مَوْلَىlord of المُلوكِthe kings بمغرِبٍin the west وبمَشْرِقِand in the east
مَوْلَى المُلوكِ بمغرِبٍ وبمَشْرِقِ
عنfrom شُكْرِgratitude for ماwhat أولاهُhe bestowed upon him أعْجَزَrendered powerless مَنْطِقيmy speech
عن شُكْرِ ما أولاهُ أعْجَزَ مَنْطِقي
The lord of kings in the west and the east
The king of kings gifted me in the west and east
has left my speech unable to thank him for what he bestowed.
A pearl beyond compare, though my thanks fell short
أهْدَىhe presented إلىto الممْلوكِthe servant منfrom مَنظومِهِhis verse
أهْدَى إلى الممْلوكِ من مَنظومِهِ
دُرّاًpearls ولكِنand yet مِثْلُهُits like لمْnot ينْسَقِwas strung
دُرّاً ولكِن مِثْلُهُ لمْ ينْسَقِ
He gave to his servant, from his verse,
To show a slave the best of blessings poured
pearls, yet their like have never been strung.
From his generous hand, ever kind at least
وافَىarrived ليُعْلِمَنيto inform me بأفْضَلof the finest مِنحَةٍgift
وافَى ليُعْلِمَني بأفْضَل مِنحَةٍ
جادَتْgave generously بهاwith it كَفُّthe hand of الكريمِthe generous one المُشْفِقِthe compassionate one
جادَتْ بها كَفُّ الكريمِ المُشْفِقِ
It came to tell me of the finest gift
He brought glad tidings of sweet honeyed joys
that the hand of the generous, compassionate one bestowed.
Plunging me ‘twixt yearning and desire
وأتىand it came يُبشِّرُنيbringing me glad tidings برائِقةِof one lovely in الحُلَىadornments
وأتى يُبشِّرُني برائِقةِ الحُلَى
فطَفِقْتُso I began بيْنَbetween تشوُّفٍeager expectation وتشوُّقِand longing
فطَفِقْتُ بيْنَ تشوُّفٍ وتشوُّقِ
And it brought me glad tidings of one lovely in her adornments;
The allure of her glances, that amorous fire
so I was caught between eager expectation and longing.
Wounding hearts with arrows it employs
ميّادَةswaying gracefully الأعْطافِthe body's sides ساحِرُthe sorcerer of لَحظِهاher glance
ميّادَة الأعْطافِ ساحِرُ لَحظِها
يرْميshoots بسهْمٍwith an arrow للقُلوبِat hearts مُفَوَّقِnocked
يرْمي بسهْمٍ للقُلوبِ مُفَوَّقِ
Her figure sways; the sorcerer of her glance
Why doesn’t the light of her face outshine
shoots a nocked arrow at hearts.
The radiant full moon in its wispy clouds
لمْwhy لاnot يَفوقُoutshines الشُّهْبَthe bright stars نيِّرُthe light of وجْهِهاher face
لمْ لا يَفوقُ الشُّهْبَ نيِّرُ وجْهِها
وسناهُand its radiance عنfrom بَدرِthe full moon of الكَمالِperfection المُشرِقِshining
وسناهُ عن بَدرِ الكَمالِ المُشرِقِ
Why should the light of her face not outshine the stars,
Why doesn’t her garden of beauty now
when its radiance comes from the shining full moon of perfection?
Blossom, watered by your hand divine?
لمْwhy لاnot يَروقُdelights الآنَnow روْضُa garden of مَحاسِنٍcharms
لمْ لا يَروقُ الآنَ روْضُ مَحاسِنٍ
منهاof her بجودِby the bounty of نَدىthe dew of يَمينِكَyour right hand قدalready سُقيwas watered
منها بجودِ نَدى يَمينِكَ قد سُقي
Why should the garden of her charms not be delightful now,
The tidings came, what rapture is concealed?
watered as it is by the bountiful dew of your right hand?
What wings have not thrilled and reeled?
جاءَتْarrived بهاof her البُشْرَىthe glad tidings فأيُّso what صَبابةٍlonging
جاءَتْ بها البُشْرَى فأيُّ صَبابةٍ
تَخْفَىremains hidden وأيُّand what جَوانحٍribs لمْnot تخْفِقِthrobbed
تَخْفَى وأيُّ جَوانحٍ لمْ تخْفِقِ
Glad tidings of her arrived—what longing
I almost perished from longing before
could remain hidden, and what breast has not throbbed?
Your word relieved - we will meet before long
قدindeed كِدتُI nearly أذْهَبُperish لوعةًin anguish لوif لمْnot تَجُدْyou give generously
قد كِدتُ أذْهَبُ لوعةً لو لمْ تَجُدْ
بالوَعْدِwith the promise أنّاthat we عنin قَريبٍa short while نَلْتَقيwe meet
بالوَعْدِ أنّا عن قَريبٍ نَلْتَقي
I would have all but perished from anguish, had you not been generous
Evening finds me, my heart filled with love
with the promise that we would meet before long.
My eyes fixed on the road you will come from
أناI فيin العشيّةِthe evening بينَbetween قلبٍa heart مولَعٍinfatuated
أنا في العشيّةِ بينَ قلبٍ مولَعٍ
فيهاwith her وجَفْنٍand an eye للطّريقِon the road مُحدِّقِstaring intently
فيها وجَفْنٍ للطّريقِ مُحدِّقِ
In the evening I am between a heart infatuated
While your slave awaits with an unfettered heart
with her, and an eye fixed upon the road.
Tied fast by the tenderness departure imparts
والعبدُand the servant يمْسيspends the evening بينَbetween فعْلِaction مُرْسَلٍunfettered
والعبدُ يمْسي بينَ فعْلِ مُرْسَلٍ
فيهاconcerning her وقلبٍand a heart بالصَبابةِby longing موثَقِbound fast
فيها وقلبٍ بالصَبابةِ موثَقِ
And the servant spends the evening between unfettered action
Marvel how beneath my breast at rest
concerning her, and a heart bound fast by longing.
Or over it, both fettered and freed, it lies
فاعْجَبْso marvel لهُat him يرْتاحُhe thrills تحتَbeneath ضُلوعِهhis ribs
فاعْجَبْ لهُ يرْتاحُ تحتَ ضُلوعِه
أوor فوقَهاabove them بمقَيَّدٍwith something fettered وبمُطْلَقِand with something free
أو فوقَها بمقَيَّدٍ وبمُطْلَقِ
So marvel at him: he thrills beneath his ribs
See it as a steed in the heat of the quest
or above them, with something fettered and something free.
Now leaping, now plunging in enterprise
فتخالهُso you imagine him مثْلَlike الجَوادِthe steed لدىamid الوَغىbattle
فتخالهُ مثْلَ الجَوادِ لدى الوَغى
حيناًat times وحيناًand at times يرْتَميhe hurls himself أوor يرْتَقيhe rises
حيناً وحيناً يرْتَمي أو يرْتَقي
So you would picture him like a steed amid battle,
My king revealed in the beauty he chose
now plunging, now rising.
A vision to ravish my heart and impose
موْلايَmy lord أبْدَىrevealed منof بديعِwondrous جَمالِهاher beauty
موْلايَ أبْدَى من بديعِ جَمالِها
وصْفاًa description ثَنىturned قَلبيmy heart رهينَcaptive to تعَشُّقِpassionate love
وصْفاً ثَنى قَلبي رهينَ تعَشُّقِ
My lord revealed her wondrous beauty
No higher thing exists in this life
in a description that made my heart a captive of love.
Than she the illustrious king selects to wife
لاnot شيْءَa thing أشرفُnobler فيin الوجودِexistence منthan التيshe whom
لا شيْءَ أشرفُ في الوجودِ من التي
يتخيَّرchooses carefully المَوْلَىthe lord الهُمامُmagnanimous وينْتَقيand selects
يتخيَّر المَوْلَى الهُمامُ وينْتَقي
Nothing in existence is nobler than she
You were blessed to give such thanks sincere
whom the magnanimous lord chooses and selects.
For the gift sent by a lord whom we revere
وُفِّقْتَyou were granted success للشكْرِin giving thanks الجميلِgracious وقدand indeed أتَتْshe has come
وُفِّقْتَ للشكْرِ الجميلِ وقد أتَتْ
منfrom عِندِthe presence of موْلىًa lord ناصِرٍone who aids لموَفَّقِto one granted success
من عِندِ موْلىً ناصِرٍ لموَفَّقِ
You have been guided to offer gracious thanks, and she has come
Ever generous is our lord to his slaves
from a helping lord to one favored with success.
Granting their wishes with gifts heaven paves
لاmay not زالَcease موْلاناour lord يجودُgive generously لعَبْدِهِto his servant
لا زالَ موْلانا يجودُ لعَبْدِهِ
منfrom قصْدِهِhis intent الأرْضىthe most pleasing بماwith what هوَhe مُنْتَقِselects
من قصْدِهِ الأرْضى بما هوَ مُنْتَقِ
May our lord never cease to give generously to his servant,
out of his most pleasing intent, whatever he selects.
Partial English translation: 32 of 34 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1