سلask الظعنَthe departing caravan هلis there منany نظرةٍa glance تستَزيدهاyou seek more of it
سل الظعنَ هل من نظرةٍ تستَزيدها
لزادكfor your provisions أمor منany وقفةٍa halt تستَعيدُهاyou ask to repeat it
لزادك أم من وقفةٍ تستَعيدُها
Ask the departing caravan: is there another glance you might seek
for your provisions, or a halt you might ask to repeat?
وإلاand if not فدعthen leave شيئاًsomething هناكthere تُريدهyou desire it
وإلا فدع شيئاً هناك تُريده
لأشياءَfor things تأتيwill come بعدَهafter it لاnot تريدُهاyou desire them
لأشياءَ تأتي بعدَه لا تريدُها
And if not, leave behind something there that you desire
for things that will come after it which you do not desire.
وقدand indeed كنتyou were تعتدُّcounting الهوىlove أمسyesterday نعمةًa blessing
وقد كنت تعتدُّ الهوى أمس نعمةً
وهاand here أنتَyou تبكيyou weep والبكاءand weeping جُحودُهاdenial of it
وها أنتَ تبكي والبكاء جُحودُها
You counted love a blessing only yesterday,
and here you are weeping; weeping denies that blessing.
وظمياءَand a thirsty woman إلاexcept منfrom دميmy blood أفلاis there then no فتىًa young man
وظمياءَ إلا من دمي أفلا فتىً
يحلِّئُهاbars her عنfrom وِردِهاher watering place ويَذودُهاand drives her away
يحلِّئُها عن وِردِها ويَذودُها
And a thirsting woman, quenched only by my blood—is there no gallant
to bar her from her watering place and drive her away?
لهاshe has شفَةٌa lip تشكوcomplains of برقَّتهاthrough its delicacy الصدىthirst
لها شفَةٌ تشكو برقَّتها الصدى
وحمرتهاand its redness تنبيكَtells you كيفَhow ورودُهاher drinking
وحمرتها تنبيكَ كيفَ ورودُها
She has a lip whose delicacy complains of thirst,
and its redness tells you how she drinks.
منamong الوحشِthe wild beasts أعيتshe has failed أنto تَرىfind منanyone who يَصدُّهاrestrains her
من الوحشِ أعيت أن تَرى من يَصدُّها
عنfrom الفتكِslaughter فضلاًmuch less أنto ترىfind منanyone who يَصيدُهاhunts her
عن الفتكِ فضلاً أن ترى من يَصيدُها
A wild creature, she has failed to find anyone to hold her back
from slaughter, much less anyone to hunt her down.
إذاwhen اختلَستshe snatches باللحظwith a glance وافتَرستand preys بهwith it
إذا اختلَست باللحظ وافتَرست به
فلاthen no عجبٌwonder سودthe dark العيونِeyes أسودُهاtheir lions
فلا عجبٌ سود العيونِ أسودُها
When she snatches with a glance and preys with it,
it is no wonder: the dark-eyed are their lions.
رأتshe saw طمعيmy hope فيهاfor her فأمستso by evening they became وأصبحَتand by morning they became
رأت طمعي فيها فأمست وأصبحَت
مواعيدُهاher promises منof مثلهits like وعهودُهاand her pledges
مواعيدُها من مثله وعهودُها
She saw my hopes for her; by evening and by morning,
her promises and pledges had become hopes like mine.
وكمand how often أتناساهاI try to forget her وللراحwhile wine has نشوةٌan intoxication
وكم أتناساها وللراح نشوةٌ
تذكِّرنيهاreminds me of her ماwhat لهاails it جفَّmay wither عودُهاits vine-stem
تذكِّرنيها ما لها جفَّ عودُها
How often I try to forget her, yet wine has a rapture
that reminds me of her—what ails it? May its vine wither!
ورُدَّand was turned back علىupon شيطانهاits devil كيدُهhis scheme بهاthrough it
ورُدَّ على شيطانها كيدُه بها
فأصبحَso he became منfrom غيظٍanger عليهاat it يَكيدُهاhe plots against it
فأصبحَ من غيظٍ عليها يَكيدُها
And through it its devil's own scheme was turned back upon him,
so, enraged at it, he began to plot against it.
وقامand rose عليهاagainst it ثائرٌa rebel بعدَafter ثائرٍa rebel
وقام عليها ثائرٌ بعدَ ثائرٍ
بتلكَwith those العقولِminds الخالياتِempty يقيدُهاhe fetters it
بتلكَ العقولِ الخالياتِ يقيدُها
And rebel after rebel rose against it,
fettering it with those empty minds.
ودالَتand prevailed عليهover him دولةُthe dominion الحقِّof truth والذيand the one who
ودالَت عليه دولةُ الحقِّ والذي
سعىstrove سَعيهاits endeavor حتىuntil أقيمَتwere established حدودُهاits laws
سعى سَعيها حتى أقيمَت حدودُها
And truth's dominion prevailed over him, together with the man who
strove in its cause until its laws were established.
وسُدَّتand were secured بهthrough him أطرافُهاits borders وثُغورُهاand its frontier posts
وسُدَّت به أطرافُها وثُغورُها
وشُدَّتand were strengthened بهthrough him أركانهاits pillars وعقودُهاand its bonds
وشُدَّت به أركانها وعقودُها
And its borders and frontier posts were secured through him,
and its pillars and bonds were strengthened through him.
فصحَّتthus proved true لهاfor it أسماؤهhis names وصفاتُهand his attributes
فصحَّت لها أسماؤه وصفاتُه
مباركهاits Mubarak (blessed one) وعزُّهاand its Izz (glory) وسعيدُهاand its Sa'id (fortunate one)
مباركها وعزُّها وسعيدُها
Thus his names and attributes proved true for it:
its Mubarak (blessed one), its Izz (glory), and its Sa'id (fortunate one).
خليلُa close friend الردَينيَّاتِof the Rudayni spears لولاwere it not for عقوقهhis disloyalty
خليلُ الردَينيَّاتِ لولا عقوقه
يبيدhe destroys بهاwith them أعداءهhis enemies ويبيدُهاand destroys them
يبيد بها أعداءه ويبيدُها
A close friend of the Rudayni spears, were it not for his disloyalty:
he destroys his enemies with them, and destroys the spears as well.
ومازالand has always been معتاداًaccustomed لخيلٍto cavalry يسوقهاhe drives it
ومازال معتاداً لخيلٍ يسوقها
إلىto حيثwhere لاnot يُدرىis known بخيلٍof cavalry يقودُهاhe leads it
إلى حيث لا يُدرى بخيلٍ يقودُها
And he has always been accustomed to driving cavalry
to where none knows of the cavalry he leads.
وتسفرُand unveil بيضthe gleaming blades الهندof India عنfrom مثلthe likeness وجههِof his face
وتسفرُ بيض الهند عن مثل وجههِ
إذاwhen اشتَبَهتbecame indistinguishable بيضthe white الوجوهfaces وسُودهاand their black ones
إذا اشتَبَهت بيض الوجوه وسُودها
And India's gleaming swords unveil the likeness of his face
when white faces and black ones become indistinguishable.
يفتشُhe searches عماfor what فيin القلوبthe hearts بحدِّهاwith their edge
يفتشُ عما في القلوب بحدِّها
فتبدوso appear علىupon تلكthose الشِّفارblades حقودُهاtheir grudges
فتبدو على تلك الشِّفار حقودُها
He searches out what lies in hearts with their edge,
so their grudges appear upon those blades.
وإنand if ضُربَتis pitched يوماًone day منof النقعbattle-dust خيمةٌa tent
وإن ضُربَت يوماً من النقع خيمةٌ
وطالَand lasts long علىover الأبطالِthe champions منهاof it ركودُهاits stillness
وطالَ على الأبطالِ منها ركودُها
And if one day a tent of battle-dust is pitched,
and its stillness lingers long above the champions,
تنادَواthey call to one another وهُمand they are أوتادهاits pegs كلُّeach واحدٍone
تنادَوا وهُم أوتادها كلُّ واحدٍ
لهhe has طنبٌa guy-rope منهاof it وأنتَand you are عمودُهاits pole
له طنبٌ منها وأنتَ عمودُها
they call to one another—they are its pegs; each one
has one of its guy-ropes, while you are its pole.
وكمand how many منof يمينٍan oath أقسمَswore الدهرُTime أقسمَتswore
وكم من يمينٍ أقسمَ الدهرُ أقسمَت
علىto حسنِهاits beauty تلكthat اليمينright hand وجودُهاand its bounty
على حسنِها تلك اليمين وجودُها
And how many an oath has Time sworn, with sworn testimony
to its beauty from that right hand and its bounty!
يفيضُpours forth نداهhis bounty كلeach يومday سحابةًas a cloud
يفيضُ نداه كل يوم سحابةً
صواعقهاits thunderbolts منfrom بأسهhis might ورعودُهاand its thunder
صواعقها من بأسه ورعودُها
His bounty pours forth each day as a cloud,
whose thunderbolts and thunder come from his might.
وتبقىand remain بقاءfor the duration of الصيفsummer عندamong عفاتِهhis supplicants
وتبقى بقاء الصيف عند عفاتِه
سيولُtorrents العطاياof gifts بينهمamong them ومُدودُهاand their swelling tides
سيولُ العطايا بينهم ومُدودُها
And as long as summer lasts, among his supplicants remain
the torrents of gifts and their swelling floods.
لكfor you اللَهُGod ماas long as دامتremain كماةٌarmored warriors تجرُّهاyou lead them
لك اللَهُ ما دامت كماةٌ تجرُّها
لكسبِto win المعاليhigh honors أوor كرامٌnoble men تَسودُهاyou rule them
لكسبِ المعالي أو كرامٌ تَسودُها
God be with you, so long as there are warriors you lead
to win high honors, or noble men you rule,
وماand as long as سَرحَتroams freely بالقولin speech فيكabout you قصيدةٌa poem
وما سَرحَت بالقول فيك قصيدةٌ
يسوقdrives إليكtoward you السامعينَthe listeners نشيدُهاits song
يسوق إليك السامعينَ نشيدُها
and so long as a poem roams freely in speaking of you,
its song driving listeners toward you,
ومادامand as long as there remains فيin الدنياthe world لهاfor it منsomeone who يقولُهاrecites it
ومادام في الدنيا لها من يقولُها
ويسمعُهاand hears it منهfrom him ومنand someone who يَستجيدُهاdeems it good
ويسمعُها منه ومن يَستجيدُها
and so long as, in this world, it has someone to recite it,
and someone to hear it from him, and someone to deem it fine.
فكلٌّthus everyone أراهI see him مستفيدُكbenefiting from you نعمةًa blessing
فكلٌّ أراه مستفيدُك نعمةً
لإحدوثةٍfor a tale منsomeone who بعدهis after him يستفيدُهاlearns it
لإحدوثةٍ من بعده يستفيدُها
Thus everyone I see gains a blessing from you,
for a tale that someone after him will learn.
Sol 6.1