بَدْرُa full moon تِمٍّperfect fullness لَهُhe has ِمَنof الشَّعْرِhair هَالَهْa halo
بَدْرُ تِمٍّ لَهُ ِمَن الشَّعْرِ هَالَهْ
مَنْwhoever رَآهُsaw him مِنَamong المُحِبِّيْنthe lovers هَالَهُawed him
مَنْ رَآهُ مِنَ المُحِبِّيْن هَالَهُ
A moon at the full, with a halo of hair;
every lover who sees him is struck with awe.
قَصُرَgrew short اللَّيْلُthe night حِيْنَwhen وَلَّىhe turned away وَلاَand no غَرْwonder (word continues)
قَصُرَ اللَّيْلُ حِيْنَ وَلَّى وَلاَ غَرْ
وَending of 'wonder' غَزالٌa gazelle غارَتْgrew jealous عَلَيْهِover him الغَزالَهْthe sun
وَ غَزالٌ غارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الغَزالَهْ
The night grew short when he departed—and no wonder:
a gazelle who roused the sun's jealousy.
ياO نَسيمَbreeze of الصَّبَاthe east wind عَساكَmay you; perhaps you تَحَمَّلْcarried (word continues)
يا نَسيمَ الصَّبَا عَساكَ تَحَمَّلْ
تَyou (past-tense ending) لَناfor us مِنfrom سُكَّانِthe dwellers of نَجْدٍNajd رِسالَهْa message
تَ لَنا مِن سُكَّانِ نَجْدٍ رِسالَهْ
O breeze of the east wind, may you have carried
a message for us from the dwellers of Najd—
كُلِّevery مَعْسُولَةِhoney-sweet المَراشِفِthe lips بَيْضاfair (word continues)
كُلِّ مَعْسُولَةِ المَراشِفِ بَيْضا
ءَending of 'fair' حَمَتْهاprotected her سُمْرُtawny القَناthe lances العَسَّالَهْswaying
ءَ حَمَتْها سُمْرُ القَنا العَسَّالَهْ
from every fair maiden with honey-sweet lips,
protected by tawny, swaying lances.
عانَقَتْنِيshe embraced me كَصارِميlike my keen sword وَأَدَارَتْand she wound
عانَقَتْنِي كَصارِمي وَأَدَارَتْ
مِعْصَمَيْهاher two wrists فِيaround عاتِقِيmy shoulder كَالحِمالَهْlike a baldric
مِعْصَمَيْها فِي عاتِقِي كَالحِمالَهْ
She embraced me like my keen sword, and wound
her two wrists about my shoulder, like a baldric.
إنindeed بِالرَّقْمَتَيْنِat al-Raqmatayn مَلْعَبَa place of play لَهْوٍof amusement
إن بِالرَّقْمَتَيْنِ مَلْعَبَ لَهْوٍ
بَسَطَتْspread out دَوْحُهُits great trees عَلَيْنَاover us ظِلالَهْtheir shade
بَسَطَتْ دَوْحُهُ عَلَيْنَا ظِلالَهْ
Indeed, at al-Raqmatayn lies a place for merriment,
whose great trees spread their shade over us.
مَعْلَمٌa landmark مُعْلَمٌmarked; adorned وَشَىembroidered بُسْطَةُa spread; carpet الزَّهْthe flowers (word continues)
مَعْلَمٌ مُعْلَمٌ وَشَى بُسْطَةُ الزَّهْ
رُending of 'the flowers' وَحاكَتْهُand wove it دِيمَةٌa steady rain هَطَّالَهُpouring abundantly
رُ وَحاكَتْهُ دِيمَةٌ هَطَّالَهُ
An adorned landmark: flowers embroidered its carpet,
and a steady downpour wove it.
وَكَأَنَّand as though الحَمامَthe doves فِيهِin it قِيانٌsinging girls
وَكَأَنَّ الحَمامَ فِيهِ قِيانٌ
أَعْرَبَتْvoiced clearly لَحْنَهاtheir melody عَلىwith غَيْرِno آلَهْan instrument
أَعْرَبَتْ لَحْنَها عَلى غَيْرِ آلَهْ
And the doves there seem like singing girls,
giving clear voice to their melody without an instrument.
وَكَأَنَّand as though القَضيبَthe bough شَمَّرَhitched up لَلرَّقْfor dancing (word continues)
وَكَأَنَّ القَضيبَ شَمَّرَ لَلرَّقْ
صِending of 'for dancing' سُحَيراًjust before dawn عَنْaway from ساقِهِits leg إِذْيالَهْits trailing hems
صِ سُحَيراً عَنْ ساقِهِ إِذْيالَهْ
And the bough seems to have hitched up, for dancing,
its skirts clear of its leg just before dawn.
إنَّindeed خَوْضَplunging through الظَّلْماءِthe darkness أَطْيَبُsweeter; more pleasant عِنْديto me
إنَّ خَوْضَ الظَّلْماءِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدي
مِنْthan مَطاياmounts باتَتْspent the night بِكُلِّwith every كَلالَهْweariness
مِنْ مَطايا باتَتْ بِكُلِّ كَلالَهْ
Indeed, plunging through darkness is sweeter to me
than mounts that spent the night utterly weary.
فَهْيَso they مِثْلُlike القِسِيِّthe bows شَكْلاًin shape وَلكِنْand yet
فَهْيَ مِثْلُ القِسِيِّ شَكْلاً وَلكِنْ
هِيَthey فِيin السَّبْقِracing أَسْهُمٌarrows لاَno مَحالَهْescape; alternative
هِيَ فِي السَّبْقِ أَسْهُمٌ لاَ مَحالَهْ
So they are like bows in shape, and yet
in racing they are arrows, without fail.
تَرَكَتْهاleft them الحُداةُthe camel-drivers فِيin الخَفْضِlowering; genitive inflection وَالرَّفْand raising (word continues)
تَرَكَتْها الحُداةُ فِي الخَفْضِ وَالرَّفْ
عِending of 'and raising' حُرُوفاًletters; lean camels فِيin جَرِّهَاdrawing them; their genitive inflection عَمّالَهْhard at work
عِ حُرُوفاً فِي جَرِّهَا عَمّالَهْ
The camel-drivers, lowering and raising, have left them
as letters, hard at work as they are drawn onward,
نَحْوَtoward بابِthe gate of الوَزِيرِthe vizier يُوسفَYusuf نَجْمِNajm; star الدِّthe faith (word continues)
نَحْوَ بابِ الوَزِيرِ يُوسفَ نَجْمِ الدِّ
ينِending of 'the faith' نَجْلِson of الحُسَيْنِal-Husayn زَيْنِadornment of الجَلالِهْmajesty
ينِ نَجْلِ الحُسَيْنِ زَيْنِ الجَلالِهْ
toward the gate of the vizier Yusuf, Najm al-Din,
son of al-Husayn, adornment of majesty.
كَمْhow many لَهُhe has مِنْof رِسالَةٍa letter تُعْجِزُbaffles; renders helpless الخَلْcreation (word continues)
كَمْ لَهُ مِنْ رِسالَةٍ تُعْجِزُ الخَلْ
قَending of 'creation' كَأَنَّas though البَارِيthe Creator بِهَاwith it أَوْحَىrevealed لَهْto him
قَ كَأَنَّ البَارِي بِهَا أَوْحَى لَهْ
How many a letter of his baffles all creation,
as though the Creator had revealed it to him!
ذُوpossessing يَدٍa hand مُوسَوِيَّةٍMoses-like وَمُحَيَّاand a countenance
ذُو يَدٍ مُوسَوِيَّةٍ وَمُحَيَّا
يوُسفِيٍّJoseph-like إِذْاwhen رَأَيْتَyou behold جَمالَهْhis beauty
يوُسفِيٍّ إِذْا رَأَيْتَ جَمالَهْ
He has a hand like Moses' and a countenance
like Joseph's, when you behold his beauty.
يَبْسُطُextends الجُودَgenerosity عِنْدَماwhenever يَبْسُطُextends السَّاthe petitioner (word continues)
يَبْسُطُ الجُودَ عِنْدَما يَبْسُطُ السَّا
ئِلُending of 'the petitioner' فِيin نَيْلِobtaining جُوْدِهِhis generosity آمالَهُhis hopes
ئِلُ فِي نَيْلِ جُوْدِهِ آمالَهُ
He extends his bounty whenever a petitioner extends
his hopes of obtaining that bounty.
دارُهُhis house جَنَّةُthe garden of النَّعِيمِbliss فَمَنْso whoever فاsucceeds (word continues)
دارُهُ جَنَّةُ النَّعِيمِ فَمَنْ فا
زَending of 'succeeds' بِتَقْبِيلِin kissing تُرْبِهاits soil طُوبَىblessedness لَهْfor him
زَ بِتَقْبِيلِ تُرْبِها طُوبَى لَهْ
His house is the Garden of Bliss; whoever wins
the chance to kiss its soil—blessed is he!
Sol 6.1