بسطspread الربيعspring لناfor us بساطa carpet نباتvegetation
بسط الربيع لنا بساط نبات
ودعاكand called to you يبسمsmiling عنthrough ثغورmouths بناتmaidens
ودعاك يبسم عن ثغور بنات
Spring spread for us a carpet of growing green,
Spring spread for us a carpet of greenery,
and called to you, smiling through maidens’ mouths.
And called to you, smiling through maidens' mouths.
وزهتand glowed خدودcheeks الوردthe roses وابتسمتand smiled علىupon
وزهت خدود الورد وابتسمت على
وردrosiness الخدودthe cheeks مباسمsmiling mouths الزهواتthe blossoms
ورد الخدود مباسم الزهوات
The cheeks of roses glowed; and over cheek-roses
And the roses' cheeks glowed, and smiling upon
smiled the mouths of blooming beauties.
Rosy cheeks were the mouths of blossoms.
وتمايلand swayed الحورthe poplar الغيورthe jealous مصوتاًraising its voice
وتمايل الحور الغيور مصوتاً
كعرائسlike brides تشكوcomplaining منof الحمواتthe mothers-in-law
كعرائس تشكو من الحموات
The jealous poplar swayed, veiled,
And the jealous poplar swayed, raising its voice,
like brides complaining of their mothers-in-law.
Like brides complaining of mothers-in-law.
وسطاand assailed النسيمthe breeze علىupon النخيلthe palms بضمةٍwith an embrace
وسطا النسيم على النخيل بضمةٍ
هزتshook عليهagainst him ذوابلslender القاماتforms
هزت عليه ذوابل القامات
The breeze pounced upon the palms in an embrace
And the breeze assailed the palms with an embrace
that shook the tresses of their stately forms.
That set their slender forms swaying against him.
وجلاand revealed الشقيقthe anemone العصفريsafflower-hued علىupon الربىthe hills
وجلا الشقيق العصفري على الربى
كاساتcups خمرٍwine فيon ذرىthe tops of كاساتcups
كاسات خمرٍ في ذرى كاسات
And spring revealed the saffron-red anemone upon the hills:
And the safflower-hued anemone revealed upon the hills
cups of wine upon the summits of cups.
Cups of wine atop cups.
وحكتand mimicked ثغورmouths الأقحوانthe chrysanthemums مباسمsmiling mouths الthe
وحكت ثغور الأقحوان مباسم ال
غيدgraceful maidens الحسانthe beauties الخردthe shy maidens الخصراتthe slender-waisted women
غيد الحسان الخرد الخصرات
The mouths of daisies mimicked the smiles of the—
And the mouths of chrysanthemums mimicked the smiles of the
graceful beauties, fair young maidens, modest and coy.
Graceful beauties, shy maidens with slender waists.
والسروand the cypress ناجاهwhispered to it الهزارthe nightingale فرنحتso were set swaying
والسرو ناجاه الهزار فرنحت
أعطافهits boughs بمحاسنwith the beauties of النغماتthe melodies
أعطافه بمحاسن النغمات
The nightingale communed with the cypress, and its boughs swayed
And the nightingale whispered to the cypress, setting
to the lovely cadences of the melodies.
Its boughs swaying with the beauty of the melodies.
وترنمتand sang melodiously فوقabove الغصونthe boughs بلابلٌnightingales
وترنمت فوق الغصون بلابلٌ
لمdid not تدرknow كيفwhat ... was like بلابلturmoil الحسراتthe regrets
لم تدر كيف بلابل الحسرات
Nightingales warbled above the branches,
And nightingales sang above the boughs,
unaware what sorrow’s other “nightingales”—its troubles—were.
Not knowing what the turmoil of regret was like.
وهوتand fell نجومstars الياسمينthe jasmine فخلتهاso I took them for
وهوت نجوم الياسمين فخلتها
درراًpearls تفرقهاscatters them يدthe hand of النسماتthe breezes
درراً تفرقها يد النسمات
The stars of jasmine fell, and I imagined them
And jasmine's stars fell, and I took them for
pearls scattered by the hand of the breezes.
Pearls scattered by the hand of the breezes.
والماءand the water صفقclapped فيalong الجروفthe banks كأنهas though it
والماء صفق في الجروف كأنه
يدعوinvites الضيوفthe guests لأعذبto the sweetest الراحاتrepose
يدعو الضيوف لأعذب الراحات
The water clapped against the banks, as though
And the water clapped along the banks, as though it
inviting guests to the sweetest repose.
Were inviting guests to the sweetest repose.
والراحand the wine لماwhen بالرضابto sweet saliva تزوجتwas wedded
والراح لما بالرضاب تزوجت
رقصdanced الحبابthe bubbles لهاfor her علىupon الكاساتthe cups
رقص الحباب لها على الكاسات
And when wine was wedded to the nectar of the mouth,
And when the wine was wedded to sweet saliva,
its bubbles danced for her upon the cups.
The bubbles danced for her upon the cups.
فانهضthen rise لعانسةٍfor an aged maiden يريكshows you نضارهاher golden radiance
فانهض لعانسةٍ يريك نضارها
فيin الدنthe wine-jar عينthe orb of الشمسthe sun فيamid الظلماتthe darkness
في الدن عين الشمس في الظلمات
Rise, then, to an aged, unwed maiden whose luster shows you
Rise, then, for an aged maiden whose golden glow shows you
within the wine jar the eye of the sun amid darkness.
In the wine-jar, the sun's orb amid the darkness.
يخفىis hidden الزجاجthe glass بلونهاby her color فتخالهاso you imagine her
يخفى الزجاج بلونها فتخالها
فيin الكاسthe cup مصباحاًa lamp بلاwithout مشكاةa lamp-niche
في الكاس مصباحاً بلا مشكاة
The glass disappears in her color, so you imagine her
The glass is hidden by her color, so you imagine her
inside the cup, a lamp without a niche.
A lamp within the cup, without a niche.
صالحmake peace بهاwith her بينbetween السرورjoy وخاطريand my mind
صالح بها بين السرور وخاطري
واجعلand make رضابكyour sweet saliva أولthe first of الكلماتthe words
واجعل رضابك أول الكلمات
Through her, make peace between joy and my heart,
With her, make peace between joy and my mind,
and make the nectar of your lips the first of words.
And make your sweet saliva the first of words.
واضربand strike بهاwith her هامthe heads of الهمومthe cares فإنهاfor she
واضرب بها هام الهموم فإنها
لأضرsurely the most harmful بارقةٍa lightning-flash علىagainst الآفاتthe afflictions
لأضر بارقةٍ على الآفات
Strike with her at the heads of cares—for she is
And strike with her the heads of cares, for she is
the deadliest lightning-flash against afflictions.
Surely the most devastating lightning-flash against afflictions.
