أرأيتَhave you seen? ماwhat صنعdid القريبُthe near one النائيthe distant one
أرأيتَ ما صنع القريبُ النائي
أيامَin the days when أغربI tell wonders فيin حديثthe account of بُكائيmy weeping
أيامَ أغرب في حديث بُكائي
Have you seen what the near yet distant one has done,
Have you seen what the distant relative has done
In days when I tell wonders of my weeping,
In the days I complained bitterly of estrangement?
متساقطshedding العبراتِtears كالجمراتِlike embers منfrom
متساقط العبراتِ كالجمراتِ من
حَوليaround me فواعَجبيso, how I marvel! لجمرِat the embers of الماءِwater
حَولي فواعَجبي لجمرِ الماءِ
Shedding tears like embers all
My falling tears like embers around me
Around me? How I marvel at water's embers!
And my wonder at the embers of water.
وأَظلُّand I keep أعترضُI face الرياحthe winds تنسماًseeking a breath of air
وأَظلُّ أعترضُ الرياح تنسماً
فأعالجُso I treat الأهواءَthe passions بالأهواءِwith breaths of air
فأعالجُ الأهواءَ بالأهواءِ
And I keep facing the winds, seeking a breeze,
And I remain intercepting the winds breeze
So I treat passions with breaths of air.
So I contend with the winds using winds.
ومهفهفٍand many a slender youth صحتbecame healthy علىdespite طولthe duration of الضناwasting sickness
ومهفهفٍ صحت على طول الضنا
أجفانُهhis eyelids فدواؤهاso their cure منfrom دائيmy sickness
أجفانُه فدواؤها من دائي
And many a slender youth—healed despite long languor were
With drooping eyelids he shouted the length of reproach
His eyelids; their cure came from my sickness.
Its cure is through my malady.
إِنif نختلِطwe mingle فقدyet indeed اختلَفناwe have differed فانظرواso look
إِن نختلِط فقد اختلَفنا فانظروا
فالخلفُfor disagreement داعيthe cause of فرقةthe separation of الخلطاءِcompanions
فالخلفُ داعي فرقة الخلطاءِ
If we mingle, still we differ—look:
If we differ then we have parted so look
For disagreement brings companions to part.
For difference calls for the parting of the commingled.
كمhow much أحملI bear الهمّsorrow الغريبstrange لصاحبfor the possessor of الthe
كم أحمل الهمّ الغريب لصاحب ال
حُسنِbeauty الغريبِstrange بليتI am afflicted بالغرباءِwith strangers
حُسنِ الغريبِ بليت بالغرباءِ
How much strange grief I bear for the possessor of
How much strange sorrow I carry for the friend of
Strange beauty! I am afflicted with strangers.
The strange beauty. I am afflicted by strangers.
مِنof كلِّevery أسمرdusky جفنُهhis eyelid أذخلتُهunclear; possibly 'I admitted him'
مِن كلِّ أسمر جفنُه أذخلتُه
لولاbut for ذبولslenderness الصعدةِthe straight spear السمراءِbrown
لولا ذبول الصعدةِ السمراءِ
Of every one with dusky eyelids—I would have admitted him [uncertain reading],
I have entered into the heart of every dark-eyed one,
But for the slenderness of the brown spear.
If not for the withering of the tawny rose.
لاlet not ينكرنّfind strange العاذلونthe reproachers تفرديmy being alone
لا ينكرنّ العاذلون تفردي
منfrom دونهapart from him بالوجدِwith passionate longing والبرحاءِand severe torment
من دونه بالوجدِ والبرحاءِ
Let the reproachers not find it strange that I alone,
The blamers cannot deny my uniqueness
Not he, endure longing and bitter torment.
Apart from him in passion and devotion.
فبماfor through what أكاتبُهI write to him أجيبَتwas answered دَعوتيmy prayer
فبما أكاتبُه أجيبَت دَعوتي
وفديتُهand I ransomed him منfrom سائِرall الأسواءِills
وفديتُه من سائِر الأسواءِ
For through what I write to him, my prayer was answered,
So in what I write to him my call is answered
And I ransomed him from every ill.
And I ransom him from all misfortunes.
جعلتbegan مراشفهhis lips تلوذto seek refuge بلحظهin his glance
جعلت مراشفه تلوذ بلحظه
حتىuntil حمىhe guarded اللمياءthe dark-edged lip بالنجلاءِwith the wide eye
حتى حمى اللمياء بالنجلاءِ
His lips began to seek refuge in his glance,
I have made his pillows take refuge in his glance
Till he guarded his dusky lip with his wide eye.
Until the new moon is protected by the full moon.
نكبتemptied كِنانتهاits quiver وقامتand stood دونَهاin front of it
نكبت كِنانتها وقامت دونَها
ترميshooting at فمthe mouth of الدانيthe one drawing near وعينand the eye of الرائيthe beholder
ترمي فم الداني وعين الرائي
It emptied its quiver and stood before the lip,
She turned away her cheeks and stood up without them
Shooting at the mouth of one drawing near and the eye of one who looks.
Assailing the mouth of the repenter and the eye of the seer.
لئنif indeed احتمتit sought refuge لقدindeed احتمتsought refuge منfrom قبلهاbefore it
لئن احتمت لقد احتمت من قبلها
بأبيin Abu الحسينal-Husayn رئاسةthe leadership of الرؤساءِthe chiefs
بأبي الحسين رئاسة الرؤساءِ
If that lip sought refuge, before it refuge had indeed been sought
If she sought refuge, she had sought it before
In Abu al-Husayn, by the leadership of chiefs.
In my father al-Husayn, the chief of chiefs.
وأباحَهاand he opened it لمنto whoever استقلَّdeemed scant نعيمهاits delights
وأباحَها لمن استقلَّ نعيمها
فأباحthus he made accessible منهاof it أصعبthe hardest الأشياءِthings
فأباح منها أصعب الأشياءِ
And he opened it to whoever deemed its delights scant,
And he permitted her what he had exclusive joy of
Thus making its hardest things accessible.
So he allowed her the most difficult things.
قومواrise انظرواlook ماwhat قامhe set about يصنعُdoing فانظرواthen consider
قوموا انظروا ما قام يصنعُ فانظروا
ماwhat يستحقhe deserves بهfor it منamong الأسماءِthe titles
ما يستحق به من الأسماءِ
Rise, see what he has set about doing, then consider
Arise, look at what he is doing, so look
What titles he deserves for it.
At what names he deserves for it.
لقدindeed استقامَhe remained steadfast علىon طريقٍa path فيin العُلىthe heights of honor
لقد استقامَ على طريقٍ في العُلى
خشناءَrugged موحشةٍdesolate منof الرفقاءِcompanions
خشناءَ موحشةٍ من الرفقاءِ
He has indeed kept to a path amid the heights,
He has proceeded on a path of loftiness
Rugged and desolate, without companions.
Bleak, desolate of friends.
ربطَhe tethered المكارمَnoble deeds فيin جوانبِthe sides of بيتهhis house
ربطَ المكارمَ في جوانبِ بيته
لحوادثٍfor calamities يحدثنَthat arise فيin العلياءِthe heights of glory
لحوادثٍ يحدثنَ في العلياءِ
He tethered noble deeds in the precincts of his house,
He has tied virtues around all corners of his house
For calamities arising in the heights of glory.
For events that happen in the sublime.
فالمجدُfor glory رُبتماsometimes وهتgrew weak أركانهits pillars
فالمجدُ رُبتما وهت أركانه
حتىuntil يُردَّit is returned إلىto يدَيthe two hands of بناءِa builder
حتى يُردَّ إلى يدَي بناءِ
For glory's pillars sometimes grow weak,
So glory was tied down and its pillars weakened
Until it is returned to a builder's hands.
Until it is returned to the hands of the builder.
نهضَتrose لتدبيرِto govern الممالكِthe kingdoms نفسهhis soul
نهضَت لتدبيرِ الممالكِ نفسه
فاستنهضَتهso it roused him لأثقلِfor the heaviest الأعباءِburdens
فاستنهضَته لأثقلِ الأعباءِ
His soul rose to govern the kingdoms,
His soul rose to administer the kingdoms
So it roused him to bear the heaviest burdens.
So it roused him to the heaviest burdens.
فقواطعُso the keen ones among الأسيافِthe swords فيin أغمادهاtheir scabbards
فقواطعُ الأسيافِ في أغمادها
محبوسةٌare confined كقواطعِlike decisive الأراءِjudgments
محبوسةٌ كقواطعِ الأراءِ
So the keen swords, within their scabbards,
The swords in their sheaths
Are confined, like decisive judgments.
Imprisoned like the decisive judgments.
إلاif not تكنyou be نلتyou attained الوزارةthe vizierate ناشئاًas a youth
إلا تكن نلت الوزارة ناشئاً
فلقدthen indeed نشأتyou grew up مدبرdirecting الوزراءِthe viziers
فلقد نشأت مدبر الوزراءِ
Even if you did not attain the vizierate as a youth,
Unless you had attained the ministry as a youth,
You did indeed grow up directing the viziers,
You would have grown up administering viziers.
فيin نورthe light of مكرُمَةٍa noble virtue ونارِand the fire of عزيمةٍresolve
في نور مكرُمَةٍ ونارِ عزيمةٍ
يتناهبانِthe two vie to plunder غياهبَthe depths of الظلماءِdarkness
يتناهبانِ غياهبَ الظلماءِ
In the light of noble virtue and the fire of resolve,
In the light of an honored deed and the fire of resolve
Both vying to plunder the depths of darkness.
That contend with the gloom of darkness.
Sol 6.1