شَقَّتْtore open علىabove الأرضِthe earth السَّماءُthe sky جُيوبَهاits robe-fronts
شَقَّتْ على الأرضِ السَّماءُ جُيوبَها
فالمَحْso behold سَناهاits radiance أوor تَنَسَّمْbreathe in طيبَهاits fragrance
فالمَحْ سَناها أو تَنَسَّمْ طيبَها
The sky has rent its robes above the earth;
The sky has split open its folds upon the earth,
so behold its radiance or breathe in its fragrance.
So inhale its fragrance or enjoy its beauty.
أرضٌa land مُدَبَّجَةٌbrocaded وظِلٌand shade وارِفٌample
أرضٌ مُدَبَّجَةٌ وظِلٌ وارِفٌ
وشَذىًand fragrance بهِwith it مَلأَfilled النسيمُthe breeze رحيَبهاits wide expanse
وشَذىً بهِ مَلأَ النسيمُ رحيَبها
A brocaded land and ample shade,
A land embroidered, with ample shade,
and fragrance with which the breeze filled its wide expanse.
And a breeze filling its expanse with fragrance.
قدindeed مدَّspread طاووسُthe peacock الجمالِof beauty جناحَهُits wing
قد مدَّ طاووسُ الجمالِ جناحَهُ
فِيهاin it فغطَّىso covered غُصنَهاits bough وكَثيبَهاand its dune
فِيها فغطَّى غُصنَها وكَثيبَها
The peacock of beauty has spread its wing
The peacock of beauty has spread its wings,
within it, covering its bough and its dune.
Covering its branches and hills.
ماشِئْتَwhatever you wish منof وَشْيٍembroidery بهاin it تَوْريدَهاits rose-red coloring
ماشِئْتَ من وَشْيٍ بها تَوْريدَها
تَوْريسَهاits yellow dyeing تَفْضيضَهاits silvering تَذْهيبَهاits gilding
تَوْريسَها تَفْضيضَها تَذْهيبَها
Whatever embroidery you wish is there: its rose-red coloring,
You may adorn it however you wish,
its yellow dyeing, its silvering, its gilding.
Embroider it, refine it, and make it glow.
سَحبَdragged السَّحابُthe clouds بهاacross it فُضولَtrailing lengths ذُيوِلهtheir skirts
سَحبَ السَّحابُ بها فُضولَ ذُيوِله
فَوشَىso embroidered أباطِحَهاits gravelly flats ولَمَّand united شعُوبَهاits scattered parts
فَوشَى أباطِحَها ولَمَّ شعُوبَها
The clouds dragged their long trailing skirts across it,
The clouds have drawn away its excess tails,
embroidering its gravelly flats and uniting its scattered parts.
And have sprinkled its plateaus and brought together its valleys.
فأتَتْso it appeared كماjust as نَضَتcast off العَروسُthe bride نِقابَهاher veil
فأتَتْ كما نَضَت العَروسُ نِقابَها
وجَلتْand drew away عنfrom الوَجْهِthe face الجميلِbeautiful شُروبهاher gauzy coverings
وجَلتْ عن الوَجْهِ الجميلِ شُروبها
So it appeared like a bride who had cast off her veil,
It has emerged like a bride unveiling her veil,
and drawn her gauzy coverings from her beautiful face.
And revealing her beautiful face and drink.
وادٍa valley بهِin it نَفضَshook out الربيعُspring عِيابَهُits garment bags
وادٍ بهِ نَفضَ الربيعُ عِيابَهُ
وأرَىand displayed فُنونَarts فُتونِهof its enchantment وضُروبَهاand their varieties
وأرَى فُنونَ فُتونِه وضُروبَها
A valley where spring shook out its garment bags,
A valley in which spring has scattered its clouds,
and displayed its arts of enchantment in all their forms.
Displaying the arts of its charm and forms.
أضفَىbestowed عليهupon it النَّورُthe blossoms منfrom أثْوابِهِtheir garments
أضفَى عليه النَّورُ من أثْوابِهِ
خِلَعاًrobes of honor تُهذّبrefine نَشرهاtheir fragrance تَهذيبَهاtheir refinement
خِلَعاً تُهذّب نَشرها تَهذيبَها
The blossoms bestowed upon it, from their own garments,
The light has draped it in its robes,
robes of honor, their fragrance finely refined.
Refined garments that perfect its elegance.
فيon عاتِقَيْهِits two shoulders منof المياهِwater صَوارمٌkeen swords
في عاتِقَيْهِ من المياهِ صَوارمٌ
يُبديreveals النَّسيمُthe breeze بمتْنِهاupon their blades تَشْطيبَهاtheir grooves
يُبدي النَّسيمُ بمتْنِها تَشْطيبَها
Upon its two shoulders lie keen swords of water;
On its shoulders are swords of water,
the breeze reveals the grooves upon their blades.
With the breeze displaying their flexibility.
فالدَّوحُso the great trees بينَbetween مُدَمْلَجٍadorned with armlets ومُخَلخَلٍand adorned with anklets
فالدَّوحُ بينَ مُدَمْلَجٍ ومُخَلخَلٍ
عنهاfrom them غَداbecame جَرْسُthe chime الحُليّof the ornaments نَسيبَهاtheir love song
عنها غَدا جَرْسُ الحُليّ نَسيبَها
So the great trees wear either armlets or anklets,
Among its supple and stirring sands,
from which the ornaments' chime became their love song.
The sound of its jewelry has become melodious.
لاno غَرْوَwonder إنْif ضَحِكَتْlaughed مَباسِمُsmiling mouths زَهرهِof its flowers
لا غَرْوَ إنْ ضَحِكَتْ مَباسِمُ زَهرهِ
فالمُزنُfor the rain clouds قدindeed سَفَحتpoured out عَلَيْهِupon it غُروبَهاtheir great buckets
فالمُزنُ قد سَفَحت عَلَيْهِ غُروبَها
No wonder if its flowers' smiling mouths laugh,
Do not wonder if the smiles of its flowers laugh,
for the rain clouds have poured their great buckets upon it.
For the dew has spilled over onto it.
أوor إنif بَداappeared خَجلٌa blush بخدَّيْupon the two cheeks وَرْدِهِof its roses
أو إن بَدا خَجلٌ بخدَّيْ وَرْدِهِ
فالدَّوحُfor the great trees قدindeed شقَّتْtore open عَليْهِabove it جُيوبَهاtheir robe-fronts
فالدَّوحُ قد شقَّتْ عَليْهِ جُيوبَها
Or if a blush appears upon its roses' twin cheeks,
Or if shyness appears on the cheeks of its rose,
for the great trees have rent their robes above it.
For it has split open its folds over it.
أوor أنْthat يُغنّيshould sing بُلبلٌa nightingale فيin ظِلِّهاtheir shade
أو أنْ يُغنّي بُلبلٌ في ظِلِّها
طَرباًin rapture وقَدand indeed حاكَwove البَديعُthe Wondrous Maker نَسيبَهاtheir love song
طَرباً وقَد حاكَ البَديعُ نَسيبَها
Or if a nightingale sings within their shade
Or if a nightingale sings in its shade,
in rapture, the Wondrous Maker having woven their love song.
Enchantingly, as the ingenious one composes its melody.
ماnot مِثْلُlike أيَّامِthe days الرَّبيعِof spring ونَهْبِهاand plundering them
ما مِثْلُ أيَّامِ الرَّبيعِ ونَهْبِها
عَيشٌa life يَطيبُgrows sweet فلاso do not تُضِعْsquander مَنْهوبَهاtheir spoils
عَيشٌ يَطيبُ فلا تُضِعْ مَنْهوبَها
There is nothing like spring's days and plundering them
There is no life like the days of spring and its plunder,
for a life of delight—so do not squander their spoils.
A pleasant living, so do not lose its spoils.
واعطِفْand turn عَلىtoward وجْهِthe face الزَّمانِof time فَحَيِّهِthen greet it
واعطِفْ عَلى وجْهِ الزَّمانِ فَحَيِّهِ
بِتَحيَّةٍwith a greeting تُنْسيmakes forget ذُكاءَDhukāʾ, the sun غروبَهاher setting
بِتَحيَّةٍ تُنْسي ذُكاءَ غروبَها
And turn toward the face of Time and greet it
And turn to the face of time in its prime,
with a greeting that makes Dhukāʾ, the sun, forget her setting.
With a greeting that reminds of the radiance of its setting.
واعدِلand turn aside لِظلٍّtoward shade ألعسٍdusky فارشُفْthen sip بهِin it
واعدِل لِظلٍّ ألعسٍ فارشُفْ بهِ
كأسَthe cup المُنىof wishes حتَّىuntil تَطَعَّمَyou savor طِيبَهاits sweetness
كأسَ المُنى حتَّى تَطَعَّمَ طِيبَها
And turn aside into dusky shade, and there sip
Incline to ample shade and relax in it,
the cup of wishes, until you savor its sweetness.
Until the cup of desires tastes its sweetness.
والمَحْand behold صحائفَthe pages ذاof this الوجودِexistence بعيْنِwith the eye of مَنْone who
والمَحْ صحائفَ ذا الوجودِ بعيْنِ مَنْ
جَمعَunited التفرُّقَwhat is scattered تَستَبِنْyou will discern مَكتوبَهاtheir writing
جَمعَ التفرُّقَ تَستَبِنْ مَكتوبَها
And behold this existence's pages with the eye of one who
And glance with the eye of one who has gathered
has united what is scattered; you will discern their writing.
The dispersed pages to discern their writings.
فَوراءَfor beyond هذاthis الحُسنِbeauty حُسنٌa beauty قَدْindeed غَداhas become
فَوراءَ هذا الحُسنِ حُسنٌ قَدْ غَدا
مَطلوبَthe object sought by نفسِكَyour soul لوif only دَرتْit knew مَطلوبَهاwhat it seeks
مَطلوبَ نفسِكَ لو دَرتْ مَطلوبَها
For beyond this beauty is a beauty that has become
Beyond this beauty is another beauty that has appeared,
the object of your soul's longing, if only it knew what it seeks.
Desired by your soul, if only it knew its desire.
لولاwere it not for اتِّقائيmy fear أنthat يُقالَit be said أخوa man of صِباyouthful folly
لولا اتِّقائي أن يُقالَ أخو صِبا
لَرَشَفْتُI would surely sip منfrom ثَغْرِthe mouth الأَقاحِof the daisies شَنيبَهاtheir cool, sweet teeth
لَرَشَفْتُ من ثَغْرِ الأَقاحِ شَنيبَها
Were it not for my fear of being called a man of youthful folly,
Were it not for my piety that I would be called a reckless youth,
I would sip their cool sweetness from the daisies' mouths.
I would have sipped from the lips of the virgin her drink.
أوor أنْthat يباهِتَbrazenly accuse فيin المَلامةِreproach عاذِلٌa reprover
أو أنْ يباهِتَ في المَلامةِ عاذِلٌ
بسفاهِfor foolishness حِلْمٍof judgment لاعتنَقتُI would surely embrace قضيبَهاits slender bough
بسفاهِ حِلْمٍ لاعتنَقتُ قضيبَها
Or, were I not afraid a reprover would brazenly reproach me
Or that a blamer may gloat in accusing me,
for foolish judgment, I would embrace its slender bough,
Of foolishly embracing her staff.
ورَفعتُand I would raise نَفْسيmyself عنabove زِرايةdisparagement of غادَةٍa graceful maiden
ورَفعتُ نَفْسي عن زِراية غادَةٍ
وجَعَلْتُand I would make ذاكَthat منamong الحِسانِthe beauties نَصيبَهاher share
وجَعَلْتُ ذاكَ من الحِسانِ نَصيبَها
and raise myself above slighting a maiden,
And I would have raised myself above the status of a seductress,
and make that her share among the beauties.
And made that my share of virtue.
Sol 6.1