إنif تَخَطَّانيpassed me by زَمانيmy time
إن تَخَطَّاني زَماني
نافِذاًpressing onward بالحَدَثانِwith calamities
نافِذاً بالحَدَثانِ
If my age should pass me by,
If my time passes me by,
If time passes me by
pressing onward with vicissitudes,
pressing onward with calamities,
Rushing with events
نَمَّtold tales بيabout me حبُّكَlove for you خَوفاout of fear
نَمَّ بي حبُّكَ خَوفا
مِنهُماof them both أنthat يَنسَيانيthey both forget me
مِنهُما أن يَنسَياني
your love betrays my whereabouts, fearing
my love for you gives me away, fearing
Your love grows in me out of fear
that those two might forget me.
that those two might forget me.
That it might forget me
أينَwhere أستَخفيI hide myself وقَدand already
أينَ أستَخفي وقَد
دلَّهماshowed them both أينَwhere مَكانيmy whereabouts
دلَّهما أينَ مَكاني
Where can I hide, now that
Where can I hide, when
Where can I hide when
it has shown them where I am?
it has already shown them where I am?
It has shown them where I am
وهُماand they both مادامَas long as it لاnot يَبbeginning of 'leaves me'
وهُما مادامَ لا يَب
رَحُنِيcompletion of 'leaves me' لاnot يَبرَحانِthey both depart
رَحُنِي لا يَبرَحانِ
And those two—so long as it does not
And as long as it does not
And as long as they do not
leave me—will never leave.
leave me, neither will they.
Leave me be, they will not leave
وتجارِيبيand my experiences عَليهِof it
وتجارِيبي عَليهِ
باطِّراحيthrough casting me aside وامتِهانيand humiliating me
باطِّراحي وامتِهاني
And all my experience of him has come
And my experiences of it:
And my trials of
through my being cast aside and humiliated.
being cast aside and humiliated.
My composure and testing of me
أفَماthen would you not كُنتَyou were ترانيyou regard me
أفَما كُنتَ تراني
بَعضَsome of ماwhat كنتَyou used to تَرانيyou regard me
بَعضَ ما كنتَ تَراني
Did you not once regard me
Would you not, then, regard me
Did you not see me as
as at least something of what you once thought me?
somewhat as you used to regard me?
Some of what you saw me to be
لاdo not تَدَعleave سِرَّكَyour secret رهناًa hostage
لا تَدَع سِرَّكَ رهناً
بينَbetween طَرفيmy gaze ولِسانِيand my tongue
بينَ طَرفي ولِسانِي
Do not leave your secret hostage
Do not leave your secret hostage
Do not leave your secret captive
between my eye and my tongue.
between my gaze and my tongue,
Between my gaze and my tongue
أوor فَقُلthen say إنَّكthat you لاnot تُلbeginning of 'you hold me responsible'
أو فَقُل إنَّك لا تُل
زِمنيcompletion of 'you hold me responsible' ماwhat يَفعَلانِthey both do
زِمني ما يَفعَلانِ
Or else say that you do not hold
or say, then, that you will not
Or just say you do not obligate me
me answerable for what those two may do.
hold me responsible for what those two do.
To what they both do
أيُّهاO you الراكِبُthe rider منof قَلبيmy heart
أيُّها الراكِبُ من قَلبي
جَمُوحاًan unruly steed ذاpossessing حِرانِbalkiness
جَمُوحاً ذا حِرانِ
O you who take from my heart as your mount
O you who ride my heart—
O you who rides my heart
a headstrong steed, prone also to balking,
an unruly steed, prone to balking—
Wildly with confusion
لاdo not تُغَرِّرrisk yourself إنَّهindeed it لَيbeginning of 'is not'
لا تُغَرِّر إنَّه لَي
سَcompletion of 'is not' بِمَملُوكِunder control العِنانِthe reins
سَ بِمَملُوكِ العِنانِ
do not risk yourself: it is
do not risk yourself: it is
Do not trick me, for it is not
not a mount whose reins can be mastered.
not a steed whose reins are mastered.
Owned by the reins
ولهand it has وَجهُa prospect سُلوٍّsolace
وله وَجهُ سُلوٍّ
واضِحٌclear ذُوpossessing لَمعانِradiance
واضِحٌ ذُو لَمعانِ
Yet there is a clear way
And it has a prospect of solace,
It has a bright smooth face
to consolation, radiant and bright,
clear and radiant,
Radiant with splendor
مُستَمدٌّdrawing upon مِنfrom عَطِيَّاbeginning of 'gifts'
مُستَمدٌّ مِن عَطِيَّا
تِcompletion of 'gifts' أبيAbū, father of عَمروٍʿAmr بَنانِBanān
تِ أبي عَمروٍ بَنانِ
drawing its light from the gifts
drawing its light from the gifts
Drawing from the virtues
of Abu ʿAmr’s fingertips—
of Abū ʿAmr Banān,
Of my father Amr ibn Banan
ذيpossessed of الأَياديbenefactions, literally hands البيضwhite تمشيthey walk
ذي الأَيادي البيض تمشي
تَوأمَينas twins فيin العِيانِplain sight
تَوأمَين في العِيانِ
he of the white hands, whose benefactions go
whose white benefactions advance
The one with the white hands that walk
as twins before the eye.
as twins before our eyes;
Twins in sight
فهيَso they are لَولاwere it not for القُربُnearness منهاto them
فهيَ لَولا القُربُ منها
أنجمٌstars ذاتُpossessing قرانِconjunction
أنجمٌ ذاتُ قرانِ
Were it not that they are so near,
so, were it not for their nearness,
For were they not so close
they would be stars in conjunction.
they would be stars in conjunction.
They would be stars with orbits
ليسَnot يبدُوappears أوَّلٌa first one منِamong
ليسَ يبدُو أوَّلٌ منِ
هاthem لَناto us إِلاexcept بِثانِwith a second
ها لَنا إِلا بِثانِ
Not one of them appears
No first one among them appears
Nothing appears to us from them
to us without a second beside it.
to us except with a second.
First except second
لاnot لِماfor what تَجريpour forth يَداهُhis two hands
لا لِما تَجري يَداهُ
بيَدِin the hand of الجُودِgenerosity يَدانِtwo hands, figuratively power to match
بيَدِ الجُودِ يَدانِ
No two hands can equal what his hands pour forth
No match for what his two hands pour forth
Not because of what his hands do
with the hand of generosity.
lies in the hand of Generosity.
With the hand of generosity two hands
ربَّmany a شَأنٍaffair عِندَهwith him
ربَّ شَأنٍ عِندَه
أفسَدَهُspoiled it إِصلاحُsetting right شانيmy affairs
أفسَدَهُ إِصلاحُ شاني
Many an affair in his keeping
Many an affair of his
How many a status with him
was spoiled by his setting my own affair right.
was spoiled in putting my affairs right.
Corrupted by correcting my status
جَمَعَتgathered حَضرَتُهhis presence العاbeginning of 'seekers of bounty'
جَمَعَت حَضرَتُه العا
فِينَcompletion of 'seekers of bounty' مِنfrom ناءٍone far away ودانِand one nearby
فِينَ مِن ناءٍ ودانِ
His court has gathered the bounty-seekers
His presence has gathered
His excellence gathered
from far and near.
seekers of bounty from far and near.
The weak from bending and yielding
وهِجانُand the purebred white ones البُزلِthe mature camels لاnot تَبbeginning of 'kneel'
وهِجانُ البُزلِ لا تَب
رُكُcompletion of 'kneel' إلاexcept بهِجانِbeside a noble-born man
رُكُ إلا بهِجانِ
And noble, full-grown white camels never kneel
And mature, purebred white camels do not
The smiles of the sullen do not
except among noble white camels.
kneel save beside a noble-born man—
Blossom except with smiles
ذيpossessed of امتِنانٍgranting favors لمnot يكُنbeen
ذي امتِنانٍ لم يكُن
قَطُّever عَليهِover him ذاone possessed of امتِنانِreproachful reminders of favors
قَطُّ عَليهِ ذا امتِنانِ
A possessor of benefaction; never was
a giver of favors who has never
Of graciousness he was never
anyone able to claim a favor over him.
held his favors over their recipient.
Void of graciousness
نظرَviewed الدُّنياthe world بِعَينَيthrough the two eyes of
نظرَ الدُّنيا بِعَينَي
زاهدٍan ascetic فيin الحِرصِgreed وانِslack
زاهدٍ في الحِرصِ وانِ
He looked upon the world with the eyes
He viewed the world through the eyes
He looked at the world with the eyes
of an ascetic, languid in his desire to acquire.
of an ascetic, without zeal for gain.
Of an ascetic to greed and lusts
فهيَso it is دارٌan abode أنزلتهاbrought it down
فهيَ دارٌ أنزلتها
كفُّهhis hand دارَan abode of هوانِabasement
كفُّه دارَ هوانِ
It is a dwelling that his hand has brought down
Thus it is an abode brought down
For it is an abode which his palm
to the lowly station of an abode of disgrace.
by his hand to an abode of abasement.
Lowered, an abode of disgrace
كَيفَhow تَسييرُsending abroad ثَنائيmy praise
كَيفَ تَسييرُ ثَنائي
ضاقَgrew too narrow عَنهfor it الخافِقانِEast and West
ضاقَ عَنه الخافِقانِ
How can my praise be sent abroad
How can my praise be sent abroad,
How can my praise run its course
when the two horizons are too narrow for it?
when East and West are too narrow for it?
When the pulsating hearts are too narrow
بالمَعاليthrough lofty deeds لمnot يَزَلcease أوbeginning of 'most deserving'
بالمَعالي لم يَزَل أو
لَىcompletion of 'most deserving' بأبكارِof virgins المَعانيpoetic meanings
لَى بأبكارِ المَعاني
In lofty deeds he has never ceased to be
By his lofty deeds, he has always been
With glories he always
the worthiest of poetry’s virgin meanings—
most deserving of virgin poetic meanings,
Initiated the meanings’ virginity
إِنif أَطاعَobeyed الشِّعرverse فيهconcerning him
إِن أَطاعَ الشِّعر فيه
بَعدَafter ماthat كانَhad عَصانيdefied me
بَعدَ ما كانَ عَصاني
if poetry will obey me concerning him
if verse obeys me in praising him
If poetry about him obeyed
after having so long defied me.
after once having defied me.
After having disobeyed me
وإلىand to مَنwhom وقَدand already استَوbeginning of 'united'
وإلى مَن وقَد استَو
سَقَcompletion of 'united' مِنهthrough him الثَّقلانِhumankind and jinn
سَقَ مِنه الثَّقلانِ
And to whom else, when through him the two
And to whom else, when
And to whom has the weight inclined
races—humankind and jinn—have come into accord?
humankind and jinn have united through him?
From him, the two heavies
Sol 6.1