لعلّperhaps نسيمَthe breeze of الروضِthe garden منthrough خَلَلِthe gaps between الزَّهْرِthe flowers
لعلّ نسيمَ الروضِ من خَلَلِ الزَّهْرِ
يصافِحُنِيclasps my hand بينbetween الخميلةthe thicket والنَّهْرِand the river
يصافِحُنِي بين الخميلة والنَّهْرِ
Perhaps the garden breeze, through the flowers,
The scent of the garden wafted on the breeze
will clasp my hand between the thicket and the river.
Between the flowers and stream that it did please
فقدfor indeed شابَgrew gray زنجيُّthe black man of الدجىnight's darkness حينwhen أشْرَقَتْshone
فقد شابَ زنجيُّ الدجى حين أشْرَقَتْ
علىupon عَنْبرِthe ambergris of الظلماءِdarkness كافورةُthe camphor of الفَجْرِdawn
على عَنْبرِ الظلماءِ كافورةُ الفَجْرِ
For night's black man grew gray when there shone
The gloom of night now lit with morning rays
the camphor of dawn upon the ambergris of darkness.
As camphor white lit up the darkness' maze
وسالand flowed نَدَىthe dew of مُزْنٍrain clouds علىupon أُقْحُوَانةٍa daisy
وسال نَدَى مُزْنٍ على أُقْحُوَانةٍ
كماas جالcoursed رِيقٌsaliva منfrom حَبيبٍa beloved علىover ثَغْرlips
كما جال رِيقٌ من حَبيبٍ على ثَغْر
And cloud-borne dew flowed over a daisy,
The dew then dripped from star jasmine so fair
as a beloved's saliva courses over lips.
As beloved’s saliva might drip, unaware
وماand no لاحَgleamed دُرٌّpearls فوقupon وَشْيٍbrocade وإنماbut rather
وما لاحَ دُرٌّ فوق وَشْيٍ وإنما
ترقرقَglistened دمعُthe tears of الطلِّdew فيin مُقَلِthe eyes of الزهرthe flowers
ترقرقَ دمعُ الطلِّ في مُقَلِ الزهر
No pearls gleamed upon brocade; rather,
No pearls appeared on blades of grass so green
the tears of dew glistened in the flowers' eyes.
But tears that shimmered there were plainly seen
وفوقand upon احمرارِthe redness of الوردِthe roses رَشْحٌbeaded moisture كأنماas though
وفوق احمرارِ الوردِ رَشْحٌ كأنما
متونُthe surfaces of الخدودِthe cheeks الحمرred طُرِّزْنَthey were embroidered بالعُذْرwith cheek-down
متونُ الخدودِ الحمر طُرِّزْنَ بالعُذْر
And on the roses' redness lay moisture, as though
Above the rose’s red do blushes spread
the surfaces of red cheeks were embroidered with down.
As though the red cheeks modestly were clad
فللّهso, God's is روضٌa garden لَفَّwrapped أَطرافَthe tips of دوْحِهits spreading trees
فللّه روضٌ لَفَّ أَطرافَ دوْحِه
مُلاءةُa mantle of نُورٍlight حاكهاwove it راقمُthe embroiderer القطرrain
مُلاءةُ نُورٍ حاكها راقمُ القطر
God, what a garden! Its spreading treetops were wrapped
Behold! a garden wrapped in light so bright
in a mantle of light woven by the embroidering rain.
With drops of rain embroidered day and night
وسندسُand the fine silk of نبتٍvegetation تحتbeneath زهرٍblossoms كأنهas though it were
وسندسُ نبتٍ تحت زهرٍ كأنه
جناحُa wing of ظلامِthe darkness of الليلnight كُلِّلَwas crowned بالزهرwith stars
جناحُ ظلامِ الليل كُلِّلَ بالزهر
And silken greenery beneath blossoms was like
A silken fabric over flowers descending
a wing of night's darkness crowned with stars.
As wings of darkness with blooms attending
وأوراقُand the leaves of آسٍmyrtle زعزعَتْwere shaken منfrom غصونهاtheir boughs
وأوراقُ آسٍ زعزعَتْ من غصونها
قدودُslender figures of حسانٍbeautiful women مِسْنَthey swayed فيin حُلَلٍrobes خُضْرِgreen
قدودُ حسانٍ مِسْنَ في حُلَلٍ خُضْرِ
And myrtle leaves, stirred upon their boughs, were
Leaves of myrtle shake off from their tree
beauties' slender figures swaying in green robes.
Like green gowns trailing gracefully and free
شَموليَّةُwine-like in الأَمواهِwaters معلولةُtempered by الصباthe east wind
شَموليَّةُ الأَمواهِ معلولةُ الصبا
غُلاَميّةُboyish in الأعطافthe curves مِسْكيةُmusky in النَّشْرِfragrance
غُلاَميّةُ الأعطاف مِسْكيةُ النَّشْرِ
Wine-like in its waters, tempered by the east wind,
The pliant boughs bend low in gentle tides
boyish in its curves, musky in fragrance.
Slender as youths, their every charm besides
مذانبهاits rills زُرْقُblue in النطافِwater-drops كأنماas though
مذانبها زُرْقُ النطافِ كأنما
معاطِفُهُنَّtheir curves الرُّعْشُquivering يُهْزَزْنَthey are shaken منfrom سكرdrunkenness
معاطِفُهُنَّ الرُّعْشُ يُهْزَزْنَ من سكر
Its rills have blue waters, as though
Their branches float like sprays of violets sweet
their quivering curves were shaken by drunkenness.
Their fluttering gowns from tips of toes to head
يجولُplays شعاعَthe radiance of الشمسthe sun فوقover صِقالِهاtheir polish
يجولُ شعاعَ الشمس فوق صِقالِها
كماjust as جالَplayed إفرندُthe watered-steel pattern of اليمانيَّةYemeni swords البُتْرِkeen-edged
كما جالَ إفرندُ اليمانيَّة البُتْرِ
The sun's radiance plays over their polished surfaces,
The sun beams down and glints off of their sheen
as watered-steel patterns shimmer on keen Yemeni blades.
As the Frankish sword glints bright and keen
ولماand when مَرَرْناwe passed بالرسومِby the traces التيthat بَدَتْappeared
ولما مَرَرْنا بالرسومِ التي بَدَتْ
كماas سالَflowed ماءٌwater فيin سِجِلٍa scroll علىover سَطْرِa line
كما سالَ ماءٌ في سِجِلٍ على سَطْرِ
And when we passed the traces that appeared
And as we passed the sketches there portrayed
like a line on a scroll over which water had flowed,
Like writing flowing without pause or fade
تَنَسَّمْتُI breathed in رَيَّاthe fragrance of زهرةٍa flower فوقabove نُضْرَةٍfresh greenery
تَنَسَّمْتُ رَيَّا زهرةٍ فوق نُضْرَةٍ
فقلتso I said خَلُوقٌsaffron perfume فيamid حُليٍjewels علىupon نَحْرِa bosom
فقلت خَلُوقٌ في حُليٍ على نَحْرِ
I breathed a flower's fragrance above fresh greenery,
I smelled a blossom's scent quiet and mild
and said, “Saffron perfume amid jewels upon a bosom.”
And said "a beauty graced in nature's style"
ولاحتand shone ذُكاءٌDhukāʾ (the sun) فيbetween جناحَيْthe two wings of غمامةٍa cloud
ولاحت ذُكاءٌ في جناحَيْ غمامةٍ
فقلتso I said سليمىSulaymā ضُمِّنَتْwas enclosed within كِلَّتَيْthe two curtains of خِدْرِa secluded chamber
فقلت سليمى ضُمِّنَتْ كِلَّتَيْ خِدْرِ
And Dhukāʾ, the sun, shone between a cloud's two wings,
Intellect flashed in the wings of a cloud
and I said, “Sulaymā, enclosed between a bower's two curtains.”
And I said "Sulamiya's in graces enshrouded"
وَدَارَand wound بغُصْنٍaround a branch نرجسٌnarcissus فكأَنهso it was like
وَدَارَ بغُصْنٍ نرجسٌ فكأَنه
لجينٌsilver وتبرٌand gold فيin نطاقٍa girdle علىaround خَصْرa waist
لجينٌ وتبرٌ في نطاقٍ على خَصْر
And narcissus wound around a branch, as though it were
A narcissus wound round a bending bow
silver and gold in a girdle around a waist.
Like an armband round a slender waist just so
وأعلنتُand I declared أشواقيmy yearnings وناحتْand lamented حمامةٌa dove
وأعلنتُ أشواقي وناحتْ حمامةٌ
فلمso did not أَدرI know حقّاًtruly أيُّناwhich of us العاشقُthe lover العُذْريchaste in love
فلم أَدر حقّاً أيُّنا العاشقُ العُذْري
And I declared my yearnings, and a dove lamented;
I declared my longing, a dove complained
I truly could not tell which of us was the chaste lover.
But who was the lover, from passion refrained?
لأدَّرِعَنَّI shall surely don as armor الليلَthe night نحوtoward خيامهاher tents
لأدَّرِعَنَّ الليلَ نحو خيامها
علىupon ظهرِthe back of خوَّارyielding العنانينto both reins مُزْوَرِّturning aside
على ظهرِ خوَّار العنانين مُزْوَرِّ
I shall surely don the night as armor, bound for her tents,
I will cloak the night in the direction of their tents
on a steed's back, yielding to both reins, turning aside,
On my steed's smooth back, all environment spent
بوهْنٍin deep night كأنّas though البدرthe full moon تحتَbeneath جَنَاحهِits wing
بوهْنٍ كأنّ البدر تحتَ جَنَاحهِ
مُحَيَّاthe face of فتاةٍa maiden لاحَappeared فيin غَسَقthe darkness of الشَّعْرthe hair
مُحَيَّا فتاةٍ لاحَ في غَسَق الشَّعْر
in deep night, as though the full moon beneath its wing
In splendor as though the moon underneath
were a maiden's face shining in the darkness of her hair.
Were lighting the tresses of a beauty unseen
وملءُand filling يمينيmy right hand بحرُa sea of سيفٍa sword تموَّجَتْsurged
وملءُ يميني بحرُ سيفٍ تموَّجَتْ
مياهُthe waters of المناياdeath بينbetween غَرْبيهits two edges والأَثْرand the watered pattern
مياهُ المنايا بين غَرْبيه والأَثْر
And filling my right hand is a sea—a sword in which surge
My right hand will be filled with the swinging sea
the waters of death between its two edges and its watered pattern.
Of a sword whose sharpness determines one's fee
سرىspread رَوْعُهُits terror فيin السلمpeace والحربand war مثلماjust as
سرى رَوْعُهُ في السلم والحرب مثلما
سرىspread ذِكرُthe renown of إسماعيلَIsmāʿīl فيover البرِّthe land والبحرand the sea
سرى ذِكرُ إسماعيلَ في البرِّ والبحر
Its terror spread in peace and war, just as
In peace and in war, panic in horsemen spreads
Ismāʿīl's renown spread over land and sea.
As Ishmael’s repute by land and sea does spread
Sol 6.1