make her manifest,
Description sought to reveal her,
but she rose beyond it, and it returned tongue-tied.
But she rose above it, so it returned tongue-tied.
وَإِذاand whenever رامَit sought أَنto يُكَيِّفَهاdefine her nature
وَإِذا رامَ أَن يُكَيِّفَها
لَمdid not يَزَلcease ناكِصاًretreating عَلىalong الأَثَرِthe trail
لَم يَزَل ناكِصاً عَلى الأَثَرِ
Whenever it sought to give her a “how,”
And whenever it sought to define her nature,
it never ceased recoiling upon its tracks.
It kept retreating along its tracks.
إِنif أَراحَgave rest to المَطِيَّthe riding camels طالِبُهاher seeker
إِن أَراحَ المَطِيَّ طالِبُها
لَمdid not تُرِحgive rest مَطِيَّةَthe mount الفِكَرof thoughts
لَم تُرِح مَطِيَّةَ الفِكَر
If her seeker lets the mount rest,
If her seeker gave the riding camels rest,
the mount of thought finds no rest.
She gave no rest to the mount of thoughts.
رَوحَنَتshe spiritualized كُلَّeveryone مَنwho أَشَبَّsang of love بِهاfor her
رَوحَنَت كُلَّ مَن أَشَبَّ بِها
نَقَلَتهُshe carried him عَنbeyond مَراتِبِthe ranks البَشَرِof humankind
نَقَلَتهُ عَن مَراتِبِ البَشَرِ
She spiritualized everyone who fell passionately in love with her,
She spiritualized everyone who sang of love for her,
and carried him beyond the ranks of humankind,
She carried him beyond the ranks of humankind,
غيرَةًout of jealousy أَنlest يُشابَbe mingled رايِقُهاher limpid essence
غيرَةً أَن يُشابَ رايِقُها
بِالَّذيwith what فيin الحِياضِthe pools مَنof كَدَرِmurk
بِالَّذي في الحِياضِ مَن كَدَرِ
out of jealous care lest her limpid purity be mixed
Out of jealousy, lest her limpid essence be mingled
with the murk found in pools.
With the murk that lies in the pools.
Sol 6.1