ماwhat ليis with me أراكَI see you مُشمِّراًgirding yourself لمراسيto contend with me
ما لي أراكَ مُشمِّراً لمراسي
داءُillness العَليلِthe sick man ولاand not دواءُremedy الآسيthe healer
داءُ العَليلِ ولا دواءُ الآسي
Why do I see you girding yourself to contend with me?
The invalid's illness, not the healer's remedy.
إنَّindeed الذيthe one who يَغدوgoes forth at dawn فيمسحُthen strokes عطفَهُhis flank
إنَّ الذي يَغدو فيمسحُ عطفَهُ
ويَروحُand goes forth at dusk يذكرُهُrecalls him السلوُّforgetfulness لناسيsurely forgetful
ويَروحُ يذكرُهُ السلوُّ لناسي
Indeed, he who goes forth at dawn and strokes his flank,
and goes forth at dusk, recalled by forgetfulness, is surely forgetful.
قضتspent الهُنَيدةُthe hundred-year span شَطرَهاhalf its span فيin غيِّهhis waywardness
قضت الهُنَيدةُ شَطرَها في غيِّه
فجعلتso you began تغمزُpressing فيon قَضيبٍa rod عاسيstiff and dry
فجعلت تغمزُ في قَضيبٍ عاسي
Half a hundred years have passed in his waywardness,
so you began pressing on a stiff, dry rod.
فإذاso when أحبَّfell in love الناسُpeople واشتَهَرand became known الهَوىpassion
فإذا أحبَّ الناسُ واشتَهَر الهَوى
فيهمamong them أحبَّloved الناسُpeople لومَreproaching الناسِpeople
فيهم أحبَّ الناسُ لومَ الناسِ
So when people love and passion becomes known
among them, people love reproaching people.
ومُدامةٍand a wine ضَربَseized المخاضُlabor pains كؤوسَهاits cups
ومُدامةٍ ضَربَ المخاضُ كؤوسَها
فغَدتso became قَوابِلُهاits midwives أناملَfingertips حاسيa drinker
فغَدت قَوابِلُها أناملَ حاسي
And a wine whose cups were seized by labor pains—
its midwives became a drinker's fingertips.
كانَتit was مُعتَّقةًaged ولمand not يُعرَفwas known لهاto it
كانَت مُعتَّقةً ولم يُعرَف لها
كأسٌa cup فكيفَso how تكونُcould it be بنتdaughter of الكاسِthe cup
كأسٌ فكيفَ تكونُ بنت الكاسِ
It was aged, yet never had it known
a cup—so how could it be the cup's daughter?
لماwhen سمِعتُI heard النَّهيَthe prohibition عوضَنيcompensated me بِهاin exchange for it النthe … (word fragment)
لما سمِعتُ النَّهيَ عوضَني بِها الن
ناهِيone who forbids خلائِقَvirtues منfrom أبيAbu العَباسِal-‘Abbas
ناهِي خلائِقَ من أبي العَباسِ
When I heard the ban, I was compensated for it by the—
one who forbade it—with virtues from Abu al-‘Abbas.
تَحلوare sweet وتَعذُبُand are delightful وهيand they are سمُّpoison عُداتهhis enemies
تَحلو وتَعذُبُ وهي سمُّ عُداته
سُبحانَglory be to مَنthe One who خلَطَmingled الندىgenerosity بالباسِwith valor
سُبحانَ مَن خلَطَ الندى بالباسِ
They are sweet and delightful, yet poison to his enemies.
Glory to Him who mingled generosity with valor!
والمجدand glory كلٌّeveryone يدَّعيهِclaims it وإنَّماyet only
والمجد كلٌّ يدَّعيهِ وإنَّما
يَصفوbecomes pure لكَfor you الإبريزُpure gold بالروباسِwith gold-refining flux
يَصفو لكَ الإبريزُ بالروباسِ
And glory—everyone claims it; yet only
with refining flux is pure gold purified for you.
وبَنوand the sons of حُميدانٍHumaydan بَنَوهُbuilt it فإنَّهمfor indeed they are
وبَنو حُميدانٍ بَنَوهُ فإنَّهم
شُبانُyoung men تَعلِيَةٍraising high شُيوخُelders أساسِfoundation
شُبانُ تَعلِيَةٍ شُيوخُ أساسِ
And the sons of Humaydan built it, for they are
youths in raising it high, elders in laying its foundations.
مُتَشابهُونَalike كأنَّماas though أخلاقُهمtheir characters
مُتَشابهُونَ كأنَّما أخلاقُهم
خُلِقَتwere fashioned بحذوٍto a pattern واحدٍone وقِياسِand a measure
خُلِقَت بحذوٍ واحدٍ وقِياسِ
Alike, as though their characters
were fashioned to one pattern and measure.
منof كلِّevery منone who يقريoffers hospitality فيُرسِلُthen sends forth سَيبَهhis bounty
من كلِّ من يقري فيُرسِلُ سَيبَه
غدقاًabundantly ويَعجَزُand falls short مالُهُhis wealth فيُواسيso he shares
غدقاً ويَعجَزُ مالُهُ فيُواسي
Each offers hospitality and pours forth his bounty
abundantly; when his wealth falls short, he still shares.
Sol 6.1