نَشَرَتْspread غَدائِرُهُنَّtheir tresses لَيْلاًa night ساتِرَاconcealing
نَشَرَتْ غَدائِرُهُنَّ لَيْلاً ساتِرَا
وَجَلَتْand revealed مَعاجِرُهُنَّtheir head-veils صُبْحاًa dawn سافِرَاunveiled
وَجَلَتْ مَعاجِرُهُنَّ صُبْحاً سافِرَا
Their tresses spread a concealing night,
and their head-veils revealed an unveiled dawn.
سِرْبٌa bevy مَدَدْنَthey stretched شُعورَهُنَّtheir hair حَبائِلاًas snares
سِرْبٌ مَدَدْنَ شُعورَهُنَّ حَبائِلاً
فَتَقَنَّصَتْso ensnared مِنّاfrom among us الهِزَبْرَthe lion الزَّائِرَاroaring
فَتَقَنَّصَتْ مِنّا الهِزَبْرَ الزَّائِرَا
A bevy stretched their hair out as snares,
and caught the roaring lion from among us.
عَجَباًhow wondrous لَهُنَّat them صَوائِداًhuntresses ماnot زِلْنَthey ceased مِنْbecause of
عَجَباً لَهُنَّ صَوائِداً ما زِلْنَ مِنْ
عَبَثِthe playfulness of الصِّباyouth عَنْfrom صَيْدِهِنَّtheir prey نَوافِرَاshying away
عَبَثِ الصِّبا عَنْ صَيْدِهِنَّ نَوافِرَا
How wondrous these huntresses, who still, through
youth's playfulness, shy away from their prey!
مِنْof كُلِّevery طائِلَةِtall in القِوامِstature تَغُضُّshe lowers مِنْout of
مِنْ كُلِّ طائِلَةِ القِوامِ تَغُضُّ مِنْ
فَرْطِexcess of الحَيَاmodesty وَالتِّيهِand pride طَرْفاًa gaze قاصِرَاrestrained
فَرْطِ الحَيَا وَالتِّيهِ طَرْفاً قاصِرَا
Each tall-statured one among them lowers, out of
overwhelming modesty and pride, a restrained gaze.
ماسَتْshe swayed فَأنْطَقَتِso she made speak النِّطاقَthe girdle وَأَخْرَسَتْand silenced
ماسَتْ فَأنْطَقَتِ النِّطاقَ وَأَخْرَسَتْ
عِنْدَupon النُّهوْضِrising خَلاَخِلاًanklets وَأَساوِرَاand bracelets
عِنْدَ النُّهوْضِ خَلاَخِلاً وَأَساوِرَا
She swayed, made her girdle speak, and silenced,
as she rose, her anklets and bracelets.
فَهِيَso she is القَضِيْبُthe branch مَعاطِفاًcurves وَنَضارَةًand freshness
فَهِيَ القَضِيْبُ مَعاطِفاً وَنَضارَةً
وَهِيَand she is الرَّبِيبُthe hand-reared gazelle سَوالِفاًsides of the neck وَنَواظِرَاand eyes
وَهِيَ الرَّبِيبُ سَوالِفاً وَنَواظِرَا
So she is a branch in her curves and freshness,
and a hand-reared gazelle in her neck and eyes.
كَمْhow often أَرْسَلَتْshe sent لِيto me مِنthrough تَغَزُّلِthe flirtation of طَرْفِهاher gaze
كَمْ أَرْسَلَتْ لِي مِن تَغَزُّلِ طَرْفِها
مَعْنىًa meaning فَكُنْتُso I was لَهُfor it بِطَرْفِيwith my gaze ناثِرَاrendering in prose
مَعْنىً فَكُنْتُ لَهُ بِطَرْفِي ناثِرَا
How often she sent me, through the flirtation of her gaze,
a meaning, which I rendered in prose with my own gaze!
إيَّاكَbeware عَنْof خَنَثِthe languor of الجُفُونِthe eyelids فَإنَّهُfor it
إيَّاكَ عَنْ خَنَثِ الجُفُونِ فَإنَّهُ
يُغْرِيincites بِقَلْبِagainst the heart of الصَّبِّthe lover لَحْظاًa glance كاسِرَاpredatory
يُغْرِي بِقَلْبِ الصَّبِّ لَحْظاً كاسِرَا
Beware the languor of the eyelids, for it
sets a predatory glance upon the lover's heart.
ياah رُبَّmany a لُجَّةِdeep sea of لَيْلَةٍa night أَبْدَىrevealed بِهاin it
يا رُبَّ لُجَّةِ لَيْلَةٍ أَبْدَى بِها
صَدَفُthe oyster-shells of السَّحابِthe clouds مِنَamong النُّجومِthe stars زَواهِرَاradiant ones
صَدَفُ السَّحابِ مِنَ النُّجومِ زَواهِرَا
Ah, many a deep sea of night, in which were revealed
gleaming stars by the oyster-shells of clouds!
عَرَضَتْit appeared فَخافَso feared الطَّرْفُthe gaze مِنْof غَرَقٍdrowning بِهاin it
عَرَضَتْ فَخافَ الطَّرْفُ مِنْ غَرَقٍ بِها
فَغَداso it went عَلىover جِسْرِthe bridge of المَجَرَّةِthe Milky Way عابِرَاcrossing
فَغَدا عَلى جِسْرِ المَجَرَّةِ عابِرَا
It appeared, and my gaze feared drowning in it,
so it crossed the bridge of the Milky Way.
فَلَوِso if اسْتَطَعْتُI could نَظَمْتُI would string زُهْرَthe bright ones of نُجُومِهاits stars
فَلَوِ اسْتَطَعْتُ نَظَمْتُ زُهْرَ نُجُومِها
مَدْحاًas praise إلَىto عَبْدِʿAbd (servant of) الرَّحِيمِal-Raḥīm (the Merciful) سَوائِرَاjourneying
مَدْحاً إلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ سَوائِرَا
If I could, I would string its shining stars
as praises journeying to ʿAbd al-Raḥīm.
يُمْناهُhis right hand مُحْسِنَةٌgenerous فَخُذْso take مِنْهاfrom it الغِنَىwealth
يُمْناهُ مُحْسِنَةٌ فَخُذْ مِنْها الغِنَى
وَاطْرَبْand rejoice إِذْاwhen جَسَّhe touched اليَراعَةَthe reed pen ياسِرَاas a player of lots
وَاطْرَبْ إِذْا جَسَّ اليَراعَةَ ياسِرَا
His right hand is generous: take wealth from it,
and rejoice when he handles the reed pen like a player of lots.
سَبَقَتْit raced ahead إلَىto مِضْمارِthe racecourse of كُلِّevery فَضِيلَةٍvirtue
سَبَقَتْ إلَى مِضْمارِ كُلِّ فَضِيلَةٍ
لَمَّاwhen امْتُطَتْit mounted فِيon الطِّرْسِthe page أًصّفَرَa yellow one حاسِرَاbareheaded
لَمَّا امْتُطَتْ فِي الطِّرْسِ أًصّفَرَ حاسِرَا
It raced ahead to the course of every virtue,
when, on the page, it mounted a bareheaded yellow steed.
لَمَّاwhen تَعَمَّمَdonned a turban بِالسَّوادِin black خَطيبُهاits preacher
لَمَّا تَعَمَّمَ بِالسَّوادِ خَطيبُها
صَعِدَتْascended أَنامِلُهُhis fingers الكِرامُnoble مُنابِرَاpulpits
صَعِدَتْ أَنامِلُهُ الكِرامُ مُنابِرَا
When its preacher donned a turban of black,
his noble fingers ascended pulpits.
يَنْسَىhe forgets مَكارِمَهُhis generous deeds إِذْاwhen ماemphatic particle كُرِّرَتْthey are repeated
يَنْسَى مَكارِمَهُ إِذْا ما كُرِّرَتْ
لكِنَّهُbut he لِلْوَعْدِof the promise أَصْبَحَhas become ذاكِرَاmindful
لكِنَّهُ لِلْوَعْدِ أَصْبَحَ ذاكِرَا
He forgets his generous deeds whenever they are repeated,
yet he keeps his promise in mind.
أَخْفَىhe concealed النَّدَىgenerosity وَالدِّيْنَand piety غايَةَthe utmost of جُهْدِهِhis effort
أَخْفَى النَّدَى وَالدِّيْنَ غايَةَ جُهْدِهِ
وَكِلاهُماand both of them يُمْسِيis at evening وَيُصْبِحُand is at dawn ظاهِرَاmanifest
وَكِلاهُما يُمْسِي وَيُصْبِحُ ظاهِرَا
He did his utmost to conceal his generosity and piety,
yet both are manifest at evening and at dawn.
كَمْhow many سَاسَhe governed بِالصُّفْرِwith yellow pens القِصارِshort مَمالِكاًkingdoms
كَمْ سَاسَ بِالصُّفْرِ القِصارِ مَمالِكاً
أَعْيَتْdefied طوالاًlong spears شُرَّعاًleveled وَبَواتِرَاand keen-edged swords
أَعْيَتْ طوالاً شُرَّعاً وَبَواتِرَا
How many kingdoms he ruled with short yellow pens,
that defied long, leveled spears and keen-edged swords!
مَوْلاَيَmy lord خُذْobtain لِيfor me الْحَقَّjustice مِنْfrom دَهْرٍTime عدَاassailed
مَوْلاَيَ خُذْ لِي الْحَقَّ مِنْ دَهْرٍ عدَا
فَغَداso became عَلَيَّagainst me وَأَنْتَwhile you are جَارِيْmy protector جَائِرَاunjust
فَغَدا عَلَيَّ وَأَنْتَ جَارِيْ جَائِرَا
My lord, win me justice from Time, which assailed me,
and so grew unjust to me, though you are my protector.
وَإلَيْكand to you رَوْضَةَa garden of خاطِرٍthought مَمْطُوَرٍةrain-watered
وَإلَيْك رَوْضَةَ خاطِرٍ مَمْطُوَرٍة
تُهْدِيoffers إلَىto الأَمْداحِsongs of praise عَرْفاًa scent عاطِرَاfragrant
تُهْدِي إلَى الأَمْداحِ عَرْفاً عاطِرَا
And to you, a rain-watered garden of thought,
offering sweet fragrance to songs of praise.
Sol 6.1