كِسْرَىKisra الأقَاحْthe daisies أكْسَىclothed نَجَاشِيNajashi الأدْوَاحْthe great trees
كِسْرَى الأقَاحْ أكْسَى نَجَاشِي الأدْوَاحْ
قُبْطِيَّةَa Coptic linen robe الفِضهْsilver وَتَاجْand a crown الْعَسْجَدْgold
قُبْطِيَّةَ الفِضهْ وَتَاجْ الْعَسْجَدْ
The Kisra of daisies clothed the Najashi of the great trees
in a silver Coptic linen robe and a crown of gold.
وَأيْدِيand the hands الربيعْspring تَحْرِقْburn بِنَارِwith the fire النَّوْفَرْthe water lily
وَأيْدِي الربيعْ تَحْرِقْ بِنَارِ النَّوْفَرْ
فِيin مَجْمَرِthe censer النُّعْمَانْthe anemone طَوَابِعْtablets مِنْof نَدْfragrant incense
فِي مَجْمَرِ النُّعْمَانْ طَوَابِعْ مِنْ نَدْ
And spring's hands burn, with the water lily's fire,
in the anemone's censer, tablets of fragrant incense.
كفُّthe hand الربِيعْspring تنسجْweaves عَلَىon نُولْthe loom الدُّوحْthe great trees
كفُّ الربِيعْ تنسجْ عَلَى نُولْ الدُّوحْ
فِيin قَاعَةِthe hall الروضهthe garden حُلَلْrobes منof أزْهَارْflowers
فِي قَاعَةِ الروضه حُلَلْ من أزْهَارْ
Spring's hand weaves on the loom of the great trees,
in the garden's hall, robes of flowers.
والطلّand the dew كَلَّلْcrowned قُعَالاَتْcaps اليَاسمينْjasmine
والطلّ كَلَّلْ قُعَالاَتْ اليَاسمينْ
وأيديand the hands النسيمْthe breeze تَرْقُمْembroider طِرَازْan embroidered border الأنْهَارْthe rivers
وأيدي النسيمْ تَرْقُمْ طِرَازْ الأنْهَارْ
And the dew crowned jasmine's caps,
and the breeze's hands embroider the rivers' borders.
وَالقُمْرِيand the turtledove جَالسْsitting فيin مراتبْcushions الأغْصَانْthe branches
وَالقُمْرِي جَالسْ في مراتبْ الأغْصَانْ
والقَطْرand the rain يَفْرِشْلُوspreads for him زَرَابِيcarpets النَّوَّارْblossoms
والقَطْر يَفْرِشْلُو زَرَابِي النَّوَّارْ
And the turtledove sits on the boughs' cushions,
and the rain spreads carpets of blossoms for him.
وَالغصنْand the branch عَطْفُوits flank جَرّtrailed ذَيْلthe train الأوْرَاقْthe leaves
وَالغصنْ عَطْفُو جَرّ ذَيْل الأوْرَاقْ
والرَوْضْand the garden يلبسْdresses وَالغَدِيرand the pool تْجَرَّدْstripped bare
والرَوْضْ يلبسْ وَالغَدِير تْجَرَّدْ
And the branch's flank trailed a train of leaves;
and the garden dresses, and the pool has stripped bare.
وَالزَّهرْand the blossoms عُمِّمْwere given turbans وَالشَّقِيقْand the anemones اطِيلِسْdonned a mantle
وَالزَّهرْ عُمِّمْ وَالشَّقِيقْ اطِيلِسْ
وَالوَردْand the roses كُمِّمْwere given sleeves وَالأقَاحْand the daisies اتْقَلَّدْdonned necklaces
وَالوَردْ كُمِّمْ وَالأقَاحْ اتْقَلَّدْ
And the blossoms were given turbans, and the anemones donned mantles;
and the roses were given sleeves, and the daisies donned necklaces.
فِيin رَوْضَةِthe garden الآفَاقْthe horizons تَرَىyou see الزُّهرْthe bright stars أزْهَارْflowers
فِي رَوْضَةِ الآفَاقْ تَرَى الزُّهرْ أزْهَارْ
والبلدهand Al-Baldah خضْرهgreenery وَالدّجِنَّهْand the darkness بستانْa garden
والبلده خضْره وَالدّجِنَّهْ بستانْ
In the garden of the horizons, you see the bright stars as flowers.
And Al-Baldah is greenery, and the darkness a garden;
والصرفهand Al-Sarfah ياسمينjasmine والعريشand the arbor العيُّوقْAl-Ayyuq
والصرفه ياسمين والعريش العيُّوقْ
والفرعand Al-Far' نرجسnarcissus والتُّرنجْand the citron النعمانAl-Nu'man
والفرع نرجس والتُّرنجْ النعمان
and Al-Sarfah is jasmine, and the arbor Al-Ayyuq.
And Al-Far' is narcissus, and the citron Al-Nu'man;
والنطحand Al-Nath سوسنirises والزبَانَاand Al-Zubana رَيْحَانْbasil
والنطح سوسن والزبَانَا رَيْحَانْ
والقطبand the celestial pole قُمْرِيa turtledove والسِّمَاكْand Al-Simak الْبَانْthe ban (moringa) tree
والقطب قُمْرِي والسِّمَاكْ الْبَانْ
and Al-Nath is an iris, and Al-Zubana basil.
And the celestial pole is a turtledove, and Al-Simak the ban tree;
والجديْand Al-Jady نَوَّرْblossomed وَالغمائمand the clouds تنبتْsprout
والجديْ نَوَّرْ وَالغمائم تنبتْ
والثورand Taurus طعَّمْgrafted والمُقَاتِلْand Al-Muqatil عَنْقَدْformed grape clusters
والثور طعَّمْ والمُقَاتِلْ عَنْقَدْ
and Al-Jady blossomed, and the clouds sprout.
And Taurus grafted, and Al-Muqatil formed grape clusters;
والهَقْعَةand Al-Haq'ah جَالِسَهْseated والمَجرّهand the Milky Way مَمْشَىa walkway
والهَقْعَة جَالِسَهْ والمَجرّه مَمْشَى
والجوزاand Al-Jawza تفتحْblooms والثرياand the Pleiades تعقدْset fruit
والجوزا تفتحْ والثريا تعقدْ
and Al-Haq'ah is seated, and the Milky Way a walkway.
And Al-Jawza blooms, and the Pleiades set fruit.
للقُطْبfor the celestial pole أطفالْchildren فِيin مَكَاتِبْschools الأدْوَاحْthe great trees
للقُطْب أطفالْ فِي مَكَاتِبْ الأدْوَاحْ
والقَمَرْand the moon مُؤَدّبْهَاtheir tutor الذِيthe one who عَلِّمْهَاtaught them
والقَمَرْ مُؤَدّبْهَا الذِي عَلِّمْهَا
The celestial pole has children in the great trees' schools,
and the moon is their tutor, the one who taught them.
والسُّحْبand the clouds خَطَّتْwrote فِيin صَحَائِفْthe pages الأوْرَاقْthe leaves
والسُّحْب خَطَّتْ فِي صَحَائِفْ الأوْرَاقْ
بْأقْلاَمْwith pens مَطَرْrain بَارِيthe Creator النِّسَمْsouls قَوَّمْهَاstraightened them
بْأقْلاَمْ مَطَرْ بَارِي النِّسَمْ قَوَّمْهَا
And the clouds wrote on the pages of leaves,
with pens of rain that the Creator of souls straightened.
وَالطَّلْand the dew قَدْindeed أهْمَلْleft undotted حُرُوفْthe letters الأزْهَارْthe flowers
وَالطَّلْ قَدْ أهْمَلْ حُرُوفْ الأزْهَارْ
والغصنْand the branch بِالأثْمَارْwith fruits نَقَّطْdotted مُعْجَمْهَاtheir letters requiring dots
والغصنْ بِالأثْمَارْ نَقَّطْ مُعْجَمْهَا
And the dew has left the flowers' letters undotted,
and the branch, with fruit, dotted their letters that take dots.
وَالقَمَرْand the moon هَلَّلْproclaimed 'No god but God' وَالغَسَقْand the dusk كَبَّرْproclaimed 'God is greatest'
وَالقَمَرْ هَلَّلْ وَالغَسَقْ كَبَّرْ
والنهرْand the river كَتَبْwrote وَالنَّسِيمْand the breeze جَوَّدْrecited with proper intonation
والنهرْ كَتَبْ وَالنَّسِيمْ جَوَّدْ
And the moon proclaimed 'There is no god but God,' and dusk proclaimed 'God is greatest.'
And the river wrote, and the breeze recited with perfect intonation.
وَالعَنْدَلِيبْand the nightingale يَخْتِمْfinishes reciting تَبَارَكْTabaraka ('Blessed is He') مَاhow أحْلاَهsweet he is
وَالعَنْدَلِيبْ يَخْتِمْ تَبَارَكْ مَا أحْلاَه
حينَwhen قامْstood علىon كُرْسيthe seat قَضيبُوhis twig وَأنْشَدْand sang
حينَ قامْ على كُرْسي قَضيبُو وَأنْشَدْ
And the nightingale completes 'Tabaraka'—how sweet he is!
When he stood upon his twig's seat and sang:
زَوْرَقْa skiff هِلاَلْa crescent بَحْرthe sea الدّجِنَّهdarkness أرْسَىanchored
زَوْرَقْ هِلاَلْ بَحْر الدّجِنَّه أرْسَى
والأفقْand the horizon مِينَاa harbor والمَرَاسِيand the anchors الدبْرَانِAldebaran
والأفقْ مِينَا والمَرَاسِي الدبْرَانِ
The crescent-skiff anchored in the sea of darkness;
and the horizon is a harbor, and the anchors are Aldebaran.
والبلدهand Al-Baldah فرشهbedding والحملand Aries بِيتْa cabin إمْرَهْcommand
والبلده فرشه والحمل بِيتْ إمْرَهْ
والطرفand Al-Tarf طلبهstudents والنعائمand Al-Na'a'im سلطانa sultan
والطرف طلبه والنعائم سلطان
And Al-Baldah is the bedding, and Aries the command cabin;
and Al-Tarf is the students, and Al-Na'a'im the sultan.
والنطحْand Al-Nath تابوتْa chest والثريَّاand the Pleiades لولبْa screw
والنطحْ تابوتْ والثريَّا لولبْ
والقطبْand the celestial pole صَارِيa mast والقلاَعْand the sails السَّرَطَانْCancer
والقطبْ صَارِي والقلاَعْ السَّرَطَانْ
And Al-Nath is the chest, and the Pleiades the screw;
and the celestial pole is the mast, and the sails are Cancer.
والقلبand Al-Qalb قلفطcaulked والزباناand Al-Zubana شَحَّمْgreased
والقلب قلفط والزبانا شَحَّمْ
والفرعand Al-Far' حَصَّلْhauled in والمقاتلْand Al-Muqatil قَلَّدْrigged
والفرع حَصَّلْ والمقاتلْ قَلَّدْ
And Al-Qalb caulked, and Al-Zubana greased;
and Al-Far' hauled in, and Al-Muqatil rigged.
والجديand Al-Jady مسَّكْmade fast والسمايهand the sky دفَّهْa rudder
والجدي مسَّكْ والسمايه دفَّهْ
والحوتand Pisces مقذفْan oar والريحand the wind حَدَّدْsharpened
والحوت مقذفْ والريح حَدَّدْ
And Al-Jady made fast, and the sky is the rudder;
and Pisces is the oar, and the wind sharpened it.