حكمُthe decree الهوىlove جرَّbrought عليكupon you الجَرةthe snare
حكمُ الهوى جرَّ عليك الجَرة
فاتَّفقso coincided المَقدورُwhat was fated والمَقدرَهand power
فاتَّفق المَقدورُ والمَقدرَه
Love's decree has brought the snare upon you,
The decree of passion inflicted hardship upon you
so fate and power have come together
So fate and destiny coincided
فيin شادنٍa young gazelle خمرةُthe wine أجفانِهhis eyelids
في شادنٍ خمرةُ أجفانِه
تجتمعُgather الناسُthe people لهاfor it دَسكَرَهa tavern
تجتمعُ الناسُ لها دَسكَرَه
in a young gazelle: the wine of his eyelids—
In the intoxication of his eyelids is a wine
people gather for it as at a tavern.
That people gather for in throngs
يُستعظمُis deemed great الأصغرُthe least منof عطفِهhis affection
يُستعظمُ الأصغرُ من عطفِه
فإنthen if شكَوتَyou complain الأعظَمthe greatest استَصغرَهhe belittles it
فإن شكَوتَ الأعظَم استَصغرَه
The least of his affection is deemed immense;
The least of his kindness seems great
yet if you complain of the greatest hurt, he belittles it.
If you complain of the greater, he makes light of it
لوif كانwas طولُthe length الدهرِtime يُنسيcauses forgetting كماas
لو كان طولُ الدهرِ يُنسي كما
قيلَit was said إذاًthen ماnot خِفتُI feared أنthat أذكرَهI remember him
قيلَ إذاً ما خِفتُ أن أذكرَه
If the long passage of time brought forgetfulness, as
If the passage of time caused forgetting, as is said
they say, then I would not fear remembering him.
Then I wouldn't fear remembering him
وخبرونيand they told me أنَّthat طَيفاًa dream-phantom سَرىtraveled by night
وخبروني أنَّ طَيفاً سَرى
لغَيرهمto someone other than them عِندaccording to الذيthe one who أبصَرَهsaw it
لغَيرهم عِند الذي أبصَرَه
And they told me that a dream-phantom traveled by night
And they told me that an apparition passed by
to someone other than them, according to the one who saw it.
To others, by the one who saw it
فقلتُso I said لوif نمتُI slept لحدَّثتُكُمI would have told you
فقلتُ لو نمتُ لحدَّثتُكُم
ماnot تشهدُtestifies العينُthe eye بماto what لَمdid not تَرَهsee it
ما تشهدُ العينُ بما لَم تَرَه
So I said: Had I slept, I would have told you;
So I said, if I slept, I would tell you
the eye does not testify to what it has not seen.
What the eye witnesses but hasn't seen
وكمand how often تَباكَيناwe feigned weeping وماyet not يَستَويis equal
وكم تَباكَينا وما يَستَوي
هلdoes تَلحقُmatch الكحلاءَthe kohl-dark eye ذاتُthe one with المرَهbleariness
هل تَلحقُ الكحلاءَ ذاتُ المرَه
And how often we have feigned tears—yet it is not the same:
How we cried and cried, but are they equal
can the bleary eye match the kohl-dark eye?
Can kohl-lined eyes match those with kuhl?
ولاnor علمناwe have known أبداًever أعينwas it a spring?
ولا علمنا أبداً أعين
فاضoverflowed عليناupon us أمor ندىbounty حيدَرَهHaydara
فاض علينا أم ندى حيدَرَه
Nor have we ever known: was it a spring
We never knew if our eyes
that overflowed upon us, or Haydara's bounty?
Overflowed or if it was the dew of Haidar
شدَّhe bound العَطاياgifts بالسَّجاياto innate virtues فماso not
شدَّ العَطايا بالسَّجايا فما
حالbrought change بِهto him دَهرٌan age ولاnor غيَّرَهchanged him
حال بِه دَهرٌ ولا غيَّرَه
He bound his gifts to his innate virtues, so
He tied gifts with poems, so neither
no age has altered him or changed him.
Time nor change altered them
منamong المَعاليlofty heights الطائِعاتthe yielding التيwhich
من المَعالي الطائِعات التي
تَعجزُfall short عنهاof them الألسُنthe tongues المخبرَهthat report
تَعجزُ عنها الألسُن المخبرَه
Among the lofty heights that yield to him are those
Of the compliant glories that
that the tongues describing them cannot reach.
Eloquent tongues fall short of expressing
يقطعُهاtraverses them جودُgenerosity بنيهِhis sons ولاbut not
يقطعُها جودُ بنيهِ ولا
تقطعُهاtraverses them الكَوماءُthe high-humped she-camel ذاتُthe one with البرَهthe nose-ring
تقطعُها الكَوماءُ ذاتُ البرَه
His sons' generosity traverses them, but
The generosity of his sons cuts them short, not
no high-humped, nose-ringed she-camel can.
The bare hillsides
يسيرُhe walks تيهاًproudly وابنهُand his son وهوand it is منfrom
يسيرُ تيهاً وابنهُ وهو من
بعدِهماafter the two of them تيهاءَa trackless wilderness مُستوعرَهrugged
بعدِهما تيهاءَ مُستوعرَه
He and his son stride proudly; beyond
He walks lost, and after him his son
the two of them lies a rugged, trackless wilderness.
Then lost wanderings in the wilderness
لاdo not تنكِروهاfind them strange شيَماًtraits حُلوةًsweet
لا تنكِروها شيَماً حُلوةً
منfrom مرَّةٍMurra ('Bitter') لَيسَتare not بمستَنكرَهunexpected
من مرَّةٍ لَيسَت بمستَنكرَه
Do not find these sweet traits strange:
Do not deny it is a sweet nature
from Murra, they are not unexpected.
Not one to be rejected
كلُّevery امرئٍman منهمamong them أبوهُمtheir father إذاwhen
كلُّ امرئٍ منهم أبوهُم إذا
جادhe gives generously فإنand if جادhe gives generously فماthen how أجدرَهfitting for him
جاد فإن جاد فما أجدرَه
Each man among them is their father when
Each man of them, when his father is generous
he gives; and if he gives, how fitting it is for him!
How worthy he is of generosity!
أحسنتَyou did well بلrather أحسَنَdid well فيin الظنِّjudgment مَنthe one who
أحسنتَ بل أحسَنَ في الظنِّ مَن
ظنَّexpected بكَfrom you الإحسانَkindness فاستَشعرَهand took it to heart
ظنَّ بكَ الإحسانَ فاستَشعرَه
You did well—rather, he judged well who
You have done well, or rather the one who expected
expected kindness from you and took it to heart.
Goodness from you sensed it and perfumed it
Sol 6.1