وافتshe arrived تجرّshe trails الذيولاthe trains
وافت تجرّ الذيولا
عذراءa maiden تسبيshe captivates العقولاminds
عذراء تسبي العقولا
She came, trailing her trains,
She came pulling her train behind,
a maiden who takes minds captive.
A maiden who captivates minds.
تركّيهٌa Turkish woman تركتنيshe left me
تركّيهٌ تركتني
فيin حبهاlove for her مشغولاpreoccupied
في حبها مشغولا
A Turkish woman, she left me
A Turk left me obsessed
absorbed in love for her.
With her love, fully possessed.
شمسthe sun الجمالbeauty تبدّتappeared
شمس الجمال تبدّت
لمnot ابغِI sought عنهاinstead of her بديلاa substitute
لم ابغِ عنها بديلا
The sun of beauty appeared;
The sun of beauty shone bright,
I sought no substitute for her.
I desired no other in her sight.
وبدرهاand her full moon فيin سماييmy sky
وبدرها في سمايي
بادٍvisible ويابىand it refuses الافولاsetting
بادٍ ويابى الافولا
And her full moon, in my sky,
Her full moon in my sky
is visible and refuses to set.
Wanes, then waxes, won't say goodbye.
ماnot زلتI ceased مضنىwasted هواهاlove for her
ما زلت مضنى هواها
لوeven if ذقتI tasted هجراًestrangement طويلاlong
لو ذقت هجراً طويلا
I remain wasted by love for her,
I'm still crazy for her love,
even if I taste long estrangement.
Though she's distant, like a far-off dove.
منamong الغوانيthe beautiful women فتاةٌa maiden
من الغواني فتاةٌ
تغنىdispenses عنwith المغنىthe singer قولاin speech
تغنى عن المغنى قولا
Among the beauties is a maiden
A girl of splendor who
whose speech dispenses with the singer.
Sings, making singers seem so few.
لدرّfor the pearls بحرthe sea ثناهاher praise
لدرّ بحر ثناها
أضحىal-Khalil الخليلbecame خليلاimpoverished
أضحى الخليل خليلا
Before the pearls of the sea of her praise,
She's a precious pearl whose worth
al-Khalil became impoverished.
Made the dearest friend a foe on earth.
شمولهاher wine لطفsubtlety معنىًmeaning
شمولها لطف معنىً
باللطفin subtlety فاقsurpassed الشمولاwine
باللطف فاق الشمولا
Her wine is subtlety of meaning
Her perfection of charm and style
that surpasses wine in subtlety.
Surpassed gentle grace by a mile.
تديرshe circulates كاسa cup حديثof discourse
تدير كاس حديث
منfrom ثغرهاher lips معسولاhoney-sweet
من ثغرها معسولا
She passes around a cup of discourse,
From her mouth a cup she'd pour
honey-sweet from her lips.
Of sweet discourse and so much more.
اتتshe came بسحرwith magic بيانٍeloquence
اتت بسحر بيانٍ
ابانrevealed فضلاًexcellence جزيلاabundant
ابان فضلاً جزيلا
She brought the magic of eloquence
With magic of eloquence she came
that revealed abundant excellence.
Revealing generosity and fame.
عنabout فضلexcellence ذيone possessing الفضلexcellence ينبيit tells
عن فضل ذي الفضل ينبي
عقداًa necklace بديعاًwondrous جميلاbeautiful
عقداً بديعاً جميلا
It tells of the excellence of the excellent man—
She tells of virtuous people, and strings
a wondrous, beautiful necklace.
A necklace of poems with beautiful things.
صحيحsound معناهits meaning يرويit transmits
صحيح معناه يروي
عنfrom الصحاحthe Ṣiḥāḥ نقولاquotations
عن الصحاح نقولا
Sound in meaning, it transmits
Correct is their meaning and right,
quotations from the Ṣiḥāḥ.
Quoted truly word for word outright.
لديهbefore him تنعجمgrow inarticulate العرstart of ‘the Arabs’
لديه تنعجم العر
بend of ‘the Arabs’ وهوand he تركa Turk أصولاby descent
ب وهو ترك أصولا
Before him, the Arabs grow tongue-tied,
In her presence Arabic becomes mute,
though he is Turkish by descent.
Though its rules she knows by rote.
ياO درّpearls درّpearls قوافٍrhymes
يا درّ درّ قوافٍ
ترتلتwere chanted ترتيلاin measured recitation
ترتلت ترتيلا
O pearls—pearls of rhymes,
O precious pearl, pearl in truth!
recited in measured chant!
Reciting with care, that's her youth.
قسQuss الفصاحةeloquence فيهin him
قس الفصاحة فيه
سحبانSahban أضحىbecame ذهولاbewildered
سحبان أضحى ذهولا
In him dwells Quss of eloquence;
Judges of rhetoric were dumbstruck,
Sahban stands bewildered.
As she recited, their minds amok.
كمhow much تركleft الأولونthe ancients
كم ترك الأولون
إلىto الأواخرlater generations قيلاspeech
إلى الأواخر قيلا
How much the ancients left
What predecessors left behind
for later generations to say!
To later ages, she will find.
عنهabout him التواريخhistories ترويrecount
عنه التواريخ تروي
براعةًbrilliance وشمولاand breadth
براعةً وشمولا
Histories recount of him
Histories tell of her wit and reach,
brilliance and breadth.
Stunning mastery beyond teach.
قدindeed سارspread ذكراًrenown شهيراًfamous
قد سار ذكراً شهيراً
بينamong الأنامhumankind جليلاillustrious
بين الأنام جليلا
His celebrated name has spread,
Her fame is known by all,
illustrious among humankind.
Noble through the years shall her name call.
للهto God يومa day آتاناbrought us
لله يوم آتانا
منهfrom him الثناpraise مستطيلاextensive
منه الثنا مستطيلا
God bless the day that brought us
God's gift she became in our days,
his praise, stretching far!
Perfect columns of verse she displays.
وطالand long lasted ماthat كانwas سمعيmy hearing
وطال ما كان سمعي
سماعهاhearing her مستنيلاseeking to obtain
سماعها مستنيلا
And long had my ear
Long I wished to hear her recite,
sought to hear her,
Quenching thirst with words polite,
حتىuntil تشنفwas adorned with earrings منهاfrom her
حتى تشنف منها
وهامand became enamored فيهاwith her ثمولاintoxicated
وهام فيها ثمولا
until it was jeweled by her,
Until I gathered from her diction,
and grew love-mad with her, intoxicated.
Smitten, obsessed beyond addiction.
قدindeed طوقencircled الجيدthe neck عقداًwith a necklace
قد طوق الجيد عقداً
منof الثناpraise مقبولاwell-received
من الثنا مقبولا
He has hung a necklace about the neck,
She was crowned with verses of splendor,
of well-received praise.
Welcomed warmly with acclaim and honor.
والبسand clothed الدهرTime منهfrom it
والبس الدهر منه
اساوراًbracelets وحجولاand anklets
اساوراً وحجولا
And with it he clothed Time
The days adorned her with bracelets and all,
in bracelets and anklets.
Her composition and rhymes stood tall.
توشيحهhis adorned verse والقوافيand the rhymes
توشيحه والقوافي
ملوكkings تبعTubbaʿ تولىtook command
ملوك تبع تولى
His adorned verse and rhymes
For her Zuhair wrote prose like kings,
have taken command of Tubbaʿ's kings.
Trying to earn her charming flings.
لهاfor them زهيرZuhayr هزارٌa nightingale
لها زهير هزارٌ
يشدوhe sings بهاwith them مستميلاseeking to charm
يشدو بها مستميلا
For them, Zuhayr is a nightingale,
His scatterings were gems strewn,
singing them to win hearts.
Of meanings and words opportune.
نثارهhis prose نثراتscatterings الجمstart of ‘the pearls’
نثاره نثرات الجم
انend of ‘the pearls’ معنىًin meaning وقولاand in expression
ان معنىً وقولا
His prose is a scattering of pearls,
She made Al-Harith humble, a fool,
in meaning and expression.
Yet he became famous as Al-Hariri the school.
فهوfor he is الحريّthe worthy one ومنهand because of him
فهو الحريّ ومنه
يغدوbecomes الحريريal-Hariri خجولاabashed
يغدو الحريري خجولا
For he is the worthy one, and because of him
Excuse my weak, meager praise,
al-Hariri grows abashed.
For before you it seems frail always.
فاعذرso pardon رقيقfrail امتداحٍpraise
فاعذر رقيق امتداحٍ
لديكbefore you أضحىhas become نحيلاthin
لديك أضحى نحيلا
So pardon this frail praise,
So let down your veil of cover,
grown thin in your presence.
And from you may acceptance hover.
واسبلنand let fall ذيلthe hem سترٍa covering
واسبلن ذيل سترٍ
اذfor منكfrom you يبغيit seeks القبولاacceptance
اذ منك يبغي القبولا
And let fall the hem of a veil,
Leave those of wisdom so they may live long,
for it seeks acceptance from you.
As servants in love compose their song.
واسلمand remain safe تطارحexchanging verses أهلthe people of الآدابletters
واسلم تطارح أهل الآداب
دهراًfor a lifetime نبيلاnoble
دهراً نبيلا
And live in safety, exchanging verses with men of letters,
She came pulling her train behind,
for a noble lifetime.
A maiden who captivates minds.
فالعبدfor the servant فيin الحبlove يشدوsings
فالعبد في الحب يشدو
وافتshe arrived تجرshe trails الذيولاthe trains
وافت تجر الذيولا
For the servant sings in love:
She came, trailing her trains.
Partial English translation: 60 of 62 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1