زُرنَاwe visited الفَتَىthe young man دُودُDoudou فَالَFal المُقتفيfollowing الكَرَمَاgenerosity
زُرنَا الفَتَى دُودُ فَالَ المُقتفي الكَرَمَا
فَصَارَso he became لَمَّاwhen قَرَعنَاwe knocked at الدَّارَthe house مُبتَسِمَاsmiling
فَصَارَ لَمَّا قَرَعنَا الدَّارَ مُبتَسِمَا
We visited the young man Doudou Fal, who follows the path of generosity.
The youth visited us, so we welcomed him with smiles,
When we knocked at his door, he greeted us with a smile.
As he entered the house, wandering around to pick some fruit.
وجَالَand he went about فيin الدَّارِthe house حتىuntil اختَارَhe chose فَاكِهَةًa fruit
وجَالَ في الدَّارِ حتى اختَارَ فَاكِهَةً
إنif ذَاقَtasted ذُوone afflicted with السُّقمِillness مِنهَاsome of it تُبرِىءَit cures السَّقَمَاthe illness
إن ذَاقَ ذُو السُّقمِ مِنهَا تُبرِىءَ السَّقَمَا
He went about the house until he chose a fruit,
If one who is ill tastes it, it would cure all sickness,
which cures illness if an ailing person tastes it.
Red, rounded by the Creator, illuminated.
حَمرَاءَred دَوَّرَهَاmade it round البَارِىthe Creator ونَوَّرَهَاand made it radiant
حَمرَاءَ دَوَّرَهَا البَارِى ونَوَّرَهَا
تُنسِيكَmakes you forget طَعمَthe taste of عُقَارٍwine خَالَطَتmingled with شَبماcold water
تُنسِيكَ طَعمَ عُقَارٍ خَالَطَت شَبما
Red, rounded and made radiant by the Creator,
Its taste makes you forget the bitterness of medicine mixed with poison.
it makes you forget the taste of wine mingled with cold water.
Those who picked it were truthful in their protection,
قَدindeed صَانَهَاkept it safe قَاطِفُوهَاits pickers فيin حَشَاthe interior of صَدَقٍa sturdy casing (uncertain wording)
قَد صَانَهَا قَاطِفُوهَا في حَشَا صَدَقٍ
لَمdid not يَخشَfear صَولَةَthe onslaught of صَرفِthe vicissitudes of الدَّهرِtime إِنif هَجَمَاthey assailed
لَم يَخشَ صَولَةَ صَرفِ الدَّهرِ إِن هَجَمَا
Its pickers had kept it safe inside a sturdy casing,
Not fearing the turning of fate's nights, if they come.
which feared no onslaught of time's vicissitudes, should they strike.
Look at the embroidered images, the sides adorned,
حَمِّrich in (uncertain reading) التَّصَاوِيرِpictures مَؤشِىِّornamented الجوانبِthe sides فيalong
حَمِّ التَّصَاوِيرِ مَؤشِىِّ الجوانبِ في
حَافَاتِهِits edges تَستَبِينُyou distinguish العربَthe Arabs والعَجَمَاand the non-Arabs
حَافَاتِهِ تَستَبِينُ العربَ والعَجَمَا
Rich in pictures, its sides ornamented; along
On its edges, Arabs and non-Arabs become clear.
its edges you can distinguish Arabs and non-Arabs.
It turns to young maidens in it, smiling,
تَرنُوyou gaze إِلَىat فَتَيَاتٍmaidens فيهِwithin it بَاسِمَةٍsmiling
تَرنُو إِلَى فَتَيَاتٍ فيهِ بَاسِمَةٍ
عَنrevealing كالأقَاحِىlike daisies المُسَقَّىwatered by الطَّلّdew والدِّيمَاand gentle rains
عَن كالأقَاحِى المُسَقَّى الطَّلّ والدِّيمَا
You gaze at maidens within it, smiling
Watered, like rose buds, by the dew and rain.
to reveal teeth like daisies watered by dew and gentle rains.
You can see the sea in it, stormy,
وتَلمَحُand you glimpse البَحرُthe sea فِيهِwithin it وهوَwhile it is مُلتَطِمٌsurging
وتَلمَحُ البَحرُ فِيهِ وهوَ مُلتَطِمٌ
مَاhow كَانَwas أحسَنَهbeautiful it was ِإنif كَانَit was مُلتَطَمَاsurging
مَا كَانَ أحسَنَه ِإن كَانَ مُلتَطَمَا
And you glimpse the sea within it, its waves clashing.
How beautiful it was, if it was stormy.
How beautiful it was, even if its waves were raging!
Horses prance with the brave, unruly,
والخَيلُand the horses تَمزعُgallop بالشُّجَعَانِwith brave riders عَاصِيَةًdefying
والخَيلُ تَمزعُ بالشُّجَعَانِ عَاصِيَةً
جَذبٍthe pulling of الأَعِنَّةِthe reins مِنهَاfrom them تَعلُكُchamping اللُّجَمَاthe bits
جَذبٍ الأَعِنَّةِ مِنهَا تَعلُكُ اللُّجَمَا
And horses gallop with brave riders, defying
Pulling the reins, their bridles jingling.
the pulling of their reins, champing at their bits.
It brought out the sun for us from under the canopy,
وأبرَزَand he brought forth الشَّمسَthe sun مِنfrom تَحتِbeneath الخِبَاءِthe canopy لَنَاfor us
وأبرَزَ الشَّمسَ مِن تَحتِ الخِبَاءِ لَنَا
والأنجُمَand the stars الزُّهرَradiant فيin بُرجٍa tower عَلاَrose high وسَمَاand soared
والأنجُمَ الزُّهرَ في بُرجٍ عَلاَ وسَمَا
He brought forth the sun for us from beneath the canopy,
And the stars appeared in a constellation that rose and reached the heights.
and the radiant stars in a tower that rose and soared.
Its yellow color pleases those who see it, when
مُصفَرِّyellow لَونٍin color يَسُرُّdelights النَّاظِرِينَthe onlookers إِذَاwhen
مُصفَرِّ لَونٍ يَسُرُّ النَّاظِرِينَ إِذَا
مَاever (emphasis) شَمسُهُits sun بَزَغَتrose بَينَamong النجومِthe stars هَمَىpoured down
مَا شَمسُهُ بَزَغَت بَينَ النجومِ هَمَى
Yellow in hue, it delights onlookers whenever
Its sun rises between the stars it protects.
its sun rises among the stars and light pours down.
In a clearly decorated room, in it upholstered furnishings,
فيin غُرفَةٍa room مُستَبَانَاتٍplainly visible بِهَاwithin it فُرشٌcouches
في غُرفَةٍ مُستَبَانَاتٍ بِهَا فُرشٌ
مَرفُوعَةٌraised high مِنwhoever (read as مَن) سَمَاهَاmounts them قَدindeed سَمَاhas ascended لِسَمَاto heaven
مَرفُوعَةٌ مِن سَمَاهَا قَد سَمَا لِسَمَا
In a room where couches stand plainly visible,
Elevated, reaching its sky, however high you take it.
raised high—whoever mounts them has ascended to heaven.
It ascends and descends, no matter how high you are,
تَرقَىthey rise وتَسفُلُand sink مهماwhenever كُنتَyou are عَالِيَهَاmounted on them
تَرقَى وتَسفُلُ مهما كُنتَ عَالِيَهَا
طِبقَin accordance with المُنَىwishes وتَذُودَand drive away الأَينَfatigue والسَّامَاand boredom
طِبقَ المُنَى وتَذُودَ الأَينَ والسَّامَا
They rise and sink whenever you sit upon them,
The ultimate bliss, averting harm and difficulties.
as you wish, driving away fatigue and boredom.
The maidens run to us with goblets, displaying
تجريhurry الجواريthe maidens عَلَينَاto us بالكُئُوسِwith cups ومَاand what
تجري الجواري عَلَينَا بالكُئُوسِ ومَا
يُبدِينَهُthey reveal it مِنof لَمًىdusky lips قَدindeed هَيَّجَhas stirred الألَمَاpain
يُبدِينَهُ مِن لَمًى قَد هَيَّجَ الألَمَا
The maidens hurry to us with cups, and what
A beauty that stirs up pain.
they reveal of dusky lips has awakened pain.
On our sides are varied gardens,
فيon جَانِبَينَاour two sides بَسَاتِينٌgardens مَنَوَّعَةٌvaried
في جَانِبَينَا بَسَاتِينٌ مَنَوَّعَةٌ
تَهتَزُّsway رَقصاًin dance لِتَصفِيقِto the clapping of الصَّبَاthe east wind نَسَمَاbreezes
تَهتَزُّ رَقصاً لِتَصفِيقِ الصَّبَا نَسَمَا
On either side of us are gardens of many kinds,
Swaying in dance at the whispers of the passing breeze.
swaying in dance to the east wind's clapping breezes.
The branches sing, and the leaves sing, we trembled
غنيsang الغَوَانيthe lovely maidens وغنيand sang الوُرقُthe gray doves فَاضطَرَبتso trembled
غني الغَوَاني وغني الوُرقُ فَاضطَرَبت
أعضَاؤُونَاour limbs طَرَباًin rapture واستَحَلَتشand savored (apparent typo) النَّغَمَاthe melodies
أعضَاؤُونَا طَرَباً واستَحَلَتش النَّغَمَا
The lovely maidens sang, and the gray doves sang; then trembled
In rapture, and the melodies became beautiful.
our limbs in rapture, savoring the melodies.
An eye flows from the eye of a maiden,
والعينُand the spring جَارِيَةٌflowing مِنfrom عَينِthe eye of جَارِيَةٍa maiden
والعينُ جَارِيَةٌ مِن عَينِ جَارِيَةٍ
تَسقِىwaters بَسَاتِينَgardens of وَردٍroses فيon الخُدُودِthe cheeks دَمَاwith blood
تَسقِى بَسَاتِينَ وَردٍ في الخُدُودِ دَمَا
And a spring flows from a maiden's eye,
Watering rose gardens on cheeks with blood.
watering rose gardens on cheeks with blood.
In a sitting we desire what it desires,
فيin مَجلسٍa gathering يَشتَهِىdesires مَاwhat نَشتَهِيهِwe desire it عَلىalthough
في مَجلسٍ يَشتَهِى مَا نَشتَهِيهِ عَلى
أنَّابِهِthat we, in it قدindeed جَمعَنَاhave brought together الحِلَّthe lawful والحَرَمَاand the forbidden
أنَّابِهِ قد جَمعَنَا الحِلَّ والحَرَمَا
In a gathering that desires what we desire, although
It gathered us in intimacy and reverence.
there we have brought together the lawful and the forbidden.
Picking bouquets for its picker, as if it
دَانيclose at hand القُطوفِthe fruit-clusters لِجَانِيَهاfor their gatherer كَأنَّas though لَهُit had
دَاني القُطوفِ لِجَانِيَها كَأنَّ لَهُ
نَذراًa vow بِتَقبِيلِto kiss مَنwhoever رَامَsought القُطُوفِthe fruit-clusters فَمَاa mouth
نَذراً بِتَقبِيلِ مَن رَامَ القُطُوفِ فَمَا
Its fruit-clusters hang near their gatherer, as though it had
Had made a vow to kiss the one who picked the bouquets.
vowed to kiss on the mouth whoever sought the fruit.
Partial English translation: 35 of 36 Arabic lines translated.