بيضُwhite الحمائمthe doves حسبهنَّهْenough for them
بيضُ الحمائم حسبهنَّهْ
أنيthat I أُردِّدُrepeat سجعهنّهْtheir cooing
أني أُردِّدُ سجعهنّهْ
The white doves need only this:
The doves think
that I echo their cooing.
That I repeat their cooing,
رمزُthe emblem of السلامةsafety والوداand gentleness (first part)
رمزُ السلامة والودا
عةgentleness (completion) منذsince بدءِthe beginning of الخلقcreation هُنَّهthey
عة منذ بدءِ الخلق هُنَّه
They have been the emblem of peace and gentleness
The symbol of safety and affection
since the beginning of creation.
Since the beginning of creation.
فيin كلِّevery روضgarden فوقabove داlow-hanging (first part)
في كلِّ روض فوق دا
نيةِlow-hanging (completion) القطوفfruit clusters لهنَّfor them أَّنهْa plaintive moan
نيةِ القطوف لهنَّ أَّنهْ
In every garden, above low-hanging
In every garden above the vines
clusters of fruit, they utter a plaintive coo.
Laden with fruit, for them is their place,
ويملْنَand they sway والأَغصانَalong with the branches ماwhenever
ويملْنَ والأَغصانَ ما
خَطَرَpassed gently النسيمُthe breeze بروضهنَّهthrough their garden
خَطَرَ النسيمُ بروضهنَّه
And they sway with the branches whenever
And they fill the branches that
the breeze passes through their garden.
The breeze has not stirred in the garden.
فإذاand when صلاهنَّscorched them الهجيthe midday heat (first part)
فإذا صلاهنَّ الهجي
رmidday heat (completion) هببْنَthey rose نحوtoward غديرpool هنَّهtheir
ر هببْنَ نحو غدير هنَّه
And when the midday heat scorches them,
When the hot wind blows they flutter
they rise toward their pool.
Towards their pond,
يهبطنthey descend بعدafter الحومْcircling مثlike (first part)
يهبطن بعد الحومْ مث
لlike (completion) الوحيinspiration لاnot تدريyou perceive بهَّهof it
ل الوحي لا تدري بهَّه
After circling, they descend like
They descend after the heat like
inspiration that you do not perceive.
Revelation whose meaning none can grasp.
فإذاand when وقعنthey alighted علىat الغديْthe pool (first part)
فإذا وقعن على الغديْ
رthe pool (completion) ترتبتْbecame ordered أسرابهنَّهtheir flocks
ر ترتبتْ أسرابهنَّه
And when they alight at the pool,
When they alight on the pond their flocks
their flocks fall into order:
Arrange themselves,
صفَّيْنin two rows طولalong الضّفَّتيthe two banks (first part)
صفَّيْن طول الضّفَّتي
نthe two banks (completion) تعرَّجاboth curved بوقوفهنَّهwith their standing
ن تعرَّجا بوقوفهنَّه
two rows along the two banks,
Lining the two banks winding
made winding by where they stand.
With their standing.
كلٌّeach تقبِّلُkisses رسمَهاher image
كلٌّ تقبِّلُ رسمَها
فيin الماءِthe water ساعةَat the time of شُربهنَّهْtheir drinking
في الماءِ ساعةَ شُربهنَّهْ
Each one kisses her reflection
Each kisses its reflection
in the water as they drink.
In the water at drinking time,
يطفئنَthey quench حرَّheat جسومهنtheir bodies (first part)
يطفئنَ حرَّ جسومهن
نَtheir (ending) بغمسهنَّby their dipping صدورbreasts هَنَّهtheir
نَ بغمسهنَّ صدور هَنَّه
They quench the heat of their bodies
Quenching the heat of their bodies
by dipping their breasts.
By dipping their breasts in it.
يقعُfalls الرَّشاشُthe spray إذاwhen انتفضْthey shook themselves (first part)
يقعُ الرَّشاشُ إذا انتفضْ
نَthey (verb ending) لآلئاًpearls لرؤوسهنَّهfor their heads
نَ لآلئاً لرؤوسهنَّه
When they shake themselves, the spray falls
Spray springs when they shake themselves
as pearls upon their heads.
As pearls on their heads,
ويطرْنَand they fly بعدafter الابتراcooling off (first part)
ويطرْنَ بعد الابترا
دcooling off (completion) إلىto الغصونِthe boughs مهودهنَّهtheir cradles
د إلى الغصونِ مهودهنَّه
And after cooling off, they fly
And they fly after bathing
to the boughs, their cradles.
Back to their nests.
تُنبيكtell you أجنحةٌwings تصفflap (first part)
تُنبيك أجنحةٌ تصف
فقflap (completion) كيفhow كانwas سرورهنَّهtheir joy
فق كيف كان سرورهنَّه
Flapping wings tell you
Wings lined up tell you
how great their joy was.
How happy they are,
ويُقرand delights عينَكَyour eye عبثهنtheir play (first part)
ويُقر عينَكَ عبثهن
نtheir (ending) إذاwhen جَثَمْنthey settle بريشهنّهwith their feathers
ن إذا جَثَمْن بريشهنّه
And their play delights your eye
And their play delights you
as they settle, toying with their feathers.
When they squat on their feathers.
وتخالهنّand you fancy them بلاwithout رؤوheads (first part)
وتخالهنّ بلا رؤو
سheads (completion) حينwhen يُقبلُapproaches ليلهنّهtheir night
س حين يُقبلُ ليلهنّه
And you fancy them without heads
You imagine them headless
when their night draws near.
When night swallows them,
أخفينهاthey hid them تحتbeneath الجناthe wing (first part)
أخفينها تحت الجنا
حthe wing (completion) ونمنand they slept ملءَto the full of جفونهنّهtheir eyelids
ح ونمن ملءَ جفونهنّه
They hide them beneath the wing
Hiding under the wings, sleeping
and sleep their eyelids' fill.
With eyes filled.
كمhow often هجننيthey stirred me ورويتُand I recited هنto them
كم هجنني ورويتُ هن
هنّthem الهديلَthe cooing فديتهنَّهmay I be their ransom
هنّ الهديلَ فديتهنَّه
How often they stirred me, and I recited to them—
How often their cooing teased me,
to them, the cooing; may I be their ransom!
And I envied them their gowns!
المحسناتُthe benevolent women إلىto المريthe sick person (first part)
المحسناتُ إلى المري
ضthe sick person (completion) غدونَthey became أشباهاًlikenesses لهنّهْof them
ض غدونَ أشباهاً لهنّهْ
The women who care for the sick
The beneficent to the sick
have become their likenesses.
Are like them at dawn.
الروّضthe gardens كالمستشفياlike the hospitals (first part)
الروّض كالمستشفيا
تِhospitals (completion) دواؤهاtheir medicine إيناسهنّهtheir comforting company
تِ دواؤها إيناسهنّه
The gardens are like hospitals;
The garden is like a hospital
their remedy is the comfort of their company.
Whose medicine is their cheer.
ماnot الكهرباءelectricity وطبّهاand its medicine
ما الكهرباء وطبّها
بأجلَّany greater منthan نظراتهنّهtheir glances
بأجلَّ من نظراتهنّه
Electricity and its healing art
Electricity and its techniques
are no greater than their glances.
Are less potent than their glances.
يشفيheals العليلَthe sick person عناؤهنtheir toil (first part)
يشفي العليلَ عناؤهن
نَtheir (ending) وعطفهنّand their compassion ولطفهنّهand their gentleness
نَ وعطفهنّ ولطفهنّه
Their toil heals the sick,
Their sympathy and kindness cure
as do their compassion and gentleness.
More effectively than medicine,
مُرُّbitter الدواءthe medicine يفيكin your mouth (apparently بفيك) حلsweet (first part)
مُرُّ الدواء يفيك حل
وٌsweet (completion) منfrom عذوبةthe sweetness of نطقهنّهْtheir speech
وٌ من عذوبة نطقهنّهْ
Bitter medicine tastes sweet in your mouth
Though it be bitter, a sweetness
from the sweetness of their speech.
From the charm of their speech.
مهلاًwait فعنديfor I have فارقٌa difference
مهلاً فعندي فارقٌ
بينbetween الحمامthe doves وبينهنّهand between them
بين الحمام وبينهنّه
Wait—I see a difference
But let me distinguish
between the doves and these women.
Between doves and them -
فلربماfor sometimes انقطعceased الحماthe doves (first part)
فلربما انقطع الحما
ئمthe doves (completion) فيin الدُّجىthe darkness عنfrom شدوهنّهtheir singing
ئم في الدُّجى عن شدوهنّه
For sometimes the doves cease
Sometimes the doves may cease
their singing in the darkness.
Their singing in the darkness.
أمَّاas for جميلُthe kindness of المحسناthe benevolent women (first part)
أمَّا جميلُ المحسنا
تthe benevolent women (completion) ففيthen in النهارthe daytime وفيand in الدجنّهthe deep darkness
ت ففي النهار وفي الدجنّه
But the kindness of the benevolent women
As for a beauty's kindness,
is there by day and in the deep darkness.
It is there night and day.
Sol 6.1