وناطقةٍand one uttering بالرّاءِwith the letter r سَجْعاًcooing مُرَدَّداًrepeated
وناطقةٍ بالرّاءِ سَجْعاً مُرَدَّداً
كحُسْنِlike the beauty of خريرٍmurmuring water منfrom تكَسّرِthe rippling of جَدْوَلِa brook
كحُسْنِ خريرٍ من تكَسّرِ جَدْوَلِ
And a bird sounding the letter r in repeated coos,
Speaking softly with recurring rhymes
as lovely as the murmur of a rippling brook;
Like the murmur of a brook over pebbles
مُغَرّدةٍwarbling فيamong القُضْبِthe boughs تحسَبُyou would think جيدَهاher neck
مُغَرّدةٍ في القُضْبِ تحسَبُ جيدَها
مقلَّدَadorned with طوْقٍa collar بالجمانِwith pearls المُفَصَّلِspaced apart
مقلَّدَ طوْقٍ بالجمانِ المُفَصَّلِ
warbling among the boughs—you would think her neck
Warbling in the reeds, her necklace seeming
encircled by a collar set with spaced pearls.
A collar adorned with threaded gems
إذاwhen ماever (emphasis) امّحىis erased كُحلُthe kohl الدجىof darkness منfrom جفونهاher eyelids
إذا ما امّحى كُحلُ الدجى من جفونها
دَعَتْكَshe calls you إِلىto كَأسِthe cup الغَزالِthe gazelle المُكَحَّلِkohl-eyed
دَعَتْكَ إِلى كَأسِ الغَزالِ المُكَحَّلِ
Whenever night's kohl is erased from her eyelids,
When sleep's kohl fades from her eyes
she calls you to the cup of the kohl-eyed gazelle.
She calls you to the gazelle's kohl-lined cup
مَلَأتُI filled لهاfor her كَفَّthe palm الصبوحِthe morning draught زُجاجةًa glass
مَلَأتُ لها كَفَّ الصبوحِ زُجاجةً
مُذَهِّبَةًgilding بالرّاحwith wine فضّةَthe silver أَنمُلِof fingertips
مُذَهِّبَةً بالرّاح فضّةَ أَنمُلِ
For her I filled the morning draught's palm with a glass,
I filled for her the palm of dawn a flask
gilding with wine the silver of the fingertips.
Gilded by the wind, silver fingernails
كَأَنَّas though بَياضَthe whiteness الصّبْحِof dawn حُجَّةُthe argument مُؤمنٍof a believer
كَأَنَّ بَياضَ الصّبْحِ حُجَّةُ مُؤمنٍ
عَلَتْrose above منfrom سوَادِthe blackness الليلof night حُجّةَthe argument مبطلِof a false claimant
عَلَتْ من سوَادِ الليل حُجّةَ مبطلِ
As though dawn's whiteness were a believer's argument,
As if the dawn's whiteness were proof of a believer
rising from night's blackness above a false claimant's argument.
Rising above the dark's proof of denial
كأنّas though شعاعَthe ray الشمسِof the sun فيon الأفقِthe horizon إذwhen جلتْshe scoured away
كأنّ شعاعَ الشمسِ في الأفقِ إذ جلتْ
بهwith it صدأthe rust الإظلامof darkness مِدْوَسa file صَيْقَلِof a metal-polisher
به صدأ الإظلام مِدْوَس صَيْقَلِ
As though the sun's ray on the horizon, when the sun scoured
As if the sun's rays when it rose
away the rust of darkness with it, were a metal-polisher's file.
Burnished away the rust of darkness
أَدِمْprolong لَذّةًa pleasure ماas long as مَتّعَتكَit gives you enjoyment بساعةٍfor an hour
أَدِمْ لَذّةً ما مَتّعَتكَ بساعةٍ
وماand as long as دمتَyou remain عنaway from عرقa root بِغَيرِwithout تَرَحُّلِdeparting
وما دمتَ عن عرق بِغَيرِ تَرَحُّلِ
Prolong a pleasure while it gives you an hour's delight,
Keep relishing what delights you for an hour
and while you have not departed from your roots;
As long as you move not from sweat to journey
فَماfor not عيشَةُthe life الإِنسانِof a human being صَفوٌuntroubled bliss جميعُهاall of it
فَما عيشَةُ الإِنسانِ صَفوٌ جميعُها
ولاnor آخرٌa later part منof عمرهhis life نِدّthe equal of أوّلِan earlier part
ولا آخرٌ من عمره نِدّ أوّلِ
for human life is not all untroubled bliss,
For human life is not pure joy throughout
nor is the latter part of his life a match for the first.
Nor is its end different from its start
Sol 6.1