ألاLo! كتَبَتshe wrote أبعدَmay send far away اللَهُGod دارَهhis home
ألا كتَبَت أبعدَ اللَهُ دارَه
لماذاwhy أطالَhe prolonged عَليناfor us سفارَهhis journey
لماذا أطالَ عَلينا سفارَه
Lo, she wrote: May God put his home far away!
Alas! After Allah, has he settled far from his abode?
Why has he drawn out his journey away from us?
Why did he prolong his journey upon us?
وطالَand grew long الكتابُthe letter فلانَthen grew tender الخطاthe address (continued)
وطالَ الكتابُ فلانَ الخطا
بُcompletion of 'address' إلىuntil قولهاher words هاجkindled للقلبِin the heart نارَهits fire
بُ إلى قولها هاج للقلبِ نارَه
The letter grew long, and its address grew tender,
And the letter was long, so it pained my heart,
until her words kindled the heart's fire:
Saying: his heart’s fire has blazed for her.
فإنso if لمnot أكنI was عبدَهhis slave حلةًa robe or settlement (unclear here)
فإن لم أكن عبدَه حلةً
فتحنوso you might show tenderness عليَّto me أماwas it not that كنتI was جارَهhis neighbor
فتحنو عليَّ أما كنت جارَه
So if I was not his slave [unclear wording: 'robe' or 'settlement'],
If I were not his companion,
so you might be tender to me—was I not his neighbor?
He would have been kind to me, for I was his neighbor.
وقدand indeed كانit was يوجبُrequiring حقَّthe right الجِواneighborliness (continued)
وقد كان يوجبُ حقَّ الجِوا
رِcompletion of 'neighborliness' ألاthat not يَبيتَone spend the night يُقاسيsuffering انتظارَهwaiting for him
رِ ألا يَبيتَ يُقاسي انتظارَه
And indeed, the rights of neighborliness required
It was incumbent, by right of neighborhood,
that one not spend the night suffering the wait for him.
That he not spend the night suffering his waiting.
فواoh, alas! أسَفيmy sorrow أينَwhere ذاكthat اللماcalling (continued)
فوا أسَفي أينَ ذاك اللما
مُcompletion of 'calling' بِناon us كلَّevery وقتٍtime وتلكَand that الزيارَهvisit
مُ بِنا كلَّ وقتٍ وتلكَ الزيارَه
Oh, my sorrow! Where is that calling
Oh my sorrow! Where is that gathering,
on us at every hour, and that visit?
With us, every time, and that visit?
فقلتُso I said تعرَّضنيintercepted me دونهاbetween me and her
فقلتُ تعرَّضني دونها
رجاءٌa hope يبشِّرُنيbringing me glad tidings عنfrom بشارَهBishara
رجاءٌ يبشِّرُني عن بشارَه
So I said: Between me and her came
So I said, your avoiding me
a hope bringing me glad tidings from Bishara,
Gives me hope, bringing me news of his tidings,
يبشِّرُنيpromising me بالغِنىwealth عنfrom فتىًa young man
يبشِّرُني بالغِنى عن فتىً
أجارَgave refuge علىagainst الدهرِTime حتَّىuntil استَجارَهit sought his protection
أجارَ على الدهرِ حتَّى استَجارَه
promising me wealth from a young man
Bringing me tidings of being needless of a youth,
who gave refuge against Time, until Time itself sought his protection.
Who sought refuge with time until he sought refuge with it.
ومازالand he has remained ذاpossessed of غَيرةٍprotective zeal للعفاةِfor gift-seekers
ومازال ذا غَيرةٍ للعفاةِ
تكادُalmost تكونbecomes علىupon القُدمprecedence غارَهa raid
تكادُ تكون على القُدم غارَه
He has always been zealous for those seeking gifts,
He still has a jealousy for the chaste,
with a zeal that all but becomes a raid upon the foremost rank.
That is almost a jealousy ingrained in his nature.
كأنas though الندىgenerosity طافَroamed بينamong الوَرىmankind
كأن الندى طافَ بين الوَرى
لينزلَto settle حيثُwhere ينالُattains اختِيارَهits choice
لينزلَ حيثُ ينالُ اختِيارَه
As though generosity had roamed among mankind
As if the dew roamed among mankind
to settle wherever its choice could be fulfilled,
To descend wherever it attains its choice.
فسارso it traveled طَويلاًa long time فلماthen when رآهُit saw him
فسار طَويلاً فلما رآهُ
قرَّit settled فأمسَتand became يداهُhis two hands قرارَهits resting place
قرَّ فأمسَت يداهُ قرارَه
it traveled long; then, when it saw him,
So it traveled long until when it saw him,
it settled, and his hands became its resting place.
It settled, and its hands attained tranquility with him.
أَقامَhe remained علىupon خُلقٍa disposition واحِدٍa single
أَقامَ على خُلقٍ واحِدٍ
منamong الناسِpeople والجودand generosity طوراًat one time وتارَهand at another time
من الناسِ والجود طوراً وتارَه
He held to a single disposition
He remained of a single nature
among mankind, while generosity varies from time to time.
With people, his generosity alternating with its opposite.
فليسَthus it does not يزالُcease الندىgenerosity شأنَهhis way
فليسَ يزالُ الندى شأنَه
وليسَand it does not تزالُcease المعاليnoble deeds شعارَهhis hallmark
وليسَ تزالُ المعالي شعارَه
Thus generosity never ceases to be his way,
The dew does not cease being as it is,
and noble deeds never cease to be his hallmark.
Nor do glories cease being his mantle.
وكمand how many a جَحفلٍlarge army لجِبٍclamorous قادَهhe led it
وكم جَحفلٍ لجِبٍ قادَه
إلىagainst جَحفلٍa large army وغُبارٍand dust أثارَهhe stirred it up
إلى جَحفلٍ وغُبارٍ أثارَه
How many a clamorous army he has led
And so many regiments of brave men he has led
against another army, and how much dust he has raised!
To regiments and dust their number has stirred.
وخيلٍand horses لفرسانِهاfor their riders فيin الحروwars (continued)
وخيلٍ لفرسانِها في الحرو
بِcompletion of 'wars' مدرَّبةٍwell-trained قرحٍfull-grown horses لاnot مِهارَهcolts
بِ مدرَّبةٍ قرحٍ لا مِهارَه
And horses, for their riders in war—
And horses whose wounds in battle
well-trained and full-grown, not colts—
Were trained, having no skill.
رَماهاhe hurled them بيَومٍinto a day تَرىyou see النقعthe dust فيهin it
رَماها بيَومٍ تَرى النقع فيه
يسودblacken فيin كلevery يومٍday نهارَهits daylight
يسود في كل يومٍ نهارَه
he hurled them into a day when you see the dust
He charged them on a day you see the pools in it
blacken its daylight, day after day.
Darkened, and every day its light obscured.
وأقبلَand he advanced مُشتَهراًin plain sight نحوَهاtoward them
وأقبلَ مُشتَهراً نحوَها
بحيثُwhere يخافُfears الجبانُthe coward اشتهارَهhis being seen
بحيثُ يخافُ الجبانُ اشتهارَه
He advanced toward them in plain sight,
And he came gloriously toward it,
where a coward fears to show himself.
Where the coward fears its notoriety.
يضيفُfeasts الوحوشَthe wild beasts بفرسانِهاon their horsemen
يضيفُ الوحوشَ بفرسانِها
كأنas though علىon كلِّevery طرفٍsteed جزارَهa butcher's portion
كأن على كلِّ طرفٍ جزارَه
He feasts wild beasts on their horsemen,
He hosted wild beasts with its horsemen
as though each steed carried a butcher's portion.
As if for every side there was a butcher.
أضافَhosted العفاةgift-seekers ولاقىand met الكماةَthe armored warriors
أضافَ العفاة ولاقى الكماةَ
فأَفنىso he destroyed عِداهُhis enemies وأفنىand he used up عشارَهhis ten-month-pregnant she-camels
فأَفنى عِداهُ وأفنى عشارَه
He hosted those seeking gifts and met the armored warriors,
He added the chaste and met the warriors
so he destroyed his foes and used up his pregnant she-camels.
So he destroyed its enemies and decimated its tithe.
معالٍnoble deeds تَراهاyou see them إذاwhen عُدِّدتthey are enumerated
معالٍ تَراها إذا عُدِّدت
علىbefore الناسِpeople تُنسيmake forget الفخورthe boastful one افتِخارَهhis boasting
على الناسِ تُنسي الفخور افتِخارَه
Noble deeds you see: when they are recounted
Glories, if enumerated upon mankind,
before people, they make the boaster forget his boasting.
Would make the arrogant forget their pride.
لئِنif indeed قصَّرfalls short الشِّعرُpoetry عنof وَصفِهاdescribing them
لئِن قصَّر الشِّعرُ عن وَصفِها
لقدindeed أسمَعmade hear الثقلينhumankind and jinn اعتِذارَهits apology
لقد أسمَع الثقلين اعتِذارَه
If poetry falls short of describing them,
If poetry falls short of describing it,
it has indeed made humankind and jinn hear its apology.
It has made the two noble records admit their incapacity.
أباO Abu حسنٍHasan ربَّmany a شِعرٍpoem أطلتI made long
أبا حسنٍ ربَّ شِعرٍ أطلت
وإنeven if قيلit is said إنيthat I اعتَمَدتُI intended اختِصارَهshortening it
وإن قيل إني اعتَمَدتُ اختِصارَه
O Abu Hasan, many a poem I have made long,
Oh Abu Hasan, lord of poetry! I have prolonged,
even if it is said I intended to shorten it.
And if it is said I relied upon brevity,
إذاif ماemphatic particle معانيهِits meanings طالَتgrow long فماthen what
إذا ما معانيهِ طالَت فما
يضرُّكharms you إلاif not تطولgrows long العبارَهthe wording
يضرُّك إلا تطول العبارَه
If its meanings are expansive, then what
When its meanings were long, then what
harm does it do you if the wording is not long?
Harms you unless the expression is prolonged?
Sol 6.1