حَيَّتْshe greeted فَأَحْيَتْand so revived بِطيبِwith the sweetness of رَيّاهَاher fragrance
حَيَّتْ فَأَحْيَتْ بِطيبِ رَيّاهَا
هَيْفاءُslender-waisted ظَمْأَىthirsty الشِّفاهِthe lips رَيّاهاtheir moist fullness
هَيْفاءُ ظَمْأَى الشِّفاهِ رَيّاها
She greeted me and revived me with her sweet fragrance,
She came to life, and with her gentle breeze revived me,
A slender-waisted beauty, her lips thirsty yet full and moist.
Quenching with her sweet lips my thirsty soul.
بيْضاءُfair-skinned إِنْif سُمِّيَتْwere named جَوارِحُهاher wounding eyes
بيْضاءُ إِنْ سُمِّيَتْ جَوارِحُها
لَوَاحِظاًsidelong glances وَافَقَتْaccorded with مُسَمّاهاwhat their name denotes
لَوَاحِظاً وَافَقَتْ مُسَمّاها
Fair-skinned—if her wounding eyes are called
Her fair complexion, were it named, would rightly be called,
'Sidelong glances,' the name fits what it names.
By one who knew her, narcissus in full bloom.
أَحيَتْrevived لَيالِيthe nights of وِصالِهَاunion with her دَنفاًa lovesick man
أَحيَتْ لَيالِي وِصالِهَا دَنفاً
وَكَمْand how many لَيالٍnights بِالهَجْرِin estrangement أَحْياهاhe kept vigil through them
وَكَمْ لَيالٍ بِالهَجْرِ أَحْياها
Nights of union with her revived a lovesick man,
She revived the nights of union with her soft voice,
And how many nights he spent awake in estrangement!
And how many nights of separation has she lamented!
رُمَّانَتاthe two pomegranates of صَدْرِهاher bosom تَدُلُّpoint عَلىto
رُمَّانَتا صَدْرِها تَدُلُّ عَلى
أَنَّthat جَنَىthe harvest of الجُلَّنارِpomegranate blossom خَدّاهاher two cheeks
أَنَّ جَنَى الجُلَّنارِ خَدّاها
The two pomegranates of her bosom attest
Her breasts like pomegranates reveal
That her cheeks are the harvest of pomegranate blossom.
That the fruits of the pomegranate tree adorn her cheeks.
أَلْثُمُI kiss مِنfrom خَدِّهاher cheek بَنَفْسَجَةًa violet
أَلْثُمُ مِن خَدِّها بَنَفْسَجَةً
وَنَرْجِساًand a narcissus فَتَّحَتْهُbrought it to bloom عَيْناهاher two eyes
وَنَرْجِساً فَتَّحَتْهُ عَيْناها
I kiss a violet on her cheek,
I kiss her cheek and find violets
And a narcissus her eyes have opened into bloom.
And narcissi which her eyes have opened.
رِيمَةُa gazelle الإلْتِفاتِthe turning نافِرَةٌskittish
رِيمَةُ الإلْتِفاتِ نافِرَةٌ
بالَغَwent to extremes فِيin الإحتِراسِvigilance جَفْناهاher two eyelids
بالَغَ فِي الإحتِراسِ جَفْناها
A skittish gazelle when she turns,
With a coy glance she turns away,
Her eyelids have gone to extremes in vigilance.
Her eyelids extremely prudent in self-protection.
باهَتْvied in splendor with وِشاحاًa sash لَهاof hers مَعاطِفُهاher curves
باهَتْ وِشاحاً لَها مَعاطِفُها
وَجانَسَتْand matched عِقْدَهاher necklace ثَناياهاher front teeth
وَجانَسَتْ عِقْدَها ثَناياها
Her curves vied in splendor with her sash,
Her cheeks turned pale, her veil covering them,
And her front teeth matched her necklace.
Her plaited hair matched by her folds.
وَاحَرَّoh, the burning of قَلْباهُmy heart! مِنْat تَجاهُلِهاher ignoring of
وَاحَرَّ قَلْباهُ مِنْ تَجاهُلِها
إشارَةَthe signal of الدَّمْعِtears وَهْيَthough she مَعْناهاits meaning
إشارَةَ الدَّمْعِ وَهْيَ مَعْناها
Oh, how my heart burns at her ignoring
And it burned his heart how she ignored him,
The tears' signal, though she is what it means.
The tears' gesture and their meaning to her.
وَلَسْتُand I am not يَوْماًever بِالذَّنْبِwith wrongdoing أُلْزِمُهاcharging her
وَلَسْتُ يَوْماً بِالذَّنْبِ أُلْزِمُها
فَإنَّfor indeed طَبْعَthe nature of الزَّمانِtime أَعْداهاinfected her
فَإنَّ طَبْعَ الزَّمانِ أَعْداها
And never do I charge her with wrongdoing,
And never will I blame her for sin,
For the nature of time has infected her.
For the nature of Time has turned against her.
واهاًalas لِنَفْسٍfor a soul مِنْهاbecause of her وَمِنْهُand because of it غَدَتْbecame
واهاً لِنَفْسٍ مِنْها وَمِنْهُ غَدَتْ
سَقِيمَةًsick لاَnot تُطِيقُcan bear بَلْواهاits affliction
سَقِيمَةً لاَ تُطِيقُ بَلْواها
Alas for a soul that, through her and time, has grown
Woe to the soul that found sickness in her and him
Sick, unable to bear its affliction.
And cannot bear its agony.
أَتَتْit came لِعَبْدِto Abd (servant of) الرَّحِيمِal-Rahim (the Merciful) قاصِدَةًseeking
أَتَتْ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ قاصِدَةً
عَساهُperhaps he might يُشْكِيrelieve أَلِيمَthe pain of شَكْواهاits complaint
عَساهُ يُشْكِي أَلِيمَ شَكْواها
It came seeking Abd al-Rahim,
She came to the Merciful Servant in search, perhaps,
Hoping he might relieve the pain of its complaint.
He may relieve the pain of her anguished plea.
كَعْبَةٌa Kaaba جُوْدٍgenerosity وَكَفُّهاand its palm حَجَرٌa stone
كَعْبَةٌ جُوْدٍ وَكَفُّها حَجَرٌ
يَهْمِيrains down نَداهاits bounty إِذْاwhen اسْتَلَمْناهاwe touch it
يَهْمِي نَداها إِذْا اسْتَلَمْناها
A Kaaba of generosity, its palm a stone;
She is a Kaaba of generosity, her palm a stone
Its bounty rains down when we touch it.
Which we hasten to kiss when she presents it.
جِئْناwe came إلَيْهاto it بِشِقٍّwith great strain on أَنْفُسِناour souls
جِئْنا إلَيْها بِشِقٍّ أَنْفُسِنا
مِنْfrom ثِقْلِthe weight of أَيْدٍfavors لَهاbelonging to it حَملْناهاwe bore them
مِنْ ثِقْلِ أَيْدٍ لَها حَملْناها
We came to it with great strain on our souls,
We came to her, though it split our souls
From the weight of its favors we had borne.
To bear the weight of her many burdens.
لَهاit has أَيادٍfavors تَتابَعَتْfollowed one another فَأتَىand so came
لَها أَيادٍ تَتابَعَتْ فَأتَى
مُعادُهاtheir renewal لاَحِقاًfollowing closely بِمَبْداهاupon their beginning
مُعادُها لاَحِقاً بِمَبْداها
Its favors followed one another, and so came
She has hands that followed in succession, so
Their renewal, close on the heels of their beginning.
Their appointed time duly reached their origin.
كَمْhow many مِنَنٍfavors لِلْعُفاةِto supplicants أَسْداهاhe bestowed them
كَمْ مِنَنٍ لِلْعُفاةِ أَسْداها
وَكَمْand how many أَعادٍenemies بِالْعَدْلِwith justice أَرْداهاhe struck them down
وَكَمْ أَعادٍ بِالْعَدْلِ أَرْداها
How many favors he bestowed on supplicants,
How much favour she has shown the weak!
And how many enemies he struck down with justice!
How much justice returned through her fair rule!
حَمَىhe protected حِمَىthe sanctuary of المِلَّةِthe faith الْحَنِيفَةِthe upright مِنْfrom
حَمَى حِمَى المِلَّةِ الْحَنِيفَةِ مِنْ
كَتائِبٍbattalions فِيin الكِتابِwriting أَمْلاَهاhe dictated them
كَتائِبٍ فِي الكِتابِ أَمْلاَها
He guarded the sanctuary of the upright faith from
She protected the sanctuary of the pure Hanif creed
Battalions he dictated in writing.
From the regiments the Book has described.
فَاسْتَوْطَنَتْso settled فِيin الغُمودِthe sheaths أَنْصُلُهاtheir blades
فَاسْتَوْطَنَتْ فِي الغُمودِ أَنْصُلُها
وَلَمْand did not تَثُرْflare up بَعْدُthereafter نارُthe fire of هَيجْاهاtheir battle
وَلَمْ تَثُرْ بَعْدُ نارُ هَيجْاها
So their blades settled within their sheaths,
She settled in the clouds, her origin obscured,
And the fire of their battle has not flared since.
And after that her fire was not provoked.
جَادَتْgave freely يَداهُhis two hands بِالمَالِwith wealth فَافْتَخَرَتْand so boasted
جَادَتْ يَداهُ بِالمَالِ فَافْتَخَرَتْ
عَلىover سَحابٍclouds يَجُودُgive freely أَمْواهاwaters
عَلى سَحابٍ يَجُودُ أَمْواها
His hands gave wealth freely, and boasted
Her hands were generous with wealth, and she took pride
Over clouds that give water.
Above a raincloud pouring its water.
لَوْif كانَthere were لِلْمَجْدِfor glory غَاَيٌةa limit وَنَدىًand generosity
لَوْ كانَ لِلْمَجْدِ غَاَيٌة وَنَدىً
عَنِbeyond الّذِيwhat حُزْتَyou attained ماnot تَعَدّاهاit would exceed it
عَنِ الّذِي حُزْتَ ما تَعَدّاها
If glory and generosity had a limit,
If glory had a limit or epitome,
It would not extend beyond what you have attained.
You would not have surpassed it!
أَأَشْتَكِيshall I complain of الفَقْرَpoverty وَالْخُمُولَand obscurity وَإنَّwhen indeed
أَأَشْتَكِي الفَقْرَ وَالْخُمُولَ وَإنَّ
مِنْamong عَطاياكَyour gifts المَالَwealth وَالْجَاهاand rank
مِنْ عَطاياكَ المَالَ وَالْجَاها
Shall I complain of poverty and obscurity, when
Shall I complain of poverty and disfavour when
Wealth and rank are among your gifts?
From your gifts come wealth and rank?
إنْif قَلَّis small حَظَّيmy share فَحُسْنُthen the goodness of رَأْيِكَyour regard لِيfor me
إنْ قَلَّ حَظَّي فَحُسْنُ رَأْيِكَ لِي
ذَخِيرَةٌa treasure لاَnot عَدِمْتُmay I lack حُسْناهاits goodness
ذَخِيرَةٌ لاَ عَدِمْتُ حُسْناها
If my share is small, your kind regard for me
If my share is small, your good opinion of me
Is a treasure—may I never lack its goodness.
Is a treasure house, never devoid of its beauty.