كأنَّas though اللَّياليthe nights باللَّياليfor the nights طَلَبنَنيthey pursued me
كأنَّ اللَّيالي باللَّيالي طَلَبنَني
فهنَّso they طَويلاتٌlong ذَواتُpossessing طَوائِلِclaims for vengeance
فهنَّ طَويلاتٌ ذَواتُ طَوائِلِ
It is as though the nights pursued me for other nights,
As if the nights sought me with the nights,
so they are long, with scores to settle.
For they are long, with lengthy tales,
يُحاوِلنَthey seek منِّيfrom me ماwhat مَضىhas passed منof مَسَرَّتيmy happiness
يُحاوِلنَ منِّي ما مَضى من مَسَرَّتي
منَfrom الخالِياتِthe bygone ones الماضِياتِthe past ones الأوائِلِthe earliest ones
منَ الخالِياتِ الماضِياتِ الأوائِلِ
They seek from me the happiness I once enjoyed
They try to take from me what is past of my joy,
in those earliest nights, now past and gone.
From the bare, bygone first times,
وهُنَّand they قليلاتٌfew قِصارٌshort وإنَّماand only
وهُنَّ قليلاتٌ قِصارٌ وإنَّما
يُحاوِلنَthey seek ثأراًvengeance بالقِصارِfor the short ones القَلائِلِthe few ones
يُحاوِلنَ ثأراً بالقِصارِ القَلائِلِ
Those were few and short; these nights only
Yet they are short, brief, rather
seek vengeance for those few short nights.
They try revenge with the brief, little ones.
وإِلاand otherwise قَصرنَthey fell short عنof طَريقيmy path فَفيfor in يَديmy hand
وإِلا قَصرنَ عن طَريقي فَفي يَدي
علىdespite ضَعفِهاits weakness ماwhat فيin يدِthe hand of ابنِson of مُقاتِلِMuqatil
على ضَعفِها ما في يدِ ابنِ مُقاتِلِ
Otherwise they fall short of my path; for in my hand,
Unless they fell short of my path, in my hand,
weak though it is, lies what lies in Ibn Muqatil's hand.
Despite their weakness, is what is in the hand of the son of Muqatil.
إِذاwhen قُلتُI speak أَمسىit became فاعِلاًactive فكَأنَّنيso it is as though I
إِذا قُلتُ أَمسى فاعِلاً فكَأنَّني
أتيتُI did الَّذيthat which يَأتيit does ولَستُand I am not بِفاعِلِa doer
أتيتُ الَّذي يَأتي ولَستُ بِفاعِلِ
When I speak, it becomes active, as though I
If I say I did it this evening, it is as if
had done what it does, though I am not the doer.
I came to the one who comes and am not a doer.
سلاحُthe weapon of اللَّياليthe nights كلّevery أبيضَfair باذِلٍgiving freely
سلاحُ اللَّيالي كلّ أبيضَ باذِلٍ
تجاذِبُهyou vie with him لاnot كلُّevery أَسمَرَdusky ذابِلِslender
تجاذِبُه لا كلُّ أَسمَرَ ذابِلِ
The weapon against the nights is every fair, generous man
The weapon of the nights is every white healthful one
with whom you vie—not every dusky, slender spear.
Pulling him, not every brown fading one.
أباO Abu أحمَدٍAhmad خفَّhastened الزَّمانُtime وصَرفُهُand its vicissitudes
أبا أحمَدٍ خفَّ الزَّمانُ وصَرفُهُ
إِلَيكَto you بِهَذاwith this القاعِدthe seated man المُتثاقِلِthe sluggish one
إِلَيكَ بِهَذا القاعِد المُتثاقِلِ
Abu Ahmad, time and its vicissitudes have hastened
O Abu Ahmad, time diminished and diverted him
to you with this seated, sluggish man.
To you with this sedentary obese one.
فكُنso be حائِلاًa barrier بَينَbetween الزَّمانِtime وبَينَهand between him
فكُن حائِلاً بَينَ الزَّمانِ وبَينَه
فَماfor not شُكرُهhis gratitude بعدَafter الزَّمانِtime بِحائِلِchanging
فَما شُكرُه بعدَ الزَّمانِ بِحائِلِ
So be a barrier between time and him,
So be an obstacle between time and him,
for his gratitude will not change after time has passed.
For his thanks after time are not with an obstacle.
ولاand do not تحرِمَنهُdeprive him منكَfrom you تَعظيمَthe elevation of شَأنِهhis standing
ولا تحرِمَنهُ منكَ تَعظيمَ شَأنِه
فَماfor not كلُّevery مَنزورٍscant thing عطيَّةa gift of باخِلِa miser
فَما كلُّ مَنزورٍ عطيَّة باخِلِ
And do not deny him the honor you can bestow,
And do not deprive him of honoring his rank from you,
for not every scant gift is a miser's gift.
For not every visited one is a gift of a miser.
Sol 6.1