أَهْوَىI love وَمَاand not الغَانِيَاتُfair women مِنْof وَطَرِيmy desire
أَهْوَى وَمَا الغَانِيَاتُ مِنْ وَطَرِي
السَّالِبَاتُthose who rob العُقُولِminds وَالفِكَرِand thoughts
السَّالِبَاتُ العُقُولِ وَالفِكَرِ
I love, yet fair women are not my desire,
I yearn, though singing women are not of my concern,
those who steal minds and thoughts,
Those who rob minds and thoughts,
أَلصَّائِدَاتُthose who snare القُلُوبِhearts فِيin شَرَكٍa net
أَلصَّائِدَاتُ القُلُوبِ فِي شَرَكٍ
يَنْسُجْنَهُthey weave it مِنfrom خَدَائِعِthe wiles الحَورِof dark-eyed beauty
يَنْسُجْنَهُ مِن خَدَائِعِ الحَورِ
who snare hearts in a net
The trappers of hearts in their snares,
they weave from the wiles of dark-eyed beauty;
Which they weave with the guiles of maidens.
أَلمُشِقَياتُthose who make wretched الوَرَىhumankind لأَِيْسرِfor the slightest مَاwhat
أَلمُشِقَياتُ الوَرَى لأَِيْسرِ مَا
يُسْدِينَthey bestow مِنof نِعْمَةٍa favor إلىupon النَّظَرِthe gaze
يُسْدِينَ مِن نِعْمَةٍ إلى النَّظَرِ
who make humankind wretched for the slightest
The tormentors of people - how little
favor they bestow upon the gaze;
Of bounty their sight discloses.
أَلحَاكِمَاتُthose who rule المُحْكَمَاتُfirmly established فَمَاso never
أَلحَاكِمَاتُ المُحْكَمَاتُ فَمَا
يَبْرَحْنَthey cease to be أَقْوَىthe strongest وَسَائِلِinstruments القَدَرِof fate
يَبْرَحْنَ أَقْوَى وَسَائِلِ القَدَرِ
who rule with unshakable sway, and never
The arbiters, the judges - yet they
cease to be fate's strongest instruments.
Never cease to be the strongest means of destiny.
فإِنَّfor indeed لِيI have دُونَهُنَّapart from them فَاتِنَةًan enchantress
فإِنَّ لِي دُونَهُنَّ فَاتِنَةً
فِيamong الزُّهْرِthe bright stars مَحْسُودَةًenvied وَفِيand among الزَّهَرِthe flowers
فِي الزُّهْرِ مَحْسُودَةً وَفِي الزَّهَرِ
For apart from them I have an enchantress,
For I have, apart from them, a temptress
envied among the stars and among the flowers.
In blossom, envied, and among the blossoms,
ضَحُوكَةَever-smiling الوَجهِof face لاَnot يُغَيِّرُهَاchanges her
ضَحُوكَةَ الوَجهِ لاَ يُغَيِّرُهَا
فِيin كُلِّevery حَالٍcircumstance شيءٌanything مِنَof الغِيَرِthe vicissitudes
فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ شيءٌ مِنَ الغِيَرِ
Ever smiling of face, she is not altered
Of smiling face, which nothing alters
in any circumstance by any turn of fortune.
In any case, something of change.
صَادِقَةَfaithful العَهْدِto the pledge فِيin مَوَاعِدِهَاher appointed times
صَادِقَةَ العَهْدِ فِي مَوَاعِدِهَا
تَبْدُوshe appears وَفِيهَاand at them تَغِيبُshe vanishes عَنْfrom بَصَرِيmy sight
تَبْدُو وَفِيهَا تَغِيبُ عَنْ بَصَرِي
True to her pledge, at her appointed times
True to her word in her trysts,
she appears, and at them vanishes from my sight.
She appears and from my sight she disappears.
شَبابُهَاher youth دَائِمٌeverlasting وَرَوْنَقُهَاand her splendor
شَبابُهَا دَائِمٌ وَرَوْنَقُهَا
أَكْثَرُmost مَاwhen يَزْدَهِيit shines عَلَىduring السَّهَرِnight vigils
أَكْثَرُ مَا يَزْدَهِي عَلَى السَّهَرِ
Her youth endures, and her splendor
Her youth is lasting, her grace
shines most gloriously through nights of vigil.
Increases, most flourishing in vigil.
إِذَاwhen التقَيْنَاwe meet فَلاَthen not يُنَغِّصُنَاdistresses us
إِذَا التقَيْنَا فَلاَ يُنَغِّصُنَا
رَيْبُsuspicion رَقِيبٍof a watcher يَدْعُوcalls إِلىfor حَذرِcaution
رَيْبُ رَقِيبٍ يَدْعُو إِلى حَذرِ
When we meet, we are not troubled
When we meet, no watchman's doubts
by a watcher's suspicion that calls for caution.
Trouble us, inviting caution.
وَإِنْand if تَوَارَتْshe vanishes رَقَدْتُI sleep مُغْتَبِطَاًdelighted
وَإِنْ تَوَارَتْ رَقَدْتُ مُغْتَبِطَاً
بِمُلْتَقَىwith a meeting لِلغَدَاةِfor the morning مُنْتَظَرِawaited
بِمُلْتَقَى لِلغَدَاةِ مُنْتَظَرِ
And if she vanishes, I sleep content,
And if she is veiled, I sleep content,
with a meeting awaited in the morning.
Anticipating a meeting at dawn,
كأَنَّهاas though she were دُرَّةٌa pearl مُعَلَّقَةٌsuspended
كأَنَّها دُرَّةٌ مُعَلَّقَةٌ
وَأَيْنَand where مِنْهَاcompared with her فَرِيْدَةُthe choicest الدُّرَرِof pearls
وَأَيْنَ مِنْهَا فَرِيْدَةُ الدُّرَرِ
She is like a suspended pearl—
As if she were a pearl pendant suspended,
yet how could the choicest pearl compare with her?
And how far from her is the uniqueness of pearls!
نُطْفَةُa drop قَطْرٍof rain عَلَىon شَفاthe brink أَفُقٍof a horizon
نُطْفَةُ قَطْرٍ عَلَى شَفا أَفُقٍ
مُفَضَّضsilvered الجَانِبَيْنِon both sides مُنْحَدِرِsloping downward
مُفَضَّض الجَانِبَيْنِ مُنْحَدِرِ
A raindrop on the brink of a horizon,
A drop of rain on the edge of a horizon
silvered on both sides and sloping downward;
With slopes cascading down.
دَمْعَةُa tear سَعْدٍof joy أَقَرَّهَاfixed her in place مَلَكٌan angel
دَمْعَةُ سَعْدٍ أَقَرَّهَا مَلَكٌ
فِيin فُلُكٍan orbit لَمْdid not تَسِلْflow وَلَمْand did not تَثُرِstir
فِي فُلُكٍ لَمْ تَسِلْ وَلَمْ تَثُرِ
a tear of joy an angel set in place
A tear of joy an angel installed
in an orbit, neither flowing nor stirring.
In an orbit that did not flow or scatter.
أَوْدَعَhe placed فِيهَاwithin her ابْتِسَامَهُhis smile فَذَكَتْso she blazed
أَوْدَعَ فِيهَا ابْتِسَامَهُ فَذَكَتْ
مِنْfrom عُصُرٍan age يَنْقَضِيthat passes إِلىto عُصُرِanother age
مِنْ عُصُرٍ يَنْقَضِي إِلى عُصُرِ
He placed his smile within her, and she blazed
He placed in her his smile, so it shone
from one passing age into another.
From an age ending to an age beginning.
نُقْطَةُa dot حَرْفٍof a letter مِنِfrom اسْمِthe name خَالِقِهَاof her Creator
نُقْطَةُ حَرْفٍ مِنِ اسْمِ خَالِقِهَا
أَبْيَنُclearer مِنْthan نَقْطِthe dots سَائِرِof all the other الزُّهُرِstars
أَبْيَنُ مِنْ نَقْطِ سَائِرِ الزُّهُرِ
A dot on a letter in her Creator's name,
A dot of a letter from the name of her Creator,
clearer than the dots of all the other stars.
Clearer than dots on the rest of the flowers.
وَعَتْshe holds بَدِيعَthe wondrous art البَدِيعِof the Originator فَهيَso she تَلِيfollows
وَعَتْ بَدِيعَ البَدِيعِ فَهيَ تَلِي
فِيin سُورَةِthe chapter الكَوْنِof the cosmos آيَةَthe verse القمَرِof the moon
فِي سُورَةِ الكَوْنِ آيَةَ القمَرِ
She holds the Originator's wondrous art, and so follows
And she follows, in the chapter of existence,
in the chapter of the cosmos, the verse of the moon.
The verse of the moon in the inimitable's inimitability.
غانِيَةٌa beauty فِيin جَمَالِthe beauty صُورَتِهَاof her form
غانِيَةٌ فِي جَمَالِ صُورَتِهَا
مَاwhat تشْتَهِيهِdesires it المُنىlongings مِنَof الصوَرِforms
مَا تشْتَهِيهِ المُنى مِنَ الصوَرِ
A beauty, in whose lovely form
A singing girl in the beauty of her image -
lies every shape that longing could desire.
All that wishes desire of images.
لاَnot تَعْرِفٌshe knows الإِثْمَsin فَهْيَso she عَارِيَةٌnaked
لاَ تَعْرِفٌ الإِثْمَ فَهْيَ عَارِيَةٌ
تَبْدِيshe reveals حِلاَهَاher charms بِغيْرِwithout مُسْتَتَرِa covering
تَبْدِي حِلاَهَا بِغيْرِ مُسْتَتَرِ
She knows no sin, and so is naked,
She knows no sin, so she is bare,
revealing her charms without a covering.
Revealing her adornment without being covered.
وَإِنَّماand only الإِثْمُsin حَيْثُماwherever خَبُثَتْhave grown corrupt
وَإِنَّما الإِثْمُ حَيْثُما خَبُثَتْ
ضَمَائِرٌconsciences فهْوَso it صَنْعَةٌthe handiwork البَشَرِof humankind
ضَمَائِرٌ فهْوَ صَنْعَةٌ البَشَرِ
And sin is only where there are corrupt
Indeed, sin is only where consciences are wicked -
consciences; it is the handiwork of humankind.
That is the making of mankind.
حَوَّاءُEve كانتْshe was كَذَاكَlike that ثُمَّthen غَدَتْshe began
حَوَّاءُ كانتْ كَذَاكَ ثُمَّ غَدَتْ
تَحْجُبُshe covers herself مِنْbecause of وَزْرِهَاher sin بِمُؤْتَزَرِwith a waistcloth
تَحْجُبُ مِنْ وَزْرِهَا بِمُؤْتَزَرِ
Eve was like this, then she began
Eve was like that, then she came to
to cover herself, because of her sin, with a waistcloth.
Cover her burden with being clothed.
للهِto God صُبْحٌa morning رَأَيْتُهَاI saw her ابْتَرَدَتْshe cooled herself
للهِ صُبْحٌ رَأَيْتُهَا ابْتَرَدَتْ
بِمِثْلِwith something like مَاءِthe water اللُّجَيْنِof silver مُنْهَمِرِpouring down
بِمِثْلِ مَاءِ اللُّجَيْنِ مُنْهَمِرِ
God be praised for that morning: I saw her cool herself
By God, I saw her one morning clothed
in a downpour like liquid silver.
In the like of pouring water.
يَجْرِيflows عَلَيْهَاover her الضِّياءُthe light غَيَّرَهُaltered it
يَجْرِي عَلَيْهَا الضِّياءُ غَيَّرَهُ
مِنْfrom عَنبَرِthe ambergris اللَّيْلِof night عَالِقُlingering الأَثَرِtrace
مِنْ عَنبَرِ اللَّيْلِ عَالِقُ الأَثَرِ
Light streamed over her, tinged
The light flowed over her, changing
by the lingering trace of night's ambergris.
From the musk of night still clinging.
فَكُلَّمَاso whenever سَالَit flowed عَنfrom جَوَانِبِهَاher sides
فَكُلَّمَا سَالَ عَن جَوَانِبِهَا
صَفَاit grew clear بِهَاthrough her مِنْof شوَائِبِthe impurities الكَدَرِof murkiness
صَفَا بِهَا مِنْ شوَائِبِ الكَدَرِ
So whenever it flowed from her sides,
So whenever it ran down her sides,
through her it was cleansed of murky impurities.
It purified her of blemishes of gloom.
وَكُلمَاand whenever زادَincreased نورُهُits light لَطُفَتْshe grew subtler
وَكُلمَا زادَ نورُهُ لَطُفَتْ
فِيهِwithin it وَرَقَّتand grew finer عَنْthan ذَائِبٍa melted substance عَطِرِfragrant
فِيهِ وَرَقَّت عَنْ ذَائِبٍ عَطِرِ
And as its light increased, she grew subtler
And the more its light intensified,
within it, and finer than a fragrant liquid,
The more it refracted within it and diffused a scent,
حَتَّىuntil تَوَارَتْshe vanished فلاَso no عَفافَchastity وَلاَand no
حَتَّى تَوَارَتْ فلاَ عَفافَ وَلاَ
حُسْنَbeauty كغُسْلِlike the bathing الزَّهْرَاءِof Venus فِيin السَّحَرِthe hour before dawn
حُسْنَ كغُسْلِ الزَّهْرَاءِ فِي السَّحَرِ
until she vanished. No chastity, no
Until she disappeared, her chastity and beauty
beauty compares with Venus bathing before dawn.
Like the washing of the immaculate one at dawn.
Sol 6.1