تَعوَّدَhe became accustomed أنto يَحُولَbe fickle وأنand to يَخوناbetray
تَعوَّدَ أن يَحُولَ وأن يَخونا
إذاwhenever أعطَىhe gives بزَورَتِهconcerning his visit يَمِيناan oath
إذا أعطَى بزَورَتِه يَمِينا
He is accustomed to being fickle and betraying,
whenever he swears an oath to visit.
فَصافَحَنيso he shook my hand ليجعلهاto make it ضَماناًa guarantee
فَصافَحَني ليجعلها ضَماناً
أيَقبلُwould he accept? ذاكَthat منone who عَرفَknows الضَّمِيناthe guarantor
أيَقبلُ ذاكَ من عَرفَ الضَّمِينا
So he shook my hand to make it a guarantee;
would one who knows the guarantor accept that?
زيارتُهhis visit بحيثُsuch that الصَّبرpatience عَنهاin its absence
زيارتُه بحيثُ الصَّبر عَنها
قدalready اتَّخذَتهُit has taken it منfrom دُونيapart from me قَرِيناas a companion
قد اتَّخذَتهُ من دُوني قَرِينا
His visit is such that patience in its absence
has been made its companion in my stead.
وغادِيةٍand a woman traveling at dawn تَسيرtravels أمامَahead of حادٍa camel-driver
وغادِيةٍ تَسير أمامَ حادٍ
يَرىhe sees الحركاتِmovements مِنfrom عَجلٍhaste سُكُوناstillness
يَرى الحركاتِ مِن عَجلٍ سُكُونا
And a woman traveling at dawn, ahead of a camel-driver
who, in his haste, takes movement for stillness,
ليَقطعنيto cut me off لقدindeed أسرَفتِyou have gone too far حتَّىso that even
ليَقطعني لقد أسرَفتِ حتَّى
حُداتُكِyour camel-drivers بالعَداوةِwith hostility يَقصِدوناtarget us
حُداتُكِ بالعَداوةِ يَقصِدونا
to cut me off—you have gone so far
that even your camel-drivers aim their hostility at us.
أماis ... not? يُقضَىis paid الغريمُthe creditor وكيفَand how يُقضَىcan he be paid
أما يُقضَى الغريمُ وكيفَ يُقضَى
وأنتِand you تَرَينyou regard مَطلَpostponing الدّينِthe debt دِيناa religion
وأنتِ تَرَين مَطلَ الدّينِ دِينا
Is the creditor not paid? Yet how can he be paid,
when you regard postponing a debt as a religion?
وتَعتَقدينَand you believe ذاكَthat فليتَso, if only شِعريmy knowledge
وتَعتَقدينَ ذاكَ فليتَ شِعري
إلىto أيِّwhich المَذاهِبschools of belief تَذهَبِيناyou go
إلى أيِّ المَذاهِب تَذهَبِينا
And you hold that belief—if only I knew
which school of belief you follow!
عَرفتُI came to know لطُولِbecause of the length of ماthe time that جرَّبتُI experienced دَهريmy lifetime
عَرفتُ لطُولِ ما جرَّبتُ دَهري
بنَاتِthe daughters of الدَّهرِTime أجمعَall والبَنِيناand the sons
بنَاتِ الدَّهرِ أجمعَ والبَنِينا
Through long experience of my days, I have come to know
all the daughters of Time, and its sons.
فَصِرتُso I came to be إِذاwhenever رأيتُI see أخاa brother of خُطوبٍcalamities
فَصِرتُ إِذا رأيتُ أخا خُطوبٍ
يُعِدُّhe prepares لَهاfor them التجلُّدَfortitude والسِّنِيناand years
يُعِدُّ لَها التجلُّدَ والسِّنِينا
So now, whenever I see a man beset by calamities
preparing fortitude and years to face them,
أبينُI depart ولاand not أكونُI am المرءَthe man المرءَthe man يَبقَىhe remains
أبينُ ولا أكونُ المرءَ المرءَ يَبقَى
علَيهاwith them صابِراَpatient حتَّىuntil تَبيناthey depart
علَيها صابِراَ حتَّى تَبينا
I depart, and am not the man—the man who remains
patient with them until they depart.
ولكِنbut ليسَthere is not ليfor me فيin كلِّevery أرضٍland
ولكِن ليسَ لي في كلِّ أرضٍ
أحاولُهاI seek it out نَدىthe bounty of بنجوتَكيناBanjutakin
أحاولُها نَدى بنجوتَكينا
But I do not have, in every land
I seek out, the bounty of Banjutakin.
أجلyes حيثُwherever اعتَمدتُI sought support وجَدتI found منهfrom him
أجل حيثُ اعتَمدتُ وجَدت منه
هَزِيمَroaring الودقِrain ثَجَّاجاًpouring in torrents هَتُوناstreaming steadily
هَزِيمَ الودقِ ثَجَّاجاً هَتُونا
Yes, wherever I sought support, I found from him
roaring rain, pouring in torrents, streaming down.
وإنand if سحَّتpour down سَحائِبُهhis clouds اختِصاصاًexclusively
وإن سحَّت سَحائِبُه اختِصاصاً
بأرضٍon a land أنبعhe makes spring forth الأخرىthe other land مَعِيناrunning water
بأرضٍ أنبع الأخرى مَعِينا
And if his clouds pour down exclusively
on one land, he makes running water spring up in the other.
وبيضٍand gleaming swords خِلتُهنَّI took them for رُقادَthe sleep of صَبٍّa lovesick man
وبيضٍ خِلتُهنَّ رُقادَ صَبٍّ
غَداةَon the morning when عَدونَthey rushed forth يَهجرنَthey forsake الجُفوناthe sheaths; also eyelids
غَداةَ عَدونَ يَهجرنَ الجُفونا
And gleaming swords I took for a lovesick man's sleep,
on the morning they rushed forth, forsaking their sheaths.
تَرىyou see ماءَthe water of الشَّبابyouth يَجولُcoursing فيهاthrough them
تَرى ماءَ الشَّباب يَجولُ فيها
وقَدand already أفنَتthey have destroyed منof النَّاسِpeople القرُوناgenerations
وقَد أفنَت من النَّاسِ القرُونا
You see the water of youth coursing through them,
though they have destroyed generations of men.
شَفاhe healed بصدُورهاwith their points منَّاamong us صُدوراًbreasts
شَفا بصدُورها منَّا صُدوراً
أقامَتhad continued تحملُbearing الأحقادَgrudges حِيناfor a time
أقامَت تحملُ الأحقادَ حِينا
With their points he healed breasts among us
that had gone on bearing grudges for a time.
فواعَجَباso, what a marvel! ضَرائبُهاthose they strike صُموتٌsilent
فواعَجَبا ضَرائبُها صُموتٌ
ويُسمعُand is heard منfrom مَضارِبهاtheir striking edges الرَّنيناringing
ويُسمعُ من مَضارِبها الرَّنينا
What a marvel! Those they strike are silent,
yet ringing is heard from their striking edges.
وربَّand many a كتائبٍbattalions كتبَتhave written يَداهُhis two hands
وربَّ كتائبٍ كتبَت يَداهُ
علَيهنَّupon them المنيَّةَdeath أجمَعِيناevery one
علَيهنَّ المنيَّةَ أجمَعِينا
And many a battalion—his hands have written
death upon them, every one,
بأقلامٍwith pens منof الخَطِّيِّKhatti spears خَطَّتthat inscribed
بأقلامٍ من الخَطِّيِّ خَطَّت
صحائِفَpages ماnot فُهمنَwere understood ولاnor قُرِيناwere read
صحائِفَ ما فُهمنَ ولا قُرِينا
with pens of Khatti spears, which inscribed
pages neither understood nor read.
أجِدَّكَdo you truly? كلَّماwhenever عَميَتgrew blind قُلوبٌhearts
أجِدَّكَ كلَّما عَميَت قُلوبٌ
تصوِّرُyou fashion بالرِّماحِwith spears لهاfor them عُيُوناeyes
تصوِّرُ بالرِّماحِ لها عُيُونا
Do you truly, whenever hearts grow blind,
fashion eyes for them with spears?
إماراتٌoffices of command دُعِيتyou were called لهاfor them أمِيراًan emir
إماراتٌ دُعِيت لها أمِيراً
ولمand not تحتَجyou needed إلىto لقَبٍa title سُكُوناfor reassurance
ولم تحتَج إلى لقَبٍ سُكُونا
These are offices of command for which you were named emir;
and you needed no title to give you assurance.
وقمتَand you fulfilled بحقِّهاtheir due قَولاًin word وفِعلاًand in deed
وقمتَ بحقِّها قَولاً وفِعلاً
هنالكthen صِرتَyou became صاحبهاtheir holder يَقيناcertainly
هنالك صِرتَ صاحبها يَقينا
And you fulfilled their due in word and deed;
then you became their holder beyond doubt.
رآكَHe saw you اللَّهُGod مَوضعَهاtheir fitting place فكانَتso they came to be
رآكَ اللَّهُ مَوضعَها فكانَت
وحُقَّand it was right لماfor what رآهُHe saw it أنto يَكوناcome to be
وحُقَّ لما رآهُ أن يَكونا
God saw you as their fitting seat, and they came to be;
and it was right that what He saw should be.
وبالتَّوفيقِand with divine aid أنزَلَهاHe sent them down عَليناupon us
وبالتَّوفيقِ أنزَلَها عَلينا
وألهَمَهاand inspired them in أميرَthe Commander of المُؤمِنيناthe Faithful
وألهَمَها أميرَ المُؤمِنينا
And with divine aid He sent them down upon us,
and inspired the Commander of the Faithful with them.
قَصَرناwe fell short عَنof صِفاتِكَyour qualities ثمthen طالَتthey grew greater
قَصَرنا عَن صِفاتِكَ ثم طالَت
وماand not عَجزَتthey failed وبانَand became clear العجزُthe inadequacy فِيناin us
وما عَجزَت وبانَ العجزُ فِينا
We fell short of your qualities, and then they grew greater;
they did not fail; the failure proved to be ours.
ألاtake heed فَاصفَحthen pardon لنَاfor us عمَّاfor what تَرَكناwe left out
ألا فَاصفَح لنَا عمَّا تَرَكنا
مخافَةَfor fear أنthat نُطيلَwe go on too long وماand not نَسِيناwe forgot
مخافَةَ أن نُطيلَ وما نَسِينا
So pardon us for what we have left unsaid,
for fear of going on too long—we have not forgotten.
Sol 6.1