شَجىhe saddened وَشَفىand he healed لَمّاwhen شَداhe sang وَتَرَنَّماand he trilled
شَجى وَشَفى لَمّا شَدا وَتَرَنَّما
فَأَنعَسَso he made drowsy أَيقاظاًwakeful people وَأَيقَظَand he awakened نُوَّماsleepers
فَأَنعَسَ أَيقاظاً وَأَيقَظَ نُوَّما
He stirred sorrow and healed when he sang and trilled;
so he lulled the wakeful and awakened the sleepers.
وَجَسَّand he plucked مِنَamong الأَوتارِthe strings مَثنىًa second string وَمَثلَثاًand a third string
وَجَسَّ مِنَ الأَوتارِ مَثنىً وَمَثلَثاً
فَحَقَّتso became assured بِناfor us الأَفراحُjoys فَرداًsingly وَتَوأَماand in pairs
فَحَقَّت بِنا الأَفراحُ فَرداً وَتَوأَما
And he plucked the second and third strings,
so joys were ours, singly and in pairs.
أَغَنُّmellow, nasal-voiced كَأَنَّas though العودَthe oud ضَمَّheld صَدىًan echo لَهُof him
أَغَنُّ كَأَنَّ العودَ ضَمَّ صَدىً لَهُ
يُحاكيهِit imitates him فيin أَلفاظِهِhis words إِنif تَكَلَّماhe speaks
يُحاكيهِ في أَلفاظِهِ إِن تَكَلَّما
A mellow, nasal-voiced singer—as though the oud held his echo,
imitating his words whenever he spoke.
يُحاكيهِit imitates him فيin الحالَينِboth states صَوتاًin voice وَلَهجَةًand accent
يُحاكيهِ في الحالَينِ صَوتاً وَلَهجَةً
فَقَدfor indeed كادَalmost يُلفىit is found ضاحِكاًlaughing مُتَبَسِّماsmiling
فَقَد كادَ يُلفى ضاحِكاً مُتَبَسِّما
It mimics him in both states, in voice and accent,
for it almost seems to laugh and smile.
إِذاwhen رَتَّلَتchant أَلفاظُهُhis words الشِعرَthe verse مُعرَباًfully articulated
إِذا رَتَّلَت أَلفاظُهُ الشِعرَ مُعرَباً
أَعادَتrepeat لَناfor us أَوتارُهُhis strings اللَفظَthe utterance مُعجَماwithout articulation
أَعادَت لَنا أَوتارُهُ اللَفظَ مُعجَما
When his words chant verse, fully articulated,
his strings repeat the words for us, wordlessly.
لَهُhe has مَنطِقٌa voice يَستَنزِلُthat draws down العُصمَthe ibexes عِندَماwhen
لَهُ مَنطِقٌ يَستَنزِلُ العُصمَ عِندَما
يُحَرِّكُhe moves فيamong الأَوتارِthe strings كَفّاًa hand وَمِعصَماand a wrist
يُحَرِّكُ في الأَوتارِ كَفّاً وَمِعصَما
He has a voice that draws the ibexes down whenever
he moves hand and wrist among the strings.
يَضُمُّhe clasps إِلىagainst نَهدَيهِhis two breasts عوداًan oud تَظَنُّهُyou would think it
يَضُمُّ إِلى نَهدَيهِ عوداً تَظَنُّهُ
نَسيماًa breeze مُجَزّاًcut off أَوor نَعيماًbliss مُجَسَّماembodied
نَسيماً مُجَزّاً أَو نَعيماً مُجَسَّما
He clasps an oud against his breasts; you would think it
a fragment of breeze, or bliss embodied.
كَأَنَّas though حَشاهُits hollow ضَمَّheld سِرّاًa secret مُكَتَّماًclosely concealed
كَأَنَّ حَشاهُ ضَمَّ سِرّاً مُكَتَّماً
يُمَوِّهُit dissembles عَنهُabout it أَوor حَديثاًa tale مُجَمجَماmumbled indistinctly
يُمَوِّهُ عَنهُ أَو حَديثاً مُجَمجَما
As though its hollow held a closely guarded secret,
which it disguises, or some indistinctly murmured tale.
يُطارِحُناit discusses with us شَرحَthe explanation of الضُروبِthe rhythmic modes مُبَرهِناًoffering proof
يُطارِحُنا شَرحَ الضُروبِ مُبَرهِناً
فَنَأخُذُso we accept نَقلَthe transmission of اللَهوِpleasure عَنهُfrom it مُسَلَّماas unquestioned
فَنَأخُذُ نَقلَ اللَهوِ عَنهُ مُسَلَّما
It expounds the rhythms to us, offering proof,
so we accept its account of pleasure without question.
وَإِنand if حَرَّكَتهُmoves it الكَفُّthe hand أَبدىit displays تَمَلمُلاًrestlessness
وَإِن حَرَّكَتهُ الكَفُّ أَبدى تَمَلمُلاً
فَحَرَّكَso it stirs مِنّاwithin us يَذبُلاًYadhbul وَيَلَملَماand Yalamlam
فَحَرَّكَ مِنّا يَذبُلاً وَيَلَملَما
And if a hand moves it, it shows restlessness,
and sets Yadhbul and Yalamlam within us astir.
Translation model: Sol 6.1