ياO حُسنَهُits beauty يوماًa day شهدتُI witnessed زفافهاher bridal procession
يا حُسنَهُ يوماً شهدتُ زفافها
بنتَdaughter الفضاءthe open expanse إلىto الخليجthe gulf الأزرقِblue
بنتَ الفضاء إلى الخليج الأزرقِ
How lovely the day I witnessed her bridal procession,
O beauty, one day I witnessed her wedding
the daughter of the open expanse, to the blue gulf.
The daughter of space to the azure gulf
ورقاءُa gray dove كانتshe was أيكةa thicket فتصوَّرتthen she took shape
ورقاءُ كانت أيكة فتصوَّرت
لكfor you كيفhowever شئتَyou wished منamong الحمامthe doves الأورقَash-gray
لك كيف شئتَ من الحمام الأورقَ
A gray dove, once a thicket, she took shape
She was graceful, so I imagined for you
for you, however you wished, as one of the ash-gray doves.
However you wished, from the blue pigeon
حيثُwhere الغرابُthe raven يجرُّdrags شملةَcloak عُجبِهِhis vanity
حيثُ الغرابُ يجرُّ شملةَ عُجبِهِ
وكأنَّهand as though he منfrom عزَّةٍpride لمdid not يَنعقcroak
وكأنَّه من عزَّةٍ لم يَنعق
Where the raven trails the cloak of his vanity,
Where the raven drags the garment of its wonder
as though, out of pride, he had never croaked.
As if from a dignity that did not squawk
منof كلِّeach لابسةِone wearing الشبابyouth ملاءةa mantle
من كلِّ لابسةِ الشباب ملاءة
حَسبَaccording to اقتدارِskill الصَّانعthe craftsman المتأنّقthe meticulous
حَسبَ اقتدارِ الصَّانع المتأنّق
Each one wears youth as a mantle,
Of every young woman wearing youth’s cloak
according to the skill of the meticulous craftsman.
Judging by the skill of the meticulous Maker
شهدتtestified لهنَّfor them العينُthe eye أنَّthat شواهِناًfalcons
شهدت لهنَّ العينُ أنَّ شواهِناً
أسماؤهاtheir names فتصفحتthen I scrutinized فيin المنطقspeech
أسماؤها فتصفحت في المنطق
The eye testified for them that 'falcons'
The eye testified that their allures
were their names; then I scrutinized the wording.
Their names perused in logic
منof كلِّeach ناشرةٍone spreading قوادمَprimary wing feathers أفتخٍa broad-winged eagle
من كلِّ ناشرةٍ قوادمَ أفتخٍ
وعلىand upon معاطفهاher flanks فراهةُgrace and vigor شَوذَقِa hawk
وعلى معاطفها فراهةُ شَوذَقِ
Each spreads the primary feathers of a broad-winged eagle,
Of every flirt spreading thighs of incense
and her flanks display a hawk's grace and vigor.
And on their coats the eccentricity of coquetry
زأرتroared زئيرَthe roar الأسدthe lion وهيwhile they were صوامتٌsilent
زأرت زئيرَ الأسد وهي صوامتٌ
وزحفهنand their advance زَحفَthe advance مراكبٍships فيin مأزقa narrow passage
وزحفهن زَحفَ مراكبٍ في مأزق
They roared a lion's roar, though they were silent,
She roared the lion’s roar, though silent
and their advance was that of ships in a narrow passage.
And their crawl a crawl of ships in distress
ومجادفٍand oars تحكيresemble أراقمَspeckled snakes ربوةٍa hill
ومجادفٍ تحكي أراقمَ ربوةٍ
نزلتcame down لتكرعَto drink فيin غديرٍa pool مُتأقِbrimming
نزلت لتكرعَ في غديرٍ مُتأقِ
And oars resembled the speckled snakes of a hill,
And oars telling the numerals of a hill
that came down to drink from a brimming pool.
That descended to drink in a collected pond
والماءُand the water فيin شكلِthe form الهواءِair فلاso not ترىyou see
والماءُ في شكلِ الهواءِ فلا ترى
فيin شكلهاtheir form إلاexcept جوارحَbirds of prey تلتقيconverge
في شكلها إلا جوارحَ تلتقي
And the water has the appearance of air, so you see nothing
And the water in the form of air, so you see
in their forms but birds of prey converging.
In its form nothing but meeting talons
Sol 6.1