ياO آسmyrtle عارِضِهِhis cheek حَمَلتyou have borne بَنَفسجاviolets
يا آس عارِضِهِ حَمَلت بَنَفسجا
إِذwhen فاحَgave off fragrance وَردُroses خُدودِهِhis cheeks وَتَأرَّجاand wafted scent
إِذ فاحَ وَردُ خُدودِهِ وَتَأرَّجا
O myrtle of his cheek, you have borne violets,
O breeze passing by, carrying the violet,
as the roses of his cheeks wafted scent and perfumed the air.
When the rose of his cheeks bloomed and exuded fragrance,
وَالشّمسُand the sun فيat وَقتِthe time of الضّحىmidmorning مَكسوفَةٌeclipsed
وَالشّمسُ في وَقتِ الضّحى مَكسوفَةٌ
إِذwhen صُبحُdawn of وَجنَتِهِhis cheek المُنيرradiant تَبلَّجاshone forth
إِذ صُبحُ وَجنَتِهِ المُنير تَبلَّجا
And the sun at midmorning is eclipsed
And the sun at the time of morning glow was eclipsed,
when the radiant dawn of his cheek shines forth.
When the radiant garden of his cheek sparkled at dawn,
بِالرّوحِwith the soul طَرْفٌan eye قَدindeed حَماكَhas guarded you بِسحرِهِwith its magic
بِالرّوحِ طَرْفٌ قَد حَماكَ بِسحرِهِ
وَالسّحرُand magic يَلعَبُplays بِالعُقولِwith minds وَبالحِجىand with intellect
وَالسّحرُ يَلعَبُ بِالعُقولِ وَبالحِجى
With my soul I ransom an eye that has guarded you with its spell;
With charm his glance protected you,
and magic toys with minds and intellect.
And charm plays with minds and with imaginations,
ماwhat بالُcondition of صبِّكَyour ardent lover لِلصّبابَةِto passionate longing صابئاًbecoming a convert
ما بالُ صبِّكَ لِلصّبابَةِ صابئاً
زَمنَin the time of المَشيبِgray hair وَلَيسَand does not يَدريknow مَنهَجاa path
زَمنَ المَشيبِ وَلَيسَ يَدري مَنهَجا
What ails your lover, a convert to passionate longing
Why is your pouring as a youth to youthfulness?
in the season of gray hair, knowing no path?
The time of old age, and it knows not a path,
قَدindeed هامَwandered in love فيin طُرُقِthe paths of المَحبَّةِlove ذاهِلاًdistracted
قَد هامَ في طُرُقِ المَحبَّةِ ذاهِلاً
يَهويhe plunges بِوادٍinto a valley ثمَّthen يَصعَدُhe climbs أَبرُجاtowers
يَهوي بِوادٍ ثمَّ يَصعَدُ أَبرُجا
He has wandered distracted through the paths of love,
It wandered confused in the ways of love,
plunging into a valley, then climbing towers.
Plunging into a valley, then climbing up a tower,
يَحلوis sweet لَهُto him أَنthat ضاعَhe became lost فيin تيهِthe wilderness of الهَوىpassion
يَحلو لَهُ أَن ضاعَ في تيهِ الهَوى
مَنwhoever ضَاعَbecame lost فيin تيهِthe wilderness of الغَرامِardent love فَقَدthen indeed نَجاwas saved
مَن ضَاعَ في تيهِ الغَرامِ فَقَد نَجا
He finds it sweet to be lost in the wilderness of passion;
Sweet to him that he was lost in the maze of passion,
whoever is lost in the wilderness of love has been saved.
Whoever is lost in the maze of love, has succeeded,
ماnot إِنْemphatic particle أَلَمَّalighted بمخلصٍupon a means of escape فيin تيههِhis wandering
ما إِنْ أَلَمَّ بمخلصٍ في تيههِ
كلّاno indeed وَلاand not قَدever رامَsought مِنهُfrom it مَخرجاa way out
كلّا وَلا قَد رامَ مِنهُ مَخرجا
He has never found a means of escape in his wandering;
No sincere lover despaired in his maze,
no, nor has he ever sought a way out of it.
Nor sought from it an exit,
قَدindeed ذابَmelted مِنfrom نارِthe fire of الجَفاءِrejection وَماand not لَهُfor him
قَد ذابَ مِن نارِ الجَفاءِ وَما لَهُ
مِنfrom حَرِّهاits heat نَحوَtoward الإِغاثَةِrelief ملتَجاa refuge
مِن حَرِّها نَحوَ الإِغاثَةِ ملتَجا
He has melted in the fire of rejection, and he has no
He melted from the fire of disdain, and he has not,
refuge from its heat in which to seek relief.
Towards relief from its heat, a recourse,
يَستَنشِقُbreathes in الأَخبارَtidings مِنfrom ريحِwind الصَّباthe east wind
يَستَنشِقُ الأَخبارَ مِن ريحِ الصَّبا
عَنabout جِلَّقٍJilliq بابِgateway of المَقاصِدِaspirations والرّجاand hope
عَن جِلَّقٍ بابِ المَقاصِدِ والرّجا
He breathes in tidings from the east wind
He inhales news from the scent of the morning breeze,
of Jilliq, the gateway to aspirations and hope.
About the vicinity of purposes and hopes,
قدْalready حلَّsettled فيهاin it قلبُهhis heart وحبيبُهand his beloved
قدْ حلَّ فيها قلبُه وحبيبُه
ياO لَيتَif only فيهاin it جِسمُهُhis body قدalready عَرَّجاstopped to visit
يا لَيتَ فيها جِسمُهُ قد عَرَّجا
His heart and his beloved have already settled there;
His heart has settled in it, and his beloved,
would that his body had also stopped there!
Would that in it his body had settled!
ياO لَيتَهُif only he مِمّنamong those who أَقامَdwelt بِأَرضِهاin its land
يا لَيتَهُ مِمّن أَقامَ بِأَرضِها
وَسَرىand traveled by night إِلَيهاto it بِالرّؤوسِupon heads وَأَدلَجاand set forth by night
وَسَرى إِلَيها بِالرّؤوسِ وَأَدلَجا
Would that he were among those who dwelt in its land,
Would that he were of those who stayed in its land,
and journeyed to it upon their heads, setting forth by night,
And journeyed to it heads bowed low,
وَرَأىand saw مقامَabode of خليلِهhis dear friend مِنfrom كَهفِهاits cave; its refuge
وَرَأى مقامَ خليلِه مِن كَهفِها
إِذsince كانَwas إِسماعيلُIsma'il فيهاin it المُرتجىthe one hoped for
إِذ كانَ إِسماعيلُ فيها المُرتجى
and saw his friend's abode from its shelter,
And saw the station of his beloved from its cave,
for Isma'il was there the one in whom hope was placed:
When Ismael in it was the desired,
الكَامِلُaccomplished النَّدْبُgallant الأَديبُcultured الأَلمعيdiscerning
الكَامِلُ النَّدْبُ الأَديبُ الأَلمعي
مَنwho بِالمَعارِفِwith knowledge وَالكَمالِand perfection تَتوّجاcrowned himself
مَن بِالمَعارِفِ وَالكَمالِ تَتوّجا
the accomplished, gallant, cultured, discerning man,
The perfect, the elegant, the brilliant Al-Lam'i,
who has crowned himself with learning and perfection;
Who with knowledge and perfection is crowned,
الباسِمُsmiling الثّغرِmouth الصّبوحradiant-faced بَشاشَةًin cheerfulness
الباسِمُ الثّغرِ الصّبوح بَشاشَةً
مَنwho كانَwas صبحاًa dawn لِلمَحاسِنِfor fine qualities أَبلَجاradiant
مَن كانَ صبحاً لِلمَحاسِنِ أَبلَجا
smiling-lipped, radiant-faced with cheer,
The smiling, bright-faced, joyful Basim,
who was a bright dawn of every grace;
Who was a dawn for beauty, radiant,
الحاذقُskilled الفَطِنُperceptive اللبيبُintelligent اللوذَعيsharp-witted
الحاذقُ الفَطِنُ اللبيبُ اللوذَعي
ربُّmaster of البلاغَةِeloquence وَالفَصاحَةِand clarity of speech والحِجىand intellect
ربُّ البلاغَةِ وَالفَصاحَةِ والحِجى
the skilled, perceptive, intelligent, sharp-witted man,
The expert, the perceptive, the intelligent Al-Lawdhi'i,
master of eloquence, clear speech, and intellect;
Master of rhetoric, eloquence and imagination,
رَجلٌa man نَضيجُmature الرّأيjudgment مِنfrom نورِthe light of الذّكاintelligence
رَجلٌ نَضيجُ الرّأي مِن نورِ الذّكا
يَنحوheads toward الصّوابَwhat is right وَلَوand even if تَمشّىhe walked أَعوَجاaskew
يَنحو الصّوابَ وَلَو تَمشّى أَعوَجا
a man whose judgment is ripened by the light of intelligence.
A man mature in thought from the light of wisdom,
He heads toward what is right, even if he walks askew.
Inclining to rightness even if he walked crooked,
فيin حلمِthe forbearance of أَحنفَAhnaf قَدindeed تَقمّصَclothed himself رافِلاًtrailing his robes
في حلمِ أَحنفَ قَد تَقمّصَ رافِلاً
فيin حُسنِthe beauty of يوسُفَYusuf قَدindeed تَردَّىdraped himself مَدرجاenfolded
في حُسنِ يوسُفَ قَد تَردَّى مَدرجا
He has clothed himself in Ahnaf's forbearance, trailing his robes;
In the forbearance of Ahnaf he impersonated a tolerant man,
he has draped himself in Yusuf's beauty, enfolded in it.
In the beauty of Joseph he moved down a slope,
ماnot لِاِبنِfor Ibn مقلةَMuqla سعدُgood fortune حظٍّa share نالَهُhe attained it
ما لِاِبنِ مقلةَ سعدُ حظٍّ نالَهُ
فيin حسنِthe beauty of خَطٍّhandwriting بالنُّضارِwith gold تَضرَّجاwas suffused
في حسنِ خَطٍّ بالنُّضارِ تَضرَّجا
Ibn Muqla never had the good fortune this man attained
What good fortune did the son of Maqla attain,
in beautiful handwriting suffused with gold.
In the beauty of a handwriting that glistened with splendor,
يَبدوappears عَلىupon الأوراقِthe pages حتّىuntil خِلتُهُI imagined it
يَبدو عَلى الأوراقِ حتّى خِلتُهُ
مسكَmusk العِذارَcheek-down علىupon الخُدودِthe cheeks تَأرَّجاwafted fragrance
مسكَ العِذارَ على الخُدودِ تَأرَّجا
It appears upon the pages, till I fancy it
It appears on paper such that even its blankness,
the musk of cheek-down, wafting fragrance upon cheeks.
Is musk on cheeks exuding fragrance,
بَلrather كُلُّevery حَرفٍa letter رأيتَyou saw حروفَهُhis letters
بَل كُلُّ حَرفٍ رأيتَ حروفَهُ
طَرْفٌan eye لَديكَbefore you تَراهyou see it أَحوَرَwith bright whites and dark pupils أَدعَجاwide and intensely black
طَرْفٌ لَديكَ تَراه أَحوَرَ أَدعَجا
Rather, each letter—you have seen his lettering—
Rather, every letter you see of his letters,
is an eye you see before you, wide and bright-white with a jet-black pupil.
Is a glance you see it crooked and twisted,
ماnot نَظمverse of سَحبانَSahban البليغthe eloquent تَراهُyou see it عِنbeside (first part of split word)
ما نَظم سَحبانَ البليغ تَراهُ عِن
دَbeside (final part of split word) نِظامِهhis composition إِيلاexcept الرّكيكَthe feeble البهرَجاthe counterfeit
دَ نِظامِه إِيلا الرّكيكَ البهرَجا
You see the verse of eloquent Sahban, beside
The fine poetry of Saheban you see it not,
his composition, as nothing but feeble, counterfeit work.
Of its system except the crude and nonsensical,
أَهدىpresented إِليَّto me قَصيدَةًa poem مِنfrom نَظمِهِhis verse
أَهدى إِليَّ قَصيدَةً مِن نَظمِهِ
غَرّاءَradiant فيهاin it قَدindeed أَجادَexcelled وَأَبهَجاand brought delight
غَرّاءَ فيها قَد أَجادَ وَأَبهَجا
He presented me with a poem of his own composing,
He gifted me a poem from his composition,
radiant, in which he showed mastery and brought delight:
A flirtatious one in which he excellently created,
حَسناءa beauty مِنfrom درٍّpearls يَتيمٍpeerless أَصلُهاher origin
حَسناء مِن درٍّ يَتيمٍ أَصلُها
تَحكيshe resembles الحسانَbeautiful women تَزيُّناًin adornment وَتَبرُّجاand in displaying beauty
تَحكي الحسانَ تَزيُّناً وَتَبرُّجا
a beauty born of peerless pearls,
A beautiful girl of a unique pearl her origin,
resembling lovely women in adornment and display.
She tells of beauty, adorned and bejeweled,
لاmay not زالَcease to be بَحراًa sea درُّهhis pearls لاnot يَنقَضيrun out
لا زالَ بَحراً درُّه لا يَنقَضي
وَنَظيرُهand its equal مِنfrom غَيرِهِanyone other than him لَنwill never يَخرُجاemerge
وَنَظيرُه مِن غَيرِهِ لَن يَخرُجا
May he remain a sea whose pearls never run out,
Her sea of pearls is endless,
and nothing like his pearls will ever come from another,
And the like of it from another will not come out,
ماas long as مادَswayed رَوضٌa garden بِالنّضارَةِwith freshness وَاِزدَهىand shone in splendor
ما مادَ رَوضٌ بِالنّضارَةِ وَاِزدَهى
وَبِجَوهَرِand with the jewels of الأَزهارِflowers رأساًa head تُوِّجاwas crowned
وَبِجَوهَرِ الأَزهارِ رأساً تُوِّجا
as long as a garden sways in freshness and shines,
No meadow has flourished with splendor,
and its head is crowned with the jewels of flowers.
And with the essence of flowers topped.
Sol 6.1