ماthere is no عَلَىupon الأَيّامِthe days منany عَتَبِreproach
ما عَلَى الأَيّامِ من عَتَبِ
بَلَّغتناthey brought us to غايَةَthe utmost of الأَرَبِdesire
بَلَّغتنا غايَةَ الأَرَبِ
There is no reproach against the days;
Days bear no rancour
they have brought us to the utmost of our desire.
You brought us to the peak of nobility
وَرأيناand we saw فيin منازلكُمyour dwellings
وَرأينا في منازلكُم
أَنُجماًstars لِلُحسنِof beauty لَمdid not تَغِبِset
أَنُجماً لِلُحسنِ لَم تَغِبِ
And we saw in your dwellings
In your abodes we saw
stars of beauty that did not set.
Stars of beauty that never set
أَشرقَتshone فيهاin them الشُّموسُthe suns عَلَىupon
أَشرقَت فيها الشُّموسُ عَلَى
أَغصُنٍbranches تَهتزُّsway فيamid كُثُبِsand dunes
أَغصُنٍ تَهتزُّ في كُثُبِ
There the suns shone upon
Suns rose over them
branches swaying amid sand dunes.
On swaying boughs amid the dunes
كُلُّeach عَسَّالِswaying القَوامِof stature بَداappeared
كُلُّ عَسَّالِ القَوامِ بَدا
تَحتَbeneath مَعسولٍhoney-sweet منَof الشَّنبِcool sweetness of the teeth
تَحتَ مَعسولٍ منَ الشَّنبِ
Each swaying figure appeared
Each upright, shapely lad appeared
beneath the honeyed coolness of teeth.
Under a buzzing hive
غَنَّتِsang to العُجمُthe speechless birds الفصاحَthe eloquent ones بِهاin them
غَنَّتِ العُجمُ الفصاحَ بِها
بعدَafter ذاكَthat النَّوحِlamenting منfrom طَربِjoy
بعدَ ذاكَ النَّوحِ من طَربِ
The speechless birds sang to the eloquent there,
The non-Arabs sang eloquently of them
after that lamenting, out of joy.
After their wailing in rapture
واغَتَدتand went out at dawn فيin الرَّوضِthe garden راقِصَةًdancing
واغَتَدت في الرَّوضِ راقِصَةً
رَقصَthe dance of بِنتِthe daughter of الكَرمِthe grapevine بالحَبَبِwith the bubbles
رَقصَ بِنتِ الكَرمِ بالحَبَبِ
And at dawn they went dancing in the garden,
And frolicked in the meadow dancing
like the vine’s daughter dancing with bubbles.
The daughter of generosity danced playfully
كُلُّall ذاthis منكمfrom you ووجهكُمُand your face
كُلُّ ذا منكم ووجهكُمُ
مُشرقٌradiant كالأنجُمِlike the stars الشُّهُبِbrilliant
مُشرقٌ كالأنجُمِ الشُّهُبِ
All this comes from you, and your face
All of you, your faces
is radiant as the brilliant stars.
Are radiant like meteors
فُتنَتwere enchanted حَتَّىeven الحَمامُthe doves بِكمby you
فُتنَت حَتَّى الحَمامُ بِكم
إِنَّindeed ذاthis منamong أَعجبِthe most astonishing of العَجَبِwonders
إِنَّ ذا من أَعجبِ العَجَبِ
Even the doves were enchanted by you;
Even the doves are fascinated by you
indeed, this is among the most astonishing wonders.
That is the most wondrous of wonders
ورَأيناand we saw بعدَماafter طَلَعَتthey had risen
ورَأينا بعدَما طَلَعَت
مِنكُمُfrom among you الأَقمارَthe moons فيbehind حُجُبِveils
مِنكُمُ الأَقمارَ في حُجُبِ
And we saw, after they had risen
And after the moons rose from you
from among you, the moons behind veils.
Veiled in coverlets
Sol 6.1