أنتَyou القصيدةthe poem ، فيكin you رعشتهاher tremor
أنتَ القصيدة ، فيك رعشتها
فيكin you الضنىlanguor ، والزهوand pride ، والترفand luxury
فيك الضنى ، والزهو ، والترف
In you, bitter departure is a rhyme—
You are the poem; in you is her tremor.
fluttering, slenderness being in its nature.
In you are languor, pride, and luxury.
فيكin you الرحيلdeparture المُرُّbitter قافيةa rhyme
فيك الرحيل المُرُّ قافية
رفافةfluttering ، منof طبعهاher nature الهَيَفslenderness
رفافة ، من طبعها الهَيَف
In you the melody surges in her mouth
In you, bitter departure is a rhyme,
when wasting love makes her figure sway.
Fluttering, slender by nature.
فيكin you احتدامfervor اللحنthe melody فيin فمهاher mouth
فيك احتدام اللحن في فمها
لماwhen يهزshakes قوامهاher frame الدَّنفlovesickness
لما يهز قوامها الدَّنف
The sea’s waves are an outpouring of her radiance,
In you is the fervor of melody in her mouth,
and proud defiance is among longing’s signs.
When lovesickness shakes her frame.
الموجُthe waves فيضٌan overflow منfrom تألقهاher radiance
الموجُ فيضٌ من تألقها
والشوقand longing منamong آياتهits signs الصلفُarrogance
والشوق من آياته الصلفُ
The lover casts his sigh toward her,
The waves are an overflow of her radiance,
and she responds with whispered confidences, which he sips.
And arrogance is among the signs of longing.
يُلقيcasts إليهاtoward her الصبُّthe lovesick lover آهتهhis sigh
يُلقي إليها الصبُّ آهته
فتجودso she gives generously بالنجوىwith intimate whispers ، فيرتشفand so he sips
فتجود بالنجوى ، فيرتشف
The night travelers have readied their mounts for her;
The lovesick lover casts his sigh toward her,
they race, and the distance to her is swiftly traversed.
So she gives freely of intimate whispers, and he sips.
والمُدلجونand the night travelers لهاtoward her رواحلهمtheir mounts
والمُدلجون لها رواحلهم
تعدوgallop ويُطوىand is folded away دونهاbefore them الهدفthe goal
تعدو ويُطوى دونها الهدف
They vie in throngs to reach love,
And those who journey to her by night—their mounts
but the precious treasures of the harvest vary:
Gallop, and the goal is folded away before them.
يتسابقونthey race one another إلىtoward الهوىlove زُمراًin groups
يتسابقون إلى الهوى زُمراً
ونفائسand the treasures المحصولthe harvest تختلفvary
ونفائس المحصول تختلف
among what lies hidden within it is a pearl,
They race toward love in groups,
virginal and untouched, while much of it is shell.
And the treasures of the harvest vary.
فيهاin her منamong المخبوءwhat is hidden لؤلؤةa pearl
فيها من المخبوء لؤلؤة
عذريةvirginal ، وكثيرهاand much of her صدفshells
عذرية ، وكثيرها صدف
Poetry—you: you both are a language
In her, among hidden things, is a pearl,
drawing from sublime feeling.
Virginal, while much of her is shell.
الشعرُpoetry أنتyou كلاكماboth of you لغةa language
الشعرُ أنت كلاكما لغة
منfrom رائعthe splendor الإحساسfeeling تغترفdraws
من رائع الإحساس تغترف
Love’s travail lies in the secret of her cipher,
Poetry is you; you both are a language
and honor guards the virgin’s chastity.
Drawing from the splendor of feeling.
تعبgrew weary الهوىlove فيin سرthe mystery شفرتهاher cipher
تعب الهوى في سر شفرتها
والبِكرand the virgin يحميguards عرضهاher chastity الشرفhonor
والبِكر يحمي عرضها الشرف
The diver sang to her, drawing her
Love grew weary in the mystery of her cipher,
with the rope of coyness—and he was nearly swept away.
And the virgin—honor guards her chastity.
غنَّىsang لهاto her الغواصthe diver ، جاذبهاtugged with her
غنَّى لها الغواص ، جاذبها
حبلthe rope الدلالcoquetry ، فكادand so he nearly يُختطفbe snatched away
حبل الدلال ، فكاد يُختطف
He cast his fishing nets, exhausting her;
The diver sang to her, tugging with her at
then she came, with sorrow filling the net’s strands.
The rope of coquetry, and was nearly snatched away.
ألقىhe cast شباكnets الصيدfishing ، أرهقهاhe strained them
ألقى شباك الصيد ، أرهقها
فأتتthen they came وملءand filling خيوطهاtheir threads أسفsorrow
فأتت وملء خيوطها أسف
Poetry—you: canopies of shade hang over you both.
He cast the fishing nets, straining them;
The hidden treasure is revealed, yet she does not unveil herself.
Then they returned, their threads filled with sorrow.
الشعرpoetry أنتyou عليكماover you both ظُللcanopies
الشعر أنت عليكما ظُلل
كُشفwas unveiled الخبيءwhat was hidden وليسand do not تنكشفlift
كُشف الخبيء وليس تنكشف
A hall of turquoise we traverse
Poetry is you; over you both hang canopies;
in love, but it has no end.
The hidden has been unveiled, yet they do not lift.
بهوa hall منof الفيروزturquoise نقطعهwe traverse it
بهو من الفيروز نقطعه
حبَّاًout of love ولكنbut ماnot لهit has طرفan end
حبَّاً ولكن ما له طرف
Sindbad returns as a storyteller,
A hall of turquoise, which we traverse
recounting passion and continuing to confess.
Out of love, yet it has no end.
" السندبادSinbad " يعودreturns راويةa storyteller
" السندباد " يعود راوية
يرويrecounts الهوىlove ويظلand continues يعترفconfessing
يروي الهوى ويظل يعترف
He describes his visions and speaks them sorrowfully:
Sinbad returns as a storyteller,
“The truth surpasses all that I describe.”
Recounting love, and still confessing.
يصِفhe describes الرؤىthe visions ،ويقولهاand voices them بأسىwith sorrow
يصِف الرؤى ،ويقولها بأسى
" إنindeed الحقيقةthe truth فوقbeyond ماwhat أصفI describe"
" إن الحقيقة فوق ما أصف"
And questions remain in the depths,
He describes the visions and recounts them with sorrow:
questions to which people give differing answers.
“Indeed, truth is beyond what I describe.”
وتظلand remain فيin الأعماقthe depths أسئلةquestions
وتظل في الأعماق أسئلة
فيهاconcerning them جوابthe answer الناسpeople مختلفdifferent
فيها جواب الناس مختلف
This mystery continues to captivate us,
And questions remain in the depths;
and so we find shelter within your bosom.
People's answers to them differ.
ويظلand continues هذاthis اللغزthe riddle يأسرناholds us captive
ويظل هذا اللغز يأسرنا
ولذاand therefore لناfor us فيin صدركمyour breast كَنَفshelter
ولذا لنا في صدركم كَنَف
Those of old stood over the abandoned ruins, moved by love;
And this riddle continues to hold us captive,
today, we stand here for our own longing.
And so, in your breast, we have shelter.
وقفstood الألىthose of old فوقover الطلولthe ruins هوىout of love
وقف الألى فوق الطلول هوى
واليومand today نحنwe لشوقناfor our longing نقفwe stand
واليوم نحن لشوقنا نقف
Those of old stood over the ruins out of love;
And today we stand for our longing.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1