قصورٌpalaces إذاwhen قامتthey rise ترىyou see كُلّevery قائمstanding thing
قصورٌ إذا قامت ترى كُلّ قائم
علىon الأرضِthe earth يَستخذيhumbles itself لهاbefore them ثمthen يَخشعُbows humbly
على الأرضِ يَستخذي لها ثم يَخشعُ
Palaces—when they rise, you see every upright thing
Palaces—when they rise, you see everything that stands
upon the earth abase itself before them, then bow in humility.
on earth humble itself before them, then bow in awe.
كأنّas though خطيباًa preacher مُشرفاًlooking down منfrom سموكهاtheir heights
كأنّ خطيباً مُشرفاً من سموكها
وشمٌand the lofty الرُّبىhills منfrom تحتهاbeneath them تتسمعُlisten intently
وشمٌ الرُّبى من تحتها تتسمعُ
As though an orator, looking down from their soaring height,
As though a preacher were looking down from their heights,
while the lofty mountain peaks beneath them listen intently.
while the lofty hills beneath them listened intently.
ترىyou see نورهاtheir light منfrom كُلّevery بابٍdoorway كأنّماas though
ترى نورها من كُلّ بابٍ كأنّما
سناthe radiance of الشمسthe sun منfrom أبوابهاtheir doors يتقطعُbreaks into fragments
سنا الشمس من أبوابها يتقطعُ
You see their light through every doorway, as though
You see their light from every doorway, as though
the sun’s radiance broke into shafts through their doors.
the sun's radiance were streaming in fragments from their doors.
ومنand some واقفاتٍstanding upright فوقهنّabove them أهلّةٌcrescents
ومن واقفاتٍ فوقهنّ أهلّةٌ
حناياarches هيthey التّيجانُthe crowns أوor هيَthey أبدعُmore exquisite
حنايا هي التّيجانُ أو هيَ أبدعُ
And upon the forms standing above them are crescents—
And some stand upright, with crescents above them—
curving arches: crowns they are, or lovelier still.
arches that are crowns, or more exquisite still—
علىupon عمدٍpillars يدعوكَbeckons you ماءthe water of صفائهاtheir clarity
على عمدٍ يدعوكَ ماء صفائها
إليهِto it فلولاbut were it not for جمدُهاtheir solidity كُنتَyou would تكرعُdrink directly
إليهِ فلولا جمدُها كُنتَ تكرعُ
Upon columns, the water of their crystal clarity beckons you
upon pillars whose watery clarity beckons you
toward it; but for its frozen solidity, you would stoop and drink.
to it—were they not solid, you would drink.
تبوحُthey divulge بأسرارthe secrets of الحديثِconversation كأنّهاas though they were
تبوحُ بأسرار الحديثِ كأنّها
وشاةٌtale-bearers بتنقيلِwith relaying الأحاديثstories تُولعُare enamored
وشاةٌ بتنقيلِ الأحاديث تُولعُ
They divulge the secrets of conversation, as though they were
They divulge the secrets of conversation, as though they
tale-bearers obsessed with passing stories on.
were tale-bearers delighting in passing stories on.
كأنّas though الدكاكينَthe raised platforms التيthat اتصلتare joined بهاto them
كأنّ الدكاكينَ التي اتصلت بها
صفائحُslabs of كافورٍcamphor تضيءُshine وتَسطَعُand gleam
صفائحُ كافورٍ تضيءُ وتَسطَعُ
As though the terraces adjoining them were
As though the raised platforms adjoining them
slabs of camphor, shining and blazing white.
were slabs of camphor, shining and gleaming.
كأنّas though الأسودَthe lions العامريةَAmirid فَوقهاabove them
كأنّ الأسودَ العامريةَ فَوقها
تهمُّintend بمكروهٍsome harm إليكَtoward you فتفزعُso you take fright
تهمُّ بمكروهٍ إليكَ فتفزعُ
As though the ʿĀmirid lions above them
As though the Amirid lions above them
were poised to harm you, making you start in fright.
were intent on harming you, and you start in fear.
كانَّas though خريرَthe gurgle of الماءwater منfrom لهواتهاtheir throats
كانَّ خريرَ الماء من لهواتها
تَبدّدُa scattering of دُرٌpearls ذابَwould melt لوif يتجمّعُthey gathered together
تَبدّدُ دُرٌ ذابَ لو يتجمّعُ
As though the water murmuring from their throats were
As though the gurgle of water from their throats
scattered pearls that would melt if they gathered.
were a scattering of pearls that would melt if gathered.
أعدّتthey were prepared لإحياءِto revive البَساتينthe gardens كلّماwhenever
أعدّت لإحياءِ البَساتين كلّما
سَقَتthey watered موضعاًa plot منهاwithin them تأكدgrew strong موضعُa plot
سَقَت موضعاً منها تأكد موضعُ
It was prepared to revive the gardens: whenever
They were readied to revive the gardens; whenever
it watered a plot among them, that plot took firm root.
they watered a plot within them, that plot grew strong.
دَعتهاthey called to them بصوبِwith a downpour of الماءِwater فانتبهتand so awoke لهُto it
دَعتها بصوبِ الماءِ فانتبهت لهُ
عُيونٌeyes كأمثالlike the forms of الدّنانيرِdinars تلمعُglittering
عُيونٌ كأمثال الدّنانيرِ تلمعُ
It summoned them with pouring water, and there sprang toward it
They called to them with pouring water, and in answer awoke
eyes like dinars, glittering.
eyes that glittered like dinars.
فلماthen, when نشاsprang up النّوارthe blossoms فيهاwithin them ظَننتُهاI thought them
فلما نشا النّوار فيها ظَننتُها
قبابكyour domes ياO منصورُMansur حينwhen تُرفعُthey are raised
قبابك يا منصورُ حين تُرفعُ
When blossoms arose among them, I took them for
Then, when the blossoms sprang up within them, I thought them
your domes, O Manṣūr, when they are raised aloft.
your domes, O Mansur, as they are raised.
ولماand when اكتَستwere clothed أغصانُهاtheir boughs خِلتُI fancied أنّهاthat they were
ولما اكتَست أغصانُها خِلتُ أنّها
قيانٌsinging girls بزيِّin attire أخضرٍgreen تتقنّعُveiling themselves
قيانٌ بزيِّ أخضرٍ تتقنّعُ
And when their branches clothed themselves, I fancied they were
And when their boughs were clothed, I fancied they
singing girls in green attire, drawing on their veils.
were singing girls veiling themselves in green attire.
ولماand when تناهىreached its height طِيبُهاtheir fragrance وتمايلتand they swayed
ولما تناهى طِيبُها وتمايلت
عليناover us حسبناهاwe thought them حبيباًa beloved يُودَّعُbeing bid farewell
علينا حسبناها حبيباً يُودَّعُ
And when their fragrance reached its height and they swayed
And when their fragrance reached its height and they swayed
over us, we thought them a beloved bidding farewell.
over us, we took them for a beloved being bid farewell.
Sol 6.1