وَعبدناكand we worshipped you ياO جَمالBeauty وَصغناand we fashioned
وَعبدناك يا جَمال وَصغنا
لَكَfor you أَنفاسُناour breaths هياماًpassion وَحُبّاand love
لَكَ أَنفاسُنا هياماً وَحُبّا
And we worshipped you, O Beauty, and fashioned
our breaths for you into passion and love.
وَوَهَبناand we bestowed لَكَon you الحَياةlife وَفَجرand made gush forth (first part)
وَوَهَبنا لَكَ الحَياة وَفَجر
ناwe (ending of preceding verb) يَنابيعهاits springs لِعَينيكfor your eyes قُربىan offering
نا يَنابيعها لِعَينيك قُربى
And we gave you life, and made
its springs gush forth as an offering to your eyes.
وَسُمُوناand we exalted بِكُلwith all ماthat فيكَin you مِنof ضَعـweakness (first part)
وَسُمُونا بِكُل ما فيكَ مِن ضَعـ
ـف(completes ‘weakness’) جَميلbeautiful حَتّىuntil اِستَفاضَit overflowed وَأَربىand grew
ـف جَميل حَتّى اِستَفاضَ وَأَربى
And we exalted all that is in you of
beautiful weakness, until it overflowed and grew.
وَحَبَوناكand we endowed you ماwhat يَزيدكenhances you بِالعِـthrough glory (first part)
وَحَبَوناك ما يَزيدك بِالعِـ
ـز(completes ‘glory’) وُضوحاًin clarity وَأَنتَwhile you تَفتأremain صَعباelusive
ـز وُضوحاً وَأَنتَ تَفتأ صَعبا
And we gave you what adds, through glory,
to your clarity, yet you remain elusive.
وَذَهَبناand we went بِماwith what يُفسرexplains مَعنـmeaning (first part)
وَذَهَبنا بِما يُفسر مَعنـ
ـاكyour (completes ‘your meaning’) بَعيداًfar afield وَأَنتَwhile you أَكثرmore قُرباnear
ـاك بَعيداً وَأَنتَ أَكثر قُربا
And we carried what explains your meaning
far afield, though you are nearer still.
مَنwho تَرىdo you think وَزعdistributed المَفاتنthe charms ياO حَسـBeauty (first part)
مَن تَرى وَزع المَفاتن يا حَسـ
ـن(completes ‘Beauty’) وَقالَand said اعبديworship! (feminine) مِنof السحرenchantment رُباa lord
ـن وَقالَ اعبدي مِن السحر رُبا
Who, do you think, scattered charms, O Beauty,
and said, 'Worship a lord of enchantment'?
مَنwho تَرىdo you think أَلهمinspired الجَمالBeauty وَقَدand had أَعطـgiven (first part)
مَن تَرى أَلهم الجَمال وَقَد أَعطـ
ـاهُit (completes ‘given it’) مِنfrom جبرةthe tyranny الحَوادثof events غَضَباwrath
ـاهُ مِن جبرة الحَوادث غَضَبا
Who, do you think, inspired Beauty, having given it
wrath from the tyranny of events,
أَنto يَبُثscatter الهَوىpassion مَفاتنcharms فيin جفـan eyelid (first part)
أَن يَبُث الهَوى مَفاتن في جفـ
ـن(completes ‘eyelid’) بَليغeloquent وَأَنand to يَجودgive generously وَيَأبىand refuse
ـن بَليغ وَأَن يَجود وَيَأبى
to scatter passion as charms in an eyelid
eloquent, and to give and to refuse?
مَنwho تَرىdo you think وَثقbound fast العَرىthe ties بَينَbetween مَسحوspellbound (first part)
مَن تَرى وَثق العَرى بَينَ مَسحو
رينdual ending: two spellbound beings أَسماهُماhe named them both جَمالاًBeauty وَقَلباand Heart
رين أَسماهُما جَمالاً وَقَلبا
Who, do you think, bound the ties between two spellbound beings
he named Beauty and Heart?
إِنَّهُindeed he صانعthe maker القُلوبof hearts الَّتيthat تنصـare poured (first part)
إِنَّهُ صانع القُلوب الَّتي تنصـ
ـب(completes ‘are poured’) فيinto قالبthe mold المَحاسنof loveliness صِباa pouring
ـب في قالب المَحاسن صِبا
He is the maker of hearts, which are poured
wholly into the mold of loveliness.
ياO جَمالbeauty الحَياةof life فيin حَيثماwherever كاit was (first part)
يا جَمال الحَياة في حَيثما كا
ن(completes ‘it was’) أَماناsafety وَحَيثماand wherever كانَit was رُعباterror
ن أَمانا وَحَيثما كانَ رُعبا
O beauty of life, wherever it is
safety, and wherever it is terror,
وَجَمالand beauty الحَياةof life فيin كُلeveryone مَنwho أَعمَلjourneyed
وَجَمال الحَياة في كُل مَن أَعمَل
شَرقاeastward وَكُلَand everyone مَنwho سارَtraveled غَرباwestward
شَرقا وَكُلَ مَن سارَ غَربا
and beauty of life in everyone who journeys
eastward, and everyone who travels westward—
أَقسbe harsh ياO حسنBeauty ماas much as تُريدyou wish وَتَبغيand desire
أَقس يا حسن ما تُريد وَتَبغي
أَوفكنor else be هيناgentle عَلىto النَفسthe soul رطباtender
أَوفكن هينا عَلى النَفس رطبا
be harsh, O Beauty, as you wish and desire,
or else be gentle to the soul, tender.
أَناI وَحديalone دَنياa world هَوىof passion لكfor you فيهاwithin it
أَنا وَحدي دَنيا هَوى لك فيها
كُلevery كَنزtreasure مِنof المَشاعرfeelings قُربىan offering
كُل كَنز مِن المَشاعر قُربى
I alone am a world of passion; within it, for you,
every treasure of feeling is an offering.