أَلِآلٍare these pearls? أَشرَقَتshone فيupon نُحورٍthroats
أَلِآلٍ أَشرَقَت في نُحورٍ
أَمor نُجومٌstars أَشرَقَتshone فيin لَياليnights
أَم نُجومٌ أَشرَقَت في لَيالي
Are these pearls that shone upon throats,
Are those pearls shining in throats,
Or stars that shone in the nights,
Or stars shining in nights?
أَمor فُصولٌpassages مِنfrom خَواطِرِthe thoughts of مَولىًa lord
أَم فُصولٌ مِن خَواطِرِ مَولىً
ذيpossessed of مَقامٍstanding فيin العُلىthe heights وَمَقالِand speech
ذي مَقامٍ في العُلى وَمَقالِ
Or passages from the thoughts of a lord
Or seasons from the thoughts of a Lord
Of lofty standing and eloquent speech?
With a station in the Highest and sayings sublime.
كَمhow many بَنَتthey built بِالفِكرِthrough thought بَيتَa house of مَعانٍmeanings
كَم بَنَت بِالفِكرِ بَيتَ مَعانٍ
وَاِنثَنَتand turned بِالذِكرِthrough remembrance بَيتَa house of مَعاليglories
وَاِنثَنَت بِالذِكرِ بَيتَ مَعالي
How many a house of meanings they have built through thought,
How much has thought built a house of meanings
And turned, through remembrance, into a house of glories.
And remembering built a house of glories.
نَفَثُthe breath of أَقلامِpens خِفافٍlight نِحافٍslender
نَفَثُ أَقلامِ خِفافٍ نِحافٍ
كَمhow many أَبادَتthey wiped out مِنof خُطوبٍcalamities ثِقالِheavy
كَم أَبادَت مِن خُطوبٍ ثِقالِ
The breath of light, slender pens—
The breath of slender, delicate pens
How many heavy calamities they have wiped out!
Destroyed so many grave affairs.
وَقِصارٌand short فيin الأَكُفِّthe palms وَلَكِنbut
وَقِصارٌ في الأَكُفِّ وَلَكِن
قَصَّرَتmade fall short فِعلَthe work of الرِماحِthe spears الطَوالِthe long
قَصَّرَت فِعلَ الرِماحِ الطَوالِ
And short in the palms, yet
Short in grasp, but
They have made the work of long spears fall short.
Shortened the deeds of long spears.
تَجعَلُthey make الغُمضَsleep عَليناto us حَراماًforbidden
تَجعَلُ الغُمضَ عَلينا حَراماً
كُلَّماwhenever جاءَتthey come بِسِحرٍwith magic حَلالِlawful
كُلَّما جاءَت بِسِحرٍ حَلالِ
They make sleep forbidden to us
You make closing our eyes forbidden
Whenever they come with lawful magic.
Whenever you come with lawful magic.
قَيَّدَتنيthey bound me بِالجَميلِwith kindness وَلَكِنbut
قَيَّدَتني بِالجَميلِ وَلَكِن
أَطلَقَتthey set free بِالشُكرِthrough gratitude فيهِfor it مَقاليmy speech
أَطلَقَت بِالشُكرِ فيهِ مَقالي
They bound me with kindness, yet
You chained me with beauty, but
They freed my speech in gratitude for it.
Freed me with gratitude therein.
أَمَّنتَنيyou made me safe غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I عَلَيهِfor him or it
أَمَّنتَني غَيرَ أَنّي عَلَيهِ
خائِفٌfearful مِنof شَرِّthe harm of عَينِthe evil eye الكَمالِperfection
خائِفٌ مِن شَرِّ عَينِ الكَمالِ
You have made me safe, yet for it I am
You gave me security, though over it
Fearful of the harm of the evil eye upon perfection.
I fear the evil of the eye of perfection.
فَاِعفُso pardon مَولايَmy lord مُحِبّاًa lover ثَناهُturned him aside
فَاِعفُ مَولايَ مُحِبّاً ثَناهُ
عَنfrom ثَناهُhis praise فيكُمُof you شُغلُpreoccupation of بالِmind
عَن ثَناهُ فيكُمُ شُغلُ بالِ
So pardon, my lord, a lover turned aside
Excuse, my Lord, a lover whose praise
From praising you by a troubled mind;
Of You distracts him from praising You.
ذاpossessing هُمومٍcares قَلبُهُhis heart فيin اِشتِغالٍpreoccupation
ذا هُمومٍ قَلبُهُ في اِشتِغالٍ
وَلَظىand the blaze أَحزانِهِof his sorrows فيin اِشتِعالِflame
وَلَظى أَحزانِهِ في اِشتِعالِ
One burdened with cares, his heart preoccupied,
With worries, his heart busy
And the blaze of his sorrows aflame.
And his sorrows aflame.
Sol 6.1