تَأَوَّدَتْshe swayed كَالغُصُنِlike the branch الأمْلَدِsupple
تَأَوَّدَتْ كَالغُصُنِ الأمْلَدِ
وَابْتَسَمَتْand she smiled عَنْrevealing نَوْرِblossom ثَغْرٍa mouth نَدِيdewy
وَابْتَسَمَتْ عَنْ نَوْرِ ثَغْرٍ نَدِي
She swayed like a supple branch,
She swayed like a supple branch,
And smiled, revealing the blossom of a dewy mouth.
And smiled, revealing a radiant mouth.
وَانْتَقَبَتْand she veiled her face بِالصُّبْحِwith dawn لكِنَّهاbut she
وَانْتَقَبَتْ بِالصُّبْحِ لكِنَّها
تَقَنَّعَتْshe covered her head بِالجِنْدِسِwith brocade الأَسْوَدِblack
تَقَنَّعَتْ بِالجِنْدِسِ الأَسْوَدِ
And veiled her face in dawn, yet
At dawn she was adorned, yet
Covered her head with black brocade.
Content with a simple black gown.
بَيْضاءُfair-skinned كَحْلاءُnaturally dark-eyed لَهاshe has ناظِرٌan eye
بَيْضاءُ كَحْلاءُ لَها ناظِرٌ
مُنَزَّهٌunsullied عَنْby لَوْثَةِthe stain of المِرْوَدِthe kohl-stick
مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ لَوْثَةِ المِرْوَدِ
Fair and naturally dark-eyed, her eyes are
Fair like a brunette, her gaze
Untouched by the stain of a kohl-stick.
Is pure, unsullied by wantonness.
مِنْbecause of ثَغْرِهاher mouth الوَضَّاحِradiant أَوْor خَدِّهاher cheek
مِنْ ثَغْرِها الوَضَّاحِ أَوْ خَدِّها
وَاخَجْلَةَoh, the shame of الجَوْهَرِjewels وَالعَسْجَدِand gold
وَاخَجْلَةَ الجَوْهَرِ وَالعَسْجَدِ
Before her radiant mouth or her cheek—
Whether it's her cheek or lips that enchant,
Oh, the shame of jewels and gold!
Or her shy pearl-like teeth,
تَرْتَجُّshe quivers كَالجَدْوَلِlike a stream مِنْfrom رِقَّةٍdelicacy
تَرْتَجُّ كَالجَدْوَلِ مِنْ رِقَّةٍ
وَقَلْبُهاand her heart أَقْسَىharder مِنَthan الجَلْمَدِsolid rock
وَقَلْبُها أَقْسَى مِنَ الجَلْمَدِ
In her delicacy, she quivers like a stream,
She quivers like a gentle stream,
And her heart is harder than solid rock.
Though her heart is harder than stone.
أَصْبَحَhas become فِيْهَاconcerning her عاذِليْmy reproacher عاذِرِيْone who excuses me
أَصْبَحَ فِيْهَا عاذِليْ عاذِرِيْ
وَمَلَّand grew weary مِنْof طُولِthe length of الضَّنَىwasting illness عُوَّدِيmy sickbed visitors
وَمَلَّ مِنْ طُولِ الضَّنَى عُوَّدِي
On her account, my reproacher now excuses me,
My reproacher became my defender,
And my sickbed visitors have tired of my long wasting illness.
Weary of prolonged grief.
كَمْhow many لَيْلَةٍa night أَحْيَيْتُهَاI kept vigil through it كُلَّمَاwhenever
كَمْ لَيْلَةٍ أَحْيَيْتُهَا كُلَّمَا
قُلْتُI said انْتَهَتْit ended فِيin طُولِهاits length تَبْتَدِيit begins
قُلْتُ انْتَهَتْ فِي طُولِها تَبْتَدِي
How many a night I have kept vigil through—whenever
How many nights I've spent awake!
I said it had ended, it began again in all its length.
Each time I say it's over, it starts again.
قَالَsaid دُجاهاits darkness لَجُفونِيto my eyelids لَقَدindeed
قَالَ دُجاها لَجُفونِي لَقَد
شَغَلْتِyou have distracted عَنِّيfrom me فَرْقَدِيmy Farqad star فَارْقُدِيso sleep
شَغَلْتِ عَنِّي فَرْقَدِي فَارْقُدِي
Its darkness said to my eyelids, 'Indeed,
Sleep said to my eyelids, truly
You have distracted my Farqad from me—so sleep.'
You've distracted me, now rest.
جارِيَةٌa slave girl شَتَّتَscattered شَمْلِيmy unity بِهَاthrough her
جارِيَةٌ شَتَّتَ شَمْلِي بِهَا
صَرْفُthe vicissitudes of الزَّمانِTime الجَائِرِunjust المُعْتَدِيoppressive
صَرْفُ الزَّمانِ الجَائِرِ المُعْتَدِي
A slave girl—through her my life was torn apart
A girl who scattered my union with her,
By the vicissitudes of unjust, oppressive Time.
As cruel time broke faith.
تَمْلِكshe owns رِقَّيْmy bondage بِهَواهاthrough love of her وَلَوْand if
تَمْلِك رِقَّيْ بِهَواها وَلَوْ
يَشاءُhe wishes موسىMusa مَلَكَتْهَاwould own her يَدِيmy hand
يَشاءُ موسى مَلَكَتْهَا يَدِي
She holds me enslaved through my love for her; yet if
She reigns over my soul though she wishes,
Musa wished, my hand would own her.
Even if Moses held sway.
المَلْكُthe king الأَشْرَفُal-Ashraf شَاهَShah ارْمَنٍArmenia
المَلْكُ الأَشْرَفُ شَاهَ ارْمَنٍ
رَبُّlord of المَعالِيhigh honors وَالنَّدَىand generosity وَالنَّدِيand the council
رَبُّ المَعالِي وَالنَّدَى وَالنَّدِي
King al-Ashraf, Shah of Armenia,
The most noble king, Shah of Armin,
Lord of high honors, bounty, and the council.
Lord of glory, dew and brooks.
كَعْبَةُa Kaaba of إِحْسانٍkindness نَدىthe bounty of كَفِّهِhis palm الْthe
كَعْبَةُ إِحْسانٍ نَدى كَفِّهِ الْ
بَيْضاءِwhite مِثْلُlike الحَجَرِthe stone الأسْوَدِblack
بَيْضاءِ مِثْلُ الحَجَرِ الأسْوَدِ
A Kaaba of kindness: the bounty of his
Like the Kaaba of kindness, the pure
White hand is like the Black Stone.
Dew of his palm, black as the Black Stone.
يَزْدَحِمْthrong النَّاسُthe people عَلىfor لَثْمِهاkissing it
يَزْدَحِمْ النَّاسُ عَلى لَثْمِها
كَالإِبِلِlike camels الهِيْمِthirst-maddened عَلىat المَوْرِدِthe watering place
كَالإِبِلِ الهِيْمِ عَلى المَوْرِدِ
People throng to kiss it,
People throng to kiss it,
Like thirst-maddened camels at the watering place.
Like camels flocking to water.
بَدَّاهَةٌever prompt بِالجُودِin generosity ماnot شانَهَاmarred it
بَدَّاهَةٌ بِالجُودِ ما شانَهَا
رَوِيَّةُdeliberation التَّقْصِيرِfalling short فِيin المَوْعِدِthe promise
رَوِيَّةُ التَّقْصِيرِ فِي المَوْعِدِ
Prompt in generosity, never marred
Quick to be generous, she is never
By deliberation over falling short of a promise.
Late in keeping appointments.
الصَّدْرُthe foremost يَوْمَon the day of العَدْلِjustice فِيin مَجْلِسٍan assembly
الصَّدْرُ يَوْمَ العَدْلِ فِي مَجْلِسٍ
وَالقَلْبُand the heart يَوْمَon the day of القَسْطَلِbattle-dust الأَرْبَدِdark-gray
وَالقَلْبُ يَوْمَ القَسْطَلِ الأَرْبَدِ
Foremost in council on the day of justice,
In gatherings she is just,
And the heart on the day of dark-gray battle-dust.
In solitude, she is wise and resolute,
فَلَيسَso it is not صَدْرُthe seat of honor الدَّسْتِthe royal council أَوْلَىmore fitting بِهِfor him
فَلَيسَ صَدْرُ الدَّسْتِ أَوْلَى بِهِ
مِنthan ظَهْرِthe back of مَحْبوكِfirmly knit القَراthe back أَجْرَدِa sleek-coated steed
مِن ظَهْرِ مَحْبوكِ القَرا أَجْرَدِ
So the council's seat of honor is no fitter for him
Neither is her heart more suited
Than the back of a firm-backed, sleek-coated steed.
To the palm's surface than the bare back.
فِيin نَغمِthe music of البِيضِbright swords لَهُfor him شاغِلٌa distraction
فِي نَغمِ البِيضِ لَهُ شاغِلٌ
عَنfrom نَغَماتِthe melodies of البِيضِfair women عَنfrom مَعْبَدِMa'bad
عَن نَغَماتِ البِيضِ عَن مَعْبَدِ
In the music of bright blades he finds distraction
Notes of the lute distract him
From fair women's melodies from Ma'bad.
From the temple's own melodies.
لَّماwhen سَقَىhe watered السُّمرَthe tawny spears دَماًblood سَنْبَلَتْthey bore ears of grain
لَّما سَقَى السُّمرَ دَماً سَنْبَلَتْ
هاماًheads بِغَيْرِby anything other than السَّيْفِthe sword لَمnot تُحْصَدِwere reaped
هاماً بِغَيْرِ السَّيْفِ لَم تُحْصَدِ
When he watered the tawny spears with blood, they bore ears of grain—
When the wine wet his lips like blood,
Heads reaped by nothing but the sword.
Passion flowered without the sword's reaping.
بِالرَّأْيِwith judgment وَالرَّاياتِand banners يَغْزُوhe campaigns against الْعِدَىthe foes
بِالرَّأْيِ وَالرَّاياتِ يَغْزُو الْعِدَى
فَهْيَso they بِغَيْرِwithout النَّصْرِvictory لَمْnot تُعْقَدِwere bound
فَهْيَ بِغَيْرِ النَّصْرِ لَمْ تُعْقَدِ
With judgment and banners he campaigns against the foes,
With reason and standards he wages war on enemies,
For they have never been raised without victory.
Yet no victory is won without them.
أَناI الَّذِيthe one whose خَاطِرُهُhis mind جَنَّةٌa garden
أَنا الَّذِي خَاطِرُهُ جَنَّةٌ
لَكِنَّهbut it نارٌfire عَلىagainst المُعْتَدِيthe aggressor
لَكِنَّه نارٌ عَلى المُعْتَدِي
I am the one whose mind is a garden,
I am one whose ambition is paradise,
But it is fire against the aggressor.
Yet for the unjust it is fire.
لِيْI have ذَهَبُthe gold of الشِّعرِpoetry الَّذِيwhich كُلَّماwhenever
لِيْ ذَهَبُ الشِّعرِ الَّذِي كُلَّما
قُلِّبِit is turned فِيin نِيرانِهِمْtheir fires يِزْدَدِit increases
قُلِّبِ فِي نِيرانِهِمْ يِزْدَدِ
Mine is the gold of poetry, which, whenever
Let my poetry increase, which whenever
It is turned in their fires, grows greater.
Tossed into their flames, grows evermore.
وَلَيْسَand there is no لِيْfor me فَضْلٌmerit سِوَىexcept أَنَّنِيthat I
وَلَيْسَ لِيْ فَضْلٌ سِوَى أَنَّنِي
أَنْظِمُI compose in verse ماwhat موسىMusa بِهِwith it يَبْتَدِيhe begins
أَنْظِمُ ما موسى بِهِ يَبْتَدِي
And I have no merit except that I
I have no merit except that
Set in verse what Musa initiates.
I compose what Moses began.
Sol 6.1