زَرْتُI visited حِمَىsanctuary الحَسْنَاءِthe beautiful woman وَالشَّمسُand the sun قَدْhad already
زَرْتُ حِمَى الحَسْنَاءِ وَالشَّمسُ قَدْ
تَنَزَّلَتْdescended عَنْfrom عَرْشِهَاher throne القَائِمِstanding
تَنَزَّلَتْ عَنْ عَرْشِهَا القَائِمِ
I visited the fair one's sanctuary, when the sun had
I visited the abode of the beautiful one, and the sun had
Descended from her towering throne;
descended from its towering throne,
وَكَمَدَand grew dim النُّورُthe light فِمِنْthen from مُذْهَبٍgolden
وَكَمَدَ النُّورُ فِمِنْ مُذْهَبٍ
إِلَىto لُجَيْنِيٍّsilvery إِلَىto عَاتِمِdark
إِلَى لُجَيْنِيٍّ إِلَى عَاتِمِ
And the light grew dim, passing from gold
And the light withdrew, from a golden hue
To silver, then to darkness.
to darkish, to pitch black.
وَعَبَسَand frowned الأُفْقُthe horizon فَلاso not يُجْتَلَىcould be seen
وَعَبَسَ الأُفْقُ فَلا يُجْتَلَى
سِوَىexcept نُجَيْمٍa little star رَاجِفٍtrembling بَاسِمِsmiling
سِوَى نُجَيْمٍ رَاجِفٍ بَاسِمِ
And the horizon frowned; nothing could be seen
The horizon frowned, naught could be seen
But a little star, trembling and smiling,
save a blinking star, glittering, obscure,
مُشَارِفٍoverlooking حِجْلَتَهَاher bridal chamber نَاظِرٍgazing
مُشَارِفٍ حِجْلَتَهَا نَاظِرٍ
لَهَاat her بِعَيْنِwith the eye of المُغْرَمِthe enamored lover الْهَائِمِthe love-distraught one
لَهَا بِعَيْنِ المُغْرَمِ الْهَائِمِ
Overlooking her bridal chamber, gazing
Peering at her tent, gazing
At her with a lovesick lover's eye.
with the eye of a lovesick, restless man,
يَخْفُقhe flutters خَفْقَthe fluttering of الآثِمِthe sinner المُتَّقِيthe God-fearing one
يَخْفُق خَفْقَ الآثِمِ المُتَّقِي
فَيَاso, oh! لَهُfor him مِنْof مُتَّقٍa God-fearing one آثِمِsinful
فَيَا لَهُ مِنْ مُتَّقٍ آثِمِ
He fluttered like a God-fearing sinner—
Fluttering with the flutters of a sinner in awe -
Oh, what a pious sinner he was!
what an awe-struck sinner!
رَأَيْتُهُI saw him يَبْدُوappear بِمِرْآتِهَاin her mirror
رَأَيْتُهُ يَبْدُو بِمِرْآتِهَا
وَيَنْثَنِيand turns back فِيin قَلَقٍunease دَائِمِconstant
وَيَنْثَنِي فِي قَلَقٍ دَائِمِ
I saw him appear in her mirror
I saw him emerge in her mirror
And turn back in constant unease,
and withdraw in constant disquiet,
مُرَاقِباًwatching عَنْfrom كَثَبٍclose by رَائِماًseeking
مُرَاقِباً عَنْ كَثَبٍ رَائِماً
مَاwhat عَزَّwas hard to attain مَطْلُوباًas an object of desire عَلَىfor الرَّائِمِthe seeker
مَا عَزَّ مَطْلُوباً عَلَى الرَّائِمِ
Watching from close by, seeking
Keeping close watch, wakeful,
What was so hard for the seeker to attain,
undeterred by wakefulness.
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen عَنَّappeared لَهُto him شَخْصُهَاher figure
حَتَّى إِذَا عَنَّ لَهُ شَخْصُهَا
وَقَدْand already بَدَتْshe appeared فِيin وَشْيِهَاher embroidered finery النَّاعِمِsoft
وَقَدْ بَدَتْ فِي وَشْيِهَا النَّاعِمِ
Until, when her figure appeared to him,
Until, when her person turned to him,
As she emerged in her soft embroidered robes,
and she appeared in her soft beauty,
كَمَلَكٍlike an angel بَاهِيresplendent in السَّنَىradiance يَنْجَلِيcoming into view
كَمَلَكٍ بَاهِي السَّنَى يَنْجَلِي
فِيin فَلَكٍa firmament مِنْfrom حَوْلِهِaround him قَاتِمِdark
فِي فَلَكٍ مِنْ حَوْلِهِ قَاتِمِ
Like an angel of dazzling radiance, appearing
Like an angel, radiant, drawing light
In a firmament dark all around him,
from a sphere around her, darkened,
خَالَسَهَاhe stole from her فِيon ثَغْرِهَاher mouth قُبْلَةًa kiss
خَالَسَهَا فِي ثَغْرِهَا قُبْلَةً
وَكَانَand he was كَالدُّرَّةِlike the pearl فِيin الْخَاتِمِthe ring
وَكَانَ كَالدُّرَّةِ فِي الْخَاتِمِ
He stole a kiss upon her lips,
He stole from her mouth a kiss,
And was like a pearl set in a ring.
and it was as a pearl in the ring’s setting.
Sol 6.1