خُذtake مِنfrom حَدِيثٍa tale شُؤُونِهِhis concerns (also tear-channels) وشُجُونِهِand his sorrows
خُذ مِن حَدِيثٍ شُؤُونِهِ وشُجُونِهِ
خَبَراًa report تُسَلسِلُهُrelay it in a chain رُواةُthe narrators of جُفُونِهِhis eyelids
خَبَراً تُسَلسِلُهُ رُواةُ جُفُونِهِ
Take from the tale of his concerns and sorrows
Take from his tale its sorrows and its woes
a report relayed by the narrators of his eyelids.
A thread of stories spun by tearful eyes
لَولاbut for فَضِيحَةُthe exposure of خَدّهِhis cheek بِدُمُوعِهِby his tears
لَولا فَضِيحَةُ خَدّهِ بِدُمُوعِهِ
مَاnot زالvanished شَكُّthe doubt of رقِيبِهِhis watcher بِيَقِينِهِthrough his certainty
مَا زال شَكُّ رقِيبِهِ بِيَقِينِهِ
But for his cheek’s betrayal by his tears,
If not for his cheek's betrayal with its tears
his watcher’s doubt would not have yielded to certainty.
His watcher's doubt would not give way to certainty
وأغَرَّand a radiant one تُؤيِسُنِيmakes me despair قَسَاوةُthe hardness of قَلبِهِhis heart
وأغَرَّ تُؤيِسُنِي قَسَاوةُ قَلبِهِ
مِنهُof him ويُطمِعُنِيand gives me hope تَعَطّفthe tender yielding of لِينِهِhis gentleness
مِنهُ ويُطمِعُنِي تَعَطّف لِينِهِ
And a radiant one—his heart’s hardness makes me despair
And his heart's hardness makes me lose hope
of him, yet his gentle yielding gives me hope.
While its tenderness gives rise to wishful thinking
خَفِرُbashful الدَّلالِin coquetry أضُمُّهُI embrace him وأهَابُهُand stand in awe of him
خَفِرُ الدَّلالِ أضُمُّهُ وأهَابُهُ
بِجَمَالِهِfor his beauty ووقَارِهِand his dignity وسُكُونِهِand his stillness
بِجَمَالِهِ ووقَارِهِ وسُكُونِهِ
Bashful in his coquetry, I embrace him yet stand in awe of him
I hold close and revere his alluring guide
for his beauty, his dignity, and his stillness.
For his beauty, dignity, and composure
قَالَتsaid روادِفُهُhis haunches ولِينُand the suppleness of قَوامِهِhis figure
قَالَت روادِفُهُ ولِينُ قَوامِهِ
إيَّاكbeware مِنof كَثَبِnearness to الحِمَىthe sanctuary وغُصُونِهِand its branches
إيَّاك مِن كَثَبِ الحِمَى وغُصُونِهِ
His haunches and the suppleness of his figure said:
His companion cried, “Beware the vigorous steed
“Beware of drawing near the sanctuary and its branches.”
And the branches of his fiery, prancing stride”
فَجُفُونُهُfor his eyelids شَركُa snare for القُلُوبِhearts وإنَّمَاand only
فَجُفُونُهُ شَركُ القُلُوبِ وإنَّمَا
هُارُوتُHarut أودَعَهَأlodged in them فُنُونthe arts of فُتُونِهِhis enchantment
هُارُوتُ أودَعَهَأ فُنُون فُتُونِهِ
For his eyelids are a snare for hearts, and only
For his eyelids spread the snares that capture hearts
Harut lodged in them the arts of his enchantment.
And Harut endowed him with the charms that entrance souls
يَا“his ruby” (opening segment) قُوتُهُ“his ruby” (remaining segment) مُتَبَسِّمُsmiling عَنrevealing لُؤلُؤٍpearls
يَا قُوتُهُ مُتَبَسِّمُ عَن لُؤلُؤٍ
خَجِلَتblushed عُقُودُnecklaces of الدُّرّpearls مِنbefore مَكنُونِهِhis hidden treasure
خَجِلَت عُقُودُ الدُّرّ مِن مَكنُونِهِ
His ruby smiles, revealing pearls;
“O, smile that outshines the radiant pearl
necklaces of pearls blush before his hidden treasure.
From whose gifts the pearl necklaces shy in bashfulness”
وإذاand when وصفتI describe بِشَعرِهِthrough his hair غَسقthe gloom of الدُّجَىnight’s darkness
وإذا وصفت بِشَعرِهِ غَسق الدُّجَى
هَجَمburst forth الصَّبَاحُdawn بِثَغرِهِthrough his mouth وجَبِينِهِand his brow
هَجَم الصَّبَاحُ بِثَغرِهِ وجَبِينِهِ
And when I describe the gloom of night through his hair,
When you describe his hair in the dusk’s darkness
dawn bursts forth through his mouth and brow.
The dawn breaks forth with its mouth and brow
وأسَالand caused to flow صفحةthe surface of خَدّهhis cheek مَاwater (for ماء) مِسكَةٍa lump of musk
وأسَال صفحة خَدّه مَا مِسكَةٍ
عبقتwas perfumed بلامby the letter lām of عذارهhis cheek-down أوor نونهِits letter nūn
عبقت بلام عذاره أو نونهِ
And musk-water streamed across his cheek’s surface,
And I asked his rosy cheek, “What musk
perfumed by the lām of his cheek-down, or its nūn.
Scents your charm with the letters lam and noon?”
مَاnot زالceased يَسقِيwatering خَدَّهُhis cheek مَاءُthe water of الحَيَاbashfulness (also rain)
مَا زال يَسقِي خَدَّهُ مَاءُ الحَيَا
حَتَّىuntil جَنَيتُI plucked الوردroses مِنfrom نِسرِينِهِhis white rose
حَتَّى جَنَيتُ الورد مِن نِسرِينِهِ
The dew of bashfulness kept watering his cheek,
The water of life still waters his cheek
until I plucked roses from his white rose.
Until I pluck roses from his narcissi
جَمدَcongealed الَّذِيwhat بِيَمِينِهِin his right hand فِيin خَدّهِhis cheek
جَمدَ الَّذِي بِيَمِينِهِ فِي خَدّهِ
وجَرىand flowed الَّذِيwhat فِيin خَدّهِhis cheek بِيَمِينِهِin his right hand
وجَرى الَّذِي فِي خَدّهِ بِيَمِينِهِ
What was in his right hand congealed in his cheek,
What's held in his right hand on his cheek
and what was in his cheek flowed in his right hand.
Flows in the cheek held by his right hand
طَابgrew pleasant الرَّبِيعُspring كَأنَّمَاas though عَجَنkneaded الصّبَاthe east wind
طَاب الرَّبِيعُ كَأنَّمَا عَجَن الصّبَا
كَافُورcamphor مِسكَتِهِits musk بِعَنبَرِwith the ambergris of طِينِهِits clay
كَافُور مِسكَتِهِ بِعَنبَرِ طِينِهِ
Spring grew sweet, as though the east wind had kneaded
Spring was blessed, as though the morning breeze
the camphor of its musk with the ambergris of its clay.
Kneaded his scented temple with clay of ambergris
وتَفَضَّضَتand became silvered أزهَارُهُits blossoms وتَذهَّبَتand became gilded
وتَفَضَّضَت أزهَارُهُ وتَذهَّبَت
فَكأنَّمَاso, as though الطَّاوُوسُthe peacock فِيin تَلوِينِهِits coloring
فَكأنَّمَا الطَّاوُوسُ فِي تَلوِينِهِ
And its blossoms were silvered and gilded,
His blossoms opened and scattered away
as though it were a peacock in its coloring.
As if the peacock flashed its colors anew
وجَلىand revealed جَبِينُthe brow of النَّهرِthe river غُرَّةthe white blaze of ظِلِّهِits shadow
وجَلى جَبِينُ النَّهرِ غُرَّة ظِلِّهِ
قَدalready جَعَّدتهُhad rippled it الرّيحُthe wind فَوقabove شنُونَهُits worn waterskins (uncertain reading)
قَد جَعَّدتهُ الرّيحُ فَوق شنُونَهُ
And the river’s brow revealed its shadow’s white blaze,
And the river's brow shone with the sheen of his shadow
the wind having rippled it above its worn waterskins (wording uncertain).
Though the wind had rumpled it over its rapids
والطَّيرُand the birds تُنشِدُchant بِاختِلافِin the diversity of لُغَاتِهَاtheir languages
والطَّيرُ تُنشِدُ بِاختِلافِ لُغَاتِهَا
مُوسَىMusa أدامmay preserve اللهُGod فِيin تَمكِينِهِhis secure authority
مُوسَى أدام اللهُ فِي تَمكِينِهِ
And the birds chant in their differing tongues
And the birds sing in languages diverse
Musa’s praise—may God preserve him in power.
"May God establish Musa in his empowerment."
Sol 6.1