أَهِلالٌis it a crescent بَيْنَwithin هَالَهْa halo
أَهِلالٌ بَيْنَ هَالَهْ
أَمْor غَزَالٌa gazelle فِيin غِلالَهْa gauzy robe
أَمْ غَزَالٌ فِي غِلالَهْ
Is it a crescent within a halo,
or a gazelle in a gauzy robe?
صَادَhe captured بِاللَّحْظِwith a glance فؤَادِيmy heart
صَادَ بِاللَّحْظِ فؤَادِي
أَتَرَىdo you suppose الْهُدْبَthe eyelashes حِبَالَهْhis snares
أَتَرَى الْهُدْبَ حِبَالَهْ
He captured my heart with a glance;
could his eyelashes be his snares?
غَرَّنِيhe beguiled me ثُمَّthen تَوَلَّىhe turned away
غَرَّنِي ثُمَّ تَوَلَّى
لَيْتَwould that شِعْرِيmy knowledge مَاwhat بَداoccurred لَهْto him
لَيْتَ شِعْرِي مَا بَدا لَهْ
He beguiled me, then turned away.
I wish I knew what came over him.
أَنَاI مِنْfrom شَوْقِيmy longing إِلَيْهِfor him
أَنَا مِنْ شَوْقِي إِلَيْهِ
وَاقِعٌfallen بَيْنَamid ضَلالَهْbewilderment
وَاقِعٌ بَيْنَ ضَلالَهْ
I, through my longing for him,
am caught amid bewilderment.
أَيُّهَاO الظَّالِمُunjust one هَبْgrant لِيto me
أَيُّهَا الظَّالِمُ هَبْ لِي
مَرَّةًonce مِنْكَfrom you الْعَدَالَهْjustice
مَرَّةً مِنْكَ الْعَدَالَهْ
O unjust one, grant me
justice from you, just once.
وَارْعَand honor لِيfor me حَقَّthe claim of وِدَادٍaffection
وَارْعَ لِي حَقَّ وِدَادٍ
فِيكَfor you لَمْdid not أَقْطَعْI sever حِبَالَهْits bonds
فِيكَ لَمْ أَقْطَعْ حِبَالَهْ
And honor the claim of my affection
for you, whose bonds I have not severed.
مَنْطِقٌspeech عَذْبٌsweet وَمَعْنَىًand a meaning
مَنْطِقٌ عَذْبٌ وَمَعْنَىً
يَبْسِمُsmiles السِّحْرُenchantment خِلالَهْthrough it
يَبْسِمُ السِّحْرُ خِلالَهْ
Sweet speech, and a meaning
through which enchantment smiles.
كُلُّeach بَيْتٍverse كَنَسِيجِlike the tapestry of الرْthe (continued)
كُلُّ بَيْتٍ كَنَسِيجِ الرْ
رَوْضِgarden حُسْنَاًin beauty وَطَلالَهْand splendor
رَوْضِ حُسْنَاً وَطَلالَهْ
Each verse is like the tapestry of the
garden, in beauty and splendor.
أَنَاI فِيin الشِّعْرِpoetry عَرِيقٌof ancient lineage
أَنَا فِي الشِّعْرِ عَرِيقٌ
لَمْdid not أَرِثْهُI inherit it عَنْfrom كَلالَهْcollateral kin
لَمْ أَرِثْهُ عَنْ كَلالَهْ
I am of ancient lineage in poetry;
I did not inherit it through collateral kin.
كَانَwas إِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahim خَالِيmy maternal uncle
كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ خَالِي
فِيهِin it مَشْهُورَrenowned for الْمَقَالَهْpoetic utterance
فِيهِ مَشْهُورَ الْمَقَالَهْ
My maternal uncle Ibrahim was
renowned for his verse.
وَسَمَاand rose high جَدِّيmy grandfather عَلِيٌّAli
وَسَمَا جَدِّي عَلِيٌّ
يَطْلُبُseeking النَّجْمَthe star فَنَالَهْand he attained it
يَطْلُبُ النَّجْمَ فَنَالَهْ
And my grandfather Ali rose high,
seeking the star—and he attained it.
فَهْوَthus it is لِيmine إِرْثٌan inheritance كَرِيمٌnoble
فَهْوَ لِي إِرْثٌ كَرِيمٌ
سَوْفَwill يَبْقَىendure فِيin السُّلالَهْthe family line
سَوْفَ يَبْقَى فِي السُّلالَهْ
Thus it is my noble inheritance;
it will endure in the family line.
Sol 6.1