حَسْناءُa beauty لَكنْbut نَفُورُaloof
حَسْناءُ لَكنْ نَفُورُ
بَادٍapparent عَليْهَاupon her الفُتورُlanguor
بَادٍ عَليْهَا الفُتورُ
A beauty, yet aloof;
Languor is plain upon her.
إِذَاwhen رَنَتْshe gazes غَارَgrew jealous مِنْهاof her
إِذَا رَنَتْ غَارَ مِنْها
فِيin الْحَيِّthe quarter عِينٌwide-eyed beauties وَحُورُand dark-eyed beauties
فِي الْحَيِّ عِينٌ وَحُورُ
When she gazes, she is envied
By the quarter's wide-eyed and dark-eyed beauties.
وَإِنْand if تَمِسْshe sways فإِلَيْهَاthen toward her
وَإِنْ تَمِسْ فإِلَيْهَا
مُنَىdesires النُّفوسِof the souls تَطِيرُtake flight
مُنَى النُّفوسِ تَطِيرُ
And if she sways, then toward her
The souls' desires take flight.
لاَnot تكْسِرُshe lowers الْجَفْنَthe eyelid إِلاَّexcept
لاَ تكْسِرُ الْجَفْنَ إِلاَّ
وَقَلْبُand a heart صَبٍّof a lovesick lover كَسِيرُbroken
وَقَلْبُ صَبٍّ كَسِيرُ
She never lowers her eyelid
Without a lovesick lover's heart breaking.
وَلاand not تَبسَّمshe smiles إِلاَّexcept
وَلا تَبسَّم إِلاَّ
وجفْنُand an eyelid باِكٍof a weeper يَمُورُquivers
وجفْنُ باِكٍ يَمُورُ
Nor does she ever smile
Without a weeper's eyelid quivering.
وَلاand not تَلَفَّتshe turns to look إِلاَّexcept
وَلا تَلَفَّت إِلاَّ
وَجِيرَةُand the neighbors الحَيِّof the quarter صُورُcraning toward her
وَجِيرَةُ الحَيِّ صُورُ
Nor does she turn to look
Without the quarter's neighbors craning toward her.
يَاO قُرَّةًcool delight لِعُيُوِنيfor my eyes
يَا قُرَّةً لِعُيُوِني
فِيin الصَّدْرِthe breast مِنْهَاfrom her سَعِيرُa blazing fire
فِي الصَّدْرِ مِنْهَا سَعِيرُ
O cool delight of my eyes,
A blaze from her burns in my breast!
كَمْhow often جِئْتُكُمI came to you مُسْتَزِيراًasking you to visit me
كَمْ جِئْتُكُم مُسْتَزِيراً
وَطَيْفُكُمْand your phantom لاَnot يَزُورُvisits
وَطَيْفُكُمْ لاَ يَزُورُ
How often I came to you, asking you to visit,
Yet your phantom never visits.
إِنْif كانَis صَبْرِيmy patience قَلِيلاًslight
إِنْ كانَ صَبْرِي قَلِيلاً
فَإِنَّthen indeed وَجْدِيmy passionate longing كَثِيرُgreat
فَإِنَّ وَجْدِي كَثِيرُ
If my patience is slight,
Then my longing is indeed great.
لَيْسَis not المُحِبُّthe lover صَدُوقاًtruly sincere
لَيْسَ المُحِبُّ صَدُوقاً
فِيin الحُبِّlove وَهْوَwhile he is صَبُورُpatient
فِي الحُبِّ وَهْوَ صَبُورُ
A lover is not sincere
In love while he remains patient.
ياO بَدْرُBadr (full moon) سُمِّيتyou were named بدْراًa full moon
يا بَدْرُ سُمِّيت بدْراً
وَأَيْنَand where مِنْكَcompared with you البُدُورُthe full moons
وَأَيْنَ مِنْكَ البُدُورُ
O Badr, you were called a full moon,
And how can full moons compare with you?
أَيْنَwhere الجَمَادُlifeless matter مُنِيراًshining
أَيْنَ الجَمَادُ مُنِيراً
مِنْcompared with ذِيone possessing حَيَاةٍlife يُنِيرُshines
مِنْ ذِي حَيَاةٍ يُنِيرُ
How can a shining, lifeless thing
Compare with a living being who shines?
أَيْنَwhere الصَّباحَةُloveliness فِيهِin it
أَيْنَ الصَّباحَةُ فِيهِ
وَأَيْنَand where مِنْهُfrom it الشُّعورُfeeling
وَأَيْنَ مِنْهُ الشُّعورُ
Where is loveliness in it?
And where is feeling in it?
أَيْنَwhere السَّنىradiance وَهْوَwhile it is شَيْبٌgray hair
أَيْنَ السَّنى وَهْوَ شَيْبٌ
مِنَcompared with الصِّباyouth وَهْوَwhile it is نُورُlight
مِنَ الصِّبا وَهْوَ نُورُ
How can radiance, which is gray hair,
Compare with youth, which is light?
لمْdid not أَنْسَI forget حِينَwhen التَقيْنَاwe met
لمْ أَنْسَ حِينَ التَقيْنَا
وَالرَّوْضُand the garden زاهٍradiant نَضِيرُfresh and lush
وَالرَّوْضُ زاهٍ نَضِيرُ
I have not forgotten when we met,
And the garden was radiant and fresh,
إِذِwhen الْعُيُونthe eyes نِيَامٌasleep
إِذِ الْعُيُون نِيَامٌ
وَاللَّيْلُand the night رَاءٍa watcher حَسِيرُweary
وَاللَّيْلُ رَاءٍ حَسِيرُ
When eyes were asleep,
And night was a weary watcher.
نَشْكوwe complain of الغَرَامَpassionate love دِعَاباًin jest
نَشْكو الغَرَامَ دِعَاباً
وَرُبَّand many a شَاكِcomplainer شَكُورُdeeply grateful
وَرُبَّ شَاكِ شَكُورُ
We complained of love in jest,
And many a complainer is grateful.
وَفِيand in الهَوَاءِthe air حَنِينٌyearning
وَفِي الهَوَاءِ حَنِينٌ
مِنَfrom الهَوَىlove وَزَفِيرُand sighing
مِنَ الهَوَى وَزَفِيرُ
And in the air was yearning,
From love, and sighing.
وَلِلمِياِهand the waters have أَنِينٌa moan
وَلِلمِياِه أَنِينٌ
تَذُوبُmelt مِنْهُfrom it الصُّخورُthe rocks
تَذُوبُ مِنْهُ الصُّخورُ
And the waters had a moan
That made the rocks melt.
وَلِلنَّسيمِand the breeze has حَدِيثٌa tale
وَلِلنَّسيمِ حَدِيثٌ
عَلىover المُرُوجِthe meadows يَدُورُwanders around
عَلى المُرُوجِ يَدُورُ
And the breeze had a tale
That wandered over the meadows.
وَلِلأَزاهِرِand the flowers have فِكْرٌa thought
وَلِلأَزاهِرِ فِكْرٌ
يَرْوِيهِrecounts it عَنْهَاon their behalf العَبِيرُthe fragrance
يَرْوِيهِ عَنْهَا العَبِيرُ
And the flowers had a thought
Which fragrance recounted on their behalf.
وَالبَدْرُand the full moon فِيin الغَيْمِthe clouds يَخْفَىhides
وَالبَدْرُ فِي الغَيْمِ يَخْفَى
آناًat one moment وَآناًand at another moment يثُورُbursts forth
آناً وَآناً يثُورُ
And the full moon hid in the clouds
At one moment, and burst forth at another.
بِيضُthe white ones الغُيُومِof the clouds جَوَارٍhandmaidens
بِيضُ الغُيُومِ جَوَارٍ
لَدَيْهِin his presence وَهْوَwhile he is أَمِيرُa prince
لَدَيْهِ وَهْوَ أَمِيرُ
The white clouds were handmaidens
In his presence, while he was a prince.
تَدْنُوthey draw near إِلَيْهِto him فَتٌلْقِيthen they offer
تَدْنُو إِلَيْهِ فَتٌلْقِي
تحِيَّةa greeting وَتَسِيرُand they move on
تحِيَّة وَتَسِيرُ
They drew near to him and offered
A greeting, then moved on.
مَنَاظِرٌscenes رَائِعَاتٌwondrous
مَنَاظِرٌ رَائِعَاتٌ
مِرْآتُهُنّtheir mirror الغَدِيرُthe pool
مِرْآتُهُنّ الغَدِيرُ
Wondrous scenes—
Their mirror was the pool.
يَدْأَبْنَthey work ceaselessly مُبْتَدِعَاتٍcreating anew
يَدْأَبْنَ مُبْتَدِعَاتٍ
وَدَأْبُهُand its constant work التَّصويرُdepiction
وَدَأْبُهُ التَّصويرُ
They labored ceaselessly, creating anew,
And its constant work was to depict them.
لَهْفِيmy yearning عَليْهِfor it زَمَاناًa time
لَهْفِي عَليْهِ زَمَاناً
وَلَّىpassed away فَوَلَّىso passed away السُّرُورُjoy
وَلَّى فَوَلَّى السُّرُورُ
How I yearn for it—that time
That passed, and with it joy passed away.
مَضَىit passed قَصِيراًbriefly وَلكِنْand yet
مَضَى قَصِيراً وَلكِنْ
لِلسَّعدfor happiness عَهْدٌa span قَصِيرُshort
لِلسَّعد عَهْدٌ قَصِيرُ
It passed in a brief span, yet
Happiness has a brief season.
Sol 6.1