أَهلاًwelcome بِهاto them كَالقُضبِlike slender branches فيin كُثبانِهاtheir dunes
أَهلاً بِها كَالقُضبِ في كُثبانِها
جَعَلَتthey made شُواظَthe blaze النارِof fire مِنamong تيجانِهاtheir crowns
جَعَلَت شُواظَ النارِ مِن تيجانِها
Welcome to them, like slender rods amid their dunes;
Welcome to them, like slender branches amid their dunes.
from their crowns they raised a leaping blaze of fire.
They have made the blaze of fire their crowns.
شُهبٌshooting stars إِذاwhen جَلَتِdispel الظَلامَthe darkness جُيوشُهاtheir armies
شُهبٌ إِذا جَلَتِ الظَلامَ جُيوشُها
جَلَبَتbring جُيوشَthe armies الصُبحِof dawn قَبلَbefore أَوانِهاtheir appointed time
جَلَبَت جُيوشَ الصُبحِ قَبلَ أَوانِها
Shooting stars: when their armies swept the darkness away,
Shooting stars—when their armies dispel the darkness,
they brought the hosts of dawn before their appointed hour.
They bring dawn's armies before their appointed time.
مَأسورَةٌcaptive تَحياthey live بِقَطعِby cutting off رُؤوسِهاtheir heads
مَأسورَةٌ تَحيا بِقَطعِ رُؤوسِها
وَتَزيدُand increase نُطقاًin speech عِندَupon قَطِّclipping لِسانِهاtheir tongue
وَتَزيدُ نُطقاً عِندَ قَطِّ لِسانِها
Though captive, they live by the cutting of their heads,
Held captive, they live by having their heads cut off,
and speak the louder when their tongues are cut.
And speak more when their tongues are clipped.
باحَتspoke openly أَسِرَّةُthe lines وَجهِهاof their face بِسَرائِرٍof secrets
باحَت أَسِرَّةُ وَجهِها بِسَرائِرٍ
ضاقَتwere too narrow صُدورُthe breasts الناسِof people عَنfor كِتمانِهاconcealing them
ضاقَت صُدورُ الناسِ عَن كِتمانِها
The lineaments of their faces disclosed secrets
The lines of their faces divulged secrets
that people’s breasts were too constricted to conceal.
That people's breasts were too narrow to conceal.
زُهرٌradiant ones حَكَتmirrored خَدَّthe cheek الحَبيبِof the beloved وَإِنَّماbut in truth
زُهرٌ حَكَت خَدَّ الحَبيبِ وَإِنَّما
تَحكيthey mirror فُؤادَthe heart الصَبِّof the lovesick lover فيin خَفَقانِهاtheir fluttering
تَحكي فُؤادَ الصَبِّ في خَفَقانِها
Blossoms mimicking the beloved’s cheek—yet in truth
Radiant ones, they mirrored the beloved's cheek; but in truth,
they mimic the lover’s heart in their throbbing.
They mirror the lovesick lover's heart in their fluttering.
لَهِبَتthey blazed وَقَدand already رَأتِthey saw الظَلامَthe darkness وَلَمand not تَكُنthey were
لَهِبَت وَقَد رَأتِ الظَلامَ وَلَم تَكُن
تَاللَهِby God لاهِيَةًheedless لِضُعفِthrough weakness of جَنانِهاtheir heart
تَاللَهِ لاهِيَةً لِضُعفِ جَنانِها
They blazed when they saw the darkness, yet were not—
They blazed upon seeing darkness, and were not—
by God—heedless through faintness of heart.
By God—heedless through weakness of heart;
بَلَrather أُرعِدَتwere made to tremble مِنهاwithin them الفَرائِصُthe flank muscles عِندَماwhen
بَلَ أُرعِدَت مِنها الفَرائِصُ عِندَما
نَظَرَتgazed نَواظِرُهاtheir eyes إِلىat سُلطانِهاtheir sultan
نَظَرَت نَواظِرُها إِلى سُلطانِها
Rather, the vitals were made to tremble because of them when
Rather, their flanks were made to tremble when
their eyes looked upon their sovereign:
Their eyes gazed upon their sultan:
الصالِحِAl-Salih المَلِكِthe king الَّذيwho نَعماؤُهُhis bounty
الصالِحِ المَلِكِ الَّذي نَعماؤُهُ
قَدindeed أَغنَتِmade independent الغُرَباءَthe strangers عَنof أَوطانِهاtheir homelands
قَد أَغنَتِ الغُرَباءَ عَن أَوطانِها
al-Malik al-Ṣāliḥ, whose bounty
Al-Salih, the king whose bounty
has made strangers independent of their homelands,
Has made strangers need their homelands no more;
ذيpossessed of طَلعَةٍa countenance جَلَتِbrightened العُيونَthe eyes بِحُسنِهاwith its beauty
ذي طَلعَةٍ جَلَتِ العُيونَ بِحُسنِها
وَجَلَتand dispelled هُمومَthe cares الناسِof people مِنthrough إِحسانِهاits kindness
وَجَلَت هُمومَ الناسِ مِن إِحسانِها
possessor of a countenance whose beauty made eyes radiant
Possessed of a countenance that has brightened eyes with its beauty,
and whose beneficence dispelled the people’s cares.
And dispelled people's cares through its kindness.
