ماwhat لهاis with her تشرقُshe rises حمراred أتراهاdo you think her
ما لها تشرقُ حمرا أتراها
مُقْلةًan eye وَسنىdrowsy أفاقتْawoke منfrom كراهاher slumber
مُقْلةً وَسنى أفاقتْ من كراها
Why does she rise red? Do you think her
Why does it glow red, do you see it
a drowsy eye awakened from its slumber?
Restless, restless, it woke from its gloom
فَتَحَopened المشرقُthe east عنهاfrom her جفنَthe eyelid مَنْof one who
فَتَحَ المشرقُ عنها جفنَ مَنْ
بلغتْreached منهin him الحميّاwine's intoxication منتهاهاits peak
بلغتْ منه الحميّا منتهاها
The east has lifted from her the eyelid of one
The east opened its eyelid for it
in whom wine's intoxication has reached its height.
It reached the fervent heat at its end
أمْor تراهاyou see her شعلةًa flame والسحبُand the clouds مِنْfrom
أمْ تراها شعلةً والسحبُ مِنْ
فوقهاabove her مثلlike دخانٍsmoke قَدْalready علاهاrose above her
فوقها مثل دخانٍ قَدْ علاها
Or do you see her as a flame, the clouds
Or do you see it as a flame and the clouds
above her like smoke that has risen over her?
Above it like smoke that rose high
عُصرفتْwas dyed safflower-red دارتُهاher disk فانقدتْthen flared
عُصرفتْ دارتُها فانقدتْ
كشواظِlike a smokeless flame النارِof fire يستشريspreads fiercely لظاهاits blaze
كشواظِ النارِ يستشري لظاها
Her disk was dyed safflower-red, then flared
It circled around and shone bright
like fire's smokeless flame, its blaze spreading fiercely.
Like embers spreading their glow
وَنَضَتْand she shed أثوابهاher garments الحمرَthe red عَلىover
وَنَضَتْ أثوابها الحمرَ عَلى
جنباتِthe reaches الأُفقِof the horizon واستبقتْand she retained حلاهاher jewels
جنباتِ الأُفقِ واستبقتْ حلاها
And she shed her red garments over
Its red garments fluttered
the reaches of the horizon, retaining her jewels.
On the horizon’s flanks and donned its finest raiment
فبدتْthen she appeared عاريةًnaked حاليةًbejeweled
فبدتْ عاريةً حاليةً
فإذاthen behold وضاءَةٌradiant يعشيdazzles the eyes سناهاher brilliance
فإذا وضاءَةٌ يعشي سناها
Then she appeared naked yet bejeweled;
It appeared bare, resplendent
and behold, radiant, her brilliance dazzling the eyes.
There shone a radiance that makes the years youthful
ثبّتِmake steadfast اللهمO God إيمانيmy faith فقدْfor indeed
ثبّتِ اللهم إيماني فقدْ
ظنَّهاhe thought her يوماًone day أبوthe father الرسلof the messengers إِلهاa god
ظنَّها يوماً أبو الرسل إِلها
Make my faith steadfast, O God, for
O God make firm my faith, for one day
the father of the messengers once took her for a god.
The messenger thought it a god
أنتَYou عظَّمتَYou exalted الضحىthe morning brightness والشمسَand the sun إذْwhen
أنتَ عظَّمتَ الضحى والشمسَ إذْ
قلتَYou said (والشمسby the sun) يميناًas an oath (وضحاهاand its morning brightness)
قلتَ (والشمس) يميناً (وضحاها)
You exalted the morning brightness and the sun when
You exalted the dawn and the sun when
You said in an oath, 'By the sun and its morning brightness.'
You said “By the sun” and “By its brightness”
نظرةًa glance للشرقِtoward the east رَأدِat the height of الضحىthe morning
نظرةً للشرقِ رَأدِ الضحى
تَلْفَyou will find منof رونِقِهِits splendor مالاwhat cannot be يضاهىmatched
تَلْفَ من رونِقِهِ مالا يضاهى
Cast a glance eastward at the height of morning:
A glance to the east, the dawn’s splendor
you will find in its splendor what cannot be matched—
Has a charm that cannot be matched
صوراًscenes أَبدعَworked wonders مَنthe one who صوَّرهاfashioned them
صوراً أَبدعَ مَن صوَّرها
مالهwhy did he أثبتهاset them in place ثمthen محاهاerased them
ماله أثبتها ثم محاها
scenes whose shaper worked wonders.
Paintings made by the greatest painter
Why did he set them there, then erase them?
With a beauty made lasting then erased
زينةٌan adornment فيon الأُفقthe horizon منthrough بهجتهاits loveliness
زينةٌ في الأُفق من بهجتها
وَصلتْspanned ماwhat lies بينbetween أرضearth وَسماهاand its sky
وَصلتْ ما بين أرض وَسماها
An adornment on the horizon, whose loveliness
An adornment on the horizon, its delight
has spanned the space between earth and its sky.
Joined the earth and its sky
مَسَحَwiped away النورُthe light دموعthe tears الليلِof the night عَنْfrom
مَسَحَ النورُ دموع الليلِ عَنْ
وجنْةِthe cheek الأزهارِof the flowers إذْas قبَّلَit kissed فاهاher mouth
وجنْةِ الأزهارِ إذْ قبَّلَ فاها
The light wiped the night's tears from
The light wiped the tears of night
the flowers' cheeks as it kissed their mouths.
From the cheeks of flowers when it kissed them
لجَّpersisted فيin تقبيلهاkissing her مستهتراًutterly engrossed
لجَّ في تقبيلها مستهتراً
فيهin it فاحمرّتْso she reddened خدوداًcheeks وشفاهاand lips
فيه فاحمرّتْ خدوداً وشفاها
It persisted in kissing them, utterly engrossed
Lost in kissing them recklessly
in it, until their cheeks and lips blushed red.
Their cheeks and lips blushed red
كلُّevery غصنِbranch مرسلٌletting trail منfrom ظلِّهits shadow
كلُّ غصنِ مرسلٌ من ظلِّه
ذَيْلَthe train مختالٍof a swaggerer عَلَىabove الأقرانhis peers تاهاstrutted proudly
ذَيْلَ مختالٍ عَلَى الأقران تاها
Each branch lets its shadow trail
Each loose branch in its shadow
like the train of one who struts above his peers.
A vain tail fluttering over peers
هيshe مرآةٌa mirror عَلَىupon صفحتهاher surface
هي مرآةٌ عَلَى صفحتها
نورُthe light وَجهِof the face اللهof God مذْلاحsince it shone جلاهاburnished her
نورُ وَجهِ الله مذْلاح جلاها
She is a mirror; upon her surface
It is a mirror on its surface
the light of God's face, ever since it shone, has burnished her.
God’s light glows bright in its polish
وَلهاand she has فيon كلeach يومday رحلةٌa journey
وَلها في كل يوم رحلةٌ
بينbetween شرقِthe east الأرضِof the earth والغربِand the west مداهاits span
بين شرقِ الأرضِ والغربِ مداها
And every day she makes a journey,
Each day it travels
spanning the earth from east to west.
Between east and west of earth
لاnot تراهاyou see her فيin مكانٍa place واحدٍone
لا تراها في مكانٍ واحدٍ
وَمحالٌand it is impossible أنfor ترىto see العينُthe eye خطاهاher steps
وَمحالٌ أن ترى العينُ خطاها
You never see her in one fixed place,
You cannot see it in one place
and no eye can see her steps.
Impossible for an eye to trace its steps
وإذاand when ماemphatic particle اعترضَcrossed the path الغيمُthe cloud لهاbefore her
وإذا ما اعترضَ الغيمُ لها
نفذتْpierced through داميةًbloodied منهthrough it ظباهاher sword-edges
نفذتْ داميةً منه ظباها
And when a cloud crosses her path,
If a cloud comes between it
her blades pierce through it, bloodied.
It penetrates, melting through the obstruction
لمhas not تزلْceased وَهيand she is التيthe one whom شاهدهاhe saw her
لم تزلْ وَهي التي شاهدها
آدمAdam، فيin عنفوانٍthe prime منof صباهاher youth
آدم، في عنفوانٍ من صباها
She remains—she who was seen by
Ever since Adam saw it
Adam—in the full vigor of her youth.
In the prime of its youth
كلُّevery شيءٍthing باسمٌsmiling إنْif سَفَرَتْshe unveiled her face
كلُّ شيءٍ باسمٌ إنْ سَفَرَتْ
فإذاthen when ماemphatic particle احتجبتْshe hid herself خلفbehind غطاهاher veil
فإذا ما احتجبتْ خلف غطاها
Everything smiles when she unveils her face;
Everything has a name, does it travel
but when she hides behind her veil,
When hidden behind its coverings
عَبَسَfrowned الجوُّthe sky اكتئاباًin gloom وَأَسىand sorrow
عَبَسَ الجوُّ اكتئاباً وَأَسى
وَبدمعِand with the tears المزنِof rain clouds منout of وَجدٍlonging بكاهاit wept for her
وَبدمعِ المزنِ من وَجدٍ بكاها
the sky frowns in gloom and sorrow,
The weather sulked mournfully
and, in longing, weeps for her with the rain clouds' tears.
Weeping, crying with misery
حليةٌan ornament تزهوshine resplendently السمواتُthe heavens العلىthe lofty
حليةٌ تزهو السمواتُ العلى
بسناهاwith her radiance فإذاthen when الغربُthe west طواهاfolded her away
بسناها فإذا الغربُ طواها
An ornament: the lofty heavens glow
A jewel adorning the highest heavens
with her radiance; when the west folds her away,
With its brilliance, then veiled in the west
بَثَّتِshe scattered النجمَthe stars عيوناًas eyes خَلْفَهاbehind her
بَثَّتِ النجمَ عيوناً خَلْفَها
يتطلّعنَthey peer إلىtoward أينَwhere سراهاher night journey
يتطلّعنَ إلى أينَ سراها
she scatters the stars as eyes behind her,
It scattered the stars as eyes behind it
peering to see where she travels by night.
Looking where it journeyed and strayed
لَيْتَwould that شعريmy knowledge وَهيwhile she تُجلىis unveiled للورىto humankind
لَيْتَ شعري وَهي تُجلى للورى
كلevery يومday بحلاهاwith her jewels وَضياهاand her radiance
كل يوم بحلاها وَضياها
Would that I knew—as she is unveiled to humankind
Would that I knew, as it illuminates creation
each day with her jewels and radiance—
Each day with its beauty and glow
هلdo ترىyou think منanyone who قالsaid فيهاof her مثلthe like of ماwhat
هل ترى من قال فيها مثل ما
قلتهI said it منof سائراتٍwidely circulating verses أوor رواهاrecited them؟
قلته من سائراتٍ أو رواها؟
has anyone, do you think, said of her anything like what
Does it see one who spoke of it
I have said in widely circulating verses, or recited them?
As I did, of the wanderers, and conveyed it?