أعليتَyou raised high بينbetween النجمthe Pleiades والدّبرانِand Aldebaran
أعليتَ بين النجم والدّبرانِ
قصراًa palace بناهُbuilt it منfrom السعادةfelicity بانِa builder
قصراً بناهُ من السعادة بانِ
You raised high between the Pleiades and Aldebaran
You have raised between the stars and the Pleiades
a palace whose builder fashioned it out of felicity.
A palace built of pure joy
فَضَحَput to shame الخوَرنَقَal-Khawarnaq والسديرَand al-Sadir بحسنهwith its beauty
فَضَحَ الخوَرنَقَ والسديرَ بحسنه
وسماand rose بقمّتِهِwith its summit علىabove الإيوانِthe Iwan
وسما بقمّتِهِ على الإيوانِ
It put al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir to shame with its beauty,
Its beauty outshines Khawarnaq and Sadir
and its summit towered above the Iwan.
And its pinnacle reaches the sky
فإذاand when نَظَرْتَyou look إلىat مَرَاتبِthe ranks مُلكهof his dominion
فإذا نَظَرْتَ إلى مَرَاتبِ مُلكه
وبدتْand appeared إليكto you شواهدُthe signs البرهانِof proof
وبدتْ إليك شواهدُ البرهانِ
So when you look upon the ranks of his dominion,
When you look upon the steps of his kingdom
and the signs of proof become plain to you,
And the proof of evidence appears before you
أوْجَبْتَyou accorded للمنصورto al-Mansur سابقةَprecedence العُلىin eminence
أوْجَبْتَ للمنصور سابقةَ العُلى
وعَدلْتَand turned aside عنfrom كسرَىKhosrow أنوشروانِAnushirwan
وعَدلْتَ عن كسرَى أنوشروانِ
you grant al-Mansur precedence in eminence,
You make al-Mansur the foremost of the exalted
and turn away from Khosrow Anushirwan.
And turn away from Kisra Anushirwan
قصرٌa palace يقصِّرُfalls short وهوthough he is غيرnot مقصِّرremiss
قصرٌ يقصِّرُ وهو غير مقصِّر
عنof وصفهdescribing it فيin الحسنbeauty والإحسانِand excellence
عن وصفه في الحسن والإحسانِ
A palace—one falls short, though not remiss,
A palace that belittles all description
of describing its beauty and excellence.
Of its beauty and kindness
وكأنّهُand as though it منfrom دُرّةٍa pearl شَفّافَةٍtranslucent
وكأنّهُ من دُرّةٍ شَفّافَةٍ
تُعْشيdazzles العيونَthe eyes بشدّةwith the intensity اللمعانِof gleaming
تُعْشي العيونَ بشدّة اللمعانِ
And it is as though it were made from a translucent pearl
As if it were made of a transparent pearl
that dazzles the eyes with the intensity of its gleam.
Dazzling eyes with its radiance
لاnot يَرْتقيascends الرّاقيthe climber إلىto شرفاتِهِits battlements
لا يَرْتقي الرّاقي إلى شرفاتِهِ
إلاexcept بمعراجby a ladder منof اللحظانِgazes
إلا بمعراج من اللحظانِ
No climber ascends to its battlements
None can climb to its balconies
except by a ladder of gazes.
Except by the ladder of fascinated glances
عرّجْturn aside بأرضinto the land of الناصرّيةal-Nasiriyya كيso that تَرَىyou may see
عرّجْ بأرض الناصرّية كي تَرَى
شَرَفَthe grandeur المكانof the place وقدْرَةَand the power الإمكانِof possibility
شَرَفَ المكان وقدْرَةَ الإمكانِ
Turn aside into the land of al-Nasiriyya, that you may see
Go up to the land of al-Nasiriya so you may see
the grandeur of the place and the power of possibility,
The nobility of the place and the power of possibility
فيin جنّةٍa garden غَنّاءَlush فِرْدَوْسِيّةًparadisal
في جنّةٍ غَنّاءَ فِرْدَوْسِيّةً
محفوفةٍsurrounded بالرَّوحِby refreshment والرّيحانِand sweet basil
محفوفةٍ بالرَّوحِ والرّيحانِ
in a lush, paradisal garden,
In a melodious, paradisiacal garden
surrounded by refreshment and sweet basil.
Surrounded by spirit and sweet basil
وتوقّدتْand it blazed بالجمرwith embers منfrom نارنجهاits bitter oranges
وتوقّدتْ بالجمر من نارنجها
فكأنّماso it seemed خُلِقَتْit was created منfrom النّيرانِflames
فكأنّما خُلِقَتْ من النّيرانِ
And it blazed with the embers of its bitter oranges,
Ablaze with embers from its orange trees
as though it had been created from flames.
As if created from fire
وكأنّهنّand as though they كراتُballs تبرٍraw gold أحمرٍred
وكأنّهنّ كراتُ تبرٍ أحمرٍ
جُعِلَتْwere made صوالجهاtheir mallets منfrom القضبانِbranches
جُعِلَتْ صوالجها من القضبانِ
And they seemed balls of red gold,
As if spheres of red myrrh
their mallets fashioned from branches.
With rods made of reed-stalks
إنif فاخرboasts الأترجُّthe citron قالit says لهto it ازدجرdesist
إن فاخر الأترجُّ قال له ازدجر
حتىuntil تحوزَyou acquire طبائعthe qualities الإيمانِof faith
حتى تحوزَ طبائع الإيمانِ
If the citron boasts, it says to it, 'Desist
The boastful citron said to it, "Calm yourself
until you acquire the qualities of faith.
Until you acquire the qualities of faith!"
ليmine نفحةُthe fragrant breath المحبوبof the beloved حينwhen يَشمنيhe smells me
لي نفحةُ المحبوب حين يَشمني
طيباًin fragrance ولونُand the hue الصّبّof the lovesick lover حينwhen يَرانيhe sees me
طيباً ولونُ الصّبّ حين يَراني
Mine is the beloved's breath when he smells me,
To me is the fragrance of the beloved when he draws near,
in fragrance, and the lovesick lover's hue when he sees me.
Sweet though he be ugly in appearance
منّيof my kind المصبَّغthe dye-stained one حينwhen يبسطhe spreads كفّهhis palm
منّي المصبَّغ حين يبسط كفّه
فبنانُso the fingertips كلّof every خريدةmaiden كبنانيlike my fingertips
فبنانُ كلّ خريدة كبناني
The dye-stained one is of my kind when he spreads his palm,
From me is dyed the hand of the dyer
so every maiden's fingertips are like mine.'
When he opens his palms, for the cracks of each jar are like my cracks
والماءُand the water منهfrom it سبائكٌingots فضيّةٌsilver
والماءُ منه سبائكٌ فضيّةٌ
ذابتْmelted علىover دَرَجاتِthe steps شاذروانِof a cascade fountain
ذابتْ على دَرَجاتِ شاذروانِ
And the water from it is silver ingots
The water from it is silvery ingots
melted over the steps of a cascade fountain.
Melted on the slopes of Shadhrwan
وكأنّماand as though سيفٌa sword هناكthere مُشَطَّبٌgrooved
وكأنّما سيفٌ هناك مُشَطَّبٌ
ألقَتْهُcast it يومon the day of الحربbattle كفّthe hand of جبانِa coward
ألقَتْهُ يوم الحرب كفّ جبانِ
And it seems a grooved sword lying there,
As if there were a sword there all notched
cast aside on the day of battle by a coward's hand.
Which the hand of a coward cast away in battle
كمhow many شاخصٍa staring onlooker فيهin it يطيلُprolongs تَعَجّباًwonder
كم شاخصٍ فيه يطيلُ تَعَجّباً
منat دوحَةٍa great tree نَبَتتْgrew منfrom العقيانِpure gold
من دوحَةٍ نَبَتتْ من العقيانِ
How many a gazer there prolongs his wonder
How many stately figures in it lengthen in astonishment
at a great tree grown from pure gold!
At a picture that grew from the knotty wood
عَجَباًa marvel لهاat it تسقيit waters الرياضthe gardens ينابعاًsprings
عَجَباً لها تسقي الرياض ينابعاً
نَبَعَتْgushed منfrom الثّمَرَاتِthe fruits والأغصانِand the branches
نَبَعَتْ من الثّمَرَاتِ والأغصانِ
What a wonder: it waters the gardens with springs
Wondrously, it waters gardens with fountains
that gush from its fruits and branches.
That sprang from fruits and boughs
خصّتْit was endowed بطائرَةٍwith a bird علىon فَنَنٍa bough لهاof its own
خصّتْ بطائرَةٍ على فَنَنٍ لها
حَسُنَتْshe was beautiful فَأُفْرِدَso was set apart حُسْنُهاher beauty منfrom ثانِa peer
حَسُنَتْ فَأُفْرِدَ حُسْنُها من ثانِ
It was endowed with a bird upon one of its boughs,
It focused on a bird unlike any other
so lovely that her beauty was set apart, without a peer:
Made beautiful and singular among all others
قُسّQuss الطيورِof the birds الخاشعاتِreverent بلاغةًin eloquence
قُسّ الطيورِ الخاشعاتِ بلاغةً
وفصاحةًand fluency منof منطقٍspeech وبيانِand expression
وفصاحةً من منطقٍ وبيانِ
the Quss of reverent birds in eloquence,
Surpassing the bashful birds in eloquence
and fluency of speech and expression.
And clarity of speech and expression
فإذاand when أُتيحَis granted لهاto her الكلامُspeech تَكَلّمَتْshe speaks
فإذا أُتيحَ لها الكلامُ تَكَلّمَتْ
بخريرِwith the murmur of ماءٍwater دائمِunceasing الهملانِflow
بخريرِ ماءٍ دائمِ الهملانِ
And when speech is granted her, she speaks
If it were given leave to speak it would discourse
with the murmur of water flowing without cease.
With the murmur of water flowing steadily
وكأنّand as though صانِعَهاher maker استبدّstood alone بصنعةٍin a craft
وكأنّ صانِعَها استبدّ بصنعةٍ
فخرَboasted الجمادُthe inanimate بهاthrough it علىover الحيوانِthe living
فخرَ الجمادُ بها على الحيوانِ
And it is as though her maker stood alone in a craft
As if its maker monopolized the art
through which the inanimate boasts over the living.
And inanimate matter prided itself over the animal
أوْفتْshe overlooked علىover حوْضٍa basin لهاof her own فكأنّهاso she seems
أوْفتْ على حوْضٍ لها فكأنّها
منهاfrom it إلىtoward العَجَبِthe marvel العُجابِmost wondrous روانيgazing
منها إلى العَجَبِ العُجابِ رواني
She overlooks a basin of her own, as though
It overlooks a basin, as if
gazing from it toward a marvel beyond all marvels.
It and the basin's marvel reflect each other
فكأنّهاso she seems ظَنّتْshe thought حلاوةَthe sweetness مائهاof her water
فكأنّها ظَنّتْ حلاوةَ مائها
شهداًhoney فذاقتْهُso she tasted it بكلّwith every لسانِtongue
شهداً فذاقتْهُ بكلّ لسانِ
She seems to have thought the sweetness of her water
As if it thought the sweetness of its water to be
was honey, so she tasted it with every tongue.
Honey, and so tasted it with every tongue
وزرافةٍand a water-spout فيin الجوفِthe hollow منof أنبوبهاits tube
وزرافةٍ في الجوفِ من أنبوبها
ماءٌwater يريكَshows you الجريrunning فيin الطيرانِflight
ماءٌ يريكَ الجري في الطيرانِ
And a water-spout, within the hollow of whose tube
In its interior is a pipe through which water
is water that shows you running in flight,
Shows you the flow in flight
مركوزةset upright كالرمحlike a spear حيثُwhere ترىyou see لهin it
مركوزة كالرمح حيثُ ترى له
منfrom طعنهits thrust الحلقthe throat انعطافthe bending سنانِof a spearhead
من طعنه الحلق انعطاف سنانِ
set upright like a spear, in which you see
Poised like a spear where you see it has
the bend of a spearhead after its thrust into the throat.
For its piercing of the throat a curving point
وكأنّهاand as though it ترْميpelts السماءthe sky ببندقwith pellets
وكأنّها ترْمي السماء ببندق
مستنبطٍdrawn منfrom لؤلؤpearls وجمانِand pearl-beads
مستنبطٍ من لؤلؤ وجمانِ
And it seems to pelt the sky with pellets
As if it casts the sky with a pellet gun
drawn from pearls and pearl-beads.
Derived from pearl and ore
لوif عادbecame ذاكthat الماءُwater نفطاًnaphtha أحرقتit would burn
لو عاد ذاك الماءُ نفطاً أحرقت
فيin الجوّthe air منهfrom it قميصَthe shirt of كلّevery عنانِcloud
في الجوّ منه قميصَ كلّ عنانِ
If that water became naphtha, the spout would burn
If that water turned to naphtha it would set aflame
with it the shirt of every cloud in the air.
The shirt of every obstinate one in the air
فيin بركةٍa pool قامتْstood علىon حافاتهاits edges
في بركةٍ قامتْ على حافاتها
أُسْدٌlions تذلُّsubmit لعزّةto the might of السلطانِthe sultan
أُسْدٌ تذلُّ لعزّة السلطانِ
In a pool, upon whose edges stand
In a pool set on its banks
lions that submit to the sultan's might.
Crouch lions, humble before the Sultan's might
نزَعتْinclined إلىtoward ظلمwronging النفوسsouls نفوسهاtheir souls
نزَعتْ إلى ظلم النفوس نفوسها
فلذلكso for that reason انتزعتْwere torn out منfrom الأبدانِthe bodies
فلذلك انتزعتْ من الأبدانِ
Their souls inclined toward wronging other souls,
They have turned their souls to oppressing souls
and so were torn from their bodies.
And so have been severed from their bodies
وكأنّand as though بَرْدَthe coldness الماءِof the water منهاfrom them مُطفئٌquenching
وكأنّ بَرْدَ الماءِ منها مُطفئٌ
ناراًa fire مُضَرَّمَةًkindled منby العدوانِaggression
ناراً مُضَرَّمَةً من العدوانِ
And it is as though the coldness of the water from them were quenching
As if the pool's coolness quenches
a fire kindled by aggression.
The glowing embers of aggression
وكأنّماand as though الحيّاتsnakes منfrom أفواههاtheir mouths
وكأنّما الحيّات من أفواهها
يَطرَحنَthey cast أَنفُسَهنthemselves فيinto الغدرانِthe pools
يَطرَحنَ أَنفُسَهن في الغدرانِ
And it is as though snakes from their mouths
As if snakes do not dread it
were casting themselves into the pools.
And so received a pact of security from al-Mansur
وكأنّماand as though الحيتانthe fish إذsince لمdid not تخشهاfear them
وكأنّما الحيتان إذ لم تخشها
أخذتhad received منfrom المنصورal-Mansur عقدa pledge of أمانِsafety
أخذت من المنصور عقد أمانِ
And it is as though the fish, since they did not fear them,
How many gatherings where happiness races
had received from al-Mansur a pledge of safety.
Against the steeds of joy in the racecourse
كمhow many مجلسٍa hall يجريruns السرورjoy مسابقاًracing
كم مجلسٍ يجري السرور مسابقاً
منهfrom it خيولَthe steeds of اللهوpleasure فيin ميدانِan arena
منه خيولَ اللهو في ميدانِ
How many a hall where joy runs, racing
Their blood rising to their cheeks saltily
from it against the steeds of pleasure in an arena!
As if it were the prayer niche of a scabbard
يجلوreveals دماهُits figures علىupon الخدودthe cheeks ملاحةًloveliness
يجلو دماهُ على الخدود ملاحةً
فكأنّهُso it seems المحرابthe lofty chamber منof غمدانِGhumdan
فكأنّهُ المحراب من غمدانِ
It reveals its figures, with loveliness upon their cheeks,
So its ceiling in its loftiness is celestial
as though it were the lofty chamber of Ghumdan.
And its domes stellar in architecture
فسماؤهso its sky فيin سمكهاits height علويَّةٌheavenly
فسماؤه في سمكها علويَّةٌ
وقبابهand its domes فَلَكِيّةُlike celestial spheres البنيانِin construction
وقبابه فَلَكِيّةُ البنيانِ
So its sky is heavenly in its height,
and its domes are built like the celestial spheres.
Partial English translation: 70 of 72 Arabic lines translated.