بَدَتappeared عَذارىmaidens مُدَّتwere spread سَرادِقُهاtheir pavilions
بَدَت عَذارى مُدَّت سَرادِقُها
وَأَقسمand swore الحُسنُbeauty لاnever يُفارِقُهاleaves them
وَأَقسم الحُسنُ لا يُفارِقُها
Maidens appeared, their pavilions spread wide,
The virgins' pavilions were erected,
and beauty swore never to leave them.
And beauty swore it would not leave them.
كَواعِبٌbudding-breasted maidens أُخرِسَتwere silenced دَمالِجُهاtheir armlets
كَواعِبٌ أُخرِسَت دَمالِجُها
عنّاfrom us وَقدand already أُنطِقَتwere made to speak مَناطِقُهاtheir girdles
عنّا وَقد أُنطِقَت مَناطِقُها
Budding-breasted maidens, their armlets silenced
Silent maids whose throats were choked,
before us, while their girdles were made to speak.
They cannot speak to us though their collars speak.
خَراعِبٌsoft, graceful maidens حَقَّهاdid them justice وَصائِفُهاtheir handmaids
خَراعِبٌ حَقَّها وَصائِفُها
تَشيreveal بِأَبدانِهاabout their bodies قَراطِقُهاtheir tunics
تَشي بِأَبدانِها قَراطِقُها
Soft, graceful maidens, whose handmaids did them justice,
Shy does and gazelles belonging to them,
their tunics revealing their bodies.
With their bodies the bangles on their ankles speak.
صينَتwere protected عَنfrom العُطرِperfume أَنthat يُطَيِّبَهاit scent them
صينَت عَن العُطرِ أَن يُطَيِّبَها
إِلّاexcept الَّذيthat which حُمِّلَتwere laden with مَخانِقُهاtheir necklaces
إِلّا الَّذي حُمِّلَت مَخانِقُها
They were kept from being scented with perfume,
She refused any perfume to scent her
save what their necklaces were laden with.
Except what her necklace that adorns her breasts emits.
أَمor رَوضَةٌa garden أُبرِزَتwere displayed مَحاسِنُهاits charms
أَم رَوضَةٌ أُبرِزَت مَحاسِنُها
وَماand never يَنيceases قَطرُهاits rain يُعانِقُهاembraces it
وَما يَني قَطرُها يُعانِقُها
Or is it a garden whose charms were displayed,
Is it a garden that has revealed its beauty,
and whose rain never ceases to embrace it?
And its branches embrace its dripping dew?
فَأَورَدَso brought forth الوَردَroses غُصنُهاits branch بدعاًin novel fashion
فَأَورَدَ الوَردَ غُصنُها بدعاً
وَشُقَّand were split open عَنfrom أَرضِهاits soil شقائِقُهاits anemones
وَشُقَّ عَن أَرضِها شقائِقُها
So its branch brought forth roses in wondrous fashion,
The rose has innovatively bloomed on its branch,
and its anemones burst forth from its soil.
And anemones have split from its ground.
وَأَعشَتand dazzled الناظِرينَthe onlookers حِليَتُهاits adornment
وَأَعشَت الناظِرينَ حِليَتُها
وَشاقَand captivated أَحداقَهُمtheir pupils حَدائِقُهاits gardens
وَشاقَ أَحداقَهُم حَدائِقُها
Its adornment dazzled the onlookers,
Its jewelry has tempted the onlookers,
and its gardens captivated their eyes.
And its gardens have captivated their eyes.
أَمor أَشرَقَتshone forth فِقرَةٌa passage بَدائِعُهاits marvels
أَم أَشرَقَت فِقرَةٌ بَدائِعُها
حَديقَةٌa garden زانَهاadorned it طَرائِقُهاits patterns
حَديقَةٌ زانَها طَرائِقُها
Or has a passage shone forth, whose marvels
Or is it a full moon that has risen with its wonders,
are a garden adorned by its patterns?
A garden adorned with its paths?
أَتىcame بِهاwith it بِالكَمالin perfection ناسِجُهاits weaver
أَتى بِها بِالكَمال ناسِجُها
وَزانَهاand adorned it بِالجَمالِwith beauty ناسِقُهاits arranger
وَزانَها بِالجَمالِ ناسِقُها
Its weaver brought it forth in perfection,
Its craftsman has perfectly created it,
and its arranger adorned it with beauty.
And its tender has gracefully adorned it.
لِلَّهِto God (in admiration) حَلفsworn ally العلىeminence أَبوfather of حسنٍHasan
لِلَّهِ حَلف العلى أَبو حسنٍ
وَقَدand indeed جَرتran لِلعلىfor eminence سَوابِقُهاits swift steeds
وَقَد جَرت لِلعلى سَوابِقُها
How splendid is Abu Hasan, sworn ally of eminence,
By God, Abu Hassan, the most high swore,
as eminence's swift steeds ran their race.
And the most high had pledged to him before.
فَحازَso he won خَصلَthe prize الرِهانِof the contest عَنfrom كَثَبٍclose quarters
فَحازَ خَصلَ الرِهانِ عَن كَثَبٍ
وَفُرِّجَتand were widened عِندَهُbefore him مَضايِقُهاits narrow straits
وَفُرِّجَت عِندَهُ مَضايِقُها
So he won the contest's prize at close quarters,
He won the bet swiftly,
and its narrow straits were widened before him.
And what stressed him was relieved.
لِلَّهِto God (in admiration) تِلكَthose الأَلفاظُwords حامِلَةbearing
لِلَّهِ تِلكَ الأَلفاظُ حامِلَة
غُرَّradiant مَعانٍmeanings تُعييbaffle دَقائِقُهاtheir subtleties
غُرَّ مَعانٍ تُعيي دَقائِقُها
How wondrous are those words, bearing
By God, these words bear
radiant meanings whose subtleties baffle.
Meanings that their subtleties exhaust.
يَكادُalmost اِعجازُهاtheir inimitability يُشَكِّكُهاmakes them doubt
يَكادُ اِعجازُها يُشَكِّكُها
فيconcerning سوَرٍsurahs أَنَّهاthat they تُوافِقُهاmatch them
في سوَرٍ أَنَّها تُوافِقُها
Their inimitability almost makes them doubt
Their eloquence almost makes one doubt
whether they match the Qur'an's surahs.
That they conform to the composition of a surah.
أُهديI offer سَلاماًa greeting حكىresembled السَلامَةَsafety منfrom
أُهدي سَلاماً حكى السَلامَةَ من
أَسقامِillnesses سوءٍill fortune يُخافُis feared طارِقُهاtheir onset
أَسقامِ سوءٍ يُخافُ طارِقُها
I offer a greeting resembling safety from
I wish safety that predicts salvation from
dire illnesses whose onset is feared.
The evils of an affliction feared by its knocker.
كَأَنَّهُas though it were دارُناour home وَلمand had not يَرَهاseen it
كَأَنَّهُ دارُنا وَلم يَرَها
ناعِبُهاits cawing raven لِلنَوىfor separation وَناعِقُهاand its croaking raven
ناعِبُها لِلنَوى وَناعِقُها
It is like our home, unseen
It is as if it is our house, though its describer has not seen it,
by its cawing and croaking ravens of separation.
Its caller to passion, and its confidante.
كَأَنَّهاas though it were غَفلةُthe inattention الرَقيبِof the watcher وَقدand already
كَأَنَّها غَفلةُ الرَقيبِ وَقد
مُكِّنتُI was enabled منto have نَظرَةٍa glance أُسارِقُهاI steal it furtively
مُكِّنتُ من نَظرَةٍ أُسارِقُها
It is like the watcher's lapse, when
It is as if it is the absence of the sentinel, and I
I was granted a glance to steal in secret.
Stole a look, pilfering its glance.
أَهديتُI offered مِنهُof it ماthat which لَوif تَحَمَّلَهُbore it الthe
أَهديتُ مِنهُ ما لَو تَحَمَّلَهُ ال
أَيّامُdays لَمdid not يُستقلّbear the load عاتِقُهاtheir shoulder
أَيّامُ لَم يُستقلّ عاتِقُها
I offered of it what, if borne by the
I wished from it what days, if they endured,
days, their shoulder could not support it.
Would not accomplish its burden.
تَحدوurge onward بِهِwith it صَبوَةًin longing ركائِبُهاits riding camels
تَحدو بِهِ صَبوَةً ركائِبُها
راتكةًtrotting briskly لاnever يملُّtires سائِقُهاtheir driver
راتكةً لا يملُّ سائِقُها
Its camels urge it onward in longing,
With it the dawns of youth ramble,
trotting briskly, their driver never weary.
Endlessly, not tiring their rider.
خُذهاtake it وَقدand already أُحصِدَتwere firmly twisted وَثائِقُهاits bonds
خُذها وَقد أُحصِدَت وَثائِقُها
وَأُلحِقَتand were joined بِالسُهىto Suha شَواهِقُهاits lofty peaks
وَأُلحِقَت بِالسُهى شَواهِقُها
Take it: its bonds have been firmly twisted,
Take them as their pacts have been harvested,
and its lofty peaks have been joined to Suha.
And their towering aspirations attached to bliss.
ناشَدتُكI adjure you اللَهَGod حينَwhen تَنشدهاyou recite it
ناشَدتُك اللَهَ حينَ تَنشدها
وَخلَّةًand by friendship لاnever يَخيلُfails صادِقُهاits true friend
وَخلَّةً لا يَخيلُ صادِقُها
I adjure you by God, when you recite it,
I adjure you by God, when you recite it,
and by friendship whose true friend never fails,
And directly, without guile its confidant.
أَنthat لاnot تَعَمَّدتَyou deliberately undertake رَفعraising رايَتَهاits banner
أَن لا تَعَمَّدتَ رَفع رايَتَها
لِيَملَأso that it may fill الخافِقَينِthe two horizons خافِقُهاits fluttering standard
لِيَملَأ الخافِقَينِ خافِقُها
not to deliberately raise its banner
That you do not deliberately raise its flag,
so that its fluttering standard fills the two horizons.
To fill the lowly with its swelling.
نعمyes وَعشand live فيin النَعيمbliss ماas long as طَلَعتrises
نعم وَعش في النَعيم ما طَلَعت
شَمسُa sun نَهارٍof daytime وَذَرَّand shone forth شارِقُهاits rising light
شَمسُ نَهارٍ وَذَرَّ شارِقُها
Yes—and live in bliss as long as there rises
Yes, live in bliss as long as the sun of any day rises
a sun by day, and its dawning light shines.
And its ascending rays scatter.
Sol 6.1