وكنتُand I used to أرَىsee تَصاريفَvicissitudes اللياليthe nights
وكنتُ أرَى تَصاريفَ الليالي
مفرَّقةًscattered علىon شرفِthe verge of اجتِماعِcoming together
مفرَّقةً على شرفِ اجتِماعِ
And I used to see the vicissitudes of the nights
I used to see the passing of nights
Scattered, on the verge of coming together.
Scattered on the brink of gathering
فلَمso did not يَخطُرoccur علىto باليmy mind كأنِّيas though I
فلَم يَخطُر على بالي كأنِّي
إذاwhenever ماreinforcing particle شِئتُI wished كنتُI was عَلىin a state of امتِناعِinvulnerability
إذا ما شِئتُ كنتُ عَلى امتِناعِ
Yet it did not cross my mind, as though I
It did not occur to me that if I wished
Whenever I wished, could be beyond reach.
I would be capable of abstaining
فلماthen when أنreinforcing particle تَداعَتthey called one another للتَّدانيto draw near
فلما أن تَداعَت للتَّداني
فأسرعتِso they hastened التدانيdrawing near بالتَّداعيthrough mutual summons
فأسرعتِ التداني بالتَّداعي
Then, when they called one another to draw near,
But when they came close for intimacy
And hastened their approach through mutual summons,
And you hastened the intimacy in response
رَجعتُI turned back كأنَّas though أمراًa thing مُستَطاعاattainable
رَجعتُ كأنَّ أمراً مُستَطاعا
أحاولُهI attempt it وليسَand it is not بِمُستَطاعِat all attainable
أحاولُه وليسَ بِمُستَطاعِ
I turned back, as though something attainable
I felt as if it were an achievable matter
Were what I sought—yet it was unattainable—
I attempt but cannot achieve
إلىuntil أنthat قيلit was said ألاwhy not كانَhe had ألقَىconveyed
إلى أن قيل ألا كانَ ألقَى
حديثَthe tale الحادثاتِthe misfortunes إلىto سِباعِSibāʿ
حديثَ الحادثاتِ إلى سِباعِ
Until it was said, “Why had he not laid
Until it was said, would it not be better
The tale of misfortunes before Sibāʿ?”
To tell the tale of events to the lions
جزاكَmay He reward you اللَّهُGod قائِلَهاspeaker of it بخَيرٍwith good
جزاكَ اللَّهُ قائِلَها بخَيرٍ
تولَّدarose بينَbetween قَولكَyour speaking واستِماعيand my hearing
تولَّد بينَ قَولكَ واستِماعي
May God reward you, speaker of those words, with good
May God reward well the speaker
That arose between your speaking and my hearing.
Your words gave birth between us
فماfor … not أيقظتَyou awakened ذاthis الوَسنانdrowsy one إلاexcept
فما أيقظتَ ذا الوَسنان إلا
إلىto مُتَيقِّظٍa wakeful one رَحبbroad الذراعِthe arm
إلى مُتَيقِّظٍ رَحب الذراعِ
For you awakened this drowsy one only
You did not wake this sleepy one
To one wakeful and broad of arm.
Except to one wide awake and keen
وأنَّand that ابنَson of الحُسينِal-Ḥusayn غداةَon the morning when يَسعىhe strives
وأنَّ ابنَ الحُسينِ غداةَ يَسعى
إلىtoward أمرٍan undertaking لمحمودindeed praiseworthy المَساعيthe endeavors
إلى أمرٍ لمحمود المَساعي
And indeed Ibn al-Ḥusayn, on the morning he strives
That the son of Hussein the next morning
Toward an undertaking, is surely praiseworthy in his endeavors.
Strove for a most praiseworthy effort
شمائِلهُhis virtues بماthrough what اشتَملَتthey encompassed عَليهupon it
شمائِلهُ بما اشتَملَت عَليه
إلىto ماwhat فيin أنامِلهِhis fingertips دَواعيinvitations
إلى ما في أنامِلهِ دَواعي
His virtues, through what they encompass,
His features encompassing what they contained
Are invitations to what his fingertips hold.
To what incentives lie in his fingers
Sol 6.1