سلبstole الفؤآدthe heart أَسيلsoftly contoured خدّa cheek أَملسsmooth
سلب الفؤآد أَسيل خدّ أَملس
فرناthen he gazed بمقلةwith the eye of خائفone fearful متوجسapprehensive
فرنا بمقلة خائف متوجس
A beauty with a smooth, softly contoured cheek stole my heart,
then gazed with the eye of one fearful and wary.
سفكhe shed الدمآءblood بصارمwith a keen sword منfrom لحظهhis glance
سفك الدمآء بصارم من لحظه
وسطاand he attacked برمحwith a spear منfrom قوامa figure أميسgracefully swaying
وسطا برمح من قوام أميس
He shed blood with the keen sword of his glance,
and struck with the spear of his gracefully swaying form.
سحرhe bewitched النَواظِرwatching eyes فيin الكناسthe gazelle's covert فَماso not درواthey knew
سحر النَواظِر في الكناس فَما دروا
ريمa white gazelle بداappeared أمor منone of جوارwandering stars كنسretreating from view
ريم بدا أم من جوار كنس
In the gazelle's covert he bewitched watching eyes, which could not tell
whether a white gazelle had appeared, or one of the wandering, retreating stars.
سكرتgrew drunk معاطفهhis body's curves بخمرon the wine of رضابهhis saliva
سكرت معاطفه بخمر رضابه
فكأَنَّهاso, as though they ثملتbecame intoxicated براحwith the wine of الأكؤسthe cups
فكأَنَّها ثملت براح الأكؤس
His body's curves grew drunk on the wine of his saliva,
as though intoxicated by the wine in the cups.
سرحتgrazed freely باحشائيwithin my breast الظبآءthe gazelles وَلَمand did not يزلcease
سرحت باحشائي الظبآء وَلَم يزل
يبدىhe shows نفورthe skittishness of الخائفthe fearful one المتوجسthe apprehensive one
يبدى نفور الخائف المتوجس
Gazelles grazed within my breast, yet he never ceased
to show the skittishness of one fearful and wary.
سربa herd جعلتI made لهfor it ضُلوعيmy ribs مرتعاًa pasture
سرب جعلت له ضُلوعي مرتعاً
وَمدامعيand my tears ورداًa watering place فَلَمso did not يتأنسgrow tame
وَمدامعي ورداً فَلَم يتأنس
A herd for which I made my ribs a pasture,
and my tears a watering place, yet it would not grow tame.
سترconcealed الفؤآدthe heart هواهits love خيفةfor fear of كاشحa spiteful foe
ستر الفؤآد هواه خيفة كاشح
وَالدَمعand tears يعربspeak clearly عَنon behalf of لسانthe tongue of الاخرسthe mute
وَالدَمع يعرب عَن لسان الاخرس
My heart concealed its love for fear of a spiteful foe,
but tears give voice to the tongue of the mute.
سابقتI raced أَسقيهto give him drink كؤوسcups of مدامةwine
سابقت أَسقيه كؤوس مدامة
وَجعلتهand I made him دونapart from البَريَّةall creation مؤنسa companion
وَجعلته دون البَريَّة مؤنس
I raced to serve him cups of wine,
and made him, apart from all creation, my companion.
ساقa cupbearer لَوif أَطرّحhe set aside المدامthe wine لأَسكرتwould surely intoxicate
ساق لَو أَطرّح المدام لأَسكرت
صهبآءtawny wine مرشفهhis lips الشهىّsweet الأَلعسdusky
صهبآء مرشفه الشهىّ الأَلعس
A cupbearer—were he to set the wine aside, still intoxicating
would be the tawny wine of his sweet, dusky lips.
سفرhe drew aside الحجابthe veil فقلتso I said قومواrise وانظرواand look
سفر الحجاب فقلت قوموا وانظروا
بدراًa full moon تجلىshone forth فيin القبآءthe robe الأَطلسof satin
بدراً تجلى في القبآء الأَطلس
He drew the veil aside, and I said, "Rise and behold
a full moon revealed in a satin robe."
سربىgo with me نديميmy drinking companion للرباto the hills متنزهاstrolling
سربى نديمي للربا متنزها
بخدودamid cheeks of وردroses أَوor لواحظglances of نرجسnarcissi
بخدود ورد أَو لواحظ نرجس
Go with me, my companion, to the hills for a stroll,
amid cheeks of roses or glances of narcissi.
ساحَتflowed جداولهاtheir streams بساحةthrough the open ground of روضهاtheir garden
ساحَت جداولها بساحة روضها
وَتمايلتand swayed تلكthose الغصونbranches الميسgracefully swaying
وَتمايلت تلك الغصون الميس
Their streams flowed through their garden's open ground,
and those supple boughs swayed to and fro.
سارعhasten فانfor indeed الدوحthe great trees فيهاin them متوَّجcrowned
سارع فان الدوح فيها متوَّج
وَبحلةand in a robe of الأَوراقleaves زهواًproudly مكتسىclothed
وَبحلة الأَوراق زهواً مكتسى
Hasten, for the great trees there are crowned
and proudly clad in a robe of leaves.
سرحlet roam لحاظكyour gaze فيamong قَلائِدnecklaces of لؤلؤpearls
سرح لحاظك في قَلائِد لؤلؤ
منfrom روضهاtheir garden وَبحلةand in a robe منof سندسfine silk
من روضها وَبحلة من سندس
Let your gaze roam among necklaces of pearls
from their garden, and over a robe of fine silk.
سجعتcooed حمائمهاtheir doves علىupon عيدانهاtheir branches
سجعت حمائمها على عيدانها
وَتَمايَلَتand swayed منfrom زهوهاtheir pride فيin ملبسattire
وَتَمايَلَت من زهوها في ملبس
Their doves cooed upon their branches,
and swayed proudly in their attire.
سارَpassed النَسيمthe breeze ممسكاًmusk-scented وَمعنبراًand ambergris-scented
سارَ النَسيم ممسكاً وَمعنبراً
وَالجوّand the air بينbetween مورّدrose-tinted ومورّسand dyed yellow
وَالجوّ بين مورّد ومورّس
The breeze passed, scented with musk and ambergris,
and the air was tinged with rose-red and yellow.
سنحتappeared بهاwithin them الأَنهارthe rivers فيalong جنباتهاtheir flanks
سنحت بها الأَنهار في جنباتها
فكأَنَّهاso, as though they جودthe bounty of الوَزيرthe vizier الأَشوسthe fierce one
فكأَنَّها جود الوَزير الأَشوس
Rivers appeared there along their flanks,
as though they were the bounty of the fierce vizier.
سباقforemost in reaching غاياتthe utmost goals of الفخارglory ومنand the one who بهthrough him
سباق غايات الفخار ومن به
جبرwas restored الكَسيرthe broken one وسدّand was relieved فقرthe poverty of المفلسthe penniless one
جبر الكَسير وسدّ فقر المفلس
First to attain the pinnacles of glory, and the one through whom
the broken are restored and the pauper's poverty relieved.
ساسhe ruled الأَنامmankind بكلwith every أَبيضa bright sword مخذمkeen-edged
ساس الأَنام بكل أَبيض مخذم
وَحَماand he guarded الذمارwhat one must defend بكلwith every أَسمرa brown spear مدعسthrusting
وَحَما الذمار بكل أَسمر مدعس
He ruled mankind with every bright, keen-edged sword,
and guarded all he held dear with every brown, thrusting spear.
سنhe established التبرعvoluntary generosity فيin النَوالgiving فَلَمso did not يَزَلcease
سن التبرع في النَوال فَلَم يَزَل
للمجدfor glory بينbetween موطىءone who paves the way وَمؤسسand a founder
للمجد بين موطىء وَمؤسس
He established the custom of freely giving gifts, and never ceased
paving the way for glory and laying its foundations.
سالَتflowed فواضِلthe bounties of جودهhis generosity للمعتفيto the petitioner
سالَت فواضِل جوده للمعتفي
صالَتassailed فواصلthe cutting edges of عزمهhis resolve فيمنagainst whoever يسىdoes wrong
صالَت فواصل عزمه فيمن يسى
The bounties of his generosity flowed to the petitioner;
his resolve's cutting edges struck at whoever did wrong.
سيفa sword بهby it تحياlive النفوسsouls اذاwhen اِنتَضىunsheathed
سيف به تحيا النفوس اذا اِنتَضى
انeven if كانتَwas فعلthe work of السيفthe sword قتلkilling الأَنفسsouls
ان كانتَ فعل السيف قتل الأَنفس
A sword by which souls live whenever it is drawn,
even though a sword's work is the slaying of souls.
سامىrivaled in height عنانthe heights of المجدglory أَحمدAhmad منhe who غَداbecame
سامى عنان المجد أَحمد من غَدا
فيin الحربwar يقهرvanquishes كلّevery قيلchieftain أَشوَسfierce
في الحرب يقهر كلّ قيل أَشوَس
Ahmad rivaled the heights of glory, he who came to
vanquish every fierce chieftain in war.
سعدتwere blessed بغرتهby his radiant brow الأنامthe people لأَنَّهاbecause they
سعدت بغرته الأنام لأَنَّها
تسقىare watered بفضلby the abundance of نوالهhis bounty المتبجسgushing forth
تسقى بفضل نواله المتبجس
The people were blessed by his radiant brow, for they
are watered by the abundance of his gushing bounty.
سادَsurpassed المُلوكthe kings بجدّهby his diligence وَبجدّهand by his good fortune
سادَ المُلوك بجدّه وَبجدّه
وَسماand surpassed فوارسthe knights of فنهhis craft بتفرسthrough keen discernment
وَسما فوارس فنه بتفرس
He surpassed kings through his diligence and his good fortune,
and surpassed the knights of his craft through keen discernment.
ساوىtreated equally الخَلائقall people فيin النَوالgiving فأَصبَحواso they became
ساوى الخَلائق في النَوال فأَصبَحوا
منfrom ريفthe fertile land of نعمتهhis favor بأطيبin the finest مغرسplanting ground
من ريف نعمته بأطيب مغرس
He treated all people equally in giving, so they came to be
amid his favor's fertile land, in the finest planting ground.
سهرتstayed wakeful بهbecause of him حدقthe eyes of العداةthe enemies لأنهbecause he
سهرت به حدق العداة لأنه
يغزوهمhe raids them وَالصبحwhile dawn لَمnot yet يَتَنَفسhas drawn breath
يغزوهم وَالصبح لَم يَتَنَفس
His enemies' eyes stayed wakeful because of him, for he
raids them while dawn has yet to draw breath.
سيرaccounts of deeds لهof his سارَتtraveled بهاwith them أَهلthe people of الثَناpraise
سير له سارَت بها أَهل الثَنا
وَصفاتهand his qualities تتلىare recited بأَرفعin the loftiest مجلسassembly
وَصفاته تتلى بأَرفع مجلس
Tales of his deeds were borne abroad by those who praise him,
and his qualities are recited in the loftiest assembly.
سفحhe poured out النَوالbounty فَلاso may he not اِنثَنىbend فيin عزةglory
سفح النَوال فَلا اِنثَنى في عزة
ماas long as لاحَshines نجمa star فيin ظلامthe darkness of الحندسthe pitch-black night
ما لاحَ نجم في ظلام الحندس
He poured out bounty; may he remain unbowed in glory,
as long as a star shines in the pitch-black night.
Sol 6.1