ثوبrobe السماءِthe sky مطرزٌembroidered بالعسجدِwith gold
ثوب السماءِ مطرزٌ بالعسجدِ
وكأنهاand as though she لبستْhad donned قميصa tunic of زبرجدِchrysolite
وكأنها لبستْ قميص زبرجدِ
The sky's robe is embroidered with gold,
The sky's gown embroidered with stars
and it is as though she has donned a tunic of chrysolite.
As if she wore a shirt of aquamarine
والشمسُand the sun عاصبةُbandaging الجبينِthe forehead مريضةٌill
والشمسُ عاصبةُ الجبينِ مريضةٌ
تصفرُturns yellow فيin منديلهاher kerchief المتورَّدِrose-hued
تصفرُ في منديلها المتورَّدِ
And the sun, her forehead bandaged, is ill,
The frowning sun ailing
turning yellow within her rose-hued kerchief.
Turning yellow in her flushed handkerchief
حسدتْshe envied نظيرتهاher counterpart فأسقمهاso it sickened her الأسىsorrow
حسدتْ نظيرتها فأسقمها الأسى
إنindeed السقامَsickness علامةٌa sign فيamong الحسَّدِthe envious
إن السقامَ علامةٌ في الحسَّدِ
She envied her counterpart, and sorrow sickened her;
She envied her peer so sorrow made her ill
indeed, sickness is a mark of the envious.
Illness is a sign of the envious
ورأتand she saw غبارَthe dust of الليلِnight ينفضِbeing shaken فوقهاabove her
ورأت غبارَ الليلِ ينفضِ فوقها
فيat الأفقِthe horizon فانطبقتْthen she closed كعينِlike the eye of الأرمدِa sore-eyed person
في الأفقِ فانطبقتْ كعينِ الأرمدِ
And she saw the dust of night shaken over her
She saw the dust of night shaking above her
at the horizon, then closed like an inflamed eye.
So she closed like the eye of one blind
ومضىand went on النهارُthe day يشقُّtearing فيat أثوابهِhis robes
ومضى النهارُ يشقُّ في أثوابهِ
حزناًin sorrow وأقبلَand came فيin رداءٍa cloak أسودِblack
حزناً وأقبلَ في رداءٍ أسودِ
And the day went on, tearing at his robes
And the day passed, rending its clothes
in sorrow, and came in a black cloak.
In sorrow, and came in a black gown
فتهللتْthen beamed غررُthe radiant brows of النجومِthe stars كأنماas though
فتهللتْ غررُ النجومِ كأنما
كانتhad been لضاحيةِfor the open expanse of السماءِthe sky بمرصدِat a lookout
كانت لضاحيةِ السماءِ بمرصدِ
Then the radiant brows of the stars beamed, as though
So the stars' embers rejoiced as though
they had kept watch for the sky's open expanse.
They were for the sky's patio a watch
وكأنهاand as though they عقدٌa necklace تناثرَscattered درُّهُits pearls
وكأنها عقدٌ تناثرَ درُّهُ
منfrom جيدِthe neck of غانيةٍa beautiful woman ولمand did not تتعمدِact deliberately
من جيدِ غانيةٍ ولم تتعمدِ
And they seemed a necklace whose pearls had scattered
As though a necklace that spilled its pearls
from a beautiful woman's neck, without her intending it.
From the neck of a singing girl, no intent
أوor حليthe jewelry of رباتِladies of الدلالِcoquetry أذلنهُthey wore it freely
أو حلي رباتِ الدلالِ أذلنهُ
شتَّىscattered يروحُit goes in the evening علىupon النهودِthe breasts ويغتديand goes in the morning
شتَّى يروحُ على النهودِ ويغتدي
Or the jewels of coquettish ladies, which they wore freely,
Or the jewelry of coy ladies they mistreated
scattered, passing over breasts at evening and at morn.
Scattered, roving upon breasts and transgressing
والأفقand the horizon بينَbetween مفضضٍsilvered ومذهبٍand gilded
والأفق بينَ مفضضٍ ومذهبٍ
كالجيدِlike a neck بينَbetween معطَّلٍunadorned ومقلَّدِand necklace-adorned
كالجيدِ بينَ معطَّلٍ ومقلَّدِ
And the horizon, partly silvered, partly gilded,
The horizon between reddish and gilded
was like a neck, partly bare and partly necklace-adorned.
Like the neck between choker and necklace
وكأنand as though صفحةَthe face of بدرهِits full moon إذwhen أشرفتْit rose into view
وكأن صفحةَ بدرهِ إذ أشرفتْ
مصقولةَpolished الخدينِboth cheeks صفحةَthe face of أمردِa beardless youth
مصقولةَ الخدينِ صفحةَ أمردِ
And the face of its full moon, as it rose, seemed
Her full moon face when it rose
the polished-cheeked face of a beardless youth.
Polished of cheek, the page of a pickaxe
وكأنَّand as though ضوءَthe light of الفجرِdawn رونقُthe sheen of صارمٍa keen sword
وكأنَّ ضوءَ الفجرِ رونقُ صارمٍ
نضيتْwas drawn صفيحتهُits blade ولماand not yet تغمدِsheathed
نضيتْ صفيحتهُ ولما تغمدِ
And dawn's light seemed the sheen of a keen sword,
As though the dawn's light a sword's sheen
its blade drawn and not yet sheathed.
Its blade honed and not yet sheathed
والأرضُand the earth فيin حللِsplendid robes كُستْwere clothed أطرافهاits extremities
والأرضُ في حللِ كُستْ أطرافها
إلاexcept معاصمَthe wrists of نهرهاits river المتجردِthe unclad
إلا معاصمَ نهرها المتجردِ
And the earth wore robes that clothed its extremities,
The earth in the garb of plains, its edges
save the wrists of its unclad river.
Covered except the banks of its bare rivers
حفتْsurrounded جوانبهُits banks الرياضُthe gardens كأنهاas though they
حفتْ جوانبهُ الرياضُ كأنها
وشيُthe ornamental pattern of الفرندِwatered steel علىon غرارِthe cutting edge of مهندِan Indian-forged sword
وشيُ الفرندِ على غرارِ مهندِ
Gardens fringed its banks, as though they were
Gardens gird its sides as though
the damask patterning on an Indian-forged sword's edge.
The shirt cuffs over bracelets of steel
وكأنهُand as though it صدرُthe bosom of المليحةِa beautiful woman عارياًbare
وكأنهُ صدرُ المليحةِ عارياً
ماthe space بينَbetween لبتهاher throat's hollow وبينَand between المعقدِthe girdle's knot
ما بينَ لبتها وبينَ المعقدِ
And it seemed the bare bosom of a beauty,
As though it were the bare chest of a beauty
between her throat's hollow and her girdle's knot.
Between her throat and her amulet
وكأنَّand as though أثوابthe robes of الرياضthe gardens منfrom الصباthe east wind
وكأنَّ أثواب الرياض من الصبا
عبقتْwere fragrant بأنفاسwith the breaths of الحسانِthe beauties الخُرَّدِthe bashful maidens
عبقتْ بأنفاس الحسانِ الخُرَّدِ
And the gardens' robes seemed, through the east wind,
As though the meadows' clothes were of youth
perfumed with the breath of bashful beauties.
Scented with the breaths of naked boy
يمشيwalks النسيمُthe breeze خلالهاthrough them مترنحاًswaying
يمشي النسيمُ خلالها مترنحاً
بينَbetween الغديرِthe pool وبينَand between ظلٍّa shade أبردِcooler
بينَ الغديرِ وبينَ ظلٍّ أبردِ
The breeze walks through them, swaying,
The breeze walking through them, stumbling
between the pool and a cooler shade.
Between pond and cooler shade
والطيرُand the birds مائلةٌleaning علىover أوكارهاtheir nests
والطيرُ مائلةٌ على أوكارها
منهاamong them مغردةٌsinging وغيرُand not مغرِّدِsinging
منها مغردةٌ وغيرُ مغرِّدِ
And birds lean over their nests,
The birds tilting upon their nests
some singing, others not.
Some singing, some voiceless
باتتْthey spent the night تناغيcooing to one another لاnot تحاذرُfearing فاجعاًa calamity
باتتْ تناغي لا تحاذرُ فاجعاً
مماof what نكابدُwe endure فيin الزمانِthe age الأنكدِthe wretched
مما نكابدُ في الزمانِ الأنكدِ
They spent the night cooing, fearing no calamity
They murmur with no fear of loss
of those we endure in this wretched age.
From what we suffer in the sorry time
ياO طيرُbirds ماthere is nothing فيin العيشِlife إلاexcept حسرةًsorrow
يا طيرُ ما في العيشِ إلا حسرةً
إنif خلتهاyou think it نقصتْhas lessened قليلاًa little تزددِit increases
إن خلتها نقصتْ قليلاً تزددِ
O birds, life holds nothing but sorrow;
O birds what in life but sorrow
if you think it has lessened a little, it grows.
If it goes a little remains more
لمdid not يمنعِprotect القصرُthe palace المشيدُlofty ملوكهُits kings
لم يمنعِ القصرُ المشيدُ ملوكهُ
منهاfrom it فكيفَthen how وفاكهاshielded you from it (likely وقاكها) الغصنُthe bough النديdewy
منها فكيفَ وفاكها الغصنُ الندي
The lofty palace did not shield its kings
The towering palace did not protect its kings
from it; how, then, has the dewy bough shielded you from it?
From it so how could its fragile branch avail
تأبىrefuses علىto الأحرارِfree men إلاexcept ذلَّةًhumiliation
تأبى على الأحرارِ إلا ذلَّةً
ولوand even if أنهمthey صعدواascended ومدارَand to the orbit of الفرقَدِFarqad
ولو أنهم صعدوا ومدارَ الفرقَدِ
It allows free men nothing but humiliation,
It refuses the free except abasement
even if they rose as high as Farqad's orbit.
Even if they climbed to the orbit of planets
فانعمso rejoice بوكركَin your nest إنهindeed it لكَfor you جنةٌa paradise
فانعم بوكركَ إنه لكَ جنةٌ
كالخلدِlike eternal paradise لولاwere it not that أنتyou غيرُnot مخلدِimmortal
كالخلدِ لولا أنت غيرُ مخلدِ
So rejoice in your nest; it is a paradise for you,
So delight in your cage, it is a paradise
like eternal paradise, except that you are not immortal.
Like Eden, if not for you, no eternity
كمhow many واجدٍa sorrowing lover منهاbecause of it تقاذفَtossed to and fro قلبهُhis heart
كم واجدٍ منها تقاذفَ قلبهُ
ذاتُa lady of الدلالِcoquetry فإنthen if دناdraws near هوhe تبعدِshe moves away
ذاتُ الدلالِ فإن دنا هو تبعدِ
How many a lover, sorrowing because of it, has had his heart tossed
How many longing hearts it flung
by a coquettish beauty: if he draws near, she retreats.
The coquetry of the charmer, if he draws near, drives away
فتاكةُdeadly with الألحاظِglances أنىwherever يممتْshe turns
فتاكةُ الألحاظِ أنى يممتْ
سمعتَyou hear زفيرَthe anguished breath of متيَّمٍa love-stricken man متنهدِsighing
سمعتَ زفيرَ متيَّمٍ متنهدِ
Deadly in her glances, wherever she turns,
The glances' deadliness wherever directed
you hear the anguished breath of a sighing, love-stricken man.
You heard the sigh of one enamored, despairing
كالبدرِlike the full moon لولاexcept that أنهاshe أنسيةٌa human woman
كالبدرِ لولا أنها أنسيةٌ
والشمسِand the sun لولاexcept that أنهاshe لمwas not تعبدِworshipped
والشمسِ لولا أنها لم تعبدِ
Like the full moon, except that she is human,
Like the moon, if not mortal
and like the sun, except that she has not been worshipped.
Like the sun, if not worshipped
قالتْshe said عشقتَyou loved وماand not قضيتَyou died كمنlike those who قضواdied
قالتْ عشقتَ وما قضيتَ كمن قضوا
هذاthis الطريقُthe road إلىto الردىdeath فتزودِso take provisions
هذا الطريقُ إلى الردى فتزودِ
She said, “You have loved, but have not died as others have;
She said you love but have not fulfilled like those
this is the road to death—so take provisions.
Who walked this road to doom so prepare
دعْleave عنكَaside from you أمرَthe concern of غدٍtomorrow إذاif ماever (emphasis) خفتهُyou fear it
دعْ عنكَ أمرَ غدٍ إذا ما خفتهُ
يوماًsome day لعلكَperhaps you لاwill not تعيشlive إلىuntil غدِtomorrow
يوماً لعلكَ لا تعيش إلى غدِ
Put tomorrow's concerns aside, if you fear them
Leave tomorrow's matters if you dread them
some day; perhaps you will not live until tomorrow.
One day, perhaps you shall not live to tomorrow
فلقدfor indeed أراكI see you اليومَtoday منfrom أثرِthe effect of الهوىlove
فلقد أراك اليومَ من أثرِ الهوى
كالشمسِlike the sun إنif لمhas not تحتجبْveiled itself فكأنّthen it is as though قدِit already has
كالشمسِ إن لم تحتجبْ فكأنّ قدِ
For indeed I see you today, through love's effects,
I saw you today by love's influence
like the sun: if not yet veiled, it is as though it already were.”
Like the sun, if unrestrained, as though setting
Sol 6.1