ياO أيُّهاyou الرَّكبthe caravan قفواhalt بيwith me ساعةًa while
يا أيُّها الرَّكب قفوا بي ساعةً
أَقْضيI repay لِرَبْعٍto a dwelling فيin الحمىthe protected grounds دِيوناdebts
أَقْضي لِرَبْعٍ في الحمى دِيونا
O caravan, halt with me a while,
O caravan, stop for an hour,
That I may repay debts to a dwelling in the protected grounds.
Let me pay off a debt to a loved one in fever,
ولمand did not أشِمْI watch وامضa flash of برقٍlightning لامعاًgleaming
ولم أشِمْ وامض برقٍ لامعاً
إلاَّexcept that ذكرتI recalled الثغرthe mouth والجبيناand the forehead
إلاَّ ذكرت الثغر والجبينا
And never have I watched a gleaming flash of lightning
Whenever lightning flashed brightly,
Without recalling the mouth and the forehead.
I remembered the smile and the forehead.
وحينand when لاحَappeared الشَّيبgray hair فيin مفارقيmy hair's partings
وحين لاحَ الشَّيب في مفارقي
وكانَand occurred ماwhat لمnot أرضَI approved أنthat يكوناit should happen
وكانَ ما لم أرضَ أن يكونا
And when gray hair appeared along my hair's partings,
When white hair appeared in my temples,
And what I had not wished to happen came to pass,
And what I didn't want happened,
وماand never خَلَفْتُI failed to keep للغرامto passionate love طاعةًobedience
وما خَلَفْتُ للغرام طاعةً
وماand never نَكَثْتُI unraveled حبلهاits cord المتيناstrong
وما نَكَثْتُ حبلها المتينا
Nor did I fail in obedience to passionate love,
I didn't obey passion,
Nor did I unravel its strong cord.
Nor did I break its strong rope.
أَئِنُّI groan مَّماfrom what أضْمَرَتconcealed أضالعيmy ribs
أَئِنُّ مَّما أضْمَرَت أضالعي
وكنتُand I was ممَّنamong those who أعْلَنvoiced openly الأَنيناthe groaning
وكنتُ ممَّن أعْلَن الأَنينا
I groan from what my ribs have concealed,
Do I complain about what my ribs concealed?
And I was among those who made their groaning known.
Was I among those who moaned loudly?
وماand not وَجَدْتُI found فيin الهوىlove علىagainst الهوىlove
وما وَجَدْتُ في الهوى على الهوى
غيرother than بكائيmy weeping للأَسىfor sorrow مُعيناa helper
غير بكائي للأَسى مُعينا
And in love I found no aid against love,
In passion, I found nothing but passion,
Except my weeping over sorrow.
Except my tears helping my sorrow.
ياO صاحبيَّmy two companions والخليلُand a friend مُسْعِدٌhelpful
يا صاحبيَّ والخليلُ مُسْعِدٌ
إنْif لمnot تعيناyou two help كلفاًa lovesick man فبيناthen depart, you two
إنْ لم تعينا كلفاً فبينا
O my two companions—and a friend lends aid—
My friend, you're fortunate,
If you two will not help a lovesick man, then depart.
If you can't help, make it clear.
وأرَّقتنيand kept me awake الوُرْقُthe gray doves فيin أفنانهاtheir boughs
وأرَّقتني الوُرْقُ في أفنانها
تردِّدrepeating التغريدthe birdsong واللُّحوناand the melodies
تردِّد التغريد واللُّحونا
And the gray doves in their boughs kept me awake,
The leaves made me sleepless in their branches,
Repeating birdsong and melodies.
Repeating the warbling and tunes.
كمhow many أجَّجتْthey kindled منfrom الفؤادthe heart لوعةًa burning pang
كم أجَّجتْ من الفؤاد لوعةً
وأهْرَقَتْand set flowing منof عَبرةa tear شؤوناtear ducts
وأهْرَقَتْ من عَبرة شؤونا
How many a burning pang they kindled in the heart,
How it ignited sorrow in my heart,
And made the tear ducts pour forth tears.
And shed tears of lamentation!
كمhow many أرْغَمَتْpressed into dust أَنْفَthe nose of الحسودthe envier سطوةًa mighty stroke
كم أرْغَمَتْ أَنْفَ الحسود سطوةً
وغَمرتْand overwhelmed بالبرّwith kindness معتفيناseekers of bounty
وغَمرتْ بالبرّ معتفينا
How many a mighty stroke has ground the envier's nose in the dust,
How it humbled the arrogant enemy,
And flooded seekers of bounty with kindness.
And inundated the refugee with kindness!
ياO شدَّintense ماwhat كابدhe endured منof صبابةٍardent longing
يا شدَّ ما كابد من صبابةٍ
فيin صَبْوةٍyouthful passion عذابهاits torment المُهيناhumiliating
في صَبْوةٍ عذابها المُهينا
Oh, how sorely he endured, in ardent longing,
O how much a youth suffers
The humiliating torment of youthful passion!
From the torment of his foolishness!
وفارقَand left المَوْصلَMosul فيin قدومهhis coming
وفارقَ المَوْصلَ في قدومه
ليثٌa lion هزبرٌa mighty lion فارقَleft العريناthe den
ليثٌ هزبرٌ فارقَ العرينا
And as he came, Mosul was left behind
He left Mosul upon arrival
By a mighty lion who had left his den.
A ferocious lion leaving its den.
منamong أشرفthe noblest of النَّاسpeople وأَعلىand highest in نسباًlineage
من أشرف النَّاس وأَعلى نسباً
وكانَand he was منamong أَندىthe most generous of الورىhumankind يميناin right hand
وكانَ من أَندى الورى يمينا
One of the noblest of men and highest in lineage,
He's the noblest and highest in origin,
And among all people, his right hand was one of the most generous.
And the brightest of all people.
وكلَّماand whenever أَمْلَتْdictated تباريحthe torments of الجوىburning passion
وكلَّما أَمْلَتْ تباريح الجوى
تفَنَّنَتْthey varied بنَوْحِهاin their lament فنوناmany forms
تفَنَّنَتْ بنَوْحِها فنونا
And whenever the torments of burning passion dictated,
Whenever the winds of passion blew,
They varied their lament in many forms.
It composed its tune in different ways.
عوَّدَهُaccustomed him علىto الجميلgood deeds شيمةٌa disposition
عوَّدَهُ على الجميل شيمةٌ
وأوْرَثَتْهand bequeathed him شدَّةًfirmness وليناand gentleness
وأوْرَثَتْه شدَّةً ولينا
His disposition accustomed him to good deeds,
Good manners accustomed him
And bequeathed him firmness and gentleness.
To firmness and tenderness.
وحلَّand settled فيin الزَّوراءal-Zawra شَهمٌa gallant man ماجدٌnoble
وحلَّ في الزَّوراء شَهمٌ ماجدٌ
نُقرُّwe gladden فيin طلعتهhis countenance العيوناthe eyes
نُقرُّ في طلعته العيونا
And a gallant, noble man settled in al-Zawra,
In Zawra lives a glorious bold man,
We delight our eyes with the sight of his face.
We pick his blooming eyes.
أُولئكthose القومthe people الذينwho أنْجَبَتْbegot
أُولئك القوم الذين أنْجَبَتْ
أَصلابهاtheir loins الآباءthe fathers والبنيناand the sons
أَصلابها الآباء والبنينا
Those are the people who have begotten
Those are the people whose loins
Fathers and sons from their loins.
Begot fathers and sons.
وطوَّقَتْهand garlanded him فيin العُلىhigh glory أطواقهاits necklaces
وطوَّقَتْه في العُلى أطواقها
وقَلَّدَتْهُand adorned his neck دُرَّهاits pearls الثَّميناprecious
وقَلَّدَتْهُ دُرَّها الثَّمينا
And its necklaces encircled him in high glory,
They crowned him at the top,
And it hung its precious pearls about his neck.
And gave him their precious pearls.
وأَظهرواand they revealed ماwhat أَضمرواthey concealed منof كيدِهمtheir plotting
وأَظهروا ما أَضمروا من كيدِهم
وكانَand it was فيin صدورهمtheir breasts كميناlurking
وكانَ في صدورهم كمينا
And they revealed the plotting they had concealed,
They showed their hidden spite,
And it had lain lurking in their breasts.
Which was lurking in their chests.
يحفظُكprotects you الحافظُthe Preserver منfrom كيدthe plotting of العدىthe enemies
يحفظُك الحافظُ من كيد العدى
وكانَand was حصناًa fortress حفظهHis protection حصيناimpregnable
وكانَ حصناً حفظه حصينا
May the Preserver protect you from the enemies' plotting,
May the Protector protect you from the enemy’s cunning,
And His protection was an impregnable fortress.
And be an impregnable fortress protecting you.
وخيَّبand thwarted اللهGod بهconcerning him ظنونَهمtheir expectations
وخيَّب الله به ظنونَهم
وطالماand how often ظنُّواthey supposed بهabout him الظّنوناsuspicions
وطالما ظنُّوا به الظّنونا
And God thwarted their expectations concerning him,
God thwarted their suspicions,
And how often they had harbored suspicions about him.
Long had they the suspicions.
وعُذْتُand I sought refuge بالرَّحمin kinship وهيand it is عَوْذَةٌa protective charm
وعُذْتُ بالرَّحم وهي عَوْذَةٌ
أخزَتْput to shame بهthrough him شيطانهاits devil اللَّعيناaccursed
أخزَتْ به شيطانها اللَّعينا
And I sought refuge in kinship, a protective charm
I seek refuge in the Most Merciful,
That through him put its accursed devil to shame.
Who disgraced His cursed devil.
لوif كانَhad للأيَّامfor the days وجهٌa face حسنٌbeautiful
لو كانَ للأيَّام وجهٌ حسنٌ
كانَhe would be لهfor it الوجنةthe cheek والعيوناand the eyes
كانَ له الوجنة والعيونا
If the days had a beautiful face,
If days had a beautiful face,
He would be its cheek and eyes.
It would belong to them, and the eyes.
قدindeed طبعواthey were naturally inclined علىtoward الجميلgoodness كلّهall of it
قد طبعوا على الجميل كلّه
وإنْand even if أساءَdoes ill الدَّهرTime محسنيناdoing good
وإنْ أساءَ الدَّهر محسنينا
They were naturally inclined to goodness in all its forms,
They sealed off all good,
And even when Time does ill, they remain doers of good.
Even if time wronged the benefactors.
Sol 6.1