ياO شِبهlikeness سيدةlady البَتوthe Virgin (fragment)
يا شِبه سيدة البَتو
لcompletes 'the Virgin' وصورةand image الملَكthe angel الطهورthe pure
ل وصورة الملَك الطهور
O likeness of the Virgin Lady,
O likeness of the lady of beauty
and image of the pure angel!
And image of the pure angel
نسَّىmade one forget جمالكyour beauty فيamong الإناwomen (fragment)
نسَّى جمالك في الإنا
ثcompletes 'women' جماَلbeauty يوسفJoseph فيamong الذكورmen
ث جماَل يوسف في الذكور
Your beauty among women has made us forget
Your beauty is forgotten in humankind
Joseph's beauty among men.
While Joseph's beauty remembered in males
زينُadornment المهودthe cradles اليومَtoday أنـyou (fragment)
زينُ المهود اليومَ أنـ
ـتِcompletes feminine 'you' وفيand in غدtomorrow زينadornment الخدورthe secluded chambers
ـتِ وفي غد زين الخدور
Today you are the adornment of cradles,
You adorn the cradle today and tomorrow the graves
and tomorrow, the adornment of secluded chambers.
If the new moon rises it rises in the way of full moons
إنindeed الأهلَّةthe crescent moons إنif سَرَتthey journey
إن الأهلَّة إن سَرَت
سارتthey travel علىalong نهجpath البدورthe full moons
سارت على نهج البدور
Indeed, if the crescent moons journey,
By my father, whose forehead is like morning
they travel along the path of the full moons.
When it prepares for travelling
بأبيmy father as ransom جبينa brow كالصباlike the morning (fragment)
بأبي جبين كالصبا
حcompletes 'morning' إذاwhen تهيَّاit readied itself للسفورfor unveiling
ح إذا تهيَّا للسفور
May my father be ransom for a brow like morning,
On it remains from nightfall
when it readies itself to unveil.
Those strands of hair
بقيتremained عليهupon it منfrom الدجىthe night's darkness
بقيت عليه من الدجى
تلكthose الخيوطthreads منof الشعورhair
تلك الخيوط من الشعور
Upon it there remained, from the night's darkness,
And generous pearls
those threads of hair.
That adorned the coral of the throat
وكرائمٌand precious jewels منof لؤلؤpearl
وكرائمٌ من لؤلؤ
زَيَّنَّthey adorned مَرجانcoral النحورthe necks
زَيَّنَّ مَرجان النحور
And precious jewels of pearl
Glory to Him who granted it
adorned the coral of necks.
Who gazes in the pillows and the peaks
سبحانglory be to مؤتيهاthe One who endows her يتاunclear fragment
سبحان مؤتيها يتا
ثمthen فيin المراشفthe lips والثغورand the mouths
ثم في المراشف والثغور
Glory be to the One who endowed her [unclear fragment],
She is watered and waters
then, in the lips and mouths.
From the play of bees or the hanging of flowers
تَسقِىshe gives drink وتُسقَىand she is given drink منfrom لعاsaliva (fragment)
تَسقِى وتُسقَى من لعا
بcompletes 'saliva' النحلthe bees أوor طَلِّdew الزهورthe flowers
ب النحل أو طَلِّ الزهور
She gives drink and is given drink from the saliva
And as if the scent of perfume surrounds
of bees or the dew of flowers.
Her breaths like those of nymphs
وكأنand as though نفحwaft الطيبperfume حوaround (fragment)
وكأن نفح الطيب حو
لcompletes 'around' نضيدهاher strung pearls أنفاسbreaths حورhouris
ل نضيدها أنفاس حور
And it is as though the waft of perfume around
Unique are her rosy cheeks
her strung pearls were the breaths of houris.
A wonder made of rose petals
وغريبةand a rare marvel فوفabove (probable typo) الخدوthe cheeks (fragment)
وغريبة فوف الخدو
دcompletes 'the cheeks' بديعةexquisite منof وردroses جُورJur
د بديعة من ورد جُور
And a rare marvel above the cheeks,
Yellow when she first wakes
an exquisite rose of Jur:
Red at the time of early morning
صفراءyellow عندat رواحهاher evening departure
صفراء عند رواحها
حمراءred فيat وقتtime البكورearly morning
حمراء في وقت البكور
yellow at her evening departure,
I kissed her and smelled her
red at the hour of early morning.
And watered her with the tears of joy
قبَّلتهاI kissed her وشممتهاand I inhaled her scent
قبَّلتها وشممتها
وسقيتهاand I watered her دمعtears السرورjoy
وسقيتها دمع السرور
I kissed her and breathed in her scent,
and watered her with tears of joy.
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.