رسالةٌa letter ليسَis not قاريهاits reader بذيpossessed of مللٍboredom
رسالةٌ ليسَ قاريها بذي مللٍ
وتُحفةٌand a treasure ليسَis not شاريهاits buyer بمغبونِcheated
وتُحفةٌ ليسَ شاريها بمغبونِ
A letter whose reader never grows bored,
A letter whose reader suffers no tedium,
And a treasure whose buyer is not cheated.
A gift whose buyer suffers no loss.
تضمَّنتْit contained منof بديعِexquisite الشِّعرِpoetry أحسنَهُits finest
تضمَّنتْ من بديعِ الشِّعرِ أحسنَهُ
نظماًin verse فكانتand so it became كديوانِlike an anthology of الدواوينِanthologies
نظماً فكانت كديوانِ الدواوينِ
It contained the finest of exquisite poetry,
It comprises the finest poetic elegance,
In verse, and so became like the anthology of anthologies.
Verses that are like the divan of divans.
هديَّةٌa gift مِنfrom كريمٍa generous man طابَwas noble عُنصُرُهُhis stock
هديَّةٌ مِن كريمٍ طابَ عُنصُرُهُ
لهُfor him منfrom اللهGod أجرٌa reward غيرُnot ممنونِcut off
لهُ من الله أجرٌ غيرُ ممنونِ
A gift from a generous man of noble stock,
A gift from a generous man of noble stock,
For him is an unceasing reward from God.
Who shall receive from God reward without end.
فيهاin it خزائنُtreasuries تِبرٍraw gold غيرُnot مُغلَقةٍclosed
فيها خزائنُ تِبرٍ غيرُ مُغلَقةٍ
عنfrom طالبيهاthose seeking them ودُّرٌّand pearls غيرُnot مكنونِconcealed
عن طالبيها ودُّرٌّ غيرُ مكنونِ
Within it are treasuries of raw gold, not shut away
It holds open coffers of unstinting generosity
From those who seek them, and pearls not concealed.
To those who seek it, pearls that are not concealed.
رَبِيبةٌa foster daughter فيin براريthe wastes of القَفرِthe desert قدindeed نشأتْshe grew up
رَبِيبةٌ في براري القَفرِ قد نشأتْ
منfrom أينَwhere جاءَتshe came بأثمارِwith the fruits of البساتينِthe gardens
من أينَ جاءَت بأثمارِ البساتينِ
A foster daughter who grew up in the desert wastes—
A lovely girl raised on the wilds of the desert,
From where did she bring the fruits of gardens?
Whence came she by fruits of the orchards?
وَهْيَand she العروسُthe bride جلاهاunveiled her أهلُthe people of باديةٍthe desert
وَهْيَ العروسُ جلاها أهلُ باديةٍ
تزهوshe glories بوَشْمٍin tattoos كفَىsufficed عنin place of كلِّevery تزيينِadornment
تزهو بوَشْمٍ كفَى عن كلِّ تزيينِ
And she is the bride whom desert folk unveiled,
She is the bride lightened by tent-dwellers,
She glories in tattoos that make all other adornment needless.
Beautified with a brand that suffices adornment.
همthey صُورةُthe image of الحُسنbeauty لاno تحسينَembellishment يدخلُهاenters it
هم صُورةُ الحُسن لا تحسينَ يدخلُها
والحُسنُand beauty فيin غيرِهمothers besides them يأتيcomes بِتَحسينthrough embellishment
والحُسنُ في غيرِهم يأتي بِتَحسين
They are the image of beauty, untouched by embellishment;
They are the image of beauty entering which comes no embellishment,
And beauty in others comes through embellishment.
While comeliness in others comes only by embellishment.
والوَردُand the rose إنْeven if أشبَهَresembles النِّسرينُthe wild rose منظَرَهُits appearance
والوَردُ إنْ أشبَهَ النِّسرينُ منظَرَهُ
فأينَthen where منcompared with ريحِthe scent of وَردٍa rose ريحُthe scent of نسرِينِa wild rose
فأينَ من ريحِ وَردٍ ريحُ نسرِينِ
And though the wild rose resembles the rose in appearance,
The rose, though it resembles the narcissus in appearance,
How can the wild rose's scent compare with the scent of a rose?
Where is its rose-fragrance compared to narcissus-fragrance?
Sol 6.1