زُفَّتwas escorted as a bride إِلَيكَto you وَلَستَand you are not مِنamong أَكفائِهاher equals
زُفَّت إِلَيكَ وَلَستَ مِن أَكفائِها
كَالشَّمسِlike the sun طالِعَةًrising عَلَىover حِربائِهاits chameleon
كَالشَّمسِ طالِعَةً عَلَى حِربائِها
She was brought to you as a bride, though you are not her equal,
She was brought to you though she was not your match,
Like the sun rising over its chameleon.
Like the rising sun beaming on its rubble.
بَيضاءُfair-skinned أَشرَقَshone وَجهُهاher face فيamid فَرعِهاher tresses
بَيضاءُ أَشرَقَ وَجهُها في فَرعِها
حَتّىuntil عَرَفتَyou recognized صَباحَهاher morning بِمَسائِهاby her evening
حَتّى عَرَفتَ صَباحَها بِمَسائِها
Fair-skinned, her face shone amid her tresses,
Her white face shone in her boudoir
Until you recognized her morning by her evening.
Until you knew her morning by her evening.
لَوif كانَhad been صَرفُvicissitudes الدَّهرِof Time عِندَكَbeside you حاضِراًpresent
لَو كانَ صَرفُ الدَّهرِ عِندَكَ حاضِراً
نَثَرَscattered الخُطوبَcalamities عَلَيكَupon you وَقتَat the time of جَلائِهاher bridal unveiling
نَثَرَ الخُطوبَ عَلَيكَ وَقتَ جَلائِها
Had fickle Time been there beside you,
Had the turns of fate been present with you
It would have strewn calamities upon you at her unveiling.
It would have showered favors on you in her prime.
رَفَعَتshe raised سُتُورَكَyour curtains لِلهَناءfor rejoicing بِأَخذِهاon taking her
رَفَعَت سُتُورَكَ لِلهَناء بِأَخذِها
وَالحُسنُand Beauty قَبلَكَbefore you جالِسٌseated لِعَزائِهاto mourn her
وَالحُسنُ قَبلَكَ جالِسٌ لِعَزائِها
She raised your curtains for rejoicing at your taking her,
She lifted your veils in her merry taking,
While Beauty sat before you, mourning her.
While beauty sat next to you lamenting its glory.
ماnot جَادَتِwas generous الدُّنياthe world عَلَيكَto you بِمِثلِهاwith one like her
ما جَادَتِ الدُّنيا عَلَيكَ بِمِثلِها
إِلَّاexcept لِيَحمَدَso that he may praise بُخلَهاits stinginess بِسَخائِهاthrough its generosity
إِلَّا لِيَحمَدَ بُخلَها بِسَخائِها
The world bestowed no one like her upon you
The world was never so generous to you as with her,
Except so that one might praise its stinginess through its generosity.
Save to praise its stinginess by its generosity.
Sol 6.1