يا حُسْنها طويثرهْ

يا حُسْنها طويثرهْ

بروضةٍ منوَّرَهْ

بروضةٍ منوَّرَهْ

How lovely she is, Tuwaythira,

Her beauty is like a bright garden,

in a flowering garden!

Its days are shaded as if starlit nights.

أيَّامُها من الظِلا

أيَّامُها من الظِلا

لِ كالليالي المقمرهْ

لِ كالليالي المقمرهْ

Its days, because of the shade,

Its branches embrace gently framed,

are like moonlit nights.

On the banks of a murmuring brook.

تعانقتْ غصونُها

تعانقتْ غصونُها

ميلسةً مؤطَّرهْ

ميلسةً مؤطَّرهْ

Its branches embrace,

Appearing then hiding

smooth and framed,

Like a drowsy phantom.

عَلَى ضفافِ جدولٍ

عَلَى ضفافِ جدولٍ

مياهُهُ مثرثره

مياهُهُ مثرثره

along the banks of a brook

Adorned as if for her wedding day

whose waters chatter.

In a gown of dark purple,

تلوحُ ثم تختفي

تلوحُ ثم تختفي

كغادةٍ مخدّره

كغادةٍ مخدّره

She appears, then hides,

A necklace of unique pearls on her neck,

like a secluded maiden.

Her chest shimmering with varied hues.

تزيَّنتْ كأَنها

تزيَّنتْ كأَنها

لعرسِها مغندره

لعرسِها مغندره

She has adorned herself, as though

You’d think her rays

dressed up for her wedding,

Were from a cloudless sky.

ببرنسٍ أَدكن فو

ببرنسٍ أَدكن فو

قَ حُلَّةٍ مزعفره

قَ حُلَّةٍ مزعفره

in a dark hooded cloak, over

Her beak and eyes are ruby and jewel,

a saffron-dyed robe.

Her palms are dyed and legs brisk.

في جيدِها قلادةٌ

في جيدِها قلادةٌ

من الفريدِ مزهره

من الفريدِ مزهره

Around her neck is a necklace

She turned startled and scared

of choice pearls, radiant.

To the left and right, up and down.

وَصدرُها براقشٌ

وَصدرُها براقشٌ

تَلَوَّنَتْ مغيَّره

تَلَوَّنَتْ مغيَّره

And her breast is a patchwork of colors,

She blinked like embers that glowed,

variegated and changing.

And shuddered as if to spread her wings.

تظنها أَشعةً

تظنها أَشعةً

من الغمامِ مُسفره

من الغمامِ مُسفره

You would take her for rays of light

She fluttered her tail to spread it

shining out from the clouds.

And shook her head as if denying.

منقارُها وعينُها

منقارُها وعينُها

عقيقةٌ وجوهره

عقيقةٌ وجوهره

Her beak and her eye:

Sometimes scattering,

an agate and a jewel.

Sometimes yellowing,

وكفُّها خضيبةٌ

وكفُّها خضيبةٌ

وساقُها مشمَّره

وساقُها مشمَّره

And her palm is henna-stained,

Her wings fluttered

and her leg is bared.

Like flaming sparks

تَلَفَّتَتْ مريبة

تَلَفَّتَتْ مريبة

مذعورةً منفَّره

مذعورةً منفَّره

She looked about, suspicious,

Or embers swirling

terrified and scared away,

In a fiery storm.

إلى علٍ وأَسفلٍ

إلى علٍ وأَسفلٍ

ويمنةٍ وميسره

ويمنةٍ وميسره

upward and downward,

Like a spinning wheel,

to right and to left.

Diving and rising,

وأَومضتْ بلمحَةٍ

وأَومضتْ بلمحَةٍ

تأَلقتْ كالشرره

تأَلقتْ كالشرره

And she flashed in an instant,

Turning and twisting.

glittering like a spark.

As if they bore spite at each other,

وانتفضتْ كأَنما

وانتفضتْ كأَنما

قدْ بلّلتها لتنشره

قدْ بلّلتها لتنشره

And she shook herself, as though

Gliding then rising

you had wetted her to spread it out.

Like a confused feather.

وذبذبتْ بذيلها

وذبذبتْ بذيلها

تضمّهُ لتنشره

تضمّهُ لتنشره

And she flicked her tail,

When aloft you’d think her

drawing it in to spread it out.

A fluttering butterfly,

وأَنفضتْ برأْسها

وأَنفضتْ برأْسها

كأنها مكفره

كأنها مكفره

And she shook her head,

And when falling she’d tumble

as though bowing in homage.

Like a shooting star.

فتارة منفِّره

فتارة منفِّره

وتارة مصفَّره

وتارة مصفَّره

At times she drives others away,

She opened a mouth like a rose bud

and at times she is yellow-hued.

Full of fragrant dew,

ورفرفتْ جناحَها

ورفرفتْ جناحَها

كلهبةِ مُسعَّره

كلهبةِ مُسعَّره

And she fluttered her wing

Two of its petals just opened,

like a fiercely kindled flame,

Her guts writhing as if giggling.

أَو شررٌ يثورُ في

أَو شررٌ يثورُ في

عاصفةٍ من مجمره

عاصفةٍ من مجمره

or sparks rising in

She repeated her song

a whirlwind from a brazier.

Only to falter,

ومن هنا وههنا

ومن هنا وههنا

تدورُ دورَ البكره

تدورُ دورَ البكره

And from here and there

Just when extending the tune,

she spins like a pulley-wheel:

It stopped short.

فكرَّةٌ وفرَّةٌ

فكرَّةٌ وفرَّةٌ

وعطفة وقهقره

وعطفة وقهقره

a charge, then a flight,

Her wings fluttering

a turn, then a backward retreat,

Like a water-lily.

حتى كأنَّ بعضَها

حتى كأنَّ بعضَها

له عَلَى بَعْضٍ تِرَه

له عَلَى بَعْضٍ تِرَه

until it seems that one part of her

Marvel at her artistry,

bears a grudge against another.

Trilling with perfect pitch.

تسفُّ ثم ترتقي

تسفُّ ثم ترتقي

كريشةٍ محيَّره

كريشةٍ محيَّره

She skims low, then rises,

If her describer falls short

like a bewildered feather.

In describing her, he is excused.

إِذا عَلَتْ ظننتها

إِذا عَلَتْ ظننتها

فراشةً مفرفرة

فراشةً مفرفرة

When she rises, you would think her

Every eloquent tongue falters,

a fluttering butterfly;

And every keen eye dims.

وإنْ هوتْ تهافتتْ

وإنْ هوتْ تهافتتْ

كنجمةٍ منكدره

كنجمةٍ منكدره

and if she falls, she tumbles

To portray her is a feat,

like a star falling down.

As you can see, singular.

شحّتْ فماً كبرعمٍ

شحّتْ فماً كبرعمٍ

مغمضٍ من عبهره

مغمضٍ من عبهره

She was sparing with her mouth, like a bud

I have humbled her flight,

closed tight, of a narcissus.

Made soaring easy.

تفتحتْ ثنتانِ مِنْ

تفتحتْ ثنتانِ مِنْ

أَوراقِه مبكره

أَوراقِه مبكره

Two opened from among

its petals, early.

واختلجتْ أوداجُها

واختلجتْ أوداجُها

كأنها مغرغره

كأنها مغرغره

And her neck-veins twitched,

as though she were gargling.

ورجّعتْ بلحنِها

ورجّعتْ بلحنِها

معيدةً مكروه

معيدةً مكروه

And she trilled her melody,

repeating something unwelcome.

فبينما تمدُّهُ

فبينما تمدُّهُ

إذا بها مقصره

إذا بها مقصره

Then, while she prolongs it,

suddenly she cuts it short.

فمرة مصفره

فمرة مصفره

ومرة مصرصره

ومرة مصرصره

Now she whistles,

and now she chirrs shrilly.

جناحُها مرفرفٌ

جناحُها مرفرفٌ

كأنه نيلوفره

كأنه نيلوفره

Her wing is fluttering,

as though it were a water lily.

فاعجبْ لها من قيْنةٍ

فاعجبْ لها من قيْنةٍ

رقَّاصةٍ مزمِّره

رقَّاصةٍ مزمِّره

Marvel, then, at her—a songstress,

a dancer and a piper!

إِن لم يحطْ واصفُها

إِن لم يحطْ واصفُها

بوصفِها فمعذره

بوصفِها فمعذره

If her describer cannot encompass

her in words, let him be excused.

كلَّ لسانٌ صارمٌ

كلَّ لسانٌ صارمٌ

عنها وعينٌ مُبْصِره

عنها وعينٌ مُبْصِره

A keen tongue has grown weary

before her, and a clear-seeing eye as well.

ونعتُها طريقةٌ

ونعتُها طريقةٌ

كما ترى مبتكره

كما ترى مبتكره

And describing her is a path,

as you see, newly devised.

عقابها لا ترتقى

عقابها لا ترتقى

ذلَّلتُها مُيسَّره

ذلَّلتُها مُيسَّره

Its steep passes cannot be climbed;

I have tamed them, made them easy.