نَديميَO my drinking companion ماسَswayed الآسُthe myrtle فِيin سُنْدُسِيِّهِits fine silk
نَديميَ ماسَ الآسُ فِي سُنْدُسِيِّهِ
وَأظْهَرَand revealed ماwhat أَخفىit had concealed لَناto us مِنof حُليِّهِits ornaments
وَأظْهَرَ ما أَخفى لَنا مِن حُليِّهِ
My drinking companion, the myrtle swayed in its silk,
And showed us the ornaments it had concealed.
وَلاَحَand appeared بِجِيدِon the neck of الغُصْنِthe branch والصُّبْحُwhile dawn طالِعٌwas rising
وَلاَحَ بِجِيدِ الغُصْنِ والصُّبْحُ طالِعٌ
مِنَof الطَّلِّdew عِقْدٌa necklace ماسَswayed فِيin جَوْهَرِيِّهِits jewels
مِنَ الطَّلِّ عِقْدٌ ماسَ فِي جَوْهَرِيِّهِ
And on the branch's neck, as dawn was rising, appeared
A necklace of dew, swaying in its jewels.
وَقَدْand indeed ذاعَspread abroad سِرُّthe secret of الزَّهْرِthe flowers حينَwhen وَشىinformed بِهِagainst it
وَقَدْ ذاعَ سِرُّ الزَّهْرِ حينَ وَشى بِهِ
تَنَفُّسُthe breathing of نَدِّيِّperfume-scented النَّسيمِthe breeze نَدِيِّهِits dew-fresh air
تَنَفُّسُ نَدِّيِّ النَّسيمِ نَدِيِّهِ
And the flowers' secret spread abroad when betrayed by
The breath of the breeze, perfume-scented and dew-fresh.
وَألقَىand cast الضُّحىthe morning light فِيinto فِضَّةِthe silver of النَّهْرِthe river تِبْرَهُits gold dust
وَألقَى الضُّحى فِي فِضَّةِ النَّهْرِ تِبْرَهُ
فَأَثْرِىso grew rich الثَّرَىthe earth بِالنَّورِwith light مِنfrom عَسْجَدِيِّهِits gold
فَأَثْرِى الثَّرَى بِالنَّورِ مِن عَسْجَدِيِّهِ
And morning cast its gold dust into the river's silver,
So the earth grew rich with light from its gold.
هُوَit السِّيفُthe sword إِنif أصداهrusts it ظلthe shade of غصونهits branches
هُوَ السِّيفُ إِن أصداه ظل غصونه
تولىundertook شعاعthe rays of الشمسthe sun صقلpolishing away صديهits rust
تولى شعاع الشمس صقل صديه
It is a sword: if its branches' shade should rust it,
The sun's rays undertake to polish away its rust.
وَساقٍand a cupbearer لَهُhe has وَجْهٌa face وَكَأْسٌand a cup تقارنَاthe two came together
وَساقٍ لَهُ وَجْهٌ وَكَأْسٌ تقارنَا
فَسقَّاكَso he gave you drink شَمْسِيَّاًsunlike wine عَلىupon قَمَرِّيهِhis moonlike face
فَسقَّاكَ شَمْسِيَّاً عَلى قَمَرِّيهِ
And a cupbearer, whose face and cup came together,
Served you a sun upon his moonlike face.
وَأطْلَعَand made rise شَمْسَthe sun of الطَّاسِthe bowl عِنْدَat ابْتِكارِهاdrinking it at dawn
وَأطْلَعَ شَمْسَ الطَّاسِ عِنْدَ ابْتِكارِها
وَشَعْشَعَand made sparkle نَجْمَthe star of الكَأْسِthe cup عِندَat عَشِيّهِhis evening
وَشَعْشَعَ نَجْمَ الكَأْسِ عِندَ عَشِيّهِ
He raised the bowl's sun at the morning draught,
And made the cup's star sparkle at his evening hour.
سَقَىhe gave drink to الرَّاحِthe wine مِثْلَthe like of الرَّاحِwine مِنْfrom رِيقِthe saliva of ثَغْرِهِhis mouth
سَقَى الرَّاحِ مِثْلَ الرَّاحِ مِنْ رِيقِ ثَغْرِهِ
وَأَيْنَand how compare حَبابُthe bubbles of الرَّاحَwine مِنwith لُؤْلُؤِيِّهِhis pearls
وَأَيْنَ حَبابُ الرَّاحَ مِن لُؤْلُؤِيِّهِ
He gave the wine its like to drink from the moisture of his mouth;
But what are wine's bubbles beside his pearls?
حَدَدْتُI punished لَمىthe dusky tint of فِيهِhis mouth ثَمانينَeighty قُبْلَةًkisses
حَدَدْتُ لَمى فِيهِ ثَمانينَ قُبْلَةً
لأِنّيbecause I شَمَمْتُsmelled الْخَمْرwine مِنْfrom عَنْبَرِيَّهِhis ambergris scent
لأِنّي شَمَمْتُ الْخَمْر مِنْ عَنْبَرِيَّهِ
I sentenced his dusky lips to eighty kisses,
For I smelled wine in his ambergris-scented breath.
وَلِلْحُسْنِand beauty has مَعْنىًa meaning واضِحٌplain مِنْfrom جَبينِهِhis brow
وَلِلْحُسْنِ مَعْنىً واضِحٌ مِنْ جَبينِهِ
وَفِيand in خَصْرِهِhis waist مَعْنىًa meaning دَقِيقُfine خَفِيّهِits hidden sense
وَفِي خَصْرِهِ مَعْنىً دَقِيقُ خَفِيّهِ
Beauty has a meaning plain upon his brow,
And in his waist a meaning delicate and hidden.
إِذْاif ماever جَنتْcommitted an offense جَفْناهُhis two eyelids قاصَصْتُI took retribution on خَدَّهُhis cheek
إِذْا ما جَنتْ جَفْناهُ قاصَصْتُ خَدَّهُ
فَلاfor there is no بُرْءَcure ليfor me إلاَّexcept بِلَثْمِthrough kissing بَرِيِّهhis innocent cheek
فَلا بُرْءَ لي إلاَّ بِلَثْمِ بَرِيِّه
Whenever his eyelids sinned, I exacted vengeance on his cheek;
For I have no cure except to kiss his innocent cheek.
لَهُhe has وَجْنَةٌa cheek بَلْrather جَنَّةٌa garden دَبَّcrept فَوْقَهاover it
لَهُ وَجْنَةٌ بَلْ جَنَّةٌ دَبَّ فَوْقَها
عِذارٌcheek-down رَبيعُa springtime for العَيْنِthe eye فِيin سُنْدُسِيَّهِits silk
عِذارٌ رَبيعُ العَيْنِ فِي سُنْدُسِيَّهِ
He has a cheek—a garden, rather—across which crept
A line of down, springtime for the eye in its silk.
بِوَجْهٍwith a face بَهِيِّsplendid الْمُجْتَلَىto behold قَمَرِيِّهِits moonlike radiance
بِوَجْهٍ بَهِيِّ الْمُجْتَلَى قَمَرِيِّهِ
وَثَغْرٍand a mouth شَهّيِdelicious الْمُجْتَنىto harvest سُكَّرِيِّهِits sugary sweetness
وَثَغْرٍ شَهّيِ الْمُجْتَنى سُكَّرِيِّهِ
With a face splendid to behold in its moonlike radiance,
And a mouth of delectable harvest, sugary-sweet.
أَياO يُوسُفِيَّJoseph-like in الْحُسْنِbeauty لَوْلاَكَbut for you لَمْnot يَهُنْbe humbled
أَيا يُوسُفِيَّ الْحُسْنِ لَوْلاَكَ لَمْ يَهُنْ
فَتىًa youth مُوسَوِيُّMusawi in الْمُنْتَمَىaffiliation أشْرَفِيُّهُAshrafi in his affiliation
فَتىً مُوسَوِيُّ الْمُنْتَمَى أشْرَفِيُّهُ
O you of Joseph's beauty, but for you, never would be humbled
A youth of Musawi allegiance, an Ashrafi.
مَليكٌa king لِشَمْلِfor the unity of الْحَمْدِpraise وَالْمُلْكِand sovereignty جامِعٌone who gathers
مَليكٌ لِشَمْلِ الْحَمْدِ وَالْمُلْكِ جامِعٌ
بِتَدْبيرِthrough the counsel of وَقَّادِblazing الذّكاintelligence أَرْوَعِيِّهِhis keen sagacity
بِتَدْبيرِ وَقَّادِ الذّكا أَرْوَعِيِّهِ
A king who brings praise and sovereignty together,
Through the counsel of his blazing wit and keen sagacity.
لَهُhe has خُلُقٌa character يُرْضِيthat pleases الإِلهGod وَخَلْقَهُand His creation
لَهُ خُلُقٌ يُرْضِي الإِله وَخَلْقَهُ
فَلاso no ساخِطٌdiscontented person فِيin أرْضِهِhis land عَنْwith رِضِيِّهِhis gracious ways
فَلا ساخِطٌ فِي أرْضِهِ عَنْ رِضِيِّهِ
His character pleases God and His creation,
So none in his land resents his gracious ways.
لَهُhe has رَوْنَقُthe gleam of السَّيْفِthe sword الصَّقيلِpolished وَفِعْلُهُand its force
لَهُ رَوْنَقُ السَّيْفِ الصَّقيلِ وَفِعْلُهُ
وَأَيْنَand how compare ظُباهُits cutting edges مِنْwith مَضاءٍthe keenness of مُضِيِّهِhis advance
وَأَيْنَ ظُباهُ مِنْ مَضاءٍ مُضِيِّهِ
He has the gleam and force of a polished sword;
But what are its edges beside the keenness of his advance?
إِذْاif ماever سَرَتْtravelled by night فِيin لَيْلِa night of نَقْعٍbattle-dust جيادُهُhis steeds
إِذْا ما سَرَتْ فِي لَيْلِ نَقْعٍ جيادُهُ
حَمِدْناwe praised بِصُبْحِat the dawn of النَّصْرِvictory مَسْرىthe night march of سَرِيِّهِhis noble self
حَمِدْنا بِصُبْحِ النَّصْرِ مَسْرى سَرِيِّهِ
Whenever his steeds rode through a night of battle-dust,
At victory's dawn we praised his noble night march.
فَنَظْمُso the stringing of الكُلَىkidneys بِالطَّعْنِwith spear-thrusts يُرْويis recounted لِرُمْحِهِof his spear
فَنَظْمُ الكُلَى بِالطَّعْنِ يُرْوي لِرُمْحِهِ
وَنَثْرُand the scattering of الطُّلَىnecks بِالضَّرْبِwith blows عَنْfrom مَشْرَفِيَّهِhis Mashrafi sword
وَنَثْرُ الطُّلَى بِالضَّرْبِ عَنْ مَشْرَفِيَّهِ
So the stringing of kidneys with thrusts is ascribed to his spear,
And the scattering of necks with blows to his Mashrafi sword.
فَكَمْand how often فَلَقَتْcleft حَمْلاتُهُhis charges بَحْرَthe sea of جَحْفَلٍa mighty host
فَكَمْ فَلَقَتْ حَمْلاتُهُ بَحْرَ جَحْفَلٍ
وَلَيْسَand is not عَصاthe staff of موسىMoses سِوىother than سَمْهَريِّهِhis Samhari spear
وَلَيْسَ عَصا موسى سِوى سَمْهَريِّهِ
How often his charges have split a mighty host's sea!
And Moses' staff is none other than his Samhari spear.
كَريمٌgenerous لَوَif أنَّthat الْغَيْثَthe rain طَلْقٌopen and cheerful كَوَجْهِهِlike his face
كَريمٌ لَوَ أنَّ الْغَيْثَ طَلْقٌ كَوَجْهِهِ
لأَغْنىwould surely enrich الْوَرىhumankind وَسْمِيُّهits autumn rain عَنْbeyond need of وَلِيِّهِits later rain
لأَغْنى الْوَرى وَسْمِيُّه عَنْ وَلِيِّهِ
Generous—were the rain as gracious as his face,
Its autumn showers would enrich mankind beyond need of later rain.
بِثَغْرِat the frontier of خِلاَطٍKhilat غُلَّةٌburning thirst بَعْدَafter بُعْدِهِhis departure
بِثَغْرِ خِلاَطٍ غُلَّةٌ بَعْدَ بُعْدِهِ
وَإنْand if هُوَhe يَوْماًone day عادَreturns عادَhe returns بِرِيِّهِwith its thirst's relief
وَإنْ هُوَ يَوْماً عادَ عادَ بِرِيِّهِ
The frontier town of Khilat has thirsted since his departure;
And if one day he returns, he returns to slake its thirst.
وَسُكَّانُهُand its inhabitants كالرَّوْضِlike a garden فِيin خِلَعِrobes of honor الرّضىfavor
وَسُكَّانُهُ كالرَّوْضِ فِي خِلَعِ الرّضى
فَهُمso they فِيin مَريِّthe wholesomeness of الْعَيْشِlife أَوor فِيin هَنِيِّهِits pleasantness
فَهُم فِي مَريِّ الْعَيْشِ أَو فِي هَنِيِّهِ
And its people are like a garden, robed in favor;
So they live in wholesome ease, or in life's sweet delight.
Sol 6.1