رَوَتit recounted لناto us عَنabout قَديمancient times الاعصرthe ages الأُولِthe earliest
رَوَت لنا عَن قَديم الاعصر الأُولِ
وَالحسنُand the beauty فيهاin it جَديدٌfresh غيرُnot منَتحلِborrowed
وَالحسنُ فيها جَديدٌ غيرُ منَتحلِ
It sets before us a tale of the earliest age,
It told us of the earliest ages long past,
yet its beauty is fresh, not handed down.
And its beauty is fresh, not borrowed.
روايةٌa tale يَشغَلengrosses الأَبصارَthe eyes زُخرُفهاits adornment
روايةٌ يَشغَل الأَبصارَ زُخرُفها
لكنَّbut راحتهاtheir rest فيin ذلكthat الشُغُلِengrossment
لكنَّ راحتها في ذلك الشُغُلِ
A play whose splendor holds the eyes engrossed;
A tale whose adornment engrosses the eyes,
yet in that very engrossment they find rest.
Yet their rest lies in that very engrossment.
سَرَّتit gladdened بماwith what احزنتit saddened حتىّuntil يُخيَّلit seems كالlike the
سَرَّت بما احزنت حتىّ يُخيَّل كال
إِحياءِrevival قتلٌkilling بهاthrough it والحزنُand sorrow كالجذَلِlike joy
إِحياءِ قتلٌ بها والحزنُ كالجذَلِ
It delighted through what saddened, until death within it seemed like
It brought joy through what brought sorrow, until it seemed that
revival, and sorrow seemed like joy.
Killing through it was like revival, and sorrow like joy.
تَهوىdesire القُلوبthe hearts لذاكfor that الحسنbeauty لوif only جُعِلتthey were placed
تَهوى القُلوب لذاك الحسن لو جُعِلت
فيin موضعthe place of الاذنthe ear اوor فيin موضعthe place of المُقَلِthe eyeballs
في موضع الاذن او في موضع المُقَلِ
For beauty such as that, hearts long to be placed
For that beauty, hearts wish they were placed
where the ear sits—or where the eyes reside.
In the ear's place, or in the eyes' place.
وَتحسُدand envies العينُthe eye فيهاin it الأُذنthe ear سامعةًlistening
وَتحسُد العينُ فيها الأُذن سامعةً
وتحسدand envies الاذنُthe ear فيهاin it العينَthe eye بالبدلِin return
وتحسد الاذنُ فيها العينَ بالبدلِ
In it, the eye envies the listening ear,
And in it the eye envies the ear as it listens,
and the ear, in turn, envies the eye.
And in it the ear envies the eye in return.
فَماso there is no لناظرfor a beholder ذاكthat الحسنbeauty منany نعَسdrowsiness
فَما لناظر ذاك الحسن من نعَس
ولاnor لِسامعfor a listener ذاكthat اللفظspeech منany مللِboredom
ولا لِسامع ذاك اللفظ من مللِ
Whoever beholds that beauty knows no drowsiness,
So the beholder of that beauty feels no drowsiness,
nor whoever hears those words any weariness.
Nor does the listener to that speech feel any boredom.
Sol 6.1