تَبَسَّمتshe smiled عنrevealing جوهَرjewels العِقدِthe necklace
تَبَسَّمت عن جوهَر العِقدِ
فَأَكثَرتso it did much عينيmy eye منof النَقدِappraisal
فَأَكثَرت عيني من النَقدِ
She smiled, revealing the necklace's jewels,
Smiled from the essence of the necklace
So my eye appraised them at length.
So my eyes multiplied the criticism
رَشيقَةُgraceful الأَعطافِthe flanks مهماwhenever اِنثَنَتshe bent
رَشيقَةُ الأَعطافِ مهما اِنثَنَت
جارَتshe outdid علىover الأَغصانِthe boughs بِالقَدِّin stature
جارَت على الأَغصانِ بِالقَدِّ
Graceful of figure, whenever she bends,
Slender in physique no matter how she bent
She puts the boughs to shame with her stature.
She surpassed the branches in height
تَخُدُّshe furrows بِالخَدِّwith the cheek حشاصَبهاher lover's heart
تَخُدُّ بِالخَدِّ حشاصَبها
فكلُّso all ماthat which يشكوhe laments منfrom الخَدِّthe cheek
فكلُّ ما يشكو من الخَدِّ
With her cheek she furrows her lover's heart,
She has dimples in her cheeks
So all he laments comes from her cheek.
So whoever complains of cheeks
وَلمand did not أَقُلI say بِالجَفنِwith the eyelid تخديدهits furrowing
وَلم أَقُل بِالجَفنِ تخديده
لِأَنَّهُbecause it زادincreased علىbeyond الحَدِّthe limit
لِأَنَّهُ زاد على الحَدِّ
Nor did I speak of the eyelid's furrowing,
And I did not say the eyelid accentuates it
For it went beyond the limit.
Because it exceeded the limit
تَفَرَّدَتshe was peerless فيin حُسنِهاher beauty مِثلَماjust as
تَفَرَّدَت في حُسنِها مِثلَما
تَفَرَّدَwas peerless اسماعيلُIsmail فيin المَجدglory
تَفَرَّدَ اسماعيلُ في المَجد
She was peerless in her beauty, just as
She was unique in her beauty just as
Ismail was peerless in glory.
Ismail was unique in glory
منhe who كَفُّهhis palm بحرُa sea عَطاbounty زاخِرٌoverflowing
من كَفُّه بحرُ عَطا زاخِرٌ
منهfrom it جَميعُall السُحبِthe clouds تَستَجديbeg alms
منه جَميعُ السُحبِ تَستَجدي
Whose palm is an overflowing sea of bounty,
Whose palm is a sea of generosity overflowing
From which all the clouds beg alms.
From it all the clouds seek rain
منwho ذاthat one الذيwho فيamong الناسthe people مِنfrom بعدِهafter him
من ذا الذي في الناس مِن بعدِه
يَليقis worthy بِالمَدحof praise أَوor الحَمدِgratitude
يَليق بِالمَدح أَو الحَمدِ
Who is there among the people, after him,
Who after him among the people
Who is worthy of praise or gratitude?
Deserves praise or thanks
وافىhe arrived لمصرٍto Egypt بَعدafter إِبعادِهاher being kept away
وافى لمصرٍ بَعد إِبعادِها
عنهُfrom him فَلاقَتso she attained غايَةَthe goal القَصدِthe aim
عنهُ فَلاقَت غايَةَ القَصدِ
He came to Egypt after she had been kept apart
He came to Egypt after its isolation from him
From him, and she attained the goal she sought.
So it attained the utmost purpose
وَقابَلتهand she greeted him بِقَريضٍwith poetry لهاof her own
وَقابَلته بِقَريضٍ لها
منfrom زَهرِهاher blossoms المَنظومِstrung together وَالوَردِand the roses
من زَهرِها المَنظومِ وَالوَردِ
And she greeted him with poetry of her own,
And she met him with an ode she composed
From her strung blossoms and roses,
Of her rhythmic flowers and roses
قائِلَةًsaying فيin شَطرِa half-line تاريخهِhis date
قائِلَةً في شَطرِ تاريخهِ
بُشرىglad tidings أَتىhas come اِسماعيلُIsmail ياO سَعدىmy good fortune
بُشرى أَتى اِسماعيلُ يا سَعدى
Saying, in a half-line recording his date:
Saying in a line of his history
Glad tidings! Ismail has come—O my good fortune!
Good tidings Ismail has come O Saadi
Sol 6.1