الشمسُthe sun تشرقُrises منfrom صباكyour youth
الشمسُ تشرقُ من صباك
والبدرand the full moon يطلعُrises منfrom سناكyour radiance
والبدر يطلعُ من سناك
The sun rises from your youth,
The sun rises from your morning,
And the full moon rises from your radiance.
And the moon emerges from your brilliance.
والحسنand beauty فيin عليائهits lofty heights
والحسن في عليائه
وجلالهand its majesty مولىservant صباكyour youth
وجلاله مولى صباك
And Beauty, in its loftiness
Beauty is in your loftiness,
And majesty, is your youth's servant.
And majesty, my master of the morning.
تهbe proud واحتكمand exercise authority فيمنover whomever تشاyou wish (word continues)
ته واحتكم فيمن تشا
ءُcompletes 'you wish' فكلfor every تيّاهproud person فداكa ransom for you
ءُ فكل تيّاه فداك
Be proud, and rule whomever you wish;
Decide as you wish whom to choose,
For every proud soul is a ransom for you.
For all your love is your sacrifice.
وجمالand by the beauty خدكyour cheek والجبيand the brow (word continues)
وجمال خدك والجبي
نcompletes 'brow' وماand what نقشتyou etched علىupon لماكthe dusky hue of your lips
ن وما نقشت على لماك
And by the beauty of your cheek and brow,
The beauty of your cheek, and charm,
And what you have etched upon your dusky lips,
And what is etched onto your features.
وعيونكand your eyes النجلwide الحساbeautiful (word continues)
وعيونك النجل الحسا
نcompletes 'beautiful' وماand what تلوحsignal بهwith it يداكyour two hands
ن وما تلوح به يداك
And your wide, lovely eyes,
Your eyes, the beautiful gazelles,
And all that your two hands signal:
And what your hands gesture.
للوعدsurely the promise منكfrom you وإنand even if مطَلdelay (word continues)
للوعد منك وإن مطَل
تَcompletes 'you delayed' ألذُّsweeter منthan جدوىbounty سواكanyone other than you
تَ ألذُّ من جدوى سواك
Truly, a promise from you, even if you delay it,
Your promise, even if delayed,
Is sweeter than anyone else's bounty.
Is sweeter than the fruits of others.
ياO منyou whom أجلكI hold you exalted عنabove وصاunion (word continues)
يا من أجلك عن وصا
لcompletes 'union' فيin دنوّكyour nearness أوor نواكyour distance
ل في دنوّك أو نواك
O you whom I hold too exalted for union,
O you, for whom I neglect
Whether in your nearness or your distance,
Drawing near or being distant.
وأراكand I regard you as مولايَmy lord الرحيmerciful (word continues)
وأراك مولايَ الرحي
مcompletes 'merciful' وإنand even if نأىbecame distant عنيfrom me جداكyour bounty
م وإن نأى عني جداك
And whom I regard as my merciful lord,
I see you as my merciful Lord,
Even if your bounty remains far from me:
Though your seriousness is far from me.
تخطوyou step وتخطِرُand walk with a proud sway بالأصيin the late afternoon (word continues)
تخطو وتخطِرُ بالأصي
لcompletes 'late afternoon' فلاthen neither النسيمthe breeze ولاnor الأراكthe arak tree
ل فلا النسيم ولا الأراك
You step and sway in the late afternoon—
You walk with pride and grace,
Then neither breeze nor arak tree can match you.
Not the breeze or litter disturb you.
وتميسُand you sway gracefully حيناat times فيin الضحىthe forenoon
وتميسُ حينا في الضحى
فكتونso you become (apparently a typo for فتكون) فتنةَthe enchantment منwhoever يراكsees you
فكتون فتنةَ من يراك
And at times you sway in the forenoon,
Sometimes you shine at dawn,
So you become the enchantment of whoever sees you.
Your hiddenness an ordeal for those who see you.
جلّexalted is الذيHe who ولّاكgave you authority over تصdirecting (word continues)
جلّ الذي ولّاك تص
ريفcompletes 'directing' الخواطرِthoughts واصطفاكand chose you
ريف الخواطرِ واصطفاك
Exalted is He who gave you sway
Exalted is He who made you
Over thoughts, and chose you,
The comfort of souls and chose you.
وحباكand endowed you with تحنانtender yearning القلوhearts (word continues)
وحباك تحنان القلو
بcompletes 'hearts' إلىtoward التفاتكyour turning glance أوor خطاكyour footsteps
ب إلى التفاتك أو خطاك
And endowed you with hearts' tender yearning
And made loving you
For your turning glance or your footsteps.
The tenderness of hearts in noticing you.
ياO سعدgood fortune منthe one whose بسمsmiled الزماTime (word continues)
يا سعد من بسم الزما
نcompletes 'Time' ببيتهin his house فغداand so became أباكyour father
ن ببيته فغدا أباك
How fortunate he in whose house Time smiled,
O happy is he whose era
And who thus became your father!
In its home made you its father!
ياO ليتwould that أنىthat I كنتI was صنtwin (word continues)
يا ليت أنى كنت صن
وكcompletes 'your twin' أوor قريبكyour relative أوor أخاكyour brother
وك أو قريبك أو أخاك
O would that I were your twin,
If only I were your companion,
Or your relative or your brother;
Or your neighbor, or your brother.
أوor كنتI was رغماًin spite منof عَلاhigh standing (word continues)
أو كنت رغماً من عَلا
ئيcompletes 'my high standing' أوor علاhigh standing قوميmy people فتاكyour young servant
ئي أو علا قومي فتاك
Or were, despite my high standing
Or despite my status
Or my people's high standing, your servant,
I led your people and you led me.
فأرىso I may see جمالكyour beauty فيin صباmorning (word continues)
فأرى جمالك في صبا
حكcompletes 'your morning' ياO حبيبbeloved وفىand in مساكyour evening
حك يا حبيب وفى مساك
So I might see your beauty in your morning,
Then I would see your beauty in your youth,
O beloved, and in your evening;
O beloved, and in your evening.
وأرىand I may see سريركyour bed هلwould? يصوprotects (word continues)
وأرى سريرك هل يصو
نكcompletes 'protects you' مثلlike قلبيmy heart لوif حواكit held you
نك مثل قلبي لو حواك
And see your bed: would it protect you
And I would see your bed, does it
As my heart would, if it held you?
Cradle you as my heart would, if it held you?
قلبيmy heart لكfor you المهدthe cradle الوثيsoft (word continues)
قلبي لك المهد الوثي
رcompletes 'soft' فلوso if حللتyou dwelt بهwithin it حماكit would protect you
ر فلو حللت به حماك
My heart is your soft cradle;
My heart is a soft cradle, so if
So if you dwelt within it, it would protect you.
You resided in it, it would protect you.
إمّاif نزلتyou alighted بهwithin it نزلalighted (word continues)
إمّا نزلت به نزل
تcompletes 'you alighted' علىupon البقيةthe remnant منof رجاكhope in you
ت على البقية من رجاك
If you alighted within it, you would alight
If you descended into it, you would alight
Upon what remains of hope in you.
Upon the remainder of those who hope in you.
إنif عزّنيoverpowered me دهريmy fate وكاand plotted (word continues)
إن عزّني دهري وكا
دتcompletes 'plotted' ليagainst me اللياليthe nights فيin هواكlove for you
دت لي الليالي في هواك
If my fate overpowers me, and the nights
If my fate made me despair
Plot against me in my love for you,
And the nights plot against me in passion for you,
زودتهاI provisioned them with صبرpatience الكريnoble person (word continues)
زودتها صبر الكري
مcompletes 'noble person' وحلمهُand his forbearance حتىuntil أراكI see you
م وحلمهُ حتى أراك
I would provision them with a noble person's patience
I increased it with the patience of the noble,
And his forbearance, until I see you.
And his forbearance, until I see you.
وإذاand if قضىdecreed ربُّthe Lord الصباardent love (word continues)
وإذا قضى ربُّ الصبا
بةcompletes 'ardent love' أنthat تصرَّyou persist علىin جفاكyour coldness
بة أن تصرَّ على جفاك
And if the Lord of ardent love decrees
And if the Lord of eternity decreed
That you persist in your coldness,
That you insist on spurning me,
وقضيتُand I spent أياميmy days أسيcaptive (word continues)
وقضيتُ أيامي أسي
راًcompletes 'captive' لمnot أمتّعI was granted enjoyment بالفكاكwith release
راً لم أمتّع بالفكاك
And I spend my days a captive,
And I spent my days captive, not tasting
Never granted the joy of release,
Freedom, then the time of life runs out,
ثمthen انقضىended أمدُthe span الحياةlife
ثم انقضى أمدُ الحياة
ولمand not أزوّدI was provisioned منfrom لقاكmeeting you
ولم أزوّد من لقاك
Then the span of life comes to an end,
And I failed to gain meeting with you,
Without sustenance from meeting you—
Then my soul will return to you, so will your approval shade it?
فالروحso the soul مرجعهاits return إليto (word continues)
فالروح مرجعها إلي
كcompletes 'to you' فهلso will? يظللهاshade it رضاكyour favor
ك فهل يظللها رضاك
So the soul's return is to you:
Will your favor shade it?
Partial English translation: 48 of 50 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1