وأنتَand you ابتدعتَyou devised لناعورتينِfor two waterwheels
وأنتَ ابتدعتَ لناعورتينِ
بدائعَmarvels أَعيتbaffled فماand so not تُوصفُare described
بدائعَ أَعيت فما تُوصفُ
And you devised for two waterwheels
You created for us two fountains
Marvels that baffle and cannot be described.
With wonders beyond all description
هُماthe two of them ضرّتانِtwo rival co-wives كمثلِjust like يَدَيكَyour two hands
هُما ضرّتانِ كمثلِ يَدَيكَ
إذاwhen جارتاthe two vie والحياand the rain مُغدفُfalling abundantly
إذا جارتا والحيا مُغدفُ
They are two rival co-wives, like your two hands,
Two pools like your hands
When they vie as the rain pours down.
When they flow, alive stirs
كأنّهماas though the two were منكباthe two shoulders of يَدبُلِYadbul
كأنّهما منكبا يَدبُلِ
ولكنّand yet يَذبُلَYadhbul لاnot يدلُفُadvances slowly
ولكنّ يَذبُلَ لا يدلُفُ
They are like Yadbul's two shoulders,
As if they were shoulders rising
Yet Yadhbul does not move.
Yet they wither, not gather
كأنّهماas though the two were هيبةٌawe فيin العُيوthe eyes (word continues)
كأنّهما هيبةٌ في العُيو
نِcompletion of 'the eyes' منكfrom you فتُغضيso they lower their gaze ولاand do not تطرُفُblink
نِ منك فتُغضي ولا تطرُفُ
As though they were awe within the eyes,
As if they were awe in caves
Inspired by you, so the eyes lower their gaze and do not blink.
From you, so they frown and don't wink
كأنّهماas though the two were صاحباtwo possessors of غِلظةٍharshness
كأنّهما صاحبا غِلظةٍ
وبينهماand between the two عاشقٌa lover ملطفُtender
وبينهما عاشقٌ ملطفُ
They are like two harsh-tempered men,
As if they were stern companions
And between them is a tender lover.
Between them a gentle lover
فمنso from هذِهِthis one صولةٌan onslaught تُستَرابis regarded with misgiving
فمن هذِهِ صولةٌ تُستَراب
ومنand from هذهthis one يحلُمُshows forbearance الأحنفُal-Ahnaf
ومن هذه يحلُمُ الأحنفُ
So from this one comes an onslaught that arouses misgivings,
So from this one, ferocity is doubted
And from this one al-Ahnaf draws forbearance.
And from this, the meek dreams
كأنّas though الشفانينَthe turtledoves والمفصحاتand the clear-voiced ones
كأنّ الشفانينَ والمفصحات
منَamong الطّيرِthe birds فوقهماabove the two تهتفُcall out
منَ الطّيرِ فوقهما تهتفُ
As though the turtledoves and the clear-voiced
As if the nightingales and songstresses
Birds were calling out above them.
Above them, twitter
وخافَتand she feared علىfor مُحدثاتِthe newly formed الثّمارِfruit
وخافَت على مُحدثاتِ الثّمارِ
إذاif النّهرُthe river عنfor سقيهاwatering it يضعفُgrows weak
إذا النّهرُ عن سقيها يضعفُ
And she feared for the newly formed fruit,
And the fruits' conversationalists feared
Should the river grow too weak to water it.
When the river weakens to water them
فمدّتso she stretched out إلىtoward أرضهاher land ثديَهاher breast
فمدّت إلى أرضها ثديَها
معwith السدِّthe dam فَهوَfor it الذيthe one that يرشفُsips
مع السدِّ فَهوَ الذي يرشفُ
So she stretched her breast toward her land,
So she stretched her breasts to her land
Beside the dam, for it is the one that sips.
With the dam, as it sprinkles
وبينهُماand between the two مجلسٌa sitting place للملوكِfor kings
وبينهُما مجلسٌ للملوكِ
بهِby it منbecause of عزازتهِits preciousness يُحلفُoaths are sworn
بهِ من عزازتهِ يُحلفُ
And between them is a place for kings to sit,
And between them a seat for kings
By which oaths are sworn, so dearly is it prized.
By it, they swear by its glory
علىupon قاعهِits floor لُجّةٌa deep expanse of water منof رخامِmarble
على قاعهِ لُجّةٌ من رخامِ
يُغرّقُis drowned فيهاin it ولاand does not يتلفُperish
يُغرّقُ فيها ولا يتلفُ
Upon its floor lies a deep sea of marble,
On its floor, smooth marble
One drowns in it, yet does not perish.
Floods it, and doesn't wear away
يلذّونَthey delight منfrom طلّهاits dew بِرشاشٍin a spray
يلذّونَ من طلّها بِرشاشٍ
يفيقُrevives بهِthrough it الهائمُthe love-distraught one المدنفُwasted by illness
يفيقُ بهِ الهائمُ المدنفُ
They delight in a spray of its dew,
They enjoy its dripping with sprinkling
Through which the lovesick, wasted man revives.
Waking the drowsy wanderer
ويُبطىءُand it moves slowly كالطّائرlike a bird المستديرِcircling
ويُبطىءُ كالطّائر المستديرِ
عليهمabove them ولكنّهُand yet it يكنفُshelters
عليهم ولكنّهُ يكنفُ
And it drifts slowly, like a circling bird
And it hovers slowly like a circling bird
Above them, yet it shelters them.
Over them, but shields them
فليسَso not يشكّونَthey doubt منbecause of لينهِits softness
فليسَ يشكّونَ من لينهِ
بأنّthat نثائرهُits scattered droplets تندفُare carded
بأنّ نثائرهُ تندفُ
So, because of its softness, they have no doubt
So they don't complain of its softness
That its scattered droplets are being carded.
That its ripples drift away
Sol 6.1