بكلِّfor every ظَبْيةِa gazelle وَحشٍthe wild ظَبيةُa gazelle الأنَسِhuman company
بكلِّ ظَبْيةِ وَحشٍ ظَبيةُ الأنَسِ
ماذاhow نُعادِلُdo we equate بينَbetween العَفْوِthe donkey's foal والفَرَسِand the horse
ماذا نُعادِلُ بينَ العَفْوِ والفَرَسِ
The gazelle of human company is worth every gazelle of the wild;
With every wild gazelle, the gazelle of humanity
How can we equate a donkey's foal with a horse?
What can we equate between pardon and the horse?
إنif كانَthere is فيin الجِيدِthe neck والعَينينِand the two eyes بَينَهُماbetween the two
إن كانَ في الجِيدِ والعَينينِ بَينَهُما
شِبهٌa likeness فأينَthen where جمالُthe beauty of الثَغْرِthe mouth واللعَسِand the lips' dusky tint
شِبهٌ فأينَ جمالُ الثَغْرِ واللعَسِ
If between them, in neck and eyes, there is
If there is a resemblance between the cheek and the eyes
A likeness, where then is the beauty of the mouth and dusky lips?
Where is the beauty of the mouth and the spear?
رَبيبةٌa nurtured maiden منfrom بنيthe sons of الرَيَّانal-Rayyan مُترَفةٌpampered
رَبيبةٌ من بني الرَيَّان مُترَفةٌ
تَرنوshe gazes بلَحْظٍwith a glance لأُسْدِupon the lions of الغابthe forest مُفترِسِpreying
تَرنو بلَحْظٍ لأُسْدِ الغاب مُفترِسِ
A maiden of Banu al-Rayyan, reared in luxury,
A pampered girl from the people of Rayyan
She gazes with a glance that preys on the forest's lions.
Glances with a look to the lion of the forest stalking prey
سُبحانَglory be to منthe One who صاغَfashioned ذاكَthat الثَغْرَthe mouth منfrom بَرَدٍhailstones
سُبحانَ من صاغَ ذاكَ الثَغْرَ من بَرَدٍ
لَهاfor her وألهَبَand set ablaze ذاكthat الخَدَّthe cheek بالقَبسِwith flame
لَها وألهَبَ ذاك الخَدَّ بالقَبسِ
Glory to Him who fashioned that mouth from hailstones
Glory to Him who created that mouth out of ice
For her, and set that cheek ablaze with flame.
Making it blaze for her, and ignited that cheek with embers
فَتَّاكةُdeadly اللحظِin glance غَرَّتْنيdeceived me لَواحِظُهاher glances
فَتَّاكةُ اللحظِ غَرَّتْني لَواحِظُها
لماwhen رأيتُI saw عليهاin them فَتْرةَthe languor of النَّعَسِdrowsiness
لما رأيتُ عليها فَتْرةَ النَّعَسِ
Her gaze is deadly; her glances deceived me
The flirt of her glance seduced me when I saw
When I saw in them the languor of drowsiness.
Languor upon it, the droopiness of drowsiness
تَبيتُshe spends the night فيin حَرَسٍprotection منfrom لحظِthe gaze of عاشقِهاher lover
تَبيتُ في حَرَسٍ من لحظِ عاشقِها
ياO وَيحْهُalas for him وَهْوَwhile he منهاagainst her ليسَis not فيin حَرَسِprotection
يا وَيحْهُ وَهْوَ منها ليسَ في حَرَسِ
She spends the night guarded by her lover's gaze;
She spends the night on guard from the glance of her lover
Alas for him—he has no protection against her!
Oh woe to him! His passion for her admits no guard
يَلوحُgleams ضَوءُthe light of جَبينٍa brow تحتَbeneath طُرَّيِهاher two forelocks
يَلوحُ ضَوءُ جَبينٍ تحتَ طُرَّيِها
ياO للعُجابِwhat a marvel اجتِماعُthe union of الصُبحِdawn والغَلَسِand predawn darkness
يا للعُجابِ اجتِماعُ الصُبحِ والغَلَسِ
Her brow's light gleams beneath her two forelocks;
The light of a forehead gleams beneath her veil
What a marvel—the union of dawn and predawn darkness!
What a wonder - the union of dawn and nightfall!
وتنتَضيand she unsheathes السَّيفَthe sword منfrom جَفنٍan eyelid مَضارِبُهُits cutting edges
وتنتَضي السَّيفَ من جَفنٍ مَضارِبُهُ
أمضَىsharper منthan السَّيفِthe sword فيin كَفِّthe hand of الفَتَىthe young man الشَرِسِfierce
أمضَى من السَّيفِ في كَفِّ الفَتَى الشَرِسِ
And she draws from an eyelid a sword whose cutting edges
And the sword is unsheathed from an eyelid whose swordsman
Are sharper than the sword in a fierce young man's hand.
Is keener than the sword in the grip of a fierce warrior
ملحيةٌa beauty قَصَّرَتْfell short عنهاof her الحِسانُthe beautiful women كماjust as
ملحيةٌ قَصَّرَتْ عنها الحِسانُ كما
قدindeed قَصَّرَتْfell short كلُّevery مِصرٍcity عنof طَرابُلُسِTripoli
قد قَصَّرَتْ كلُّ مِصرٍ عن طَرابُلُسِ
A beauty whom fair women fall short of, just as
A bride whose charm outshines all other charms
Every city has fallen short of Tripoli—
As all of Egypt falls short of Tripoli
عنof بَلدةٍa city زانَهاadorned it اللهُGod العليُّthe Most High بماwith what
عن بَلدةٍ زانَها اللهُ العليُّ بما
أفادَهاHe bestowed on it منfrom عطاياthe gifts of رُوحِهِHis Spirit القُدُسِthe Holy
أفادَها من عطايا رُوحِهِ القُدُسِ
A city the Most High God adorned with what
A town adorned by God the Most High with what
He bestowed on it from the gifts of His Holy Spirit.
He endowed it of the gifts of the Holy Spirit
أنشاHe established بهاin it كَنْزَa treasury of أسرارٍsecrets لسائِلهِfor its seeker
أنشا بها كَنْزَ أسرارٍ لسائِلهِ
أشفَىmore healing منthan المَطَرthe rain الهاميpouring علىupon اليَبَسِparched ground
أشفَى من المَطَر الهامي على اليَبَسِ
He established there a treasury of secrets, for its seeker
He established therein a treasure of mysteries for its seeker
More healing than pouring rain upon parched ground.
More healing than the pouring rain upon arid ground
فَضَّاضُa breaker of مُشكلِةٍa problem خَوَّاضُa wader into مُعضِلةٍa perplexity
فَضَّاضُ مُشكلِةٍ خَوَّاضُ مُعضِلةٍ
روَّاضُa tamer of مسئلةٍa question منof كلِّevery مُلتبِسِtangled matter
روَّاضُ مسئلةٍ من كلِّ مُلتبِسِ
A breaker of problems, a wader into perplexities,
Decipherer of problems, solver of riddles
A tamer of questions of every tangled kind.
Explainer of confused issues however complex
الناظمُthe poet الناثرُthe prose writer الشَهْمُthe noble one الكريمُthe generous one لهُfor him
الناظمُ الناثرُ الشَهْمُ الكريمُ لهُ
بالفَضلِto excellence يَشهَدُbears witness طيبُthe sweetness of النَفسِthe soul والنَفَسِand the breath
بالفَضلِ يَشهَدُ طيبُ النَفسِ والنَفَسِ
The poet and prose writer, noble and generous, whose
The composer, the eloquent, the noble and generous
Excellence is attested by the sweetness of soul and breath.
Good souls and breaths testify to his merit
سَهْلُgentle الطِّباعِin temperament سليمُfree القلبthe heart منfrom وَضَرٍgrime
سَهْلُ الطِّباعِ سليمُ القلب من وَضَرٍ
صافيpure الصِّفاتِin qualities نقيُّclean العِرضِthe honor منfrom دَنَسِdefilement
صافي الصِّفاتِ نقيُّ العِرضِ من دَنَسِ
Gentle in nature, his heart free of grime,
Easygoing, sound of heart, free of harm
Pure in character, his honor free from defilement.
Pure in manner, integrity unstained
يَزُفُّhe leads in bridal procession منfrom كَلِمٍwords كالدُرِّlike pearls ساطعةٍshining
يَزُفُّ من كَلِمٍ كالدُرِّ ساطعةٍ
أبكاَرَvirgin maidens of فِكرٍthought كضَوْءِlike the light of الصُبحِdawn مُنبجِسِspringing forth
أبكاَرَ فِكرٍ كضَوْءِ الصُبحِ مُنبجِسِ
He leads forth as brides, in words shining like pearls,
From his words pours, like radiant pearls
Maidens of thought that springs forth like the light of dawn.
The first fruits of keen intellect, gleaming at daybreak
خَرائدُmaiden beauties منamong بَناتthe daughters of العُرْبِthe Arabs قدindeed فُتِنَتwere enchanted
خَرائدُ من بَنات العُرْبِ قد فُتِنَت
بحُسنهِنَّby their beauty بَناتُthe daughters of التُرْكِthe Turks والفُرُسِand the Persians
بحُسنهِنَّ بَناتُ التُرْكِ والفُرُسِ
Maiden beauties among the daughters of the Arabs have enchanted
Choice selections of Arabic verse, enchanted
The daughters of the Turks and Persians with their beauty.
By their beauty, even the girls of Turkey and Persia
إذاwhen أفاضَpours forth لِسانٌa tongue منهُof his فيin جَدَلٍdebate
إذا أفاضَ لِسانٌ منهُ في جَدَلٍ
مَضَىit presses on فأبلىand so wears out لِسانَthe tongue of الخَصْمِthe opponent بالخَرَسِwith muteness
مَضَى فأبلى لِسانَ الخَصْمِ بالخَرَسِ
When his tongue pours forth in debate,
When an eloquent tongue of his pours forth in debate
It presses on, wearing the opponent's tongue down to muteness.
It prevails, rendering mute the tongue of the opponent
لاnot يصَطلِيwarms himself at نارَthe fire of إبراهيمَIbrahim مُجتهِدٌa striver
لا يصَطلِي نارَ إبراهيمَ مُجتهِدٌ
ولاnor تنالُreaches عُلاهُhis heights كَفُّthe hand of مُلتمِسِa seeker
ولا تنالُ عُلاهُ كَفُّ مُلتمِسِ
No striver can warm himself at Ibrahim's fire,
No diligent one attains the fire of Abraham
Nor can a seeker's hand reach his heights.
Nor reaches his loftiness, however striving
ياO غائباًabsent one بانdeparted عناfrom us غيرwithout ملتفتٍturning back
يا غائباً بان عنا غير ملتفتٍ
وذكرُهُand his memory فيin حماناour sanctuary غيرُnot مندرِسِfaded
وذكرُهُ في حمانا غيرُ مندرِسِ
O absent one, who departed from us without looking back,
O absent from us, heedless and not glancing back
Yet his memory in our sanctuary has not faded.
His memory undimmed in our ardour
إنif لمnot تَكنthere is نَظرةٌa glance منكمfrom you أفوزُI gain بهاwith it
إن لم تَكن نَظرةٌ منكم أفوزُ بها
فنظرةٌthen a glance منfrom كتابٍa letter منكfrom you مُقتَبَسِobtained
فنظرةٌ من كتابٍ منك مُقتَبَسِ
If I cannot win a glance from you,
If I cannot win a glance from you
Then let me glimpse a letter obtained from you.
Then a glance culled from your writings will suffice
Sol 6.1