أَلاah! ياO أَباAbu (father of) الفَرَجِal-Faraj (relief) الأَريَحِيِّthe noble-hearted one
أَلا يا أَبا الفَرَجِ الأَريَحِيِّ
وَياand O مَنone whose بِجودِfor the generosity of يَدَيهِhis two hands المَثَلthe proverbial example
وَيا مَن بِجودِ يَدَيهِ المَثَل
Ah, noble-hearted Abu al-Faraj,
O Abu Al-Faraj Al-Isfahani
And you whose hands’ generosity is proverbial,
O you whose generosity is proverbial
وَياand O مَنone whose فُكاهَتُهُhis wit لِلجَليسِfor the companion
وَيا مَن فُكاهَتُهُ لِلجَليسِ
أُنسٌcomfort وَفاكِهَةٌand fruit لاnot تُمَلّis found tiresome
أُنسٌ وَفاكِهَةٌ لا تُمَلّ
And you whose wit, for a companion,
O you whose wit delights companions
Is comfort and fruit one never tires of.
A joy and fruit that never palls
بَعَثتَyou sent بِهِwith it كَخُدودِlike the cheeks of الحِسانِbeautiful women
بَعَثتَ بِهِ كَخُدودِ الحِسانِ
سَفَرنَthey unveiled themselves فَنَقَّبَهُنَّthen veiled them الخَجَلbashfulness
سَفَرنَ فَنَقَّبَهُنَّ الخَجَل
You sent it, like the cheeks of beautiful women,
You sent it like maidens' cheeks
Unveiled, then veiled by bashfulness,
Whose blushes their veils reveal
نَقِيّاًpure كَعِرضِكَlike your honor قَدindeed أُذكِيَتhave been kindled
نَقِيّاً كَعِرضِكَ قَد أُذكِيَت
كَنارِlike the fire of ذَكائِكَyour brilliance فيهِin it شُعَلflames
كَنارِ ذَكائِكَ فيهِ شُعَل
Pure as your honor, with flames kindled
Pure as your reputation, kindled
Within it like the fire of your brilliance.
Like the flames of your intellect
تَراءَتappeared لَناto us تَحتَbeneath أَوراقِهِits leaves
تَراءَت لَنا تَحتَ أَوراقِهِ
وُجوهُfaces of العَذارىthe maidens وَراءَbehind الكِلَلthe gauzy curtains
وُجوهُ العَذارى وَراءَ الكِلَل
Beneath its leaves there appeared to us
Through its pages we saw
Maidens’ faces behind gauzy curtains.
The faces of girls behind their veils
فَغِرتُso I grew jealous عَلىover حُسنِهِits beauty أَنlest يُنالَbe taken
فَغِرتُ عَلى حُسنِهِ أَن يُنالَ
مِنهُfrom it بِغَيرِby anything but لِحاظِthe glances of المُقَلthe eyes
مِنهُ بِغَيرِ لِحاظِ المُقَل
So I jealously guarded its beauty, lest anything be taken
I envied that it might be won
From it by anything but the eyes’ glances.
Without a lustful glance
وَشَبَّهتُهُand I likened it كَفَّthe hand of مُهديهِits giver ليto me
وَشَبَّهتُهُ كَفَّ مُهديهِ لي
فَماso not يَصلُحانِthe two are fit لِغَيرِfor anything but القُبَلkisses
فَما يَصلُحانِ لِغَيرِ القُبَل
And I likened it to the hand of the one who gave it to me:
And likened it to its sender's palm
Neither is fit for anything but kisses.
Which only kisses suit
Sol 6.1