تسرُّdelight الناظرينَthe onlookers فراشتانِtwo butterflies
تسرُّ الناظرينَ فراشتانِ
بروضٍin a garden ناعمٍlush تتغازلانِthey both flirt with each other
بروضٍ ناعمٍ تتغازلانِ
Two butterflies delight all who behold them,
Two butterflies delight the onlookers,
wooing one another in a tender meadow.
Flirting together in a lush garden.
تبرجتاthey both displayed their finery بنفْضٍwith a sprinkling منof سوادٍblack
تبرجتا بنفْضٍ من سوادٍ
عَلَىupon أَعطافِthe folds of حلةِa robe of أَرجوانِcrimson
عَلَى أَعطافِ حلةِ أَرجوانِ
They flaunt a dusting of black
They flaunted a sprinkling of black
upon the folds of a purple robe.
Upon the folds of a crimson robe.
يلوحُgleams عَلَىupon حواشيهاits edges بياضٌwhiteness
يلوحُ عَلَى حواشيها بياضٌ
كماas نصلتْfaded أُصولُthe roots of الزعفرانِsaffron
كما نصلتْ أُصولُ الزعفرانِ
White gleams along its edges,
White gleams along its edges,
as though the bases of saffron had faded pale.
Like saffron roots grown pale.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ثارتاthey both rose فشرارتانِthen two sparks
إِذا ما ثارتا فشرارتانِ
وإِماand if قرّتاthey both settled فشقيقتانthen two anemones
وإِما قرّتا فشقيقتان
When they take wing, they are two sails;
When they take wing, they are two sparks;
and when they alight, they are two sisters.
And when they rest, two anemones.
زوتْdrew together كلتاهماeach of them قرنيْنِtwo antennae دَنّاboth bent downward
زوتْ كلتاهما قرنيْنِ دَنّا
كماas يزويdraw together لغمزٍfor a wink حاجبانtwo eyebrows
كما يزوي لغمزٍ حاجبان
Each draws in two antennae that bend close,
Each drew in her two drooping antennae,
as two eyebrows draw together in a wink.
As two brows draw together for a wink.
وَضمّتْand she folded منpart of جناحيهاher two wings فكانتْso she became
وَضمّتْ من جناحيها فكانتْ
كعرفِlike the comb of الديكthe cock أوor رَقمِthe numeral الثمانيeight
كعرفِ الديك أو رَقمِ الثماني
It folds its wings together and becomes
And each partly folded her wings, becoming
like a rooster’s comb or the written figure eight;
Like a cock's comb, or the Arabic numeral eight.
وأَرختْand she let droop منهماof them both فبدتso she appeared كحليٍlike jewelry
وأَرختْ منهما فبدت كحليٍ
تلأْلأَglittered فوقabove لَبّاتِthe throat-hollows of الحسانbeautiful women
تلأْلأَ فوق لَبّاتِ الحسان
and when it lets them droop, they look like jewels
And each let them droop, appearing like jewels
sparkling upon the throats of beauties.
Glittering upon the throats of beautiful women.
أَفانينٌvarieties منof الحركاتِmovements زاغتْwandered
أَفانينٌ من الحركاتِ زاغتْ
لهاat them عينيmy eye وعيّيand faltered بهاby them بيانيmy speech
لها عيني وعيّي بها بياني
Varied arts of movement enchanted
Such varied movements bewildered
my eye, while words failed me before them:
My gaze, and left my speech at a loss.
فمنْso from ضَمٍّfolding إِلىto نشرٍspreading لوثبٍto leaping
فمنْ ضَمٍّ إِلى نشرٍ لوثبٍ
لرفرفةٍto fluttering إِلىto حربٍa battle عوانrenewed
لرفرفةٍ إِلى حربٍ عوان
from folding to spreading, to leaping,
From folding to spreading, to leaping,
to fluttering, to all-out war.
To fluttering, to a battle renewed.
تواثبتاthey both sprang at each other مثاقفةًin fencing فياthen O منone who
تواثبتا مثاقفةً فيا من
رأَىhas seen الديكيْنthe two cocks إِذْas يتساورانthey leap at each other
رأَى الديكيْن إِذْ يتساوران
They sprang at one another, fencing—O what a sight for one
They sprang at each other, fencing—O you who
who has seen two roosters grappling!
Have seen two cocks leap at each other!
ورفرفتاand they both fluttered مهاداةًgently swaying كماas فيin
ورفرفتا مهاداةً كما في
مهبِّthe course of الريحِthe wind رفّتْquivered وردتانtwo roses
مهبِّ الريحِ رفّتْ وردتان
Then they fluttered, making peace with one another, just as
And they fluttered gently together, just as
two roses tremble in the wind’s breath.
Two roses tremble in the blowing wind.
وَرفرفتاand they both fluttered فخلتُso I imagined لهيبَthe blaze of نارٍa fire
وَرفرفتا فخلتُ لهيبَ نارٍ
ينضنضُflicks out بالفروعِwith its branches وباللسانand with its tongue
ينضنضُ بالفروعِ وباللسان
They fluttered, and I took them for the blaze of a fire,
And they fluttered; I fancied a fiery blaze
darting with its branches and its tongue.
Flicking out its branches and its tongue.
وَدوّمتاand they both whirled صعوداًupward أَوor هبوطاًdownward
وَدوّمتا صعوداً أَو هبوطاً
كأَنهماas though they both were هنالكthere مغزلانtwo spindles
كأَنهما هنالك مغزلان
They kept circling, now rising, now descending,
And they whirled, ascending or descending,
as though they were two spindles there.
As though they were two spindles there.
فماso not يرتدُّreturns طرفُthe glance of العينِthe eye إِلاّexcept that
فما يرتدُّ طرفُ العينِ إِلاّ
دراكاًin swift succession تعلوانِthey both rise وتهويانand both plunge
دراكاً تعلوانِ وتهويان
Scarcely had the eye returned from a glance
The eye can scarcely blink before
before, in swift succession, they rose and plunged.
They rise and plunge in swift succession.
كماas اندفعتْsurged forth مياهٌwaters ثمَّthen عادتْreturned
كما اندفعتْ مياهٌ ثمَّ عادتْ
وقدand already قذفتْflung forth بهاwith it فوّارتانtwo fountains
وقد قذفتْ بها فوّارتان
Like waters that surge forth and then fall back,
Like water that surges up and then falls back,
flung aloft by twin fountains.
Flung forth by two fountains.
تَحيَّرتاthey both wandered uncertainly هناhere وَهناكand there طيشاًheedlessly
تَحيَّرتا هنا وَهناك طيشاً
كماas فيin الريحِthe wind حارتْwandered uncertainly ريشتانtwo feathers
كما في الريحِ حارتْ ريشتان
They darted bewilderedly here and there, capricious,
They flitted aimlessly, here and there,
like two feathers lost upon the wind.
Like two feathers lost upon the wind.
إذاwhenever ماemphatic particle هبّتاthey both sprang up لبلوغِto reach قصدٍa goal
إذا ما هبّتا لبلوغِ قصدٍ
بداoccurred لهماto them both فَوُجِّهتاthen both were redirected لثانtoward another
بدا لهما فَوُجِّهتا لثان
Whenever they set out to attain some goal,
Whenever they rose to reach a goal
another appeared and turned them toward a second.
That occurred to them, they were turned toward another.
وإِنand if إِحداهماone of them انطلقتْtook off فجدَّتْthen sped on
وإِن إِحداهما انطلقتْ فجدَّتْ
بمتنِon the back of الريحthe wind مطلقةَwith ... let loose العنانthe reins
بمتنِ الريح مطلقةَ العنان
And if one of them launched forth and pressed ahead
And if one of them took off and sped
on the wind’s back, with the reins let loose,
On the wind's back, her reins let loose,
ترىyou see الأُخرىthe other تزاحمهاjostling her اعتراضاًobstructively
ترى الأُخرى تزاحمها اعتراضاً
أَفيis it in رحبِthe breadth of الفضاthe open sky تتزاحمانyou two jostle each other
أَفي رحبِ الفضا تتزاحمان
you saw the other cut across its path and crowd it.
You see the other jostle her, crossing her path.
Do you two jostle in the spacious open air?
Must you two jostle in the wide-open sky?
كؤوسُcups الزهرِof flowers وردُthe drinking place هماًof them both فلمْso why لاnot
كؤوسُ الزهرِ وردُ هماً فلمْ لا
بأَجوازِthrough the reaches of الفضاthe sky تترنحانthey both reel
بأَجوازِ الفضا تترنحان
The flower-cups are a watering place for the two—so why should they not
The flower-cups are their drinking place—why should they not
sway through the reaches of the air?
Reel through the reaches of the sky?
كأَنهماas though they both were عَلَىupon لجيِّthe deep waters of بحرٍa sea
كأَنهما عَلَى لجيِّ بحرٍ
طغىsurged beyond its bounds إِذْas تطفوانِthey both float وَترسبانand both sink
طغى إِذْ تطفوانِ وَترسبان
As though they were over the deep abyss of a sea
As though they were upon a deep sea
that swelled while they floated and sank.
In tumult, as they float and sink.
هماthe two of them قدindeed دافتاليboth mixed for me كأْسa cup ذكرىof remembrance
هما قد دافتالي كأْس ذكرى
جرىflowed دمعيmy tears لهاfor it وهفاand fluttered جنانيmy heart
جرى دمعي لها وهفا جناني
Together they mixed for me a cup of memory,
The two have mixed me a cup of remembrance;
for which my tears flowed and my heart yearned.
My tears flowed for it, and my heart fluttered.
تذكرتُI remembered الصباyouth وَزمانand a time when كناwe were
تذكرتُ الصبا وَزمان كنا
كأَناas though we were فيin الرياضthe gardens فراشتانtwo butterflies
كأَنا في الرياض فراشتان
I remembered youth, and a time when we
I remembered youth, and a time when we were
were like two butterflies among the gardens.
Like two butterflies among the gardens.
مغانيناour haunts التيwhich نأويwe seek shelter إِليهاto them
مغانينا التي نأوي إِليها
مقاصفpleasure-haunts (دُمَّرٍDummar) وand (النيربانal-Nayraban)
مقاصف (دُمَّرٍ) و (النيربان)
Our beloved haunts, to which we would repair,
Our haunts, to which we would retreat,
were the pleasure grounds of Dummar and al-Nayraban,
Were the pleasure-haunts of Dummar and al-Nayraban.
إِذِwhen الأَغصانُthe branches منout of حدْبٍtender care حوانٍbowing
إِذِ الأَغصانُ من حدْبٍ حوانٍ
وَنحنُand we بظلِّهاin their shade متلازمانboth inseparable
وَنحنُ بظلِّها متلازمان
when branches bent like stooping hunchbacks,
When the branches bowed in tenderness,
and beneath their shade we clung together.
And we were inseparable beneath their shade,
وَأَحداقُand the eyes الأَزاهرِof the flowers شاخصاتٌstaring intently
وَأَحداقُ الأَزاهرِ شاخصاتٌ
إِليناat us حيثماwherever مِلْناwe turned روانgazing
إِلينا حيثما مِلْنا روان
The eyes of the blossoms stared
And the flowers' eyes stared intently
toward us wherever we turned, gazing intently.
At us, watching wherever we turned.
جرىflowed (بردىBarada) ينثُّpouring forth لناfor us حديثاًa tale
جرى (بردى) ينثُّ لنا حديثاً
أَلذَّsweeter منthan المثالثthe third lute-strings والمثانيand the second lute-strings
أَلذَّ من المثالث والمثاني
The Barada flowed, telling us a tale
Barada flowed, pouring out a tale for us,
sweeter than the third and second strings of the lute.
Sweeter than the lute's third and second strings.
وَصفَّقَand it clapped مستعيداًasking for an encore حلوsweet نجوىintimate talk
وَصفَّقَ مستعيداً حلو نجوى
تساقيناwe gave each other to drink بهاamid it بنتَthe daughter of الدنانthe wine-jars
تساقينا بها بنتَ الدنان
And it clapped, echoing the sweetness of whispered converse,
And clapped, asking for those sweet whispers again,
as there we passed around wine, daughter of the jars.
Over which we shared the daughter of the wine-jars.
سقىmay He water ورعىand cherish وحيّاand bless اللهGod عهداًan age
سقى ورعى وحيّا الله عهداً
بلغناwe attained فيهin it معسولhoney-sweet الأَمانيwishes
بلغنا فيه معسول الأَماني
May God water, preserve, and hail that bygone time,
May God water, cherish, and bless that time
when we attained the honeyed sweetness of our hopes,
In which we attained our honey-sweet desires.
وَأَلهمناand may He inspire us التجلّدfortitude فيin زمانan age
وَأَلهمنا التجلّد في زمان
نعانيwe suffer منfrom أَذاهits harm ماwhat نعانيwe suffer
نعاني من أَذاه ما نعاني
and it inspired us to steadfastness in an age
And may He inspire us with fortitude in an age
whose torments we suffer as only we know.
Whose hurt makes us suffer all we suffer.
