ربَّmany a بكرٍmaiden علىin التقىpiety قدindeed تربَّتshe was reared
ربَّ بكرٍ على التقى قد تربَّت
بادّكارby remembering المعادِthe Hereafter تحييshe keeps alive الدجنَّهthe dark night
بادّكار المعادِ تحيي الدجنَّه
Many a maiden has been raised in piety,
Many a maiden has been reared in piety;
keeping the dark night alive with remembrance of the Resurrection,
she keeps vigil through the dark night, remembering the Hereafter.
تسبقshe precedes الفجرَthe dawn للصوامحto the cloisters (uncertain reading) نُسكاًin devotion
تسبق الفجرَ للصوامح نُسكاً
وعنand away from الصومfasting ليسnot تلويshe turns الأَعنَّهthe reins
وعن الصوم ليس تلوي الأَعنَّه
outstripping the dawn to prayer in devotion,
In devotion, she reaches the cloisters before dawn,
never turning the reins away from fasting.
and never turns the reins away from fasting.
تحسبُshe deems الحبَّlove للأَوانسfor maidens إثماًa sin
تحسبُ الحبَّ للأَوانس إثماً
ومناغاةand tender talk with ذيone possessed of الصبابةardent longing محنَهan ordeal
ومناغاة ذي الصبابة محنَه
She deems love for charming maidens a sin,
She deems love sinful for maidens,
and intimate converse with a lovesick soul an ordeal;
and tender talk with a lovesick man an ordeal,
وامتحانand testing المحبthe lover بالسَبwith insults فرضاًa duty
وامتحان المحب بالسَب فرضاً
ثمَّthen صَفعslapping الرسولthe messenger أفضلُthe finest سُنهreligious observance
ثمَّ صَفع الرسول أفضلُ سُنه
testing the lover with abuse, a duty,
and testing a lover with insults a duty,
then pardoning the messenger, the noblest tradition.
then slapping the messenger the finest observance.
تتلاقىshe meets معwith شاعرٍa poet ذِيpossessed of بيانٍeloquence
تتلاقى مع شاعرٍ ذِي بيانٍ
ولسانٍand a tongue فيهِin it مضاءُsharpness الأَسنَّهthe spearheads
ولسانٍ فيهِ مضاءُ الأَسنَّه
But she meets a poet endowed with eloquence
She meets a poet gifted with eloquence
and a tongue as keen as spearpoints,
and a tongue with the sharpness of spearheads;
فتعودthen she becomes الغداةَthe next morning ربَّةmistress of وجدٍpassionate longing
فتعود الغداةَ ربَّة وجدٍ
يحرقit burns الماءَwater والهواءَand air بأَنهwith its moaning
يحرق الماءَ والهواءَ بأَنه
and by morning becomes possessed of a passion
then, next morning, she is possessed by a passion
whose very sigh burns water and air.
that burns water and air with its moaning.
تحسبُshe deems العيشlife للخليينfor those free of love ناراَa fire
تحسبُ العيش للخليين ناراَ
وحيوةand the life العشَّاقof lovers فيon الارضearth جَنَّهa paradise
وحيوة العشَّاق في الارض جَنَّه
She now deems the life of the heart-free a fire,
She deems life a fire for those untouched by love,
and the lovers’ life on earth a paradise.
and the life of lovers on earth a paradise.
انماnothing but الشعرpoetry رقيةٌa charm للعذارىfor virgins
انما الشعر رقيةٌ للعذارى
يجتذبنَthey draw to themselves الغرامَpassionate love اذwhen يستمِعنهthey listen to it
يجتذبنَ الغرامَ اذ يستمِعنه
Poetry is nothing but a spell for maidens:
Poetry is but a charm for virgins:
they draw passion to themselves when they hear it.
they draw passion to themselves when they hear it.
هوit فيin الحربwar للجبانِfor the coward تَفانٍself-sacrifice
هو في الحرب للجبانِ تَفانٍ
وهوand it فيin السِلمpeace للكواعبِfor maidens with budding breasts فتِنهa temptation
وهو في السِلم للكواعبِ فتِنه
In war, it turns the coward toward self-sacrifice;
In war, it inspires the coward to self-sacrifice,
and in peace, it is temptation for budding maidens.
and in peace, it is a temptation for budding maidens.
Sol 6.1