وَذيand one possessed of سَوادٍblackness لَيسَis not بِالجَليبِan imported slave
وَذي سَوادٍ لَيسَ بِالجَليبِ
لَكِنَّهُbut he مِنamong خَدَمِservants القُلوبِhearts
لَكِنَّهُ مِن خَدَمِ القُلوبِ
And a black one, no imported slave,
With a darkness not of plain garb
but one of the servants of hearts.
Yet he is of those who serve hearts
رَبَّيتُهُI nurtured him بِرأييwith my judgment المُصيبِsound
رَبَّيتُهُ بِرأيي المُصيبِ
إِذاwhen تَبَدّىhe appears فاحَhe gives off fragrance كُلَّevery طيبِperfume
إِذا تَبَدّى فاحَ كُلَّ طيبِ
I nurtured him with my sound judgment.
I raised him with my correct view
When he appears, he exudes every fragrance.
When he appeared, he emitted every perfume
كَأَنَّهُas though he were فيin ليقَةِinkwell wad الأَديبِthe writer
كَأَنَّهُ في ليقَةِ الأَديبِ
غالِيَةٌghāliyah (perfume paste) فيon سالِفِside of the neck الحَبيبِthe beloved
غالِيَةٌ في سالِفِ الحَبيبِ
As though, in the writer’s inkwell wad, he were
As if he were in the garment of the cultured man
ghāliyah perfume on the side of the beloved’s neck.
Precious in the past of the beloved
Sol 6.1