أَبدرٌis it a full moon? لاحَappeared مِنfrom خلفِbehind الستارِthe curtain
أَبدرٌ لاحَ مِن خلفِ الستارِ
لَناto us أَمor ذاكَthat وجهٌa face منof نوارِNawār
لَنا أَم ذاكَ وجهٌ من نوارِ
Has a full moon appeared from behind the curtain
A full moon peered from behind the veil
to us, or is that Nawār's face?
Was it meant for us or a face of light?
نَعَمyes بَلrather ذاكَthat وجهٌa face منof نوارNawār
نَعَم بَل ذاكَ وجهٌ من نوار
بهِin it ماءُthe moisture of الحياmodesty والحسنand beauty جارِflowing
بهِ ماءُ الحيا والحسن جارِ
Yes, rather, that is Nawār's face,
Yes, it was a face of light
where the dew of modesty and beauty flows.
With it came the water of life and beauty overflowed
مُخطّفةslender الحشاof waist غيداءgracefully supple كادتalmost
مُخطّفة الحشا غيداء كادت
سَواعِدُهاher forearms تضيقُstrain علىagainst السوارِthe bracelet
سَواعِدُها تضيقُ على السوارِ
Slender-waisted and graceful—almost
Snatcher of hearts, almost
too full are her forearms for the bracelet.
Her wrists too slender for her bracelets
تُحاكيshe resembles الفضةsilver البيضاءwhite لَوناًin color
تُحاكي الفضة البيضاء لَوناً
إِذاwhen اِجتليتit is polished وَشيبتand mingled بالنضارِwith pure gold
إِذا اِجتليت وَشيبت بالنضارِ
She resembles white silver in hue,
Rivaling white silver in complexion
when polished and mingled with pure gold.
When it shines and is adorned with youth
وَماand never سَفرتshe unveiled لناto us بالخدِّher cheek إلّاwithout
وَما سَفرت لنا بالخدِّ إلّا
تَجلّىit shone forth مشرقاًradiant بالجلّنارِwith pomegranate blossom
تَجلّى مشرقاً بالجلّنارِ
And she never unveiled her cheek to us without
Her cheeks unveiled naught for us
its shining bright with pomegranate blossom.
But radiance in all its splendor
إِذاwhen لاحظتهاyou glance at her اِصفرّتshe turns pale خدوداًin her cheeks
إِذا لاحظتها اِصفرّت خدوداً
فَيَغشاهاso it veils her اِصفرارٌpallor فيamid اِحمرارِredness
فَيَغشاها اِصفرارٌ في اِحمرارِ
When you glance at her, her cheeks grow pale,
When glanced upon, her cheeks blushed
and pallor veils her amid redness.
Covered in a yellowish red glow
كَأنّas though مجاجthe outflow of ريقَتهاher saliva زلالٌclear, cool water
كَأنّ مجاج ريقَتها زلالٌ
يُخالطهُmingles with it مزاجٌan admixture منof عقارِwine
يُخالطهُ مزاجٌ من عقارِ
As though the drops of her saliva were limpid water,
As if the saliva in her mouth was pure extract
mingled with an admixture of wine.
Mixed with a potion made from perfume
غزالٌa gazelle إِنif رَعىit grazes يرعىit feeds on قلوبhearts of الthe… (split word)
غزالٌ إِن رَعى يرعى قلوب ال
وَرىhumankind لاnot يرتعيdoes it graze on زهرَblossoms of العرارِʿarār (fragrant wildflowers)
وَرى لا يرتعي زهرَ العرارِ
A gazelle that, when grazing, feeds on the hearts of
A gazelle, if it grazes, grazes hearts
humankind, not on ʿarār blossoms.
And sees nothing but flowers in bloom
وَشمسٌand a sun قَدindeed تجلّتshone forth بالبهاin splendor ماnot
وَشمسٌ قَد تجلّت بالبها ما
لَهاfor her غيرother than الهوادجِthe camel litters منany مدارِorbit
لَها غير الهوادجِ من مدارِ
And a sun revealed in splendor, with no
A sun unveiled in beauty without parallel
orbit but the camel litters.
Nothing circles it but comets in orbit
تُريكَshe shows you بِوجهِهاwith her face وَالفرعand the hair منهاof hers
تُريكَ بِوجهِها وَالفرع منها
دجىًnight-darkness مِنfrom تحتهِbeneath it شمسthe sun of النهارِday
دجىً مِن تحتهِ شمس النهارِ
She shows you, with her face and her hair,
Her face and its branches show you
night-darkness, beneath which lies the sun of day.
A moonlit night underneath the daylight sun
حَلفتI swore لَهاto her بِماby what فيwithin مُقلَتيهاher two eyes
حَلفت لَها بِما في مُقلَتيها
تَناهىreached its utmost مِنof فتورٍlanguor واِحوِرارِand dark irises against bright whites
تَناهى مِن فتورٍ واِحوِرارِ
I swore to her by all that her eyes held
I swore by what’s in her eyelashes
of consummate languor and vivid contrast of black and white,
An end to languor and fervor
وَماand what فيwithin الوشحِthe ornamental sashes مِنof خصرٍa waist هضيمٍslender
وَما في الوشحِ مِن خصرٍ هضيمٍ
وَمنand of دعصٍa sand dune تَرَجرجquivered فيwithin الإزارِthe waist-wrap
وَمن دعصٍ تَرَجرج في الإزارِ
and by the slender waist beneath her sashes,
By her petite cinched waist
and the sand dune swaying within her wrap—
And the swaying of her wrapped gown
لأنّيfor I ياO مخطّفةslender الحشاof waist فيin
لأنّي يا مخطّفة الحشا في
هواكِlove for you لبايعٌsurely a seller أبداًforever وشارِand a buyer
هواكِ لبايعٌ أبداً وشارِ
for I, O slender-waisted one, in
For you, snatcher of hearts, I
your love am forever a seller and a buyer.
Will forever be a loyal companion
وَلاand never بَرِحتbecame vacant ديارٌdwellings منكof you إلّاwithout
وَلا بَرِحت ديارٌ منك إلّا
وليwhile I have قلبٌa heart يحنُّthat yearns إِلىfor الديارِthe dwellings
ولي قلبٌ يحنُّ إِلى الديارِ
And no dwellings have been bereft of you without
No abode of yours I left
my heart yearning for those dwellings.
Without a heart yearning for home
وَكيفَand how يكونُcould there be سلوانيmy solace وصبريand my patience
وَكيفَ يكونُ سلواني وصبري
وَقَلبيwhile my heart مِنthrough ودادكlove for you فيin إسارِcaptivity
وَقَلبي مِن ودادك في إسارِ
How could solace and patience be mine,
How can I be solaced and patient
when my heart is captive to love for you?
When my heart is imprisoned by my love for you
أَمدّلجO night-traveler القفارِthe wastes بكلِّon every حرفٍlean, hardy she-camel
أَمدّلج القفارِ بكلِّ حرفٍ
تَجوبُshe traverses بذرعهاwith her stride فسحopen expanses of القفارِthe deserts
تَجوبُ بذرعها فسح القفارِ
O night-traveler through the wastes on every lean she-camel,
I wander the bare desert with every letter
that spans the desert's open spaces with her stride,
That travels its vast expanse
مَتىwhen تقدمyou reach مقنياتMaqniyāt فعرّجthen turn aside
مَتى تقدم مقنيات فعرّج
إِلىtoward وجهِthe face of الفتىthe youth الزاكيthe virtuous عرارِʿArār
إِلى وجهِ الفتى الزاكي عرارِ
when you reach Maqniyāt, turn aside
When will you lead me to the noble man
toward the face of the virtuous youth ʿArār,
To the sea of generosity and the sun of glory
إِلىto بحرِthe sea of النداgenerosity جمّabundant in العطاياgifts
إِلى بحرِ الندا جمّ العطايا
إِلىto شمسِthe sun of العلاeminence تاجthe crown of الفخارِglory
إِلى شمسِ العلا تاج الفخارِ
to the sea of generosity, abundant in gifts,
A steadfast horse when its hooves intend
to the sun of eminence, the crown of glory.
To help the bearing clouds water the land
جوادa generous man إِنif هَمتpour forth كفّاهhis two palms أَزرتthey put to shame
جواد إِن هَمت كفّاه أَزرت
بِديمةa steady rainfall واكفpouring السحبthe clouds الدرارِcopiously raining
بِديمة واكف السحب الدرارِ
A generous man: when his palms pour forth, they shame
I take pride in being clothed by praise
the steady rainfall of copiously pouring clouds.
And feel shame being clothed by shame
أَريبastute مِنin لباسِthe garment of الحمدpraise كاسٍclothed
أَريب مِن لباسِ الحمد كاسٍ
حسيبnoble-born منof لباسِthe garment of العارِshame عارِbare
حسيب من لباسِ العارِ عارِ
Astute, clothed in the garment of praise;
He succeeded the generous Haatim
noble-born, bare of the garment of shame.
And excelled over Qais ibn Qasim in dignity
يعقِّبُhe follows حاتماًḤātim كرماًin generosity ويعلوand rises
يعقِّبُ حاتماً كرماً ويعلو
عَلىabove قيسQays بنson of قاسمQāsim بالوقارِin dignity
عَلى قيس بن قاسم بالوقارِ
He follows Ḥātim in generosity and rises
His palms oozing pure honey
above Qays ibn Qāsim in dignity.
Sweetened with the finest nectar
يُديرُhe dispenses أكفّهhis palms سُمَّاًpoison نقيعpotent
يُديرُ أكفّه سُمَّاً نقيع
يُمازجhe mingles منهُsome of it بالشهدِwith honey المشارِharvested
يُمازج منهُ بالشهدِ المشارِ
He dispenses from his palms a potent poison,
Like the star cluster dissipating what it owns
mingling some of it with harvested honey.
Of water and fire to the lands
كَمثلِlike المزنِthe rain clouds يرسلُhe sends forth ماwhat لديهِhe has
كَمثلِ المزنِ يرسلُ ما لديهِ
إِلىto الأرضينthe lands منof ماءٍwater ونارِand fire
إِلى الأرضين من ماءٍ ونارِ
Like rain clouds, he sends forth what he has
You noble farmer, how many rough seas have calmed
to the lands: water and fire.
By your generosity, immeasurable by oceans
أَنجلO son of فلاحFallāḥ كمhow many منof لجّdepth of بحرٍa sea
أَنجل فلاح كم من لجّ بحرٍ
لِجودكof your bounty لاnot يقاسُis compared إلىwith بحارِseas
لِجودك لا يقاسُ إلى بحارِ
O son of Fallāḥ, how many an ocean-depth
Without you, I would not have cut through
your bounty holds, beyond comparison with seas!
Distress in my soul or difficulties
فَلَولاكand were it not for you الغداةthis morning لماwould not have قطعتI crossed السthe… (split word)
فَلَولاك الغداة لما قطعت الس
سباسبَdesert plains فيin رواحيmy evening journeys أوor أبكارِearly mornings
سباسبَ في رواحي أو أبكارِ
But for you this morning, I would not have crossed the
I roam in the darkness of morning and night
desert plains in my evening journeys or at dawn.
As mirages entice me with fleeting visions
أَجوبُI traverse المجهلاتthe trackless wastes ضحىًin the forenoon وسحراًand before dawn
أَجوبُ المجهلات ضحىً وسحراً
تلوّحنيscorch me بهاin them هوجfierce gusts of الدوارِwhirling winds
تلوّحني بها هوج الدوارِ
I traverse trackless wastes by forenoon and before dawn,
You are the noblest of angels
where raging whirlwinds scorch me.
When the righteous trace their descent to the righteous
فَإنّكfor you indeed are أشرفُthe noblest of الأملاكِkings جدّاًin ancestry
فَإنّك أشرفُ الأملاكِ جدّاً
إِذاwhen اِنتسبَtrace descent الخيارthe finest إلىfrom الخيارِthe finest
إِذا اِنتسبَ الخيار إلى الخيارِ
For you are the noblest of kings in ancestry,
Your suns never cease to shine
when the finest trace descent from the finest.
And your full moon never wanes
وَلاand may never زالَتcease to be شموسكَyour suns مشرقاتٍradiant
وَلا زالَت شموسكَ مشرقاتٍ
وَبدركand your full moon ليسَdoes not يدخلenter فيinto سرارِthe moon's dark phase
وَبدرك ليسَ يدخل في سرارِ
And may your suns remain forever radiant,
and may your full moon never enter its dark phase.
Partial English translation: 54 of 56 Arabic lines translated.