لَنَاours عَلَىon دِجْلَةَthe Tigris نَخْلٌdate palms مُنْتَخَلْchoice
لَنَا عَلَى دِجْلَةَ نَخْلٌ مُنْتَخَلْ
نُسْلِفُهُwe lend it مَاءًwater وَيَقْضِيْنَاand it repays us عَسَلْhoney
نُسْلِفُهُ مَاءً وَيَقْضِيْنَا عَسَلْ
We have, upon the Tigris, a grove of choice palms.
We have choice date palms upon the Tigris.
We lend it water, and it repays us with honey.
We lend them water, and they repay us with honey.
مُسَطَّرٌarranged in rows عَلَىwith قَوَامٍa stature مُعْتَدِلْbalanced
مُسَطَّرٌ عَلَى قَوَامٍ مُعْتَدِلْ
لَمْnot يَنْحَرِفْstrayed عَنْfrom سَطْرِهِits row وَلَمْand not يَمِلْleaned
لَمْ يَنْحَرِفْ عَنْ سَطْرِهِ وَلَمْ يَمِلْ
Ranked in lines, of evenly balanced stature,
Arranged in rows, with an even, upright stature,
never straying from its row, never leaning.
They have not strayed from their line or leaned.
ذُوpossessing قَدَرٍmeasure فَلاَso not عَلاَwas high وَلاَand not سَفُلْwas low
ذُو قَدَرٍ فَلاَ عَلاَ وَلاَ سَفُلْ
يُسْقَىis watered بِمَاءٍwith water وَهْوَand it is شَتَّىdiverse فِيin الأُكُلْfruit
يُسْقَى بِمَاءٍ وَهْوَ شَتَّى فِي الأُكُلْ
Of measured height: it neither rose high nor sank low.
Of measured height, neither too tall nor too low,
Watered by one water, yet diverse in fruit.
Watered with water, yet varied in their fruit.
كَأَنَّمَاas though أَعْذَاقُهُits fruit clusters إِذَاwhen حَمَلْit bears fruit
كَأَنَّمَا أَعْذَاقُهُ إِذَا حَمَلْ
غَدَائِرٌtresses مِنْof شَعَرٍhair وَحْفٍthick رَجِلْwavy
غَدَائِرٌ مِنْ شَعَرٍ وَحْفٍ رَجِلْ
When it bears, its clusters seem
As though their clusters, when they bear fruit,
braids of thick, cascading hair.
Were tresses of thick, wavy hair.
وَفِيْهِand in it عُمْرِيٌّʿUmrī dates كَعُمْرٍlike a lifetime مُتَّصِلْunbroken
وَفِيْهِ عُمْرِيٌّ كَعُمْرٍ مُتَّصِلْ
فِيin لَوْنِthe color of دَاءِthe sickness of العِشْقِlove لاَnot دَاءِthe sickness of العِلَلْailments
فِي لَوْنِ دَاءِ العِشْقِ لاَ دَاءِ العِلَلْ
Among them is the ʿUmrī, like a life prolonged,
Among them is the ʿUmrī date, like an unbroken life,
colored by love’s malady, not by bodily illnesses;
In the hue of lovesickness, not bodily illness.
كَالذَّهَبِlike gold الإِبْرِيْزِpure لَوْنَاًin color وَمَحَلْand rank
كَالذَّهَبِ الإِبْرِيْزِ لَوْنَاً وَمَحَلْ
يُجَمِّشُwoos الخَوْدَthe maiden بِهِwith it الصَّبُّthe lovesick lover الغَزِلْamorous
يُجَمِّشُ الخَوْدَ بِهِ الصَّبُّ الغَزِلْ
like purest gold in color and in worth.
Like pure gold in color and worth,
With it the impassioned lover scratches the maiden.
With it the amorous lover woos the maiden.
لَوif نَظَمَتْهُshe strung it البِكْرُthe virgin عِقْدَاًas a necklace لاَحْتَمَلْit would bear it
لَو نَظَمَتْهُ البِكْرُ عِقْدَاً لاَحْتَمَلْ
وَفَاقَand would surpass عِقْدَa necklace الدُّرِّof pearls حُسْنَاًin beauty وَفَضَلْand would excel
وَفَاقَ عِقْدَ الدُّرِّ حُسْنَاً وَفَضَلْ
Were a maiden to string it as a necklace, it would serve,
If a maiden strung it as a necklace, it would serve,
and surpass a necklace of pearls in beauty and worth.
And surpass a pearl necklace in beauty and excel.
يُمَلُّis wearied of إِدْرَاكُattainment المُنَىwishes وَلاُbut not يُمَلْis wearied of
يُمَلُّ إِدْرَاكُ المُنَى وَلاُ يُمَلْ
وَخِيْسُوَانٍand Khīsuwān dates طَعْمُهُits taste يَشْفِيquenches الغُلَلْburning thirst
وَخِيْسُوَانٍ طَعْمُهُ يَشْفِي الغُلَلْ
Fulfilled desires may pall; it never does.
Fulfilled wishes grow tiresome, but this fruit never does.
And the Khaysuwān—its taste cures burning thirst,
And Khīsuwān, whose taste quenches burning thirst,
كَأَنَّهُas though it أَطْرَافُfingertips رَبَّاتِfemale wearers of الحَجَلْanklets
كَأَنَّهُ أَطْرَافُ رَبَّاتِ الحَجَلْ
لَمْnot يَنْدَرِسْhas worn away خِضَابُهَاtheir henna وَلاَnor نَصَلْfaded
لَمْ يَنْدَرِسْ خِضَابُهَا وَلاَ نَصَلْ
as though it were the fingertips of ankleted ladies,
As though it were the fingertips of anklet-wearing ladies,
their henna neither worn away nor faded,
Whose henna has neither worn away nor faded.
يُومِيْنَthey gesture بِالتَّسْلِيْمِin greeting إِيْمَاءًa gesture بِدَلْwith coquetry
يُومِيْنَ بِالتَّسْلِيْمِ إِيْمَاءً بِدَلْ
كَاَنَّas though فِيin أَعْذَاقِهِits fruit clusters مِثْلَthe likeness of الشُّعَلْflames
كَاَنَّ فِي أَعْذَاقِهِ مِثْلَ الشُّعَلْ
beckoning a greeting with coquettish gestures.
They gesture a greeting with coy grace.
As though flames were burning among its clusters:
As though its clusters held the likeness of flames.
مَاnot زَالَhas ceased فِيin الأَفْيَاءِthe shade يُغْذَىis nourished وَيُعَلْand is watered again
مَا زَالَ فِي الأَفْيَاءِ يُغْذَى وَيُعَلْ
يُشْمَسُis sunned أَحْيَانَاًsometimes وَأَحْيَانَاًand sometimes يُطَلْis moistened with dew
يُشْمَسُ أَحْيَانَاً وَأَحْيَانَاً يُطَلْ
in the shade it is nourished and given drink;
It has ever been nourished in the shade and watered anew,
now exposed to the sun, now bathed in dew;
Sunned at times, and at times moistened with dew.
وَيَكْتَسِيand it clothes itself مِنْfrom صِيْغَةِthe fashioning of البَدْرِthe full moon حُلَلْrobes
وَيَكْتَسِي مِنْ صِيْغَةِ البَدْرِ حُلَلْ
كَأَنَّهَاas though they فِيon الخَدَّthe cheek تَلْوِيْنَthe coloring of الخَجَلْbashfulness
كَأَنَّهَا فِي الخَدَّ تَلْوِيْنَ الخَجَلْ
and it dons robes wrought by the full moon,
And it dons robes of the full moon's fashioning,
like blush laying its color upon a cheek.
Like a bashful blush coloring a cheek.
وَعَظُمَand grew large الأَزَاذُthe Āzādh dates فِيْهِin it وَنَبُلْand grew fine
وَعَظُمَ الأَزَاذُ فِيْهِ وَنَبُلْ
فَأَمْتَعَthus delighted الأَفْوَاهَmouths مِنْهُfrom it وَالمُقَلْand eyes
فَأَمْتَعَ الأَفْوَاهَ مِنْهُ وَالمُقَلْ
The Āzādh among them grew great and noble,
And the Āzādh there grew large and fine,
delighting mouths and eyes alike.
Thus delighting mouths and eyes.
فِيin هَذِهِthese لَذَّةٌpleasure وَفِيand in هَاتِيْكَthose جَلْsplendor
فِي هَذِهِ لَذَّةٌ وَفِي هَاتِيْكَ جَلْ
مِثْلlike أَنَابِيْبِjointed segments قَنَاspear-shafts الخَطِّal-Khaṭṭ الذُّبُلْslender
مِثْل أَنَابِيْبِ قَنَا الخَطِّ الذُّبُلْ
In this is delight; in that, majesty.
In these is pleasure, and in those, splendor.
Like the hollow shafts of al-Khatt’s slender spears.
Like the jointed lengths of slender Khaṭṭ spears,
لَوْلاَwere it not for النَّوَىthe date stones يُمْسِكُholds together مِنْهُof it لَهَطَلْit would pour like rain
لَوْلاَ النَّوَى يُمْسِكُ مِنْهُ لَهَطَلْ
تَعَاقَبَتْهُfollowed one another over it غُدُوَاتٌmornings وَأُصُلْand evenings
تَعَاقَبَتْهُ غُدُوَاتٌ وَأُصُلْ
Were its stone not there to hold it together, it would stream away.
But for the stones holding it firm, it would pour like rain.
Mornings and late afternoons passed over it in succession,
Mornings and evenings passed over it in turn,
وَجَادَهُand drenched it generously مَاءٌwater مَعِيْنٌflowing وَسَبَلْand rainfall
وَجَادَهُ مَاءٌ مَعِيْنٌ وَسَبَلْ
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen قِيْلَit was said تَنَاهَىit reached its limit وَكَمَلْand became perfect
حَتَّى إِذَا قِيْلَ تَنَاهَى وَكَمَلْ
while running water and rainshowers poured generously upon it,
And flowing water and rainfall drenched it generously.
until, when it was said to have reached its utmost and become complete,
Until, when it was said, 'It is fully grown and perfect,'
جَاءَcame بِهِwith it الخَارِفُthe date-picker مُنْزُورٌscantily rewarded جَذِلْjoyful
جَاءَ بِهِ الخَارِفُ مُنْزُورٌ جَذِلْ
مُحْتَفِلاًcelebrating أَحْبِبْhow dear! بِهِit is مِنْas مُحْتَفَلْa thing celebrated
مُحْتَفِلاً أَحْبِبْ بِهِ مِنْ مُحْتَفَلْ
the date-gatherer brought it, lean and jubilant,
The date-picker brought it, scantily rewarded and glad,
in festive array—what a splendid celebration!
Celebrating—how dear a thing to celebrate!
فِيin سَاعَةٍan hour أَطْيَبَmore pleasant مِنْthan نَيْلِattaining الأَمَلْhope
فِي سَاعَةٍ أَطْيَبَ مِنْ نَيْلِ الأَمَلْ
حَتَّىuntil مَضَىpassed on جَيْشُthe army of الشَّبَابِyouth فَرَحَلْthen departed
حَتَّى مَضَى جَيْشُ الشَّبَابِ فَرَحَلْ
at an hour sweeter than hope fulfilled,
At an hour sweeter than attaining one's hope.
until the army of youth passed by and departed,
Until the army of youth passed on and departed,
وَأَقْبَلَand approached الصُّبْحُmorning مُنِيْرَاًradiant فَنَزَلْthen settled
وَأَقْبَلَ الصُّبْحُ مُنِيْرَاً فَنَزَلْ
وَخَصِرَand grew cold المَلْمَسُthe touch فِيْهِin it أَوْor ذَبَلْwithered
وَخَصِرَ المَلْمَسُ فِيْهِ أَوْ ذَبَلْ
and radiant dawn approached and alighted.
And radiant morning approached and settled in,
Its touch grew cool—or it withered—
And it grew cold to the touch, or withered,
وَشَمِلَand enveloped الرُّوحَthe spirit وَمَاand not كَانَhad شَمِلْenveloped
وَشَمِلَ الرُّوحَ وَمَا كَانَ شَمِلْ
فَأَيُّمَاso what ضَيْفٍguest وَجَارٍand neighbor لِمْdid not يَنَلْreceive
فَأَيُّمَا ضَيْفٍ وَجَارٍ لِمْ يَنَلْ
and it encompassed the spirit and all it had not encompassed.
And enveloped the spirit as it had not before.
What guest or neighbor failed to receive
So what guest or neighbor did not partake
مِنْهُof it وَكَانَand was الزَّادُthe provisions عِنْدِيwith me مُبْتَذَلْfreely available
مِنْهُ وَكَانَ الزَّادُ عِنْدِي مُبْتَذَلْ
some of it, when my provisions were freely offered?
Of it, when my provisions were freely offered?
Sol 6.1