حبلُthe rope of الهَوىlove ملقىًcast علىupon الغارِبthe withers
حبلُ الهَوى ملقىً على الغارِب
فماso what لهاwith her ترقِلُshe trots swiftly بالراكبِwith the rider
فما لها ترقِلُ بالراكبِ
Love's rope lies cast upon the withers;
The rope of passion lies discarded on the ground
why, then, does she trot off with the rider?
Yet she continues restless with the rider
وأنتَand you لاnot تنفكyou cease فيin إثرهاher wake
وأنتَ لا تنفك في إثرها
تحدوyou drive onward with song بحثِّwith the urging of المَدمعthe tears الساكبِstreaming
تحدو بحثِّ المَدمع الساكبِ
And you never cease following in her wake,
While you tirelessly pursue their trail
chanting her onward with the spur of streaming tears.
Urged on by the tears of the weeping eye
وراءَكbehind you ارجِعreturn إنَّindeed خيلَthe steeds of الهوىlove
وراءَك ارجِع إنَّ خيلَ الهوى
لاnot تلحقُbring up to المسلوبَthe robbed one بالسالبِto the robber
لا تلحقُ المسلوبَ بالسالبِ
Turn back! Return—for love's steeds
Turn back, for the steeds of passion
cannot bring the robbed one up to the robber.
Will never catch up with the robber and the robbed
وياand O مديرwielder of اللحظاتthe glances التيthat
ويا مدير اللحظات التي
توجبcompel أنthat أتركَI abandon منsome of واجبيmy duty
توجب أن أتركَ من واجبي
And O wielder of the glances that
O director of the moments that oblige me
compel me to forsake part of my duty,
To neglect my duties
أوصيكَI charge you خيراًkindly بالسقامconcerning the sickness الذيwhich
أوصيكَ خيراً بالسقام الذي
فيهنَّin them واعلمand know أنهthat it صاحبيmy companion
فيهنَّ واعلم أنه صاحبي
I charge you to be kind to the sickness that
I advise you kindly of the malady
is in them; know that it is my companion.
That afflicts them, and know it is my companion
وقَرقَفٍand wine فيin مقلَتيthe two eyes of أهيفٍa slender-waisted youth
وقَرقَفٍ في مقلَتي أهيفٍ
عذراءَvirgin لاnot تُمنعُis withheld منfrom خاطبِa suitor
عذراءَ لا تُمنعُ من خاطبِ
And wine in the two eyes of a slender-waisted youth,
A timid doe in my eyelids, a graceful maiden
a virgin, withheld from no suitor.
Denied to her suitor
حلّتwas lawful ولَكنand yet حرَّمواthey forbade أختهاits sister
حلّت ولَكن حرَّموا أختها
منof ريقةٍa drop of saliva تُجلىis unveiled علىbefore الشاربِthe drinker
من ريقةٍ تُجلى على الشاربِ
It was lawful, and yet they forbade its sister,
She arrived but they forbade her sister
made of a drop of saliva, unveiled before the drinker.
A sip that would shine on the drinker's lip
وعللّونيand they soothed me بالذيwith what عندَهمin their possession
وعللّوني بالذي عندَهم
كمُستتابٍlike one urged to repent ليسَnot بالتائبِrepentant
كمُستتابٍ ليسَ بالتائبِ
And they soothed me with what they had,
They reproached me for what they possess
like one urged to repent who does not repent.
Like one pressured to repent but not remorseful
جاؤاthey came بدنٍّwith a wine-jar زعمواthey claimed أنَّهthat it
جاؤا بدنٍّ زعموا أنَّه
منfrom آدمٍAdam منfrom طينِهhis clay اللازبِclinging
من آدمٍ من طينِه اللازبِ
They came with a wine-jar, claiming that it
They brought a religion they claimed
was from Adam, from his clinging clay.
Came from an Adam made of clinging clay
قلتI said احبِسواhold back عنfrom شيخكمyour old man سَيحَكمyour stream
قلت احبِسوا عن شيخكم سَيحَكم
فليسfor it is not ماضيthe bygone part of العمرlife بالآيبِreturning
فليس ماضي العمر بالآيبِ
I said, 'Keep your flowing wine from your old man,
I said, "Detain your Shaykh, for the days of my life
for bygone life will not return.'
Are not those of one who returns"
وجرَّand brought up قوليmy saying أنَّنيthat I تائبٌrepentant
وجرَّ قولي أنَّني تائبٌ
منهاof it حديثtalk of ابنَيthe two sons of أبيAbu التائبِal-Ta'ib
منها حديث ابنَي أبي التائبِ
And my saying that I had repented
And my saying I had repented
of it brought up the tale of Abu al-Ta'ib's two sons,
Brought, from the two sons of Abi al-Taib
المانعَينthe two withholders الواهبَينthe two givers انظرواconsider
المانعَين الواهبَين انظروا
هلwhether يوصفُis described المانعthe withholder بالواهبِas a giver
هل يوصفُ المانع بالواهبِ
the two withholders, the two givers—consider:
The withholders, the granters - see
can a withholder be described as a giver?
Can the withholder be called the granter?
مالاهماtheir two fortunes جنَّةa shield عرضَيهماtheir two reputations
مالاهما جنَّة عرضَيهما
قدmay يُحرَسُbe guarded المخزونُwhat is stored بالسائبِby what is let loose
قد يُحرَسُ المخزونُ بالسائبِ
Their fortunes are a shield for their honor;
They have no Paradise, their two widths
what is stored may be guarded by what is let go.
That may be guarded by one who roams around
كلٌّeach عليٌّAli فيin بناءِbuilding العُلىglory
كلٌّ عليٌّ في بناءِ العُلى
إذاwhen انتَهىhe reaches فيin نسبٍa lineage عازبِdistant
إذا انتَهى في نسبٍ عازبِ
Each is an Ali in the building of glory,
Each a lofty Ali in lineage
when traced back through a distant lineage.
When ending in a proud, unattached lineage
فخلِّهso leave him فيماin what تَرىyou see أنَّهthat he
فخلِّه فيما تَرى أنَّه
صعبُformidable المساعيin endeavors خَشِنrough الجانبِof manner
صعبُ المساعي خَشِن الجانبِ
So leave him, insofar as you find him
So leave him to what you see as
formidable in endeavor, rough of manner,
Arduous, rough-edged
إلىto الملبَّىthe one whose call is answered والمسمّىand the one named بهafter him
إلى الملبَّى والمسمّى به
بردِّهby his repaying معروفَهhis kindness الناسبِthe genealogist
بردِّه معروفَه الناسبِ
to the one whose call is answered and his namesake,
To the wished-for one, called by it
through the genealogist's repayment of his kindness.
Known by its coldness, suitable
كمhow many كذّباthey both belied منof حذرٍa fear صادقٍtruthful
كم كذّبا من حذرٍ صادقٍ
وصدَّقاand they both made true منof أملٍa hope كاذبِfalse
وصدَّقا من أملٍ كاذبِ
How many a truthful fear they have belied,
How they lied about many a truthful warning
and made many a false hope come true!
And believed many a false hope
وكلّand everyone منwho يُجديbestows علىupon قائِلa poet
وكلّ من يُجدي على قائِل
فإنماthen only يُمليhe dictates علىto كاتبِa scribe
فإنما يُملي على كاتبِ
And whoever bestows on a poet
And each who profits by speaking
merely dictates to a scribe.
Merely dictates to a scribe
كلاهُماboth of them فيin فِعلهhis action كاسِبa gainer
كلاهُما في فِعله كاسِب
والفضلُand the favor ماwhat يَبقىremains علىowed by الكاسبِthe gainer
والفضلُ ما يَبقى على الكاسبِ
Both gain through their deeds,
Both profit by their deed
and the favor is what remains owed by the gainer.
But virtue belongs only to the doer
Sol 6.1