وشمسand a sun خدورٍof secluded chambers لوif بدتshe appeared منfrom خدورِهاher secluded chambers
وشمس خدورٍ لو بدت من خدورِها
لرضوانbefore Ridwan أزرَتshe put to shame بالجنانthe gardens وحُورِهاand their houris
لرضوان أزرَت بالجنان وحُورِها
And a sun of secluded chambers—were she to emerge from her chambers,
A setting sun, if it rose from its setting
before Ridwan, she would put the gardens and their houris to shame.
Would adorn the heavens and its maidens with grace
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle بدتshe appears لوif لمnot يكنwere ماءُthe moisture وجهِهاof her face
إذا ما بدت لو لم يكن ماءُ وجهِها
يدافعdefends عنّاon our behalf لاحترقناwe would burn بنورِهاin her radiance
يدافع عنّا لاحترقنا بنورِها
When she appears, were the moisture of her face not
If her face's water did not protect us
shielding us, we would burn in her radiance.
We'd have burned from the blaze of its light
إذاwhenever ماemphatic particle أجالتshe turns طرفَهاher gaze سجدbows down الهوىlove
إذا ما أجالت طرفَها سجد الهوى
لأجفانهاbefore her eyelids منbecause of غنجهاher coy charm وفتورِهاand her languor
لأجفانها من غنجها وفتورِها
Whenever she turns her gaze, love bows down
When she lifts her glances, passion bows down
before her eyelids, for her coy charm and languor.
To her lashes' languor and weakness
تَعلَّمlearned غصنُthe bough البانof the bān tree منfrom حركاتهاher movements
تَعلَّم غصنُ البان من حركاتها
فنوناًarts وماyet does not يأتيattain بعُشرa tenth of عشيرِهاa tenth of hers
فنوناً وما يأتي بعُشر عشيرِها
The bān-tree bough has learned from her movements
The branch of the acacia tree learned from her movements
arts, yet cannot match even a tenth of a tenth of hers.
Arts that don't match a tenth of her arts
يُرىis seen حَليُهاher jewelry منthrough حسنهاher beauty متزيناًadorned
يُرى حَليُها من حسنها متزيناً
ومنand from طِيبهاher fragrance يزدادُincreases طِيبُthe fragrance عبيرِهاof her perfume
ومن طِيبها يزدادُ طِيبُ عبيرِها
Her jewelry appears adorned by her beauty,
You see her jewelry adorned by her beauty
and her own fragrance heightens the fragrance of her perfume.
And her scent grows sweeter from her sweetness
إذاwhen مسهاtouches her لينُthe softness الحريرِof silk فجسمُهاthen her body
إذا مسها لينُ الحريرِ فجسمُها
ينعِّمsoftens ماwhatever قدalready مسَّهاtouched her منof حريرهاher silk
ينعِّم ما قد مسَّها من حريرها
When the softness of silk touches her, her body
When smooth silk touches her body
softens whatever silk of hers has touched her.
It revels in what it has touched of her silk
لهاshe has نعمةٌa blessing لوif فيin المعادthe hereafter تقسمتit were divided
لها نعمةٌ لو في المعاد تقسمت
لعاشتwould live بهاby it الموتىthe dead الىuntil نفخthe blowing صُورهاof their trumpet
لعاشت بها الموتى الى نفخ صُورها
Hers is a blessing that, were it shared out in the hereafter,
She has a blessing - if shared in the hereafter
the dead would live by it until their trumpet was blown.
It would revive the dead till the blow of the horn
ولوand if ضربتshe played بينamong القبورthe graves بنَغمةٍa tune
ولو ضربت بين القبور بنَغمةٍ
لقهقهتِwould laugh aloud الموتىthe dead لهاfor her منfrom قبورِهاtheir graves
لقهقهتِ الموتى لها من قبورِها
And were she to play a tune among the graves,
If she sang a melody between the graves
the dead would laugh aloud for her from their graves.
The dead would laugh to her from their tombs
لوif اَنَّthat سليمانَSolomon النبيَّthe prophet يخالُهاhe imagines her
لو اَنَّ سليمانَ النبيَّ يخالُها
توهَّمهاhe would take her for بلقيسَBilqis فوقupon سريرِهاher throne
توهَّمها بلقيسَ فوق سريرِها
Were Solomon the prophet to picture her,
If Solomon the prophet imagined her
he would take her for Bilqis upon her throne.
He'd mistake her for Bilqis upon her throne
فتاةٌa maiden لهاabout her عنديI have حديثٌa tale وإنماand only
فتاةٌ لها عندي حديثٌ وإنما
لواحظُهاher glances قدindeed حدَّثَتhave spoken عنof ضميرِهاher hidden thoughts
لواحظُها قد حدَّثَت عن ضميرِها
A maiden—of her I have a tale, and only
A girl who tells me tales though
her glances have spoken of her hidden thoughts.
My observation of her spoke of her conscience
تُؤخِّرshe delays عنfrom قلبيmy heart نصيبَthe share سرورِهof its joy
تُؤخِّر عن قلبي نصيبَ سرورِه
وقدand already عَجَّلتshe has hastened للعينfor the eye بعضَsome سرورِهاof its joy
وقد عَجَّلت للعين بعضَ سرورِها
She delays my heart's share of its joy,
She delays my share of joy for my heart
though she has quickly granted the eye some of its joy.
And was quick to give my eyes some of its joy
إذاwhen جئتI come عطشاناًthirsty إلىto ماءthe water وصلهاof union with her
إذا جئت عطشاناً إلى ماء وصلها
فماthen not يُنقَعis quenched الصاديthe thirsty one بصفوby the clear water غديرِهاof her pool
فما يُنقَع الصادي بصفو غديرِها
When I come thirsty to the water of union with her,
When I come to her water thirsty
the thirsty one is not quenched by her pool's clear water.
The thirsty one cannot be quenched by the purity of her stream
لهاshe has صدقُtruthfulness إعراضٍof turning away وزُورُand falsehood تعرُّضٍof making advances
لها صدقُ إعراضٍ وزُورُ تعرُّضٍ
فياso O حَسرَتاmy sorrow! منat صدقهاher truthfulness ليtoward me وزُورِهاand her deceit
فيا حَسرَتا من صدقها لي وزُورِها
Her turning away is true, her advances false;
She has truthful aloofness and false overtures
so alas for her truth toward me and her deceit!
What loss from her truth to me and her falseness
تُرضّيshe pleases خيالthe imagination الناسof people عندduring مغيبهاher absence
تُرضّي خيال الناس عند مغيبها
وتُبديand she reveals إشاراتsigns المنىof hope فيin حضورِهاher presence
وتُبدي إشارات المنى في حضورِها
She pleases people's fancy when she is absent,
She pleases people's imaginations when absent
and reveals signs of hope when she is present.
And shows hints of wishes when present
وقولواand tell لهاher إنيthat I am أسيرٌa captive بحبِّهاby love for her
وقولوا لها إني أسيرٌ بحبِّها
فهلso is there عندهاwith her منany رحمةٍmercy لأسيرِهاfor her captive
فهل عندها من رحمةٍ لأسيرِها
And tell her: I am a captive of love for her;
And say to her, "I am a captive of her love"
so does she have any mercy for her captive?
Does she have any mercy for her captive?
ستتلفshe will destroy روحيmy soul وهيand it is روحٌa soul خطيرةprecious
ستتلف روحي وهي روحٌ خطيرة
لئنif indeed بخلتshe is stingy عنّيtoward me ببذلin giving خطيرِهاher precious treasure
لئن بخلت عنّي ببذل خطيرِها
She will destroy my soul, though it is a precious soul,
She will ruin my soul which is precious
if she begrudges me the giving of her treasure.
If she is miserly to me with her generosity
فإنthen if أحسنتshe is kind جازيتُI will repay ذاكthat وإنand if يكنit is
فإن أحسنت جازيتُ ذاك وإن يكن
غروراًdeceit فلاthen not جازيتُهاI repay her بغرورِهاwith her own deceit
غروراً فلا جازيتُها بغرورِها
If she is kind, I will repay that; and if it is
If she is good I will reward that even if
deceit, may I not repay her with deceit like hers.
It is conceit, I will not reward her conceit
فياso O سُؤلَdesire قلبيof my heart أوضِحيmake clear مسلكthe path المُنىof hope
فيا سُؤلَ قلبي أوضِحي مسلك المُنى
لروحيto my soul فقدfor indeed حَيَّرتِهاyou have bewildered it فيin أُمورهاits affairs
لروحي فقد حَيَّرتِها في أُمورها
So, O my heart's desire, make clear the path of hope
Oh my troubled heart, clarify the path of wishes
to my soul, for you have bewildered it in its affairs.
For my soul, for you have confused it in its matters
أجَنَّةis it a paradise وصلٍof union نرتعيwe graze فيin نعيمهاits bliss
أجَنَّة وصلٍ نرتعي في نعيمها
أنارُis it a fire صدودٍof rejection نصطليwe burn فيin سعيرِهاits blaze
أنارُ صدودٍ نصطلي في سعيرِها
Is it a paradise of union, in whose bliss we graze,
Gardens of union we graze in its bliss
or a fire of rejection, in whose blaze we burn?
Hellfires of estrangement we roast in its flame
فإنَّfor indeed حراماًforbidden أنthat تُعَرَّضbe exposed مهجةa soul
فإنَّ حراماً أن تُعَرَّض مهجة
لموتٍto death ولمand not يُعلَمis known مكانُthe place مصيرِهاof its final destination
لموتٍ ولم يُعلَم مكانُ مصيرِها
For it is forbidden to expose a soul
It is forbidden for a heart to be displayed
to death while its final abode remains unknown.
To death not knowing where its fate lies
فهاso here أناI am روحيmy soul فيin السياقthe death throes فزَخرفيso adorn
فها أنا روحي في السياق فزَخرفي
جِنانَthe gardens مناهاof its hopes وابعثيand send forth ببشيرِهاits herald of glad tidings
جِنانَ مناها وابعثي ببشيرِها
So here I am, my soul in its death throes; adorn
Its heavens and send it a messenger
the gardens of its hopes, and send forth its herald of glad tidings.
And witness what my missive casts from me
وشاهدُand the witness ماwhat ألقاهI endure it منيfrom me رسالتيmy letter
وشاهدُ ما ألقاه مني رسالتي
أتَتكِhave reached you سطورُlines الدمعof tears فوقupon سطورِهاits lines
أتَتكِ سطورُ الدمع فوق سطورِها
And my letter is my witness to what I endure:
Lines of tears upon its lines
lines of tears have reached you upon its lines.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.