نزلت لتشهد روضةً نبتت

نزلت لتشهد روضةً نبتت

أثلاتُها وترعرع النبتُ

أثلاتُها وترعرع النبتُ

She came down to behold a garden where there had sprung

She came down to behold a garden where grew

its tamarisks, and the vegetation flourished.

Its tamarisks, and its greenery flourished.

فإذا السماءُ وكل أنجمها

فإذا السماءُ وكل أنجمها

وإذا الحياة وصفوُها البحت

وإذا الحياة وصفوُها البحت

And behold—the sky with all its stars,

Then behold—the sky and all its stars,

and life, with its pure serenity;

And behold—life and its pure serenity.

فتانة البهجات زخرفُها

فتانة البهجات زخرفُها

كالسحر عنه يقصر النعت

كالسحر عنه يقصر النعت

its adornment an enchantress of delights,

Enchanting in its delights, its adornment

like magic beyond the reach of description.

Is like magic; description falls short of it.

زهر الرياض طوائفٌ نُشِرَت

زهر الرياض طوائفٌ نُشِرَت

راياتُها وصفا لها الوقت

راياتُها وصفا لها الوقت

The flowers of the gardens were companies that unfurled

The gardens’ flowers are bands; unfurled

their banners, while time grew serene for them.

Were their banners, and time grew fair for them.

لا بل عيالٌ كل واضحةٍ

لا بل عيالٌ كل واضحةٍ

أمٌّ وكلُّ وضيعةٍ بنت

أمٌّ وكلُّ وضيعةٍ بنت

No—rather, they were my family: every radiant bloom

No, rather families: each prominent bloom

a mother, and every humble little one a daughter.

Is a mother, and each lowly one a daughter.

والماءُ تسقيها مناهلُه

والماءُ تسقيها مناهلُه

خيرات عمرٍ عافها المقت

خيرات عمرٍ عافها المقت

And water—its springs give it drink:

And the water, whose springs give them drink,

the blessings of a lifetime that hatred had shunned.

Is life’s bounty, which hatred has shunned.

وملاعبُ النسمات تنقل ما

وملاعبُ النسمات تنقل ما

تروي ولا زور ولا بهت

تروي ولا زور ولا بهت

And the breezes’ playgrounds convey whatever

And the breezes’ playgrounds convey what

they recount, with neither falsehood nor calumny.

They recount, with neither falsehood nor slander.

وكذاك وجهُ العمر مبتسم

وكذاك وجهُ العمر مبتسم

لذوي العيال وللسوى شُخت

لذوي العيال وللسوى شُخت

Thus, too, the face of life is smiling

And likewise, the face of life smiles

for those with children, but gaunt for all besides.

For those with families, and is gaunt for the rest.

لكن هنالك زهرةٌ وقفت

لكن هنالك زهرةٌ وقفت

حيرى وجافاها الأولى شتوا

حيرى وجافاها الأولى شتوا

But there a flower stood,

But there stood a flower,

bewildered, shunned by those who had wintered there.

Bewildered, shunned by those who had scattered.

ملموةُ الورقات ذابلة

ملموةُ الورقات ذابلة

مثل المليحة ما لها بخت

مثل المليحة ما لها بخت

Her leaves drawn tightly in, she withered,

Her petals gathered close, withered,

like a lovely woman with no share of fortune.

Like a beautiful woman with no luck.

صمتت حواليها الطيور وفي

صمتت حواليها الطيور وفي

وبعض المواقف يحسن الصمت

وبعض المواقف يحسن الصمت

The birds around her fell silent; for in

The birds fell silent around her; and in

some situations, silence is fitting.

Some moments, silence is fitting.

ومضت على اليام مرتفعاً

ومضت على اليام مرتفعاً

رغم الجفاءِ جبينها الصلت

رغم الجفاءِ جبينها الصلت

Through the days she went, her brow held high,

And she went on through the days, holding high,

smooth and bare despite neglect.

Despite rejection, her smooth brow.

فحنت لها سلمى وقد ذرفت

فحنت لها سلمى وقد ذرفت

دمعاً كعقدِ الدر يَنبَتُّ

دمعاً كعقدِ الدر يَنبَتُّ

Then Salma felt compassion for her, and shed

So Salma took pity on her, and shed

tears like a necklace of pearls coming unstrung.

Tears like a pearl necklace breaking apart.

وتقدَّمت حتى إذا قربت

وتقدَّمت حتى إذا قربت

منها وحجَّب غَيرها السمت

منها وحجَّب غَيرها السمت

She stepped forward, until, when she drew near

And she stepped forward until, when she drew close

to her, her bearing eclipsed all others.

To her, and the angle of view hid the others,

صارت تقبلها ملاطفةً

صارت تقبلها ملاطفةً

وكذا تقبل أُختها الأخت

وكذا تقبل أُختها الأخت

She began to kiss her tenderly—

She began to kiss her tenderly;

and thus does sister kiss sister.

And thus a sister kisses her sister.