نَفسيmy soul الفِداءthe ransom لِمَنfor her who حَوَتshe possessed
نَفسي الفِداء لِمَن حَوَت
أَبهىfairest الجَمالthe beauty الأَنفسِmost precious
أَبهى الجَمال الأَنفسِ
My soul be ransom for her who possesses
My soul I'd sacrifice for she
the fairest, most precious beauty.
Of beauty most sublime,
خَطَرتshe walked gracefully فَلاحَthen appeared الغُصنthe bough ليto me
خَطَرت فَلاحَ الغُصن لي
مُتَمايلاًswaying فيin سُندُسِfine silk
مُتَمايلاً في سُندُسِ
She walked gracefully, and a bough appeared to me,
She swayed, and blossomed the branch
swaying in fine silk.
In gracefully motions of time.
فَسَأَلتُهاso I asked her عَنabout اِسمِهاher name السthe (word fragment)
فَسَأَلتُها عَن اِسمِها الس
ساميlofty وَلَمand not أَكُI was بِالمسيat fault
سامي وَلَم أَكُ بِالمسي
So I asked her about her name—the
Her noble name I asked to know,
lofty one—and I was not at fault.
But she left me in mystery.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen غَضبتshe grew angry وَقَدand already
حَتّى إِذا غَضبت وَقَد
نَفَرتshe shied away كَخَشفٍlike a fawn أَلعَسِdark-lipped
نَفَرت كَخَشفٍ أَلعَسِ
At last, when she grew angry and had
When angered, she shied away
shied away like a dark-lipped fawn,
Like a startled fawn so free.
أَلقَتshe tossed إِلَيَّto me صَحيفةa letter
أَلقَت إِلَيَّ صَحيفة
كَصَحيفةlike the letter of المتلمّسِal-Mutalammis
كَصَحيفة المتلمّسِ
she tossed a letter to me,
A scroll she tossed my way
like the letter of al-Mutalammis.
Like a secret missive.
وَإِذاand behold بِهاin it أَحجيّةa riddle
وَإِذا بِها أَحجيّة
هِيَit is منيةُthe doom of المُستَأنِسِthe trusting one
هِيَ منيةُ المُستَأنِسِ
And behold, within it was a riddle—
With a riddle encrypted,
the doom of one who feels secure.
To charm her captive.
فَفَضضتso I broke open مِسكmusk خِتامهاits seal
فَفَضضت مِسك خِتامها
بِحُضورin the presence of أَهلthe people of المَجلسِthe gathering
بِحُضور أَهل المَجلسِ
So I broke open its seal of musk,
I broke its seal of musk
in the presence of those at the gathering.
Before guests in session.
وَدَعَوتُهُمand I called to them ياO سادَةًmasters
وَدَعَوتُهُم يا سادَةً
سادواthey rose to eminence بِحُسنthrough keen تَفرّسِdiscernment
سادوا بِحُسن تَفرّسِ
And I called to them: O masters,
"O lords" I called them
who rose to eminence through keen discernment,
Of insight and discretion.
ماwhat مِثلthe equivalent of قَولthe words of حَبيبَتيmy beloved
ما مِثل قَول حَبيبَتي
اِطلبseek حَياةthe life of الأَنفُسِthe souls
اِطلب حَياة الأَنفُسِ
what matches my beloved’s words:
"No words like those of my darling:
‘Seek the life of souls’?
Seek life for your soul" she did preach.
Sol 6.1