الأرضُthe earth طاؤوسيَّةٌpeacock-like
الأرضُ طاؤوسيَّةٌ
والجوُّand the sky جُؤْجُؤُbreast فاخِتِa ringdove
والجوُّ جُؤْجُؤُ فاخِتِ
The earth is peacock-like,
The earth is ornate
And the sky is a ringdove’s breast,
And the air is bubbly and joyful
متبسِّمٌsmiling عنrevealing نَشْرfragrance حُlo- (first part of 'love')
متبسِّمٌ عن نَشْر حُ
بٍّ-ve (completing 'love') عندَin the presence of صَبٍّa lovesick lover ثابِتِsteadfast
بٍّ عندَ صَبٍّ ثابِتِ
Smiling, revealing the fragrance of lo-
Smiling at the spread of steadfast love
ve before a steadfast, lovesick lover.
And the rose is a blooming pearl
والوردُand the roses دُرٌّpearls نابتٌgrowing
والوردُ دُرٌّ نابتٌ
أحسِنْhow lovely! بدُرٍّwith pearls نابِتِgrowing
أحسِنْ بدُرٍّ نابِتِ
And the roses are pearls that grow—
More beautiful than any blooming pearl
How lovely are pearls that grow!
But in my eyes there is agony
لكنَّbut فيin عينيmy eye قذًىa mote
لكنَّ في عيني قذًى
منfrom نورِbloom; radiance شيبٍgray hair سابتِravaging; cutting off
من نورِ شيبٍ سابتِ
Yet in my eye there is a mote
From the light of settled old age
From the bloom of ravaging gray hair.
When I cried blood tears
لماwhen بكيتُI wept دَمَblood الفؤاthe hea- (first part of 'the heart')
لما بكيتُ دَمَ الفؤا
دِ-rt (completing 'heart') علىover الحبيبِthe beloved الفائتِgone; lost
دِ على الحبيبِ الفائتِ
When I wept the blood of the hea-
For the lover now gone
rt over the beloved now gone,
Old age laughed in my face
ضَحِكَlaughed المشيبُthe gray hair بعارضيon my cheek
ضَحِكَ المشيبُ بعارضي
ضحكَthe laughter of الغَوِيِّthe wayward one الشامتِthe gloating one
ضحكَ الغَوِيِّ الشامتِ
Gray hair laughed upon my cheek
The laugh of the gloating deceiver
With the laughter of a wayward gloater.
Partial English translation: 11 of 12 Arabic lines translated.