سَعَيْتyou strove لهذاfor this المُلكthe realm بالهمَّةwith resolve الكبرىthe greatest
سَعَيْت لهذا المُلك بالهمَّة الكبرى
فأدركتَso you attained أَفنائهاits precincts الدَّولةsovereignty الغرَّاglorious
فأدركتَ أَفنائها الدَّولة الغرَّا
You strove for this realm with the greatest resolve,
And within its precincts you attained glorious sovereignty.
وسرتَand you marched علىon نُبلthe nobility of الأَسَنَّةthe spearheads للعلىtoward the heights
وسرتَ على نُبل الأَسَنَّة للعلى
ومنand whoever رامَsought إدراكattainment of العُلىthe heights ركبَrode الوعراthe rugged ground
ومن رامَ إدراك العُلى ركبَ الوعرا
You marched toward the heights on noble spearheads,
And whoever seeks to attain the heights rides the rugged path.
لنيلto attain المنىthe wishes جُزتَyou traversed المسيرthe journey وإنَّماand only
لنيل المنى جُزتَ المسير وإنَّما
يخوضplunges into عبابthe surging waters of البحرthe sea منwhoever يطلبseeks الدّرَّاpearls
يخوض عباب البحر من يطلب الدّرَّا
To gain your wishes you traversed the journey; only
Those who seek pearls plunge into the sea's surging waters.
إذاif عارضتstood in the way دونbefore المرامthe goal بحيرةٍa lake
إذا عارضت دون المرام بحيرةٍ
منof الحتفdeath صيّرتyou made الحديدiron لهاfor it جسراa bridge
من الحتف صيّرت الحديد لها جسرا
If, barring your goal, there stood a lake
Of death, you made iron a bridge across it.
وإنْand if رقمتtraced markings فوقabove الأَنامmankind حنادسٌdark nights
وإنْ رقمت فوق الأَنام حنادسٌ
جَلَيْتَyou unveiled منfrom الرَّأيjudgment السَّديدsound لهاfor them فجراa dawn
جَلَيْتَ من الرَّأي السَّديد لها فجرا
And if dark nights traced their marks above mankind,
You unveiled for them a dawn of sound judgment.
قدِمتَyou came قدومthe coming of اللَّيثthe lion غابةthe thicket of شبلهits cub
قدِمتَ قدوم اللَّيث غابة شبله
ونزّهتand you purified هذاthis الملكthe realm بالنيَّةwith intent الخضراverdant
ونزّهت هذا الملك بالنيَّة الخضرا
You came as a lion comes to its cub's thicket,
And purified this realm with your verdant intent.
درىknew الملكthe realm ياO مولايَmy lord أَنْتَyou فؤادهits heart
درى الملك يا مولايَ أَنْتَ فؤاده
فضمَّكso it embraced you منهof itself حينwhen أسكنكit lodged you الصَّدراthe breast
فضمَّك منه حين أسكنك الصَّدرا
The realm knew, O my lord, that you are its heart,
So it embraced you as its own when it lodged you in its breast.
رقيتَyou ascended علىonto كرسيّهits throne فأَزَنْتَهُso you adorned it
رقيتَ على كرسيّه فأَزَنْتَهُ
فأَصْبَحْتَso you became كالتوريدlike a rosy blush فيon وجنةthe cheek of العَذراthe maiden
فأَصْبَحْتَ كالتوريد في وجنة العَذرا
You ascended its throne and adorned it,
And became like the rosy blush on a maiden's cheek.
فماfor ... not هذهthis الفيحاءthe spacious city إلاَّexcept قلادةa necklace
فما هذه الفيحاء إلاَّ قلادة
ونحركand your neck منamong كلِّall النّحورthe necks بهاof it أحرىmore worthy
ونحرك من كلِّ النّحور بها أحرى
For this spacious city is nothing but a necklace,
And your neck, of all necks, is most worthy of it.
وماand ... not هيshe إلاَّexcept كاعبٌa full-breasted maiden قدalready تستَّرتْshe veiled herself
وما هي إلاَّ كاعبٌ قد تستَّرتْ
قدalready اتَّخَذَتْshe made خَيْسَthe thicket of الأُسُودthe lions لهاfor herself خدراa bower
قد اتَّخَذَتْ خَيْسَ الأُسُود لها خدرا
And she is but a full-breasted maiden who has veiled herself;
She has made the lions' thicket her bower.
فجوزاءso, Orion أُفقٍof a horizon بالدَّراريwith brilliant stars تمنْطَقَتْshe girdled herself
فجوزاء أُفقٍ بالدَّراري تمنْطَقَتْ
مخدّمةattended by servants تَستخدمshe employs البيضthe bright swords والسُّمراand the dusky spears
مخدّمة تَستخدم البيض والسُّمرا
So she is the horizon's Orion, girdled with brilliant stars,
Waited upon, she employs bright swords and dusky spears.
لقدindeed مطلتshe delayed بالوعدover the promise عصراًfor an age وعاودتand she returned
لقد مطلت بالوعد عصراً وعاودت
فجادتso she was generous بوصلٍwith union بعدماafter مطلتshe delayed دهراfor an age
فجادت بوصلٍ بعدما مطلت دهرا
She deferred her promise for an age, then returned,
And granted union after delaying for an age.
تزَوَّجْتَهاyou married her أَيْماًhusbandless عجوزاًan old woman مُسِنَّةًaged
تزَوَّجْتَها أَيْماً عجوزاً مُسِنَّةً
فأَضْحَتْso she became لديكwith you الآنnow كاعبةًa full-breasted maiden بكراa virgin
فأَضْحَتْ لديك الآن كاعبةً بكرا
You wed her husbandless, an old and aged woman,
And now, with you, she has become a full-breasted virgin.
فحكتَso you wove لهاfor her ثوبa robe of المفاخرglories بالنَّدىwith generosity
فحكتَ لها ثوب المفاخر بالنَّدى
وألبَستهاand you clothed her منfrom بأسكyour valor الحُلَّةَthe robe الخضراgreen
وألبَستها من بأسك الحُلَّةَ الخضرا
So you wove her a robe of glories with generosity,
And clothed her in the green mantle of your valor.
وهيَّأْتَand you prepared منfrom نقدthe coinage of العواليthe lofty spears صداقهاher dower
وهيَّأْتَ من نقد العوالي صداقها
وأَنْقَدْتَand you paid outright منfrom بيضthe bright blades of الحديدiron لهاto her مهراa dower
وأَنْقَدْتَ من بيض الحديد لها مهرا
And prepared her dower from the coinage of lofty spears,
And paid her dower in gleaming iron blades.
قَدِمتَyou came لهاto her منfrom بعدafter كشفthe lifting of حجابهاher veil
قَدِمتَ لها من بعد كشف حجابها
فكنتso you were لعوراءagainst the calamity of الزَّمانtime لهاfor her ستراa screen
فكنت لعوراء الزَّمان لها سترا
You came to her after her veil had been lifted,
So you became her screen against the calamities of time.
فعُدتso you returned إليهاto her بالتقرُّبby drawing close بعدماafter
فعُدت إليها بالتقرُّب بعدما
علاهاovertook her قنوطٌdespair أَنْthat تعودyou would return لهاto her أُخرىagain
علاها قنوطٌ أَنْ تعود لها أُخرى
Then you returned to her, drawing close, after
Despair of your returning to her again had overtaken her.
تدانيتَyou drew near منهاto her كالهلالlike the crescent ولمand did not تزلْcease
تدانيتَ منها كالهلال ولم تزلْ
تَنَقَّلُyou moved about حتَّىuntil عُدْتَyou became فيon أُفقهاher horizon بدراa full moon
تَنَقَّلُ حتَّى عُدْتَ في أُفقها بدرا
You drew near her like the crescent, and kept on
Moving until you became a full moon on her horizon.
وَوَدَّعْتَهاand you bade her farewell مكروبةdistressed اللُّبّthe mind والحشاand the inmost heart
وَوَدَّعْتَها مكروبة اللُّبّ والحشا
وأُبْتَand you returned وأَبْدَتْand she revealed منfrom مسرَّتهاher joy البشرىglad tidings
وأُبْتَ وأَبْدَتْ من مسرَّتها البشرى
And you bade her farewell, her mind and heart anguished,
And you returned, and in her delight she revealed glad tidings.
فإنْso if طاوَعَتْكَshe yielded to you اليومtoday جهراًopenly وصالهاher union
فإنْ طاوَعَتْكَ اليوم جهراً وصالها
فقدthen indeed كانَwas هذاthis الأَمرthe matter فيin نفسهاher soul سرَّاa secret
فقد كانَ هذا الأَمر في نفسها سرَّا
So if today she openly yields her union to you,
This matter had already been a secret within her soul.
فكمfor many a مراًpassing آنٌa moment وهيwhile she تكتمconceals شوقهاher longing
فكم مراً آنٌ وهي تكتم شوقها
إليكَfor you وتُحْييand keeps alive ليلَهاher night كلَّهall of it سرَّاsecretly
إليكَ وتُحْيي ليلَها كلَّه سرَّا
For many a moment passed while she concealed her longing
For you, and secretly kept vigil through her entire night.
لأمرat the command of القضاfate كادَتshe nearly تفرّflees إذاwhenever رأتshe saw
لأمر القضا كادَت تفرّ إذا رأت
لوصلكfor union with you وقتاًa time ولمand did not تجدfind دونهbarring it عذراan excuse
لوصلك وقتاً ولم تجد دونه عذرا
At fate's command, she nearly fled whenever she saw
A time for union with you, and found no excuse to avoid it.
لقدindeed أحْدَقَتْgazed keenly بعدafter العمىblindness بكat you عينهاher eye
لقد أحْدَقَتْ بعد العمى بك عينها
وأحدَثْتَand you created فيin أجفانهاher eyelids الفتكdeadly power والسّحراand magic
وأحدَثْتَ في أجفانها الفتك والسّحرا
Indeed, after blindness, her eye gazed keenly at you,
And you brought deadly power and magic to her eyelids.
وحَلَّيتand you adorned فيin سلكa string of العزائمfirm resolves جيدهاher neck
وحَلَّيت في سلك العزائم جيدها
ووشَّحتَand you girdled منهاof her فيin صنائعكyour benefactions الخصراthe waist
ووشَّحتَ منها في صنائعك الخصرا
And you adorned her neck with a string of firm resolves,
And girdled her waist with your benefactions.
وزيَّنتَهاand you beautified her حتَّىuntil حكىresembled التّبرraw gold تربهاher dust
وزيَّنتَها حتَّى حكى التّبر تربها
ولوand if لمnot تكنyou were فيin أرضهاher land أصبَحتْshe became صفراbrass
ولو لم تكن في أرضها أصبَحتْ صفرا
And you beautified her until gold resembled her dust;
And had you not been in her land, she would have turned to brass.
فصِرْتَso you became لهاto her لمَّاwhen حللتَyou settled بصدرهاin her breast
فصِرْتَ لها لمَّا حللتَ بصدرها
كيوسُفَlike Joseph إذwhen ولاّهappointed him over خالقُهhis Creator مصراEgypt
كيوسُفَ إذ ولاّه خالقُه مصرا
So, when you settled in her breast, you became to her
Like Joseph when his Creator set him over Egypt.
فلمso ... not تَجْزِyou repaid أهلَthe people of المكرdeceit يوماًever بمكرهمwith their deceit
فلم تَجْزِ أهلَ المكر يوماً بمكرهم
ولمand ... not تصطنعyou devised غدراًtreachery لِمَنْagainst whoever صَنَعpracticed الغدراtreachery
ولم تصطنع غدراً لِمَنْ صَنَع الغدرا
So you never repaid the schemers with their own scheming,
Nor devised treachery against those who practiced it.
صَفَحتَyou pardoned عنover الجانينthe offenders إلاَّexcept أقلّهمa very few of them
صَفَحتَ عن الجانين إلاَّ أقلّهم
فأوسَعْتَهمso you lavished upon them عَفواًpardon وأثْقَلْتَهمand you burdened them شكراgratitude
فأوسَعْتَهم عَفواً وأثْقَلْتَهم شكرا
You pardoned the offenders, save a very few of them,
So you lavished pardon on them and burdened them with gratitude.