مِحْبَرَةٌan inkwell جَادَgenerously gave لِيto me بِهَاwith it قَمَرٌa moon
مِحْبَرَةٌ جَادَ لِي بِهَا قَمَرٌ
مُسْتَحْسَنُadmired الخَلْقِthe physical form مُرْتَضَىapproved الحُلُقِthe character (apparently intended reading)
مُسْتَحْسَنُ الخَلْقِ مُرْتَضَى الحُلُقِ
An inkwell a moon generously bestowed on me,
A pen gifted to me by a gracious moon
lovely in form and pleasing in character.
Of beautiful creation and pleasing voice
جَوْهَرَةٌa jewel خَصَّنِيsingled me out بِجَوْهَرَةٍwith a jewel
جَوْهَرَةٌ خَصَّنِي بِجَوْهَرَةٍ
نَاطَتْhung بِهِthrough him المَكْرُمَاتُgenerous favors فِيin عُنُقِيmy neck
نَاطَتْ بِهِ المَكْرُمَاتُ فِي عُنُقِي
A jewel singled me out with a jewel;
A jewel that adorned me with a jewel
through him, generous favors hung about my neck.
Honors draped around my neck
بَيْضَاءُwhite وَالْحِبْرُand the ink فِيin قَرَارَتِهَاits depths
بَيْضَاءُ وَالْحِبْرُ فِي قَرَارَتِهَا
أَسْوَدُblack كَالْمِسْكِlike musk جِدُّextremely مُنْعَبِقِfragrant
أَسْوَدُ كَالْمِسْكِ جِدُّ مُنْعَبِقِ
White, while the ink in its depths
White, while ink within its reservoir
is black as musk, intensely fragrant.
Black as musk, intense in fragrance
مِثْلُlike بَيَاضِthe whiteness of العُيُونِthe eyes زَيَّنَهُadorned it
مِثْلُ بَيَاضِ العُيُونِ زَيَّنَهُ
مُسْوَدُّthe dark part of مَاthat which شَابَهُmingled with it مِنَof الحَدَقِthe pupils
مُسْوَدُّ مَا شَابَهُ مِنَ الحَدَقِ
Like the whiteness of eyes, adorned
Like the whiteness of eyes, adorned with
by the darkness of the pupils mingled with it.
Darkness of saturated pupils
كَأَنَّمَاas though حِبْرُهَاits ink إِذَاwhen نَثَرَتْscattered
كَأَنَّمَا حِبْرُهَا إِذَا نَثَرَتْ
أَقْلاَمُنَاour pens طَلَّهُits dew عَلَىupon الوَرَقِthe paper
أَقْلاَمُنَا طَلَّهُ عَلَى الوَرَقِ
Its ink seems, when
As if its ink, when scattered
our pens scatter its dew upon the paper,
Our pens drawing it on paper
كُحْلٌkohl مَرَتْهُdrew it out الدُّمُوعُthe tears مِنْfrom مُقَلٍeyes
كُحْلٌ مَرَتْهُ الدُّمُوعُ مِنْ مُقَلٍ
نُجْلٍwide فَأَوْفَتْthen rose بِهِwith it عَلَىonto يَقَقِpure whiteness
نُجْلٍ فَأَوْفَتْ بِهِ عَلَى يَقَقِ
like kohl drawn by tears from eyes
Kohl diluted with tears from an applicator
wide, then borne by them onto pure whiteness.
Twilight, thus completing it on the eyelids
خَرْسَاءُmute لَكِنَّهَاbut it تَكُونُis لَنَاfor us
خَرْسَاءُ لَكِنَّهَا تَكُونُ لَنَا
عَوْنَاًan aid عَلَىin عِلْمِlearning أَفْصَحِthe most eloquent النُّطُقِspeech
عَوْنَاً عَلَى عِلْمِ أَفْصَحِ النُّطُقِ
Mute, yet it is for us
Voiceless, but it will be for us
an aid in learning the most eloquent speech.
An aid in mastering the most eloquent speech
Sol 6.1