قسماI swear برمانby the pomegranates of النهودbreasts
قسما برمان النهود
يزهىis resplendent علىupon قضبslender boughs القدودِshapely forms
يزهى على قضب القدودِ
I swear by the pomegranates of breasts,
I swear by the softness of her breasts,
resplendent on the slender boughs of shapely forms,
Blossoming on slender waists,
ويطيبand grows sweet أيامduring the days of الوصالunion
ويطيب أيام الوصال
عقيبafter أيامthe days of الصدودِrejection
عقيب أيام الصدودِ
and sweet in the days of union
And the joy of days of union
after the days of rejection;
After days of distance and rejection.
وبماand by what تصندلbecame sandal-scented فيin الرباgrounds (beginning of split word)
وبما تصندل في الربا
ضgrounds (ending of split word) الخضرgreen منfrom ماءwater المدودِswelling waters
ض الخضر من ماء المدودِ
And by what grows sandal-scented in the
By the clover that grows lush
green grounds, from the swelling waters;
With rainwater in meadows,
وبنرجسand by narcissi مثلlike العيوeyes (beginning of split word)
وبنرجس مثل العيو
نeyes (ending of split word) خلالamid وردroses كالخدودlike cheeks
ن خلال ورد كالخدود
And by narcissi that resemble
And narcissus among roses
eyes amid roses like cheeks;
Like blushing cheeks.
وبماand by what علىupon المنثورstock flowers منof
وبما على المنثور من
طلdew نظيمstrung in order كالعقودlike necklaces
طل نظيم كالعقود
And by what lies upon the stock flowers:
By the fine drizzle falling
dew strung like necklaces;
Like strands of pearls,
وسحائبand by clouds صعدrose الحياrain
وسحائب صعد الحيا
فيهاwithin them لإحياءto revive الصعيدِthe earth
فيها لإحياء الصعيدِ
And by clouds—the rain has risen
And clouds that rose to bring life
within them to revive the earth;
To the barren land.
وبرعدةand by the trembling of الغدرانthe pools خوفاin fear
وبرعدة الغدران خوفا
عندat زمجرةthe roaring of الرعودِthunder
عند زمجرة الرعودِ
And by the pools' fearful trembling
By the rumbling thunder that inspires
at the roaring of thunder;
Fear at the roar of storms,
وبكلand by every ماجعةwanton chatterer علىupon
وبكل ماجعة على
عودa bough كشاديةlike a songstress بسودِin black garments
عود كشادية بسودِ
And by every wanton chatterer on
And every tuning of the lute
a bough, like a songstress in black;
That sings without musk or aloeswood.
ومدامةand by wine نفحاتهاits wafting fragrances
ومدامة نفحاتها
تغنيكmake you need nothing else عنinstead of مسكmusk وعودِand aloeswood
تغنيك عن مسك وعودِ
And by wine whose wafting fragrance
She comes veiled by Love
leaves you needing neither musk nor aloeswood;
In a cloak of splendor.
تبدوit appears وقدwhile already نظمstrung الحباbubbles (beginning of split word)
تبدو وقد نظم الحبا
بbubbles (ending of split word) لهاfor it نقاباa veil منof فريدِchoice pearls
ب لها نقابا من فريدِ
it appears, while bubbles have strung
I have fallen for the King of the World,
for it a veil of choice pearls:
Its one and only marvel.
لقدindeed اعتلقتI attached myself بمالكto the master of الدthe world (beginning of split word)
لقد اعتلقت بمالك الد
دنياworld (ending of split word) وواحدهاand its unique one الفريدِthe peerless
دنيا وواحدها الفريدِ
I have indeed attached myself to the master of the
Lord of necklaces, generous
world, its one peerless man:
With subtlety and tradition.
ملكa king قلائدnecklaces of جودهhis generosity
ملك قلائد جوده
جوالةcirculating بالطريفwith newly acquired wealth وبالتليدِand with inherited wealth
جوالة بالطريف وبالتليدِ
A king whose necklaces of bounty
Hopeful suitor, refined and elegant,
circulate with wealth both new and inherited;
Source of pure white deeds.
المطرفthe bestower of choice gifts الراجيthe one hoping for المواgifts (beginning of split word)
المطرف الراجي الموا
هبgifts (ending of split word) بالطريفwith newly acquired wealth وبالتليدِand with inherited wealth
هب بالطريف وبالتليدِ
Who enriches the one hoping for
In fierce battle as horrifying
gifts with new wealth and ancestral wealth;
As the death of al-Walid.
وموردand one who brings to drink البيضthe gleaming swords الرقاslender (beginning of split word)
ومورد البيض الرقا
قslender (ending of split word) لدىduring الوغىbattle بدمwith the blood of الوريدthe jugular vein
ق لدى الوغى بدم الوريد
And who waters the gleaming, slender swords
Of sincere conscience and courteous deeds,
in battle with blood from the jugular;
Loyal to all promises.
فيin معركa battlefield ضنكdire; constricted يشيturns gray (beginning of split word)
في معرك ضنك يشي
بturns gray (ending of split word) لهولهfrom its terror رأسthe head of الوليدِthe newborn
ب لهوله رأس الوليدِ
In a dire battlefield that turns
Quick to fulfill vows, slow to threaten.
a newborn's head gray with its terror;
God, increase his superiority
صافيpure الضميرin conscience مهذبrefined الthe (article before deeds)
صافي الضمير مهذب ال
أفعالdeeds وافfaithful بالعهودِto covenants
أفعال واف بالعهودِ
Pure of conscience, refined in
Over the excellent, from your bounty.
deeds, faithful to covenants;
Make his glory flow forever
جارproceeding علىaccording to تقديمbringing forward موhis promise (beginning of split word)
جار على تقديم مو
عدهhis promise (ending of split word) وتأخيرand postponing الوعيدthe threat
عده وتأخير الوعيد
Ever following the course of hastening his
From the most fragrant aloeswood.
promise and postponing his threat.
Vanquish all enemies with wisdom.
ياO ربLord زدهincrease him علىin eminence فليfor there is no (beginning of split word)
يا رب زده على فلي
سthere is no (ending of split word) علىbeyond نداهhis generosity منany مزيدِincrease
س على نداه من مزيدِ
O Lord, increase his eminence, for there is
Family of the unique, the gracious,
no increase beyond his generosity.
Unlike any other family.
منhe whose عودهhis stem فيin الفخرglory أكnoblest (beginning of split word)
من عوده في الفخر أك
رمnoblest (ending of split word) نبعةa nabʿ tree وأجلand most exalted عودِa bough
رم نبعة وأجل عودِ
He whose stem in glory is the
They established glory long ago
noblest nabʿ tree and the most exalted bough;
And ruled from lofty thrones.
منhe who سعثلمةunclear in the supplied text كلevery خطcrisis (beginning of split word)
من سعثلمة كل خط
بcrisis (ending of split word) عزproved formidable بالرايthrough judgment السديدِsound
ب عز بالراي السديدِ
He who [unclear wording] every crisis
They sacrificed fresh river banks
that proves formidable, through sound judgment;
And settled the hilltops.
آلthe house of الوحيدِal-Waḥīd منamong العفاseekers of gifts (beginning of split word)
آل الوحيدِ من العفا
هseekers of gifts (ending of split word) وغيرهand others besides him آلa mirage ببيدِin desert wastes
ه وغيره آل ببيدِ
The house of al-Waḥīd, amid the
My Lord Majeed al-Din,
seekers of gifts—others are a mirage in desert wastes;
You destroyed the fortress of a stubborn tyrant,
منfrom معشرِa people شادواbuilt العلىthe heights of glory
من معشرِ شادوا العلى
قدماlong ago وسادواand were lords فيin المهودِthe cradles
قدما وسادوا في المهودِ
From a people who built the heights of glory
And remained hope for the hopeful,
long ago, and were lords while still in cradles;
Refuge for the exiled fugitive,
أضحواthey became بدورfull moons of ندىbounty وجاand they bestowed (beginning of split word)
أضحوا بدور ندى وجا
دواthey bestowed (ending of split word) بالبدورfull moons علىupon الوفودvisiting delegations
دوا بالبدور على الوفود
They became full moons of bounty, and
In a state blessed with eternal
lavished full moons upon visiting delegations.
Nights of immortality.
مولايmy lord مجدMajd (glory) الدينal-Dīn (the faith) دمmay you endure (beginning of split word)
مولاي مجد الدين دم
تyou (ending of may you endure) لقسرto subdue جبارa tyrant عنيدstubborn
ت لقسر جبار عنيد
My lord Majd al-Dīn, may you endure
to subdue a stubborn tyrant;
وبقيتand may you remain أملthe hope of المؤمَّلthe one hoped for
وبقيت أمل المؤمَّل
موئلthe refuge of الجانيthe offender الطريدthe fugitive
موئل الجاني الطريد
And may you remain the hope of the one looked to,
the refuge of the fugitive offender,
فيin دولةa reign مقرونةcoupled
في دولة مقرونة
عمرfor the lifetime of اللياليthe nights بالخلودِwith eternity
عمر الليالي بالخلودِ
In a reign coupled
with eternity for the whole span of the nights.
Partial English translation: 46 of 52 Arabic lines translated.