كمhow often نَهَتهمit forbade them صَبابَتيmy longing وغَراميand my ardent love
كم نَهَتهم صَبابَتي وغَرامي
عنfrom مَلاميreproaching me فَماyet not انتَهواthey desisted عنfrom مَلاميreproaching me
عن مَلامي فَما انتَهوا عن مَلامي
How often my longing and ardent love forbade them
How much did my youth and passion forbid me
to reproach me, yet they never ceased reproaching me.
From blame, yet they did not cease from blame.
سكِرواthey became drunk سَكرةَan intoxication المُدامwine فَظَنُّواso they thought
سكِروا سَكرةَ المُدام فَظَنُّوا
أنَّthat سُكرَthe intoxication of الهَوىlove كسُكرِlike the intoxication of المُدامِwine
أنَّ سُكرَ الهَوى كسُكرِ المُدامِ
They grew drunk with wine and so thought
They became drunk with the inebriation of wine and thought
that love's intoxication was like the intoxication of wine.
The intoxication of love was like the intoxication of wine
فَحَذاراًso beware مِنof زَفرَةٍa sigh أيُّهاO you اللاthe reproacher (first part)
فَحَذاراً مِن زَفرَةٍ أيُّها اللا
ئِمُreproacher (completion) أمسَتcame to be نِيرانُهاits fires فيin اضطِرامِblazing
ئِمُ أمسَت نِيرانُها في اضطِرامِ
So beware a sigh, O reproacher—
So beware of a sigh whose fires, O blamer,
its fires have begun to rage.
Have flared up intensely.
أحرَقَتit burned لائمِيَّmy reproachers قَبلكَbefore you حتَّىuntil
أحرَقَت لائمِيَّ قَبلكَ حتَّى
أصبَحَتit became جُنَّةًa shield منagainst اللوَّامِreproachers
أصبَحَت جُنَّةً من اللوَّامِ
It burned my reproachers before you, until
It burned my blamers before you until
it became a shield against reproachers.
They became a paradise free from blamers.
فعلُthe effect of نارِthe fire of القُلوبِhearts فيماon what عَداis other than الأجthe bodies (first part)
فعلُ نارِ القُلوبِ فيما عَدا الأج
سامِbodies (completion) هَذاthis فكيفَso how فيupon الأجسامِbodies
سامِ هَذا فكيفَ في الأجسامِ
Such is the effect of the fire of hearts on things other than
Such is the work of the fire of hearts, besides bodies—
bodies—what, then, of its effect on bodies?
So how would it be in bodies?
هيَit نارُthe fire of الخَليلِal-Khalil (Abraham) فيin الوَقدِburning لكِنbut
هيَ نارُ الخَليلِ في الوَقدِ لكِن
خَالَفَتهاit differed from it فيin بَردِهاits coolness والسَّلامِand peace
خَالَفَتها في بَردِها والسَّلامِ
It is al-Khalil's fire in its burning, yet
It is the fire of Khalil in the kindling, but
it differs from it in coolness and peace.
It differed from it in its coolness and safety.
ياO لأَهلِpeople of (invoked for aid) الهَوىlove لِمَعرَكِfor the battlefield of حَربِthe war of الthe
يا لأَهلِ الهَوى لِمَعرَكِ حَربِ ال
بَينِparting خَدِّيmy cheek بَحرٌa sea منَof الدَّمِblood طامِsurging
بَينِ خَدِّي بَحرٌ منَ الدَّمِ طامِ
O lovers, aid me on the battlefield of
O people of love, the battlefield of the war of separation
parting's war! My cheek is a surging sea of blood.
My cheek is an ocean of spilt blood.
مَوقِفُthe scene of البَينِparting كالسَّماlike the sky تَرىyou see فيin
مَوقِفُ البَينِ كالسَّما تَرى في
هِit عُيُوناًeyes مُنهلَّةًpouring down كالغَمامِlike rainclouds
هِ عُيُوناً مُنهلَّةً كالغَمامِ
The scene of parting is like the sky, where you see
The stance of separation is like the sky in which
eyes streaming like rainclouds,
You see pouring eyes like clouds
وعُيوناًand eyes منfrom البكاءِweeping علَيهاover them
وعُيوناً من البكاءِ علَيها
كجَهامٍlike a rainless cloud مُقابلٍfacing لِرُكامِtoward a piled-up cloudbank
كجَهامٍ مُقابلٍ لِرُكامِ
and eyes, from weeping over them,
And eyes shedding tears upon it
like a rainless cloud facing a piled-up cloudbank.
Like confronting waves against rocks.
كانَwas ذمُّdisparaging الشَّآمِal-Sham مُذsince كنتُI existed شأنيmy habit
كانَ ذمُّ الشَّآمِ مُذ كنتُ شأني
فَنَهتنيso it forbade me عنهُfrom it دِمَشقُDamascus الشَّامِal-Sham
فَنَهتني عنهُ دِمَشقُ الشَّامِ
Disparaging al-Sham had been my habit ever since I came to be;
The blame of Damascus had been my way
then Damascus of al-Sham forbade me to do so.
Until Damascus in Syria forbade me from it.
بَلدٌa city ساكِنوهُits inhabitants قدindeed جَعلُواthey have made الthe
بَلدٌ ساكِنوهُ قد جَعلُوا ال
جنَّةَParadise قَبلَbefore الحِسابِthe Reckoning دارan abode of مُقامِresidence
جنَّةَ قَبلَ الحِسابِ دار مُقامِ
A city whose inhabitants have made
A land whose inhabitants have made
Paradise their abode before the Reckoning.
Paradise, before the Reckoning, a land of stay.
أكسَبَتهاbestowed upon it الأيَّامُthe days رَونقَthe luster of حُسنٍbeauty
أكسَبَتها الأيَّامُ رَونقَ حُسنٍ
ليسَdoes not يَفنَىperish ولاnor معَwith الأيَّامِthe days
ليسَ يَفنَى ولا معَ الأيَّامِ
The days bestowed on it a luster of beauty
The days have given it the polish of beauty
that does not fade, not even with the passing days.
That does not vanish, even with days.
ظاهِرٌan exterior ظاهِرُmanifest in الجَمالِbeauty كَماjust like البَاthe interior (first part)
ظاهِرٌ ظاهِرُ الجَمالِ كَما البَا
طِنِinterior (completion) خَلقاهُماtheir two forms مَعاًtogether فيin تَمامِperfection
طِنِ خَلقاهُما مَعاً في تَمامِ
Its exterior is plainly beautiful, as is its
Its external beauty is apparent, just as
interior: both their forms are wholly perfect.
Its inner self—both created perfect.
غيرexcept أنَّthat الرَّبيعَspring يَحكمُholds sway فيover الظَّاthe exterior (first part)
غير أنَّ الرَّبيعَ يَحكمُ في الظَّا
هِرِexterior (completion) إذsince كانَwas أوضَحَthe clearest of الأحكامِjudgments
هِرِ إذ كانَ أوضَحَ الأحكامِ
Yet spring holds sway over the outward
Except that spring rules the external
aspect, for its verdict is the clearest of judgments,
As it was the clearest of rulers.
برياضٍwith gardens أوصافُهاtheir descriptions أبدthe whole span of الدَّهtime (first part)
برياضٍ أوصافُها أبد الدَّه
رِtime (completion) تَراهاyou find them رِياضَةَan exercise for الأفهامِminds
رِ تَراها رِياضَةَ الأفهامِ
through gardens whose descriptions, for all
With gardens whose traits are forever
time, you find an exercise for the mind.
Blossoming, you see them as the blossoming of perceptions.
نثرَتscattered طَلَّهاits dew يَدُthe hand of الغَيثِrain فيهاwithin them
نثرَت طَلَّها يَدُ الغَيثِ فيها
فأفانِينُso the varieties of زهرِهاtheir blossoms فيin انتِظامِordered array
فأفانِينُ زهرِها في انتِظامِ
The hand of rain scattered its dew within them,
The rain's hand scattered its freshness upon it
so their varied blossoms stand in ordered array.
So its flowers are arranged in harmony.
لَمnot تُفَضَّلwas preferred بِطيبِهاfor its sweetness جَنَّةُthe Garden of الخُلeternity (first part)
لَم تُفَضَّل بِطيبِها جَنَّةُ الخُل
دِeternity (completion) عَليهاover them بَلrather فُضِّلَتit was preferred بالدَّوامِfor permanence
دِ عَليها بَل فُضِّلَت بالدَّوامِ
The Garden of Eternity is not superior in its sweetness
The garden of eternity was not preferred over it in fragrance
to them; rather, it is superior in its permanence.
But it was preferred in permanence.
قَسَمَتit apportioned بينَamong أهلِهاits people قِسَمَthe shares of العَدjustice (first part)
قَسَمَت بينَ أهلِها قِسَمَ العَد
لِjustice (completion) فعمَّتهُمُso encompassed them all يَداthe two hands of قَسَّامِQassam
لِ فعمَّتهُمُ يَدا قَسَّامِ
It apportioned among its people the shares of
It divided between its inhabitants the division of justice
justice, so Qassam's two hands encompassed them all.
So the hand of the Just Apportioner encompassed them.
هِمَّةٌan aspiration هَمُّهاits concern العلوُّeminence فماso never تَنceases (first part)
هِمَّةٌ هَمُّها العلوُّ فما تَن
فَكُّceases (completion) مِنon account of ذاكَthat دَهرهاthroughout its lifetime فيin اهتِمامِstriving
فَكُّ مِن ذاكَ دَهرها في اهتِمامِ
An aspiration intent on high attainment, which never
An ambition whose only concern is ascendance
ceases, throughout its life, to strive for it.
Never slackening from that, busy with resolve.
وندىًand generosity ذكرُهُits renown إلىto ماthat which تَولاwatched over
وندىً ذكرُهُ إلى ما تَولا
هُit مِنamong الأنجُمِstars السَّعيدَةِauspicious سامِsoaring
هُ مِن الأنجُمِ السَّعيدَةِ سامِ
And bounty whose fame rises to those that watch over
And a fame whose mention rises to
it among the auspicious stars.
The fortunate stars it has set out to.
صارِمُresolute in العَزمِpurpose كلُّevery عُمرٍlifetime وإنand even if طاis long (first part)
صارِمُ العَزمِ كلُّ عُمرٍ وإن طا
لَis long (completion) إِذاwhen شاءَhe wills مُؤذِنٌannouncing بانصِرامِan ending
لَ إِذا شاءَ مُؤذِنٌ بانصِرامِ
Resolute in purpose: every life, however
Determined in will every age, though long,
long, signals its end when he so wills.
When a proclaimer signals its expiration.
وكَذاand likewise المَجدُglory ليسَnot تُحسَمُare repelled عَنهfrom it
وكَذا المَجدُ ليسَ تُحسَمُ عَنه
عادِياتُthe onslaughts of العِدىfoes بغيرِwithout حُسامِa sword
عادِياتُ العِدى بغيرِ حُسامِ
So too with glory: one cannot ward off from it
And thus glory cannot be forfeited from it
the onslaughts of foes without a sword.
By the transgressions of enemies without swords.
خاصَمَتنيdisputed with me صُروفُthe vicissitudes of دَهريmy lifetime إليهِto him
خاصَمَتني صُروفُ دَهري إليهِ
فرأتنيso they found me بهِthrough him ألدَّthe fiercest in الخِصامِcontention
فرأتني بهِ ألدَّ الخِصامِ
The turns of my fate brought their case against me to him,
The turns of fate disputed me, towards it
and found me, through him, the fiercest in dispute—
And saw me as the fiercest disputant.
بفَتىًthrough a youth راحَتاهُhis two palms مُذsince عُدِمَwas lacking الجوgenerosity (first part)
بفَتىً راحَتاهُ مُذ عُدِمَ الجو
دُgenerosity (completion) لَناfor us راحَةٌrelief مِنfrom الإعدامِdestitution
دُ لَنا راحَةٌ مِن الإعدامِ
through a youth whose two palms, since bounty vanished,
With a youth whose palms, since generosity vanished,
are our relief from destitution.
We had a rest from annihilation.
Sol 6.1