منwho يسألwill ask الطرفthe eye المسهَّدkept sleepless
من يسأل الطرف المسهَّد
ماwhat بالهails it يجنيdoes wrong ويسهَدand stays awake
ما باله يجني ويسهَد
Who will ask the sleepless eye
The one who asks the sleepy eyes
what ails it, that it sins and stays awake?
Why do they reap while sleeping
يبكيit weeps فألبسso I wear كلَّevery يوday (first part)
يبكي فألبس كلَّ يو
مٍday (ending) بُرقعاًa veil منهfrom it مجدَّدrenewed
مٍ بُرقعاً منه مجدَّد
It weeps, and every day I wear
Cries, so I dress every day
a veil of its tears, freshly renewed,
With a cloak renewed from it
بينbetween المعصفرsafflower-dyed cloth والمسيand striped cloth (first part)
بين المعصفر والمسي
يَرstriped cloth (ending) والمسهمand arrow-patterned cloth والمعضَّدand arm-banded cloth
يَر والمسهم والمعضَّد
ranging from safflower-dyed to striped,
Between the yellowish and the dark
arrow-patterned and arm-banded.
He sees, and the branding iron and the supported
لاnot أستطيعI can أردُّهturn it back
لا أستطيع أردُّه
عنaway from ذلكthat القلبthe heart المصدَّدclosed off
عن ذلك القلب المصدَّد
I cannot turn it away
I cannot dissuade him
from that closed-off heart.
From that hardened heart
فأناfor I المولَّدthe one born فيin الهوىlove
فأنا المولَّد في الهوى
أوor فالهوىthen love منيfrom me تولَّدwas born
أو فالهوى مني تولَّد
For I was born into love,
For I was born in love
or else love was born from me.
Or love was born from me
ولربَّand many a أهيفَslender-waisted youth جرtrailed أهloose sandhill (first part)
ولربَّ أهيفَ جر أه
يَلloose sandhill (ending) حينwhen قامhe rose وماسَand swayed أملَدsmooth and supple
يَل حين قام وماسَ أملَد
And many a slender-waisted youth trailed a loose sandhill
And for the shaking sigh
as he rose and swayed, smooth and supple.
When he stood up and did not sleep
فسبىso he took captive بذلكَwith that واستباand plundered (first part)
فسبى بذلكَ واستبا
حَplundered (ending) وماand did not تجاوزَgo beyond ماwhat تعوَّدhe was accustomed to
حَ وما تجاوزَ ما تعوَّد
With that he took captives and plundered,
So he blamed that and exceeded
doing no more than was his custom.
The limit and did not transgress what he was accustomed to
لماwhen اقتَفىhe followed أثرthe footsteps الملاthe beautiful ones (first part)
لما اقتَفى أثر الملا
حbeautiful ones (ending) فدانَso he adopted دينهمtheir creed وقلَّدand imitated
ح فدانَ دينهم وقلَّد
When he followed the footsteps of the beautiful,
When he followed the trace of beauty
he adopted their creed and imitated them.
He professed their religion and imitated
كلeveryone يزهدُنيurges me to renounce ويرand desires (first part)
كل يزهدُني وير
غَبُdesires (ending) وهوwhile he يرغبنيentices me ويزهَدand turns away
غَبُ وهو يرغبني ويزهَد
Everyone bids me renounce him, yet desires
Everyone discouraged me and wished
him; he entices me, yet turns away.
And wished me while discouraging
إنيindeed I لأعجبُtruly marvel منكat you تفyou do (first part)
إني لأعجبُ منك تف
علُdo (ending) ماwhat تذمُّyou are blamed بهfor it فتُحمَدyet you are praised
علُ ما تذمُّ به فتُحمَد
Indeed, I marvel at you: you do
I am surprised by you condemning
what earns blame, yet you are praised.
What you praise so you are praised
وأراكand I see you تملكُyou possess ماwhat ملكpossessed (verb stem)
وأراك تملكُ ما ملك
تَyou (verb ending) منof القلوبthe hearts وليسand not تُحسَدyou are envied
تَ من القلوب وليس تُحسَد
And I see you possess what you have won
And I see you possess what you possessed
of hearts, and yet you are not envied.
Of hearts but you are not envied
نصلَfaded الشبابُyouth مسارعاًswiftly
نصلَ الشبابُ مسارعاً
فكأنso as though أسوَدَهits black hair مسوَّدdyed black
فكأن أسوَدَه مسوَّد
Youth faded swiftly,
Youth's outcome came hastily
as though its black hair were dyed black.
As if its darkness was painted
وكأنماand as though المعهودُwhat was familiar منهfrom it
وكأنما المعهودُ منه
منof المسرةjoy كانwas معهَدa former haunt
من المسرة كان معهَد
And as though what was once familiar in it—
And as if the accustomed from it
its joy—were only a former haunt.
Of happiness was covenanted
لوif كانit were مماamong what كانwas فيin
لو كان مما كان في
كفِّthe palm الأميرthe emir أبيAbu (father of) محمَّدMuhammad
كفِّ الأمير أبي محمَّد
Had it been among the things held in
If it was from what was in
the palm of Emir Abu Muhammad,
The palm of Prince Abu Muhammad
ماذاwhat تظنُّdo you think بهof it أينwould it run out? (first part)
ماذا تظنُّ به أين
فَدُrun out (ending) فيin الندىgenerous giving أمor ليسdoes not يَنفَدrun out
فَدُ في الندى أم ليس يَنفَد
what would you think of it—would it run
What do you think of it, will it
out through generous giving, or never run out?
Run out of dew or not run out
ماnot عندwith زائرِهhis visitor منany of الthe (prefix)
ما عند زائرِه من ال
أمثالِproverbs إلاexcept العَودreturning أحمَدmore praiseworthy
أمثالِ إلا العَود أحمَد
His visitor has no proverb
Nothing but generosity like
but this: 'Returning is better still.'
Ahmad’s is at his visitors
فكأنَّso as though بيتthe house عطائهhis giving
فكأنَّ بيت عطائه
منbecause of كثرةِthe multitude الزوارِthe visitors مَشهَدa shrine
من كثرةِ الزوارِ مَشهَد
So the house of his giving seems
It is as if his house of abundance
a shrine, so numerous are its visitors.
Is a shrine from many visitors
يتزوَّدtakes provisions الغاديthe one setting out إِلَيtoward
يتزوَّد الغادي إِلَي
هِhim (attached pronoun) بفضلfrom the surplus ماwhat عنهfrom him تزوَّدhe took as provisions
هِ بفضل ما عنه تزوَّد
He who sets out takes provisions as he goes toward
The departing to him is provisioned
him, from the surplus he brought away from him.
With the surplus provision from him
ماwhat فيin حَميلتهhis baldric كماlike what
ما في حَميلته كما
فيin غِمدهhis scabbard مماof what تقلَّدhe girded on
في غِمده مما تقلَّد
What he bears in his baldric is like
There is nothing in his caravan as
the weapon he wears within his scabbard;
In his sheath from what he wore
لكنbut ذاكَthat يسلُّis drawn أحsometimes (first part)
لكن ذاكَ يسلُّ أح
ياناًsometimes (ending) وهذاand this ليسَis not يغمَدsheathed
ياناً وهذا ليسَ يغمَد
but that is drawn at times,
But that one sometimes pours while
whereas this is never sheathed.
This one does not sheathe
قطعَceased الحديثُthe talk عنabout الأكاthe noble men (first part)
قطعَ الحديثُ عن الأكا
رِمnoble men (ending) ثمthen صارbecame إليهto him يُسنَدattributed
رِم ثم صار إليه يُسنَد
Talk of noble men ceased,
The speech about the generous stopped
then came to be attributed to him.
Then it refers to him
وبذكرهand with mention of him أبداًalways يُكَرis repeated (first part)
وبذكره أبداً يُكَر
رَرُrepeated (ending) بينناamong us وبهand about him يُردَّدis reiterated
رَرُ بيننا وبه يُردَّد
With mention of him, it is forever repeated
And with his mention he is
among us, and about him it is reiterated.
Always repeated between us
للَهto God (in praise) أنتyou ومرهفand a keen blade الthe (prefix)
للَه أنت ومرهف ال
حدَّينtwo edges فيamong الحيينthe two tribes مفردpeerless
حدَّين في الحيين مفرد
God be praised for you and a keen blade,
God, you and the sharp minded in the two lives are unique
double-edged and unmatched among the two tribes;
And I come from behind the preceders, smooth sided, bare
وأقبّand a lean-bellied steed منthat خلفoutstripped السواthe racers (first part)
وأقبّ من خلف السوا
بِقَracers (ending) مُجفرbroad الجنبينِin both flanks أجرَدsleek
بِقَ مُجفر الجنبينِ أجرَد
and a lean-bellied steed that left the racers
A cultivated, eloquent knight
behind, broad-flanked and sleek;
When ridden he shows pride
ومثقفٌand a straightened spear سبطُsmooth الكعوthe joints (first part)
ومثقفٌ سبطُ الكعو
بِjoints (ending) إذاwhen ركِبتyou rode بهwith it تجعَّدgrew knotted
بِ إذا ركِبت به تجعَّد
and a straightened spear with smooth joints,
The neighing horse clung to it thus became
which grows knotted whenever you ride with it.
As if it is a knotted and plaited forelock
عَلِقَclung النجيعthe gore بهto it فصاso it became (first part)
عَلِقَ النجيع به فصا
رَbecame (ending) كأنهas though it were شطَنٌa long rope معقَّدknotted
رَ كأنه شطَنٌ معقَّد
Gore clung to it, and it became
And a band glittered so its atmosphere shone and it shook and thundered
like a long rope tied in knots.
It returned so you are its banner
وكتيبةٌand a battalion لمعتgleamed فأبso lightning flashed (first part)
وكتيبةٌ لمعت فأب
رقflashed lightning (ending) جَوُهاits sky وجرتand rushed فأرعَدso thundered
رق جَوُها وجرت فأرعَد
And a battalion gleamed, and lightning flashed
I did not see anything competing over you
in its sky; it rushed ahead, and thunder rolled.
رجَعتit returned فأنتand you are لِواؤهاits standard
رجَعت فأنت لِواؤها
لاnot ماwhat رأيتَyou saw عليكabove you يُعقَدis tied
لا ما رأيتَ عليك يُعقَد
It returned, and you are its standard—
not what you saw tied above you.
Partial English translation: 53 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1