حليornaments العذارcheek-down الغَواليprecious
حلي العذار الغَوالي
أَرخصنthey cheapened طيبfragrance الغَواليcostly perfumes
أَرخصن طيب الغَوالي
The precious ornaments of cheek-down
My sweet, pure love
have cheapened the fragrance of costly perfumes.
Who cheapens the finest musk.
كَتَبنthey inscribed سَطرa line كَمالperfection
كَتَبن سَطر كَمال
زَهاshone بِطرسِon the parchment of جَمالِbeauty
زَها بِطرسِ جَمالِ
They inscribed a line of perfection
She wrote a line of perfection
that shone upon beauty's parchment.
With features of exquisite beauty.
وَماand … is not الجَمالbeauty سِوىexcept ماthat which
وَما الجَمال سِوى ما
بِهِthrough it كَمالperfection الرِجالِmen
بِهِ كَمال الرِجالِ
And beauty is nothing but that
For what is beauty but that
through which men attain perfection,
Which perfects the virtues of men?
كَمثلlike the example of سُنّةِthe way of طَهTaha
كَمثل سُنّةِ طَه
بِهاwith it تزانare adorned المَعاليlofty virtues
بِها تزان المَعالي
like the way of Taha,
Like the way of Moses,
with which lofty virtues are adorned.
With it, glories are balanced.
وَإِنَّand indeed مَنthe one who قَدindeed تَحلّىadorned himself
وَإِنَّ مَن قَد تَحلّى
بِعقدهاwith its necklace المُتلاليglittering
بِعقدها المُتلالي
And indeed, he who has adorned himself
And indeed, he who adorns himself
with its glittering necklace
With its string of pearls,
محمّدMuhammad ذوpossessor of المَقامstation الرthe … (fragment before 'lofty')
محمّد ذو المَقام الر
رفيعlofty باهيsplendid المَقالِspeech
رفيع باهي المَقالِ
is Muhammad, whose station is
Muhammad, whose sublime station
lofty, splendid in speech.
Is lofty, splendid in speech,
قَدindeed طابَhas pleased ليto me طيبهاits fragrance مِنfrom
قَد طابَ لي طيبها مِن
محرّمٍforbidden وَحلاليand what is lawful to me
محرّمٍ وَحلالي
Its fragrance has indeed pleased me, from
Her sweetness has been perfumed for me
what is forbidden and what is lawful to me.
In what is forbidden and what is lawful.
مهذّبrefined ماnot نَظَرناwe have seen
مهذّب ما نَظَرنا
لِلطفهfor his gentleness مِنany مِثالِequal
لِلطفه مِن مِثالِ
He is refined; we have not seen
Well-mannered is what we saw
any match for his gentleness.
Of her gentleness as an example.
طبعnature كَنَشرlike the wafting of شذاfragrance الرَوthe garden (word begun here)
طبع كَنَشر شذا الرَو
ضcompletion of 'garden' أَوor كَماءٍlike water زلالِlimpid
ض أَو كَماءٍ زلالِ
His nature is like the wafting fragrance of the
A nature like the scent of flowers
garden, or like limpid water.
Spreading, or clear running water,
ذوpossessor of رقّةٍtenderness وَصَفاءٍand purity
ذو رقّةٍ وَصَفاءٍ
وَحسنand beauty طيبgoodness خِصالِcharacter traits
وَحسن طيب خِصالِ
Possessed of tenderness and purity,
Of tenderness and clarity,
and the beauty of good character,
And goodly, virtuous traits.
وَذوand possessor of مَقامstation عليٍّlofty
وَذو مَقام عليٍّ
لَهُfor him الثَناpraise متواليunceasing
لَهُ الثَنا متوالي
and possessed of an exalted station,
And whose station is like Ali’s,
praise for him is unceasing.
For whom praises continue endlessly.
هَذاthus ولمّاand when تَجلّىhe appeared
هَذا ولمّا تَجلّى
لَناto us بِأَبهىin the fairest of المجاليappearances
لَنا بِأَبهى المجالي
Thus—and when he appeared
And when she appeared to us
to us in the fairest of appearances,
In the most splendid of forms,
وَبالعذارand with cheek-down تحلّىbecame adorned
وَبالعذار تحلّى
خمارveil ذاتpossessor of (feminine) دَلالِcoquetry
خمار ذات دَلالِ
and with cheek-down was adorned
And adorned herself with chaste love,
the veil of a coquettish beauty,
A cloak of allure,
قالsaid البَهاsplendor لِيَto me أَرّخrecord the date
قال البَها لِيَ أَرّخ
عذارُcheek-down بَدرa full moon كَمالِperfection
عذارُ بَدر كَمالِ
Splendor said to me, “Record the date:
The full moon said to me, “Record
The cheek-down of a full moon of perfection.”
The date of the perfected full moon.”
Sol 6.1