بَدَتappeared وجوههمُtheir faces كالشمسِlike the sun والقَمرِand the moon
بَدَت وجوههمُ كالشمسِ والقَمرِ
ياO صاحبَّmy two companions إذاif ماemphatic particle شِئتُماyou both wish خَبريmy news
يا صاحبَّ إذا ما شِئتُما خَبري
Their faces appeared like the sun and the moon.
Their faces shone like the sun and moon
O my two companions, if you wish for news of me,
O friend, if you wish, here is my news
إنيindeed I بعاصمةِin the capital of التَّمدينِcivilization والحَضَرِand urban life
إني بعاصمةِ التَّمدينِ والحَضَرِ
أُمَتِّعُI delight الطَّرفَthe gaze لاnot بالغُنجِwith coquetry والحَورِand dark-eyed beauty
أُمَتِّعُ الطَّرفَ لا بالغُنجِ والحَورِ
I am in the capital of civilization and urban life.
I am in the capital of civilization and culture
I delight my gaze, not with coquetry and dark-eyed beauty,
Delighting my eyes not with pearls or maidens
لكنbut بماwith what أبدَعتَهُcreated it فكرةُthe thought of البَشَرِhumankind
لكن بما أبدَعتَهُ فكرةُ البَشَرِ
إنيindeed I بلندنin London وباريسand Paris وليتَهُماand would that they both
إني بلندن وباريس وليتَهُما
but with what human thought has created.
But with what the mind of mankind has created
I am in London and Paris, and would that they both
I am in London and Paris, if only they
قدalready أشفَقاthey both felt compassion عنfor فَتىًa youth مُغرىٍenthralled بِحُسنِهماby their beauty
قد أشفَقا عن فَتىً مُغرىٍ بِحُسنِهما
وقلand say إذاif رُمتَyou seek وصفاًa description كاشفاًrevealing لَهُماof them both
وقل إذا رُمتَ وصفاً كاشفاً لَهُما
had felt compassion for a youth enthralled by their beauty.
Had pity on a youth enthralled by their beauty
And say, if you seek a revealing description of them:
And say, if you wish to describe them revealingly
سِيانِalike لندنLondon وباريسand Paris وبينَهُماand between them
سِيانِ لندن وباريس وبينَهُما
فيin الذَّوقِtaste بَونٌa gulf وماand not العِيانُseeing firsthand كالخَبرِlike a report
في الذَّوقِ بَونٌ وما العِيانُ كالخَبرِ
London and Paris are alike, yet between them
London and Paris are equal, between them
lies a gulf in taste; seeing is not like being told.
In taste there is difference, reality is not like descriptions
إنif لمnot تَزُرهاyou visit it فَليسَthen does not الوصفُdescription يُتقنِهاportray it perfectly
إن لم تَزُرها فَليسَ الوصفُ يُتقنِها
وكلُّand all ماthat which قيلwas said فيin الأوصافdescriptions أحسَنُهاthe finest of them
وكلُّ ما قيل في الأوصاف أحسَنُها
If you have not visited it, description cannot do it justice.
If you do not visit them, descriptions do not do justice
And of all that has been said in descriptions, the finest
And all that is said in descriptions, the best of them
قولُthe saying of حليفِa companion of القَوافيrhymes الغُرِّradiant أفتَنُهاthe most enchanting of them
قولُ حليفِ القَوافي الغُرِّ أفتَنُها
ألدارُthe dwelling دارٌa dwelling وحُورُand dark-eyed beauties العينِlarge-eyed يَسكنُهاinhabit it
ألدارُ دارٌ وحُورُ العينِ يَسكنُها
is the saying of the companion of radiant rhymes—the most enchanting of them:
Is the saying of the intimate friend of rhymes, the most infatuating
“The dwelling is a dwelling, and beauties with large, dark eyes inhabit it;
The abode is an abode, and the maidens with beautiful eyes live there
والناسand people ناسٌpeople وماand not الياقوتُthe ruby كالحَجَرِlike a stone
والناس ناسٌ وما الياقوتُ كالحَجَرِ
أشواقُlongings قلبيmy heart إليهاfor it ليسdoes not يَبلُغُهاequal them
أشواقُ قلبي إليها ليس يَبلُغُها
and people are people, yet a ruby is not like a stone.”
And people are people, coral is not like stone
My heart's longings for it cannot be matched
My heart's longing for them cannot be reached
شوقٌa longing سوىexcept شوقِlonging for أوطانِhomelands تَحيَّتهاa greeting to it
شوقٌ سوى شوقِ أوطانِ تَحيَّتها
قلتُI said لِرَسميto my portrait لِكىso that لهاto it يُبَلِّغُهاconvey it
قلتُ لِرَسمي لِكى لها يُبَلِّغُها
by any longing save longing for homelands. A greeting to it
By any longing except the longing for one's homeland
I uttered to my portrait, so that it might convey it there:
I said to my portrait, so that it may convey to them
ياO رَسمُportrait حَيِّgreet رُبوعاًabodes ليسdoes not يُشبِهُهاresemble them
يا رَسمُ حَيِّ رُبوعاً ليس يُشبِهُها
لُندنLondon وباريسُand Paris والدنياand the world إلىuntil النَّشرِthe Resurrection
لُندن وباريسُ والدنيا إلى النَّشرِ
“O portrait, greet abodes that are not equaled by
O portrait, live in places that nothing resembles them
London, Paris, or the world until the Resurrection.”
London and Paris, while the world spreads stories
Sol 6.1