عرِّجturn aside بِمُنعَرَجِat the bend of الكَثيبِthe sand dune الأَعفَرِdust-colored
عرِّج بِمُنعَرَجِ الكَثيبِ الأَعفَرِ
بَينَbetween الفُراتِthe Euphrates وَبَينَand between شَطِّthe bank of الكَوثَرِKawthar
بَينَ الفُراتِ وَبَينَ شَطِّ الكَوثَرِ
Turn aside at the bend of the dust-colored dune,
Wind along the rugged slope of the sandy hill,
Between the Euphrates and the bank of Kawthar.
Between Euphrates and the bank of al-Kawthar.
وَلتغتبِقهاand drink it at evening قَهوَةًwine ذَهَبيّةًgolden
وَلتغتبِقها قَهوَةً ذَهَبيّةً
مِنfrom راحَتيthe two palms of أَحوىdusky المَراشفِthe lips أَحوَرdark-eyed, with bright whites
مِن راحَتي أَحوى المَراشفِ أَحوَر
And drink it at evening—a golden wine—
Let us share there a golden coffee,
From the palms of one with dusky lips and eyes of vivid black and white.
From my palm the cups overflow.
وَعَشيةٍand an evening كَمhow often كُنتI was أَرقبwatching for وَقتَهاits hour
وَعَشيةٍ كَم كُنت أَرقب وَقتَها
سَمحتwere generous بِهاwith it الأَيّامُthe days بَعدَafter تَعذُّرِunattainability
سَمحت بِها الأَيّامُ بَعدَ تَعذُّرِ
And an evening—how often I had watched for its hour!—
In the evening, how I would wait for its time,
The days granted it after it had proved elusive.
The days allowed it after hindrance.
نِلناwe attained بِهاin it آمالناour hopes فيin رَوضَةٍa garden
نِلنا بِها آمالنا في رَوضَةٍ
تَهديoffers لِناشقِهاto whoever inhales it نَسيمَa breeze of العَنبَرِambergris
تَهدي لِناشقِها نَسيمَ العَنبَرِ
We attained our hopes that evening in a garden,
Through it we attained our hopes in a garden,
Offering an ambergris-scented breeze to whoever breathes it in.
Whose breeze gives delight to its inhabitant.
وَالدَهرُand Time مِنfrom نَدَمٍregret يَسفّهُdeems foolish رَأيهits judgment
وَالدَهرُ مِن نَدَمٍ يَسفّهُ رَأيه
فيconcerning ماwhat مَضىhas passed مِنهُof it بِغَيرwithout تكدُّرِdistress
في ما مَضى مِنهُ بِغَير تكدُّرِ
And Time, in remorse, calls its own judgment foolish
And time in regret made its opinion foolish,
Concerning its past, without distress.
Regarding what passed of it without discontent.
وَالوُرقُand the gray doves تَشدوsing وَالأَراكةand the arak tree تَنثَنيbends
وَالوُرقُ تَشدو وَالأَراكة تَنثَني
وَالشَمسُand the sun ترفُلُstruts فيin قَميصٍa shirt أَصفَرِyellow
وَالشَمسُ ترفُلُ في قَميصٍ أَصفَرِ
And the gray doves sing, and the arak tree bends,
The leaves chant and the boughs bend,
And the sun struts in a yellow shirt.
While the sun frolics in a yellow shirt.
وَالرَوضُand the garden بَينَbetween مَذهَّبٍgilded وَمُفَضَّضٍand silvered
وَالرَوضُ بَينَ مَذهَّبٍ وَمُفَضَّضٍ
وَالزَهرُand the flowers بَينَbetween مَدَرهَمٍdirham-shaped وَمُدَنَّرِand dinar-shaped
وَالزَهرُ بَينَ مَدَرهَمٍ وَمُدَنَّرِ
And the garden is part gilded, part silvered,
The garden amid the gilded and the brocaded,
And the flowers: some like dirhams, some like dinars.
The flowers amid the gilt and the embroidered.
وَالنَهرُand the river مَرقومُembroidered الأَباطحthe gravel flats وَالرُبىand the hillocks
وَالنَهرُ مَرقومُ الأَباطح وَالرُبى
بِمُصَندَلٍwith sandalwood-tinted ones مِنamong زَهرِهِits blossoms وَمُعَصفَرِand safflower-dyed ones
بِمُصَندَلٍ مِن زَهرِهِ وَمُعَصفَرِ
And the river's gravel flats and hillocks are embroidered
The inscribed, abundant river,
With its sandalwood-tinted and safflower-dyed blossoms.
With bouquets of its flowers and yellow blossoms.
وَكَأَنَّهُand as though it وَكَأَنَّand as though خُضرَةَthe greenery of شَطِّهِits bank
وَكَأَنَّهُ وَكَأَنَّ خُضرَةَ شَطِّهِ
سَيفٌa sword يُسَلُّis unsheathed عَلىupon بِساطٍa carpet أَخضَرِgreen
سَيفٌ يُسَلُّ عَلى بِساطٍ أَخضَرِ
And it seems, against the greenery of its bank,
As if it - and the green of its bank -
A sword unsheathed upon a green carpet.
A sword unsheathed over a green rug.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though ذاكَthat الحَبابُthe bubbles فِرِندُهُits blade's wavy markings
وَكَأَنَّما ذاكَ الحَبابُ فِرِندُهُ
مَهماwhenever طَفاfloats فيon صَفحِهِits surface كَالجَوهَرِlike jewels
مَهما طَفا في صَفحِهِ كَالجَوهَرِ
And those bubbles seem to be its blade's damask pattern,
As if that foam of it,
Whenever they float on its surface like jewels.
Is pearls, however much it stirs on its surface.
وَكَأَنَّهُand as though it وَجِهاتُهُand its sides مَحفوفَةٌsurrounded
وَكَأَنَّهُ وَجِهاتُهُ مَحفوفَةٌ
بِالآسِby myrtle وَالنُعمانِand anemones خَدّthe cheek of مُعَذِرِa downy-cheeked youth
بِالآسِ وَالنُعمانِ خَدّ مُعَذِرِ
And it seems, with its sides bordered
As if its sides adorned,
By myrtle and anemones, a youth's downy cheek.
With myrtle and eglantine, a rosy cheek.
نَهرٌa river يَهيمُis enraptured بِحُسنِهِby its beauty مَنwhoever لَمhas not يَهِمbeen enraptured
نَهرٌ يَهيمُ بِحُسنِهِ مَن لَم يَهِم
وَيُجيدand composes well فيهِabout it الشِعرَpoetry مَنwhoever لَمhas not يَشعُرِcomposed poetry
وَيُجيد فيهِ الشِعرَ مَن لَم يَشعُرِ
A river whose beauty enraptures even those never before enraptured,
A river the beauty of which impassions whoever is not impassioned,
And even those who never composed verse make fine poetry about it.
And inspires poetry in whoever is uninspired.
ماnot اصفَرَّturned yellow وَجهُthe face of الشَمسِthe sun عِندَat غُروبِهاits setting
ما اصفَرَّ وَجهُ الشَمسِ عِندَ غُروبِها
إِلذاexcept (apparent typo) لِفُرقَةِbecause of parting from حُسنِthe beauty of ذاكَthat المَنظَرِscene
إِلذا لِفُرقَةِ حُسنِ ذاكَ المَنظَرِ
The sun's face did not turn yellow at its setting
The face of the sun at its setting did not yellow,
Except because it was parting from the beauty of that scene.
Except for parting from the beauty of that scene.
Sol 6.1