أَرىI see حُلَلاًrobes مَطَوّاةًfolded حِساناًbeautiful
أَرى حُلَلاً مَطَوّاةً حِساناً
عَدانيhindered me أَنto أَراكَsee you بِهاin them اِعتِلاليmy illness
عَداني أَن أَراكَ بِها اِعتِلالي
I see beautiful robes, folded away.
I see robes, beautifully folded,
I behold beautiful robes folded and set aside,
My illness kept me from seeing you in them.
Calling me to see you wearing them in glory.
My illness barred me from seeing you adorned in them.
وَهَبكَand suppose you طَوَيتَهاyou folded them وَخَرَجتَand you came out عَنهاof them
وَهَبكَ طَوَيتَها وَخَرَجتَ عَنها
أَتَطويdo you fold away? ماwhat عَلَيكَupon you مِنَof الجَمالِbeauty
أَتَطوي ما عَلَيكَ مِنَ الجَمالِ
And suppose you have folded them and taken them off—
You took them off and stepped out of them,
Grant that you have folded them and stepped aside,
Can you fold away the beauty that is upon you?
As if to fold up all the beauty you bear.
Can you also fold away the beauty that defines you?
لَقَدindeed ظَلَّتremained أَواخِرُهاtheir outermost layers الأَعاليthe uppermost
لَقَد ظَلَّت أَواخِرُها الأَعالي
مَعَwith الأولىthe first بِجِسمِكَupon your body فيin قِتالِbattle
مَعَ الأولى بِجِسمِكَ في قِتالِ
Indeed, their outermost, upper layers remained
Their hems struggled at the top
Their trailing hems have risen to the heights,
At war with the first upon your body.
With your body in combat.
Vying in battle with the collars over your body.
تُلاحِظُكَwatch you العُيونُthe eyes وَأَنتَwhile you فيهاin them
تُلاحِظُكَ العُيونُ وَأَنتَ فيها
كَأَنَّas though عَلَيكَupon you أَفإِدَةَhearts الرِجالِmen
كَأَنَّ عَلَيكَ أَفإِدَةَ الرِجالِ
Eyes gaze at you while you wear them,
Eyes watch you in them
All eyes pursue you when you are clad within,
As though the hearts of men were upon you.
As if you wore the hearts of men.
As if you wore upon yourself the very hearts of men.
مَتىwhenever أَحصَيتُI count فَضلَكَyour excellence فيin كَلامٍwords
مَتى أَحصَيتُ فَضلَكَ في كَلامٍ
فَقَدthen indeed أَحصَيتُI have counted حَبّاتِgrains الرِمالِsand
فَقَد أَحصَيتُ حَبّاتِ الرِمالِ
If ever I count your virtues in words,
When could I ever count your virtues in words?
Could I ever enumerate your merits in words,
Then I have counted the grains of sand.
I would sooner count the grains of sand.
I would have counted every grain of sand.
وَإِنَّand indeed بِهاin them وَإِنَّand indeed بِهِin it لَنَقصاًsurely a shortcoming
وَإِنَّ بِها وَإِنَّ بِهِ لَنَقصاً
وَأَنتَand you لَهاfor them النِهايَةُthe utmost فيin الكَمالِperfection
وَأَنتَ لَها النِهايَةُ في الكَمالِ
Yet both the robes and my words surely fall short,
Yet in them, and in you, there is a lack:
Yet in both speech and sand there lies a lack,
And you are their ultimate perfection.
You are their limit in perfection.
While you stand as the absolute end of perfection.