لاحَتْshe appeared فقُلناso we said كوكبُthe star of الصُبحِthe morning بانappeared
لاحَتْ فقُلنا كوكبُ الصُبحِ بان
قالتْshe said نَعَمْyes لكنْbut علىupon غُصنِa bough of بانْa bān tree
قالتْ نَعَمْ لكنْ على غُصنِ بانْ
She shone forth; we said, “The morning star has appeared.”
The morning planet dawned, and we said:
She said, “Yes, but upon a bān-tree bough.”
"Yes, but on the branch of the acacia."
جميلةُlovely in الطَلْعةِappearance وَضَّاحَةٌradiant
جميلةُ الطَلْعةِ وَضَّاحَةٌ
صارتbecame بهاwith her السَبْعُthe seven الدَرارِيshining stars ثَمانْeight
صارت بها السَبْعُ الدَرارِي ثَمانْ
Lovely in appearance, radiant,
Beautiful is its rising and bright,
with her, the seven shining stars became eight.
With it, the seven sparkling stars became eight.
هَيفاءُslender-waisted فيin وَجنْتِهاher cheek وَردةٌa rose
هَيفاءُ في وَجنْتِها وَردةٌ
ياO مَنْyou who رأىhave seen الوَردَroses علىupon الخَيْزُرانْbamboo
يا مَنْ رأى الوَردَ على الخَيْزُرانْ
Slender-waisted, with a rose upon her cheek—
Delicate in its cheeks a rose,
O you who have seen roses upon bamboo!
O you who saw the flowers on the oleander.
قدindeed تَلِفَتْhas perished فيin يَدِهاher hand مُهجتيmy lifeblood
قد تَلِفَتْ في يَدِها مُهجتي
عَمْداًdeliberately ولمand not يَثْبُتْbe established عليهاagainst her الضَّمانْliability
عَمْداً ولم يَثْبُتْ عليها الضَّمانْ
My lifeblood has perished at her hand,
My love may be lost in her hands,
deliberately—yet she was not held liable.
Intentionally, and the guarantee would not hold against her.
ماwhat بينَbetween عَينَيهاher two eyes وأكبادِناand our livers
ما بينَ عَينَيها وأكبادِنا
داهيةٌa calamity بِكرٌvirgin وحَرْبٌand a war عَوانْrenewed
داهيةٌ بِكرٌ وحَرْبٌ عَوانْ
What lies between her eyes and our livers
Between her eyes and our livers,
is a virgin calamity and a war renewed.
An innocent, virgin war.
إذاwhen شَكوناwe complain ماwhat لَقيناwe suffered بهاthrough her
إذا شَكونا ما لَقينا بها
تَقولُshe says قدindeed قُدِّرَwas decreed هذاthis فكانْand so it came to pass
تَقولُ قد قُدِّرَ هذا فكانْ
When we complain of what we have suffered through her,
When we complain of what we faced because of her,
she says, “This was decreed, and so it came to pass.”
She says: "This was destined to happen."
فيon خَدِّهاher cheek نارُthe fire of المَجُوسِthe Magians التيwhich
في خَدِّها نارُ المَجُوسِ التي
قامَstands لَدَيهاbeside it الخالُthe beauty mark كالمُوبَذانْlike the Magian high priest
قامَ لَدَيها الخالُ كالمُوبَذانْ
On her cheek is the Magians' fire,
In her cheek is the Magi's fire,
beside which her beauty mark stands like the Magian high priest;
Before which the mole stands like an outcast.
أوor نارُthe fire of إبراهيمَAbraham مشبوبةًkindled
أو نارُ إبراهيمَ مشبوبةً
فيin مُهَجthe hearts of الحُسَّادِthe envious ذاتِfull of الدُخانْsmoke
في مُهَج الحُسَّادِ ذاتِ الدُخانْ
or Abraham's fire, kindled
Or the fire of Abraham, burning
in the smoke-filled hearts of the envious.
In the passion of the jealous and smoky.
هذاthis is خليلُthe friend of اللهِGod والناسِand mankind فيin الدْthe (split article)
هذا خليلُ اللهِ والناسِ في الدْ
دِينِreligion وفيand in الدُّنياthis world فنِعْمَand how excellent القِرانْthe union
دِينِ وفي الدُّنيا فنِعْمَ القِرانْ
This is God's and mankind's friend, in
This is God's friend of religion and life,
religion and in this world—what a splendid union!
And a blessed companion.
أشَمُّlofty ماضيresolute العَزمِresolve ماضيmighty اليَدِthe hand الthe
أشَمُّ ماضي العَزمِ ماضي اليَدِ ال
بَيضاءِwhite ماضيincisive الرأْيjudgment ماضيkeen اللِّسانْthe tongue
بَيضاءِ ماضي الرأْي ماضي اللِّسانْ
Lofty, firm in resolve, mighty in his
I smell the resolve of the past, the resolve of the hand,
white hand, keen in judgment, keen of tongue.
The white, the resolve of opinion, the resolve of the tongue.
الشَّاعرُthe poet الواريspark-producing الزِنادِthe flints الذيwhose
الشَّاعرُ الواري الزِنادِ الذي
تَحكيresemble قوافيهِhis rhymes عُقودَstrings of الجُمانْpearls
تَحكي قوافيهِ عُقودَ الجُمانْ
The poet of sparking flints, whose
The endowed poet Al-Warid Al-Zinad,
rhymes resemble strings of pearls.
Whose rhymes narrate the beads' threads.
يَصدَعُspeaks out منfrom among أقلامِهِhis pens عاملٌa worker
يَصدَعُ من أقلامِهِ عاملٌ
للحَقِّfor truth فيهِin it الهُدَىguidance تَرْجُمانْan interpreter
للحَقِّ فيهِ الهُدَى تَرْجُمانْ
A working pen of his speaks out
A worker emerges from his pens
for truth; within it, guidance is an interpreter.
To guide the truth, a translator.
يَستَبِقُraces المَعَنىmeaning إلىto قلبهِhis heart
يَستَبِقُ المَعَنى إلى قلبهِ
واللفظُand wording كالفُرْسانِlike the horsemen يومَon the day of الرِّهانْthe race
واللفظُ كالفُرْسانِ يومَ الرِّهانْ
Meaning races to his heart,
Meaning outruns to his heart,
and wording too, like horsemen on the day of the race.
While words are like racers on the day of the bet.
فيin كلِّevery فَنٍّart منof بَلاغاتهِhis feats of eloquence
في كلِّ فَنٍّ من بَلاغاتهِ
يَجلُوreveals بَيانُthe eloquence of السِّحرِmagic سِحرَthe magic of البَيانْeloquence
يَجلُو بَيانُ السِّحرِ سِحرَ البَيانْ
In every art of his eloquence,
In every art of his rhetoric,
the eloquence of magic reveals the magic of eloquence.
Eloquence clears the sorcery of sorcerous eloquence.
مُهذَّبُrefined in الأخلاقِmorals مَيمونُهاblessed in them
مُهذَّبُ الأخلاقِ مَيمونُها
رَيَّانُflourishing طَلْقُcheerful الوجهِthe face طَلْقُgenerous البَنانْthe fingers
رَيَّانُ طَلْقُ الوجهِ طَلْقُ البَنانْ
Refined and blessed in character,
Of refined morals and auspiciousness,
flourishing, cheerful-faced, open-handed.
A loose-faced radiance and flexibility.
ثَناؤهُpraise of him لمdid not يَخلُbe empty منهُof it فَمٌa mouth
ثَناؤهُ لم يَخلُ منهُ فَمٌ
وذِكرُهُand mention of him لمdid not يَخلُbe empty منهُof it مَكانْa place
وذِكرُهُ لم يَخلُ منهُ مَكانْ
No mouth has lacked his praise,
His praise did not lack a mouth,
and no place has lacked mention of him.
And his mention did not lack a place.
رَقَّتgrew delicate معانيهِhis meanings ودَقّتand grew subtle كماjust as
رَقَّت معانيهِ ودَقّت كما
رَقَّتgrew gentle نُسَيماتُlittle breezes الصَّباthe east wind فيin الجِنانْthe gardens
رَقَّت نُسَيماتُ الصَّبا في الجِنانْ
His meanings grew delicate and subtle, just as
His meanings softened and thinned, like
the east wind's little breezes grew gentle in the gardens.
The breezes of morning blew gently in the gardens.
يُنسِيmakes one forget جَريراًJarir نَظمُthe composition of أبياتِهِhis verses
يُنسِي جَريراً نَظمُ أبياتِهِ
ونثرهُand his prose يُنسِيmakes one forget بديعَBadiʿ الزَّمانْal-Zaman
ونثرهُ يُنسِي بديعَ الزَّمانْ
The composition of his verses makes one forget Jarir,
The rhythm of his verses makes one forget
and his prose makes one forget Badiʿ al-Zaman.
Jarir, and his prose makes one forget Badi` al-Zaman.
رَبُّmaster of القوافيthe rhymes المُطرِباتِrapture-giving التيwhich
رَبُّ القوافي المُطرِباتِ التي
سُكريmy intoxication بهاthrough them لاnot بِسُلافfrom the choicest wine of الدِّنانْthe wine jars
سُكري بها لا بِسُلاف الدِّنانْ
Master of the rapturous rhymes that
Lord of the thrilling, intoxicating rhymes,
intoxicate me—not the choicest wine of the jars.
Which intoxicate me, not the wine of vines.
تُقيِّدُthey bind القلبَthe heart بأسبابِهاwith their cords
تُقيِّدُ القلبَ بأسبابِها
إذاwhen التَقاهاencounters them الطَرْفُthe eye طَلْقَwith loosened العِنانْrein
إذا التَقاها الطَرْفُ طَلْقَ العِنانْ
They bind the heart with their cords
That captures the heart with its reasons,
when the eye, with rein let loose, encounters them.
When the gaze freely meets it.
ورُبَّand many a حَسناءِlovely المُحيَّاof face انْجَلتْshone forth
ورُبَّ حَسناءِ المُحيَّا انْجَلتْ
مِثلَlike اللآليpearls فيupon نُحورِthe throats of الحِسانْbeautiful women
مِثلَ اللآلي في نُحورِ الحِسانْ
And many a fair-faced beauty has shone forth,
And many a beautiful inspirer flashed
like pearls upon the throats of beautiful women.
Like the cresent moons in the bosoms of the lovely.
ألبَسَهاhe clothed her ثَوبَa garment of سَوادٍblack بهin it
ألبَسَها ثَوبَ سَوادٍ به
تاهَتْshe grew proud فعافَتْand so she spurned حُلَّةَa robe of الأُرْجُوانْpurple
تاهَتْ فعافَتْ حُلَّةَ الأُرْجُوانْ
He clothed her in a garment of black; in it
She wore a black garment in which
she took such pride that she spurned a purple robe.
She got lost and gave up the purple dress.
ياO أُنسَjoy of يومٍa day قدindeed أتَتْنيshe came to me ضُحىًat midmorning
يا أُنسَ يومٍ قد أتَتْني ضُحىً
أشَهىmore delightful منthan النَيرُوزِNowruz والمِهْرَجانْand Mihrjan
أشَهى من النَيرُوزِ والمِهْرَجانْ
O joy of a day, when she came to me at midmorning,
O companion of a day that came to me at dawn
more delightful than Nowruz and Mihrjan!
Sweeter than Nayrouz and festivals.
وَهبْتُهاI gave her عَينيmy eye وأُذْنيand my ear فلمbut did not
وَهبْتُها عَيني وأُذْني فلم
تَرضَaccept لهاfor herself إلاّexcept صَميمَthe very core of الجَنَانْthe heart
تَرضَ لها إلاّ صَميمَ الجَنَانْ
I gave her my eye and my ear, but she would not
I gave her my eyes and ears but she would not be satisfied
accept for herself anything but the heart's very core.
Except with the innermost soul.
ياO خيرَbest of منthose who صامَfasted وصَلَّىand prayed ومَنand those who
يا خيرَ من صامَ وصَلَّى ومَن
قامَstood خطيباًas an orator وارتَدَىand donned الطَيلْسانْthe taylasan cloak
قامَ خطيباً وارتَدَى الطَيلْسانْ
O best of those who fasted and prayed, and those who
O best of those who fasted, prayed,
rose as orators and donned the taylasan cloak!
And stood as a preacher wearing a turban.
إليكَto you عَذراءَa virgin سَعَتْhastened نَحوَكُمْtoward you (plural)
إليكَ عَذراءَ سَعَتْ نَحوَكُمْ
بِقَدَمِwith the foot of الصَبِّthe ardent lover وقلبِand the heart of الجَبانْthe coward
بِقَدَمِ الصَبِّ وقلبِ الجَبانْ
Receive a virgin who has hastened toward you,
To you, chaste one, my steps strode
with a lover's foot and a coward's heart.
With the vigor of youth and the heart of the timid.
خافتْshe feared منَfrom الذَّنبِoffense بتَقصيرهاthrough her shortcomings
خافتْ منَ الذَّنبِ بتَقصيرها
فأقبَلَتْso she came تَطلُبُseeking منكَfrom you الأمانْprotection
فأقبَلَتْ تَطلُبُ منكَ الأمانْ
She feared giving offense through her shortcomings,
She feared sinning by her shortcoming,
so she came, seeking protection from you.
So she came to you seeking safety.
Sol 6.1