مَنيتُهاI gave her hope تفرقshe fears مِنof عَاذِليmy reproacher
مَنيتُها تفرق مِن عَاذِلي
أَنthat يَحملَhe may carry النُّصحَthe counsel إِلىto قابِلِa receptive listener
أَن يَحملَ النُّصحَ إِلى قابِلِ
I gave her hope; she fears my reproacher
My reproacher's wish that I convey advice
might carry his counsel to a willing listener.
To one accepting it was vain.
تُصغِيshe listens إِلَىto بَعضِsome of أَقاويلِهِhis words
تُصغِي إِلَى بَعضِ أَقاويلِهِ
لاdo not تفرَقيfear ماnot كُنتُI was بِالفاعِلِone to do it
لا تفرَقي ما كُنتُ بِالفاعِلِ
She listens to some of his words.
You listen to some of his words
“Do not fear; I would not do it.”
Don't be misled - I wasn't the doer.
إِنِّيindeed I بِكُمtoward you (plural) ذوpossessing ضِنَّةٍjealous care فَاعجَبيso marvel
إِنِّي بِكُم ذو ضِنَّةٍ فَاعجَبي
مِنat ضِنَّةِjealous care المَقتولِthe slain one بِالقاتِلِfor the killer
مِن ضِنَّةِ المَقتولِ بِالقاتِلِ
I cherish you jealously—so marvel
I care for you deeply, so realize
at the slain one's jealous care for his slayer.
My care, like one slain cares for his killer.
وَعاذِليand my reproacher إِنif قَالَhe said قَولاًa word فَقَدthen indeed
وَعاذِلي إِن قَالَ قَولاً فَقَد
ضَيَّعَهhe wasted it فيon والِهٍa distraught lover ذاهِلِdistracted
ضَيَّعَه في والِهٍ ذاهِلِ
And if my reproacher speaks a word, he has
My reproacher, if he spake, has squandered
wasted it on a love-dazed, distracted man.
His words on an oblivious confidante.
كَأَنَّماas though خَيلsuggested ماwhat بِيails me لَهُto him
كَأَنَّما خَيل ما بِي لَهُ
أَنthat يَعرِفَhe knows الحَقthe truth مِنَfrom الباطِلِfalsehood
أَن يَعرِفَ الحَق مِنَ الباطِلِ
As though my plight had led him to imagine
It's as if he imagined I'd recognize
that he could distinguish truth from falsehood.
Truth from falsehood in this affair of passion.
أَلقَتكَcast you ياO قَلبُheart صُروفُvicissitudes الهَوىlove
أَلقَتكَ يا قَلبُ صُروفُ الهَوى
ماright بَينَهاamong them فيin شُغلٍa preoccupation شاغِلِengrossing
ما بَينَها في شُغلٍ شاغِلِ
Love's vicissitudes have cast you, O heart,
Oh heart, the turns of love have cast you
into all-consuming care in their midst.
Distracted by the busyness of fervent passion.
تَشييعُكَyour seeing off الرّاحلَthe departing one مِنamong مَنِّهاits favors
تَشييعُكَ الرّاحلَ مِن مَنِّها
أَذىًpain وتَرحيبُكَand your welcoming بِالنازِلِof the newcomer
أَذىً وتَرحيبُكَ بِالنازِلِ
Among its favors, your seeing off the departing
Bidding farewell to each departing lover
is pain, as is your welcome to the newcomer.
And welcoming each new arrival.
وَناعِبٍand a croaker بِالبَينِof separation مِنfrom كَاعِبٍa budding-breasted maiden
وَناعِبٍ بِالبَينِ مِن كَاعِبٍ
مخاطِبٍspeaking عَنabout فَادِحٍa crushing blow عَاجِلِimminent
مخاطِبٍ عَن فَادِحٍ عَاجِلِ
And a croaker proclaiming parting from a budding-breasted maiden,
A lamenter lamenting the separation
speaking of a crushing, imminent blow,
Addressing the imminent, urgent separation.
يُفصِحُhe speaks plainly لِيto me بِالقَولِin words فِيabout بَينِهاseparation from her
يُفصِحُ لِي بِالقَولِ فِي بَينِها
لاno مَرحَباwelcome بِالقَولِto the words والقَائِلِand the speaker
لا مَرحَبا بِالقَولِ والقَائِلِ
tells me plainly of separation from her:
Speaking to me plainly about her
No welcome to the words or their speaker!
No welcome to his words or him.
مَنwho نَاصِريmy helper عِندَamid صُروفِvicissitudes الهَوىlove
مَن نَاصِري عِندَ صُروفِ الهَوى
فإنَّfor indeed صَبريmy patience عِندَهاamid them خاذِلِيdeserts me
فإنَّ صَبري عِندَها خاذِلِي
Who will help me amid love's vicissitudes?
Who will support me against the turns of love
For my patience deserts me before them.
For my patience with her is defeated?
وَلَوand if غَداhe set forth يَحملُhe bears فيهاamid them النَّدىgenerosity
وَلَو غَدا يَحملُ فيها النَّدى
كانَwould be الحُسينُal-Husayn ابنُson of أَبيAbi (father of) كامِلِKamil
كانَ الحُسينُ ابنُ أَبي كامِلِ
And if anyone set forth bearing generosity amid them,
And if tomorrow it bears reproach for her
it would be al-Husayn ibn Abi Kamil.
Al-Hussain son of Abu Talib would bear it.
تَحلُبُpour forth كَفَّاهُhis two palms وَبالاًruin عَلَىupon
تَحلُبُ كَفَّاهُ وَبالاً عَلَى
صُروفِهاits vicissitudes كَالعارِضِlike a rain cloud الوَابِلِpouring torrents
صُروفِها كَالعارِضِ الوَابِلِ
His two palms pour ruin upon
It would squeeze its palms, pouring calamities
love's vicissitudes, like a cloud pouring torrents.
On its turns, like pouring heavy rain.
أَصبَحَhe has become فيon الساحِلِthe coast مِنthrough جُودِهِhis generosity
أَصبَحَ في الساحِلِ مِن جُودِهِ
وفَضلِهand his bounty بَحراًa sea بِلاwithout ساحِلِa shore
وفَضلِه بَحراً بِلا ساحِلِ
On the coast he has become, through his generosity
It has, through its generosity and exceeding virtue
and bounty, a sea without a shore.
Become in the coast an endless ocean.
إِنif مَدَّhe extends باعَthe reach البأسِvalor فيin مَعركٍa battle
إِن مَدَّ باعَ البأسِ في مَعركٍ
طالَit stretches far فأَغناهُthus leaves him no need عَنof الذابِلِthe slender spear
طالَ فأَغناهُ عَن الذابِلِ
If he extends the reach of valor in battle,
If it brandishes a sword in battle
it stretches far, leaving him no need of the slender spear.
It outlasts the vanishing fate of death.
أَوor هَزhe brandishes مِنfrom آرائِهhis counsels صارِماًa keen blade
أَو هَز مِن آرائِه صارِماً
أدنَىhe brings nearer حلُولَthe arrival الأَجلِthe appointed end الآجِلِdeferred
أدنَى حلُولَ الأَجلِ الآجِلِ
Or if he brandishes a keen blade from his counsels,
Or if it wields a blade from its principles
he hastens the coming of the deferred hour of death.
It hastens the arrival of inevitable death.
أباO Abu (father of) عَليٍّAli شِيَمٌvirtues وَصفُهاtheir description
أبا عَليٍّ شِيَمٌ وَصفُها
تَضعُفُfalls short عَنهof it قُوَّةُthe strength الحامِلِthe bearer
تَضعُفُ عَنه قُوَّةُ الحامِلِ
O Abu Ali, yours are virtues whose description
Abu Ali, describing her is a trait
is beyond the strength of one who would bear the task.
Beyond the strength of any undertaker.
أشغَلتُI busied طولَthroughout الدَّهرِtime فِكريmy mind بِهاwith them
أشغَلتُ طولَ الدَّهرِ فِكري بِها
جَهديmy utmost effort ولَمand did not أُصبِحI become علَىwith طائِلِanything worthwhile
جَهدي ولَم أُصبِح علَى طائِلِ
All my life I have busied my mind with them,
I have distracted my thoughts with her for ages
striving my utmost, yet have achieved nothing.
Exerting myself without reaching any goal.
مَناقِبvirtues أَمكَنthe mightiest مَنthose who لَمnot يكُنhe was
مَناقِب أَمكَن مَن لَم يكُن
إِلىtoward اختِزانِhoarding المالِwealth بالمائِلِat all inclined
إِلى اختِزانِ المالِ بالمائِلِ
Virtues of the mightiest of those who have never
Her qualities empower whoever lacks
been inclined to hoard wealth.
Inclination to hoarding money.
فمَنso whoever أرادَdesires المَجدَglory والمجدُand glory لاnot
فمَن أرادَ المَجدَ والمجدُ لا
يملكُهُpossesses it إِلاexcept يَداthe two hands of باذِلِa giver
يملكُهُ إِلا يَدا باذِلِ
For whoever seeks glory, glory is not
Whoever wants glory - and glory
possessed except by a giver's two hands.
Cannot be possessed except by a spending hand.
هَلis العُلىgreatness إِلاanything but ثناءٌpraise وهَلand do
هَل العُلى إِلا ثناءٌ وهَل
تَسمعُyou hear مَنanyone who يُثنيpraises عَلىupon باخِلِa miser
تَسمعُ مَن يُثني عَلى باخِلِ
Is greatness anything but praise? And do you
Is not high station but praise? And have you
hear anyone praise a miser?
Heard any praise for a miser?
Sol 6.1