ماnot زَهْرَةُsplendor الدُّنياof the world سِوىbut زَهرةٍa flower
ما زَهْرَةُ الدُّنيا سِوى زَهرةٍ
أطْلَعَهاbrought it forth الحُسْنُbeauty علىupon غُصْنِa bough
أطْلَعَها الحُسْنُ على غُصْنِ
The world's splendor is nothing but a flower
The blossoms of this world are nothing but flowers
that Beauty brought forth upon a bough.
Whose beauty has bloomed on branches
زَهْرٌblossoms لمنfor whoever شَمَّsmelled وغُصْنٌand a bough لِمنْfor whoever
زَهْرٌ لمن شَمَّ وغُصْنٌ لِمنْ
ضمَّembraced وتُفَّاحٌand apples لِمَنْfor whoever يَجْنِيgathers fruit
ضمَّ وتُفَّاحٌ لِمَنْ يَجْنِي
Blossoms for whoever breathes her fragrance, and a bough for whoever
A flower for one who smells, a branch for one who holds
embraces her, and apples for whoever gathers them.
And fruits for one who plucks them
عاطِلةٌunadorned قَدْindeed غَنِيَتْshe has no need عَنْof حُلىًjewelry
عاطِلةٌ قَدْ غَنِيَتْ عَنْ حُلىً
بِماbecause of what بِمَرْآهاin her appearance مِنَof الحُسنِbeauty
بِما بِمَرْآها مِنَ الحُسنِ
Unadorned, she has no need of jewels,
She needs no adornment with her beauty plain
thanks to the beauty of her appearance.
As seen reflected in her mirror
لوif نَعَتَdescribed النَّاعِتُthe describer شَمْسَthe sun الضُّحىof midmorning
لو نَعَتَ النَّاعِتُ شَمْسَ الضُّحى
ماnot خِلْتَهُyou would think him عنto غَيْرِهاanyone other than her يَكْنِيhe alludes
ما خِلْتَهُ عن غَيْرِها يَكْنِي
Were a describer to describe the midmorning sun,
If the describer described the radiant sun
you would not think he alluded to anyone but her.
He could not do justice, he would fall short
قدindeed نَظَمَbrought together الحُسْنُbeauty بِهاin her شَمْلَهُits entirety
قد نَظَمَ الحُسْنُ بِها شَمْلَهُ
كأنَّهاas though she were حَوْراءُa dark-eyed maiden مِنْfrom عَدْنِEden
كأنَّها حَوْراءُ مِنْ عَدْنِ
Beauty has gathered all its graces in her,
Beauty has garlanded her with perfection
as though she were a dark-eyed maiden from Eden.
As if she was a houri from Eden
جاذَبتُهاI drew her close ضَمّاًin an embrace إلىto أضْلُعيmy ribs
جاذَبتُها ضَمّاً إلى أضْلُعي
أُطفئُI quench عَنْهاfrom her لَوْعةَburning anguish الحُزْنِgrief
أُطفئُ عَنْها لَوْعةَ الحُزْنِ
I drew her to my ribs in an embrace,
I drew her close and held her to my chest
to quench the burning anguish of her grief.
To extinguish in her the pangs of sorrow
فابْتَدَرَتْthen hastened وَجْنَتُهاher cheek خَجْلَةًa bashful blush
فابْتَدَرَتْ وَجْنَتُها خَجْلَةً
غطَّتْit hid مُحَيَّاthe face حُسنِهاof her beauty عَنِّيfrom me
غطَّتْ مُحَيَّا حُسنِها عَنِّي
Then her cheek broke into a bashful blush
She turned away, bashful, her cheek
that hid her lovely face from me.
Veiling with her beauty from my sight
ياO عَجباًwonder تَخْجلُshe is bashful مِنof ضَمَّهاembracing her
يا عَجباً تَخْجلُ مِن ضَمَّها
ولاand not تُباليshe cares كيفَhow أصْمَتْنِيshe slew me
ولا تُبالي كيفَ أصْمَتْنِي
How strange! She is shy of being embraced,
How strange she's shy of being held
yet cares nothing for how she has slain me.
Yet cares not that she's slain me
Sol 6.1