ليتهاif only she إذwhen قاسَمَتْكَshared with you العِناقاthe embrace
ليتها إذ قاسَمَتْكَ العِناقا
علّمَتْكَtaught you الصبرَpatience لاnot الاشتياقاlonging
علّمَتْكَ الصبرَ لا الاشتياقا
If only, when she shared an embrace with you,
If only when she bid farewell
she had taught you patience, not longing.
She had taught you endurance, not yearning,
لِنُسائلْlet us question مِعْصَمَيْناour two wrists فإِنَّاfor indeed we
لِنُسائلْ مِعْصَمَيْنا فإِنَّا
ماnot نطقناwe spoke مذsince عرفناwe came to know الفراقاparting
ما نطقنا مذ عرفنا الفراقا
Let us question our two wrists, for we
Let us blame our wrists, for we
have not spoken since we came to know parting.
Have not spoken since we knew parting.
كمhow often علىaround جيدٍa neck وخصرٍand a waist أُدِيرَاthe two were wrapped
كم على جيدٍ وخصرٍ أُدِيرَا
مَرَّةًonce عِقْداًa necklace وأُخرىand another time نِطاقاa girdle
مَرَّةً عِقْداً وأُخرى نِطاقا
How often they were wrapped round a neck and a waist,
How often round a cheek and waist
once as a necklace, and another time as a girdle.
I would turn a necklace, and at other times, a sash,
وكأَنَّand as though الحُسْنَbeauty آلاتُtools خَرْطٍlathe-turning
وكأَنَّ الحُسْنَ آلاتُ خَرْطٍ
أَبرَزَتْbrought forth فيon الصَّدْرِthe chest منهاof her حِقَاقاsmall round caskets
أَبرَزَتْ في الصَّدْرِ منها حِقَاقا
And beauty is like a set of lathe-tools
As if beauty were musical instruments
that brought forth small round caskets upon her chest.
Projecting from the chests pieces joined together.
سَفَرَتْshe unveiled عنfrom بدرِa full moon تِمٍfullness فلماthen when
سَفَرَتْ عن بدرِ تِمٍ فلما
نُبِّبَتْwas veiled (apparent typo for نُقِّبَتْ) كانwas النّقابُthe veil المِحَاقاthe moon's dark phase
نُبِّبَتْ كان النّقابُ المِحَاقا
She unveiled a moon at its full; then, when
She traveled from a full moon. When
she was veiled, the veil was the moon's dark phase.
She was brought together, the veil was the unifier.
وجرتand flowed فيacross قمرِthe moon الخدِّof the cheek منهاof hers
وجرت في قمرِ الخدِّ منها
عبرةٌa tear كانتwas عليهِupon it انشقاقاa splitting
عبرةٌ كانت عليهِ انشقاقا
And across the moon of her cheek there flowed
And down the moon-like cheek of hers
a tear that was a rift upon it.
Ran a teardrop; it was as if it split it.
حاكمٌa judge أظهرَmade manifest للعَدْلfor justice فيناamong us
حاكمٌ أظهرَ للعَدْل فينا
كلَّall ماthat لاقَbefitted بعقلٍreason وراقاand pleased
كلَّ ما لاقَ بعقلٍ وراقا
A judge who, for justice, revealed among us
A ruler who showed justice to us
all that befitted reason and gave delight.
However much it agreed with a sound mind.
حكمةٌwisdom لوif عاقناbarred us الدهرُTime عنهاfrom it
حكمةٌ لو عاقنا الدهرُ عنها
كانwould have عنfrom حكمةِthe wisdom لقانَLuqan (name as written) عاقاbarred
كان عن حكمةِ لقانَ عاقا
Wisdom—if Time had barred us from it,
Wisdom - if the vicissitudes of fate denied it to us
it would have barred us from Luqan's wisdom.
It would lack the wisdom of Luqman the Sage.
نثرَhe scattered التأويلَinterpretation دُرّاًas pearls ولكنand yet
نثرَ التأويلَ دُرّاً ولكن
غاصَhe dived منof علمٍknowledge بحاراًseas دقاقاsubtle
غاصَ من علمٍ بحاراً دقاقا
He scattered interpretation as pearls, and yet
He scattered interpretation liberally like pearls
he dived into subtle seas of knowledge.
But dived into oceans of profound knowledge.
يَدُهُhis hand للمالto wealth إلفٌan intimate companion غَضُوبٌirascible
يَدُهُ للمال إلفٌ غَضُوبٌ
كلماwhenever واصَلit kept company شاءit wished افتراقاseparation
كلما واصَل شاء افتراقا
His hand is an irascible companion to wealth:
His hand was violently prone to money;
whenever it keeps company, it wishes to part.
Whenever he associated, he desired separation.
تأْبِقُflee الأموالُriches عنfrom راحتيهِhis two palms
تأْبِقُ الأموالُ عن راحتيهِ
بندىًthrough generosity عَلَّمَهُنَّtaught them الإباقاrunning away
بندىً عَلَّمَهُنَّ الإباقا
Riches flee from his two palms,
Wealth escapes from his comfort
through a generosity that taught them to run away.
Dew taught it evasion.
Sol 6.1