وَخَطٌّand a script مِنَfrom التَصحيحِcorrection فيهِin it مَعالِمٌsigns
وَخَطٌّ مِنَ التَصحيحِ فيهِ مَعالِمٌ
مِنَof الحُسنِbeauty إِذwhen يَبدوappears عَلَيهِupon it سَبيبُa fringe of hair
مِنَ الحُسنِ إِذ يَبدو عَلَيهِ سَبيبُ
And a hand of accomplished penmanship, bearing marks
And a script whose corrections bear signs
of beauty whenever Shabīb’s hand is seen upon it;
of beauty, as a fringe of hair appears upon it.
يُعَبِّرُexpresses عَنهُof it الرَوضَthe garden وَهوَand it is مُنَمنَمٌfinely patterned
يُعَبِّرُ عَنهُ الرَوضَ وَهوَ مُنَمنَمٌ
وَيُخبِرُand tells عَنهُof it الوَشيَthe brocade وَهُوَand it is قَشيبُfresh and new
وَيُخبِرُ عَنهُ الوَشيَ وَهُوَ قَشيبُ
the meadow speaks of it, intricately patterned,
The finely patterned garden speaks for it,
and brocade tells of it, fresh and splendid.
and fresh brocade tells of it.
سَوادُblackness مِدادٍink فيin بَياضِwhiteness صَحيفَةٍa page
سَوادُ مِدادٍ في بَياضِ صَحيفَةٍ
يَقولُsays شَبابٌyouth بِالمَشيبِwith gray hair مَشوبُmingled
يَقولُ شَبابٌ بِالمَشيبِ مَشوبُ
The blackness of ink upon the whiteness of a page
The blackness of ink against the whiteness of a page
declares: “Youth, intermingled with gray hair.”
says: “Youth mingled with gray hair.”
كَأَنَّas though ظَلامَdarkness اللَيلِof the night أَذرىshed دُموعَهُits tears
كَأَنَّ ظَلامَ اللَيلِ أَذرى دُموعَهُ
فَظَلَّتso they continued عَلىupon خَدِّthe cheek الصَباحِof dawn تَصوبُfalling
فَظَلَّت عَلى خَدِّ الصَباحِ تَصوبُ
As though the darkness of night had shed its tears,
As though the darkness of night had shed its tears,
and they kept streaming down the cheek of dawn.
so they kept falling upon the cheek of dawn.
