أَعَرُوسٌis she a bride? إِكْلِيلُهَاher wreath يَعْلُوهَاrises above her
أَعَرُوسٌ إِكْلِيلُهَا يَعْلُوهَا
أَمْor هِيَshe الشَّمْسُthe sun وَالسَّنَىand radiance يَجْلُوهَاunveils her
أَمْ هِيَ الشَّمْسُ وَالسَّنَى يَجْلُوهَا
Is she a bride, her wreath crowning her,
Or is she the sun, with radiance unveiling her?
أُوتِيَتْshe was granted غَيْرَbesides حُسْنِهَاher beauty البَالِغِthat reaches الغَايَاthe utmost limits (word continues)
أُوتِيَتْ غَيْرَ حُسْنِهَا البَالِغِ الغَايَا
تِ(completes 'the utmost limits') نَفْساًa soul فِيamong الغِيدِgraceful women تَسْتَثْنِيهَاsets her apart
تِ نَفْساً فِي الغِيدِ تَسْتَثْنِيهَا
She was granted, besides her beauty that reaches perfection,
A soul that sets her apart among graceful women;
وَمِنَand from اللَّحْنِmelody فِيin أَنَامِلِهَاher fingertips آيَاwonders (word continues)
وَمِنَ اللَّحْنِ فِي أَنَامِلِهَا آيَا
ت(completes 'wonders') سِحْرٍmagic عَلَىupon النهَىminds تُجْرِيهَاshe works them
ت سِحْرٍ عَلَى النهَى تُجْرِيهَا
And, from melody in her fingertips, wonders
Of magic she works upon minds.
وَقَفَstopped الشِّعْرُpoetry عِنْدَat حَدِّthe limit of مَعَانِـqualities (word continues)
وَقَفَ الشِّعْرُ عِنْدَ حَدِّ مَعَانِـ
ـيهَاher (completes 'her qualities') وَقَدْand indeed خِيلit was imagined أَنَّهُthat it يُطْرِيهَاpraises her to excess
ـيهَا وَقَدْ خِيل أَنَّهُ يُطْرِيهَا
Poetry stopped at the bounds of her qualities,
Though it was thought to be praising her to excess.
غَنِيَتْhad no need عَنْof حِلَىadornments البَدِيعِrhetorical ornamentation القَوَافِيthe rhymes
غَنِيَتْ عَنْ حِلَى البَدِيعِ القَوَافِي
بِحُلاهَاthrough her adornments وَبَعْضُهَاand part of them يُغْنِيهَاsuffices them
بِحُلاهَا وَبَعْضُهَا يُغْنِيهَا
Rhymes had no need of rhetorical adornments,
Thanks to her own graces, some of which suffice them.
مَاwhat use? اسْتِعَارَاتُmetaphors كَاتِبٍa writer وَالَّتِيand the woman whom يُثْـhe praises (word continues)
مَا اسْتِعَارَاتُ كَاتِبٍ وَالَّتِي يُثْـ
ـنِي(completes 'he praises') عَلَيْهَاof her خِصَالُهَاher virtues تَكْفِيهَاsuffice her
ـنِي عَلَيْهَا خِصَالُهَا تَكْفِيهَا
What use are a writer's metaphors, when the woman he
Praises needs no more than her own virtues?
إِنْif أَرَدْتَyou wish التَّشْبِيهَcomparison دَعْهَاleave her aside وَشَبِّهْand compare
إِنْ أَرَدْتَ التَّشْبِيهَ دَعْهَا وَشَبِّهْ
رُبَّmany a حُسْنٍbeauty لاnot يَقْبَلُaccepts التَّشْبِيهَاcomparison
رُبَّ حُسْنٍ لا يَقْبَلُ التَّشْبِيهَا
If you seek a comparison, leave her aside and compare;
Many a beauty admits no comparison.
ذَلِكَthat الحُسْنُbeauty سَالَflowed مِنْfrom مَنْبَعِthe wellspring of الحُسْـbeauty (word continues)
ذَلِكَ الحُسْنُ سَالَ مِنْ مَنْبَعِ الحُسْـ
ـنِ(completes 'beauty') نَقِيّاًpure مُنَزَّهاًfree from blemish تَنْزِيهَاutter purification (emphatic)
ـنِ نَقِيّاً مُنَزَّهاً تَنْزِيهَا
That beauty flowed from the wellspring of beauty,
Pure and utterly free from blemish.
وَقَدِيماًand of old أَبَىrefused الأَصِيلُthe genuine مِنَof الحُسْـbeauty (word continues)
وَقَدِيماً أَبَى الأَصِيلُ مِنَ الحُسْـ
ـنِ(completes 'beauty') شَرِيكاًa partner فَنَاهَزَand so approached التَّأْلِيهَاdeification
ـنِ شَرِيكاً فَنَاهَزَ التَّأْلِيهَا
And of old, true beauty refused
A partner, and so approached deification.
Translation model: Sol 6.1