وَمَسْرَحٍand a pasture لِسِوَامِfor the grazing herds of الْعَيْنِthe eye لَيْسَthere is not لَهُfor it
وَمَسْرَحٍ لِسِوَامِ الْعَيْنِ لَيْسَ لَهُ
فِيin عَالَمِthe realm of الظَّنِّimagination تَقْدِيرٌa measure وَلاnor شَبَهُlikeness
فِي عَالَمِ الظَّنِّ تَقْدِيرٌ وَلا شَبَهُ
A pasture where the roving eye may range—there is for it
And a meadow where the eye may graze, with neither
in imagination’s realm no measure and no parallel.
Measure nor likeness in the realm of imagination.
بَاكَرْتُهُI visited it early سُحْرَةًbefore dawn وَالشَّمْسُand the sun نَاعِسَةٌdrowsy
بَاكَرْتُهُ سُحْرَةً وَالشَّمْسُ نَاعِسَةٌ
فِيin خِدْرِهَاher secluded chamber وَحَمَامُand the doves الأَيْكِthe grove مُنْتَبِهُawake
فِي خِدْرِهَا وَحَمَامُ الأَيْكِ مُنْتَبِهُ
I came to it before dawn, while the sun still drowsed
I visited it before dawn, while the sun lay drowsy
within her chamber and the woodland doves were awake.
In her secluded chamber, and the grove’s doves were awake.
وَلِلْغَمَائِمِand for the clouds بَيْنَamid الأُفْقِthe horizon مُنْسَحَبٌa drifting course
وَلِلْغَمَائِمِ بَيْنَ الأُفْقِ مُنْسَحَبٌ
وَلِلنَّسَائِمِand for the breezes نَحْوَtoward الرَّوْضِthe garden مُتَّجَهُa direction
وَلِلنَّسَائِمِ نَحْوَ الرَّوْضِ مُتَّجَهُ
Clouds were trailing between the reaches of the horizon,
And the clouds trailed along the horizon,
and breezes were making their way toward the meadow.
And the breezes headed toward the garden.
وَالْجَوُّand the sky فِيin حُلَّةٍa robe دَكْنَاءَdusky مَازَجَهَاmingled with it
وَالْجَوُّ فِي حُلَّةٍ دَكْنَاءَ مَازَجَهَا
خَيْطٌa thread مِنَof الْفَجْرِdawn يَبْدُوappears ثُمَّthen يَشْتَبِهُgrows indistinct
خَيْطٌ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ يَبْدُو ثُمَّ يَشْتَبِهُ
The sky wore a dusky robe, commingled with
And the sky wore a dusky robe, shot through with
a thread of dawn that showed, then blurred from sight.
A thread of dawn that appeared, then grew indistinct.
فَالنُّورُso the light مُنْقَبِضٌwithdrawn وَالظِّلُّand the shadow مُنْبَسِطٌspread out
فَالنُّورُ مُنْقَبِضٌ وَالظِّلُّ مُنْبَسِطٌ
وَالطَّيْرُand the birds مُنْشَرِحٌjoyful وَالْجَوُّand the sky مُدَّلِهُentranced
وَالطَّيْرُ مُنْشَرِحٌ وَالْجَوُّ مُدَّلِهُ
The light drew in, the shadows spread abroad;
So light was withdrawn, while shadow spread,
the birds rejoiced while the air lay pitch-dark.
And the birds were joyful, while the sky was entranced.
مَنَاظِرٌscenes لَوْif رَأَىsaw بَهْزَادُBehzad صُورَتَهَاtheir image
مَنَاظِرٌ لَوْ رَأَى بَهْزَادُ صُورَتَهَا
لاعْتَادَهُwould have overtaken him مِنْfrom تَمَادِيthe persistence of الْحَيْرَةِbewilderment الْبَلَهُstupefaction
لاعْتَادَهُ مِنْ تَمَادِي الْحَيْرَةِ الْبَلَهُ
Scenes whose likeness, had Behzad beheld it,
Scenes—had Behzad seen their image,
long bewilderment would have reduced him to stupor.
Stupor would have overtaken him from prolonged bewilderment.
كَأَنَّمَاas though الدَّوْحُthe spreading trees قَصْرٌa palace وَالْحَمَامُand the doves بِهِin it
كَأَنَّمَا الدَّوْحُ قَصْرٌ وَالْحَمَامُ بِهِ
سِرْبٌa bevy مِنَof الْغِيدِgraceful maidens بِالأَلْحَانِwith melodies تَبْتَدِهُimprovises
سِرْبٌ مِنَ الْغِيدِ بِالأَلْحَانِ تَبْتَدِهُ
It seemed the spreading trees were a palace, and its doves
As though the spreading trees were a palace, and the doves in it
a bevy of graceful maidens paying it homage with song.
A bevy of graceful maidens improvising melodies.
طَوْرَاًat times تُغَنِّيsings وَأَحْيَانَاًand sometimes تَنُوُحُlaments فَمَاso what
طَوْرَاً تُغَنِّي وَأَحْيَانَاً تَنُوُحُ فَمَا
ذَاكَthat الْغِنَاsinging وَهَذَاand this النَّوْحُlament وَالْوَلَهُand ardent longing
ذَاكَ الْغِنَا وَهَذَا النَّوْحُ وَالْوَلَهُ
Now they sang, now mournfully cooed—but what were
At times they sang, at others lamented—what, then, were
that song, this lamentation, and this love-mad rapture?
That singing, this lament, and this ardent longing?
كَأَنَّمَاas though الأَوْرَقُthe gray dove الْغِرِّيدُsweet-singing حِينَwhen شَدَاsang
كَأَنَّمَا الأَوْرَقُ الْغِرِّيدُ حِينَ شَدَا
فِيin سُرْبَةِa company of الإِنْسِpeople مِنْهَاfrom among them شَارِبٌa drinker فَكِهُmerry
فِي سُرْبَةِ الإِنْسِ مِنْهَا شَارِبٌ فَكِهُ
It seemed the leaves themselves were the sweet singer when he trilled
As though the gray, melodious dove, when it sang,
among their flock—humankind drinking from them, made merry.
Were a merry drinker among a company of people.
شَارَفْتُI approached سَاحَتَهَاits grounds فِيamong فِتْيَةٍyoung men أَلِفُواthey were accustomed to
شَارَفْتُ سَاحَتَهَا فِي فِتْيَةٍ أَلِفُوا
صِدْقَsincerity of الْوِدَادِaffection فَلَمْso did not تَعْرِضْarise لَهُمْfor them شُبَهُsuspicions
صِدْقَ الْوِدَادِ فَلَمْ تَعْرِضْ لَهُمْ شُبَهُ
I approached its grounds with a band of youths accustomed to
I approached its grounds with young men accustomed to
true affection, among whom no suspicions ever arose:
Sincere affection, so no suspicions troubled them.
مُوَقَّرُونَheld in esteem كِرَامٌnoble لاnot يَخِفُّcarries away بِهِمْthem
مُوَقَّرُونَ كِرَامٌ لا يَخِفُّ بِهِمْ
طَيْشٌrashness وَلَمْand did not يَجْرِrun فِيin أَخْلاقِهِمْtheir character سَفَهُfolly
طَيْشٌ وَلَمْ يَجْرِ فِي أَخْلاقِهِمْ سَفَهُ
dignified and noble, never swept away
Honored and noble, never swept away by
by rashness, with no folly coursing through their character;
Rashness; no folly coursed through their character.
مِنْof كُلِّeach مَاضِيkeen of الشَّبَاblade وَالرَّوْعُand terror مُحْتَدِمٌraging
مِنْ كُلِّ مَاضِي الشَّبَا وَالرَّوْعُ مُحْتَدِمٌ
وَمُسْتَنِيرِand clear of الْحِجَاmind وَالأَمْرُand the matter مُشْتَبِهُunclear
وَمُسْتَنِيرِ الْحِجَا وَالأَمْرُ مُشْتَبِهُ
each a vigorous youth, his spirit blazing,
Each keen of blade when terror raged,
yet clear of mind when affairs grew obscure.
And clear of mind when matters were obscure.
إِنْif حَدَّثُواthey spoke مَلأُواthey filled الأَسْمَاعَthe ears مِنْwith أَدَبٍcultured speech
إِنْ حَدَّثُوا مَلأُوا الأَسْمَاعَ مِنْ أَدَبٍ
هُمْthey أَهْلُهُits masters وَإِذَاand when مَاfor emphasis أَنْصَتُواthey listened attentively فَقِهُواthey understood
هُمْ أَهْلُهُ وَإِذَا مَا أَنْصَتُوا فَقِهُوا
If they addressed a man, they filled his ears with cultivated speech—
If they spoke, they filled the ears with cultured speech;
they were its masters; and whenever they listened, they understood.
They were its masters; and when they listened, they understood.
شَرَابُنَاour drink صَفْوُpure مَاءٍwater لاnot يُمَازِجُهُmingles with it
شَرَابُنَا صَفْوُ مَاءٍ لا يُمَازِجُهُ
إِلَّاexcept حَدِيثٌconversation كَنُوَّارِlike the blossoms of الرُّبَىthe hills نَزِهُwholesome
إِلَّا حَدِيثٌ كَنُوَّارِ الرُّبَى نَزِهُ
Our drink was the purest water, mingled with nothing
Our drink was pure water, mingled with nothing
but conversation, wholesome as blossoms on the hills.
But wholesome conversation, like the blossoms of the hills.
فَإِنْso if يَكُنْthere is فِيin عَفَافِrestraint of النَّفْسِthe soul مَحْمَدَةٌcause for praise
فَإِنْ يَكُنْ فِي عَفَافِ النَّفْسِ مَحْمَدَةٌ
لَهَاfor it فَفِيthen in مثْلِthe like of هَذَاthis يَحْسُنُis fitting الشَّرَهُgreed
لَهَا فَفِي مثْلِ هَذَا يَحْسُنُ الشَّرَهُ
For if restraint of the soul is worthy of praise,
So if the soul’s self-restraint brings praise
then in such a gathering even ravenous appetite is fair.
To it, then in things like these, greed is fitting.
