تحتbeneath الغصونthe boughs جداولstreams
تحت الغصون جداول
وعلىand upon الغصونthe boughs عنادلnightingales
وعلى الغصون عنادل
Beneath the boughs are streams.
Under the branches are streams
And upon the boughs are nightingales.
And on the branches are nightingales
والايكand the grove فيin ثوبa robe منof
والايك في ثوب من
الاوراقthe leaves غضfresh رافلluxuriantly clothed
الاوراق غض رافل
And the grove, in a robe of
Dressed in robes of tender green leaves
leaves, is fresh and luxuriantly clothed.
Swaying gently in the breeze
والبانand the bān tree منfrom هزthe shaking النسيمof the breeze
والبان من هز النسيم
لعطفهof its side متمايلswaying
لعطفه متمايل
And the bān tree, as the breeze shakes
Vines extend their tendrils
its side, sways to and fro.
Around the trellises they coil
والكرمand the grapevine قدalready مدّتhave been stretched لهfor it
والكرم قد مدّت له
حولaround الاراكthe arāk trees حبائلcords
حول الاراك حبائل
And for the grapevine, cords have been stretched
The meadow, watered well, is lush
around the arāk trees.
With flowers of every kind
والروضand the garden ريانwell-watered سقاwatered (first part of سقاه)
والروض ريان سقا
هit (object suffix) المستهلthe pouring rain الوابلthe downpour
ه المستهل الوابل
And the garden is lush, watered
The blossoms smile, the bulbul sings
by the pouring, torrential rain.
Butterflies flit on fluttering wings
والزهرand the blossoms ينظرgaze باسماًsmiling
والزهر ينظر باسماً
والعندليبand the nightingale يغازلflirts
والعندليب يغازل
And the blossoms gaze, smiling,
Beehives like lips that honey sip
and the nightingale flirts.
Narcissus heedless of bees' quips
وعلىand over الازاهيرthe blossoms الفراthe butterfly (first part of الفراش)
وعلى الازاهير الفرا
شcompletion of الفراش يطوفflutters about ثمthen يزايلdeparts
ش يطوف ثم يزايل
And over the blossoms the butterfly
The rose delays its promise yet
flutters about, then departs.
While rosebuds in shy clusters set
والاقحوانand the chrysanthemum كأنهas though it were
والاقحوان كأنه
للثمfor kissing ثغرa mouth راتلwith well-set teeth
للثم ثغر راتل
And the chrysanthemum seems like
Landscape's tapestry has unfurled
a mouth with well-set teeth, meant for kisses.
Hilltops alternate, dale and hill
والنرجسand the narcissus الوسنانdrowsy عنto
والنرجس الوسنان عن
غمزthe winking البلابلof the bulbuls غافلoblivious
غمز البلابل غافل
And the drowsy narcissus is oblivious
Each bird trills its own refrain
to the bulbuls' winks.
Are their songs divine, God-ordained?
والوردand the rose للصيداحto the songbird بعدafter
والورد للصيداح بعد
الوعدthe promise منهfrom it يماطلkeeps stalling
الوعد منه يماطل
And the rose, after promising the songbird,
As if the kindling were fingers lithe
keeps putting it off.
As if the violet were nodding, sleepy
ولاand to (part of ولإلفها) لفهاher mate (remainder of ولإلفها) الورقاءthe gray dove فيon
ولا لفها الورقاء في
فننa branch البشامof the balsam tree تساجلexchanges calls
فنن البشام تساجل
And the gray dove, with her mate,
As if the lilies were linked in peace
exchanges calls on a balsam branch.
As if carnations were torches, flaming
وقنابرand the larks الروضof the garden الاريضlush
وقنابر الروض الاريض
صواعدascending ونوازلand descending
صواعد ونوازل
And the larks of the lush garden
As if the willow were a sword, burnished
rise and descend.
As if the convolvulus were swathed
ولكلand for each عصفورsparrow منof
ولكل عصفور من
الانغامthe melodies ماsomething هوit باذلoffering
الانغام ما هو باذل
And every sparrow has
As if the waves were chains o'er Euphrates
melodies to offer.
As if the tall firs were edifices
هلis it ماwhat تقولsay الطيرthe birds فيin
هل ما تقول الطير في
الاغرودthe birdsong وحيa revelation نازلdescending
الاغرود وحي نازل
Is what the birds say in
Each plot's a garden, each sight a vision
their song a revelation sent down?
Beauty of Spring, its flowers ever-present
وكأنماand as though القدّاحthe orange blossoms منfrom
وكأنما القدّاح من
ايديthe hands الحسانof beautiful women اناملfingertips
ايدي الحسان انامل
And it is as though the orange blossoms were
Live! For it is the life-giving season
fingertips from the hands of fair women.
Joyous evenings, nightingales courting
وكأنماand as though جيدthe neck البنفسجof the violet
وكأنما جيد البنفسج
منfrom نعاسdrowsiness مائلbent
من نعاس مائل
And it is as though the violet's neck
Rays of sun ask, tongue-tied, blushing
were bent with drowsiness.
World is yours! Live before life passes!
وكأنماand as though النسرينthe wild rose للشحرورto the blackbird
وكأنما النسرين للشحرور
خلa lover واصلdrawing close
خل واصل
And it is as though the wild rose were to the blackbird
Once tumultuous, the ocean is calm.
a lover who draws close.
وكأنماand as though للعرسfor the wedding انوارthe blossoms
وكأنما للعرس انوار
الشقيقof the anemones مشاعلtorches
الشقيق مشاعل
And it is as though, for the wedding, the blossoms
of the anemones were torches.
وكأنماand as though الصفصافthe willow سيفa sword
وكأنما الصفصاف سيف
قدalready جلاهhad burnished it الصاقلthe polisher
قد جلاه الصاقل
And it is as though the willow were a sword
that the polisher had burnished.
وكأنماand as though اللبلابthe ivy ملتفاًtwined
وكأنما اللبلاب ملتفاً
عليهaround it حمائلsword-belts
عليه حمائل
And it is as though the ivy, twined
around it, were sword-belts.
وكأنماand as though الامواجthe waves فوupon (first part of فوق)
وكأنما الامواج فو
قcompletion of فوق الرافدينthe Two Rivers سلاسلchains
ق الرافدين سلاسل
And it is as though the waves upon
the Two Rivers were chains.
وكأنماand as though فيon العدوتينthe two banks
وكأنما في العدوتين
الباسقاتthe towering trees هياكلtemples
الباسقات هياكل
And it is as though, on the two banks,
the towering trees were temples.
فيin كلevery ارضland روضةa garden
في كل ارض روضة
وازاهرand blossoms وخمائلand thickets
وازاهر وخمائل
In every land is a garden,
and blossoms and thickets.
حسنthe beauty الربيعof spring ووردهand its roses
حسن الربيع وورده
فيin كلevery عينeye ماثلmanifest
في كل عين ماثل
The beauty of spring and its roses
is manifest to every eye.
حيّhail الربيعspring فانهfor it is
حيّ الربيع فانه
فصلthe season الحياةof life الفاصلdefining
فصل الحياة الفاصل
Hail spring, for it is
the defining season of life.
طابتbecame pleasant كماas نهوىwe desire عشياتevenings
طابت كما نهوى عشيات
بهduring it واصائلand late afternoons
به واصائل
The evenings are pleasant, as we wish,
in spring, and the late afternoons too.
وترىand you see الاشعةthe rays فيهماin both of them
وترى الاشعة فيهما
فتقولso you say تبرuncoined gold سائلliquid
فتقول تبر سائل
And you see the rays in both,
so you say: "Liquid gold!"
انعمtake delight بدنياin a world كلهاall of it
انعم بدنيا كلها
حتىso that تعيشyou may live وسائلmeans
حتى تعيش وسائل
Take delight in a world whose every part
is a means for you to live.
والبحرand the sea اماif كانis رهواcalm
والبحر اما كان رهوا
لمdoes not يخفهfear it الواغلthe one venturing in
لم يخفه الواغل
And the sea, if it is calm,
is not feared by one who ventures in.
Partial English translation: 33 of 58 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1