تعرَّضتنيshe put herself before me فلوso if أنِّيthat I علىon حَذرِguard
تعرَّضتني فلو أنِّي على حَذرِ
لمdid not يَحتَكمhave its way ناظِريmy eye فيin لذَّةpleasure النَظرِgazing
لم يَحتَكم ناظِري في لذَّة النَظرِ
She put herself in my path; had I been on my guard,
She allured me, had I been cautious
my eye would not have had its way in the pleasure of gazing.
My eyes would not have reveled in her allure
وكنتُand I was أُغضيlower my gaze ولاand not أقضيsatisfy لهfor it وَطراًa desire
وكنتُ أُغضي ولا أقضي له وَطراً
مِنهاfrom her لِعلميbecause of my knowledge بعُقبىof the consequences of ذلكthat النَّظرِgaze
مِنها لِعلمي بعُقبى ذلك النَّظرِ
And I would have lowered my gaze, not satisfied its desire
I would have lowered my gaze and not cast a glance
for her, knowing the consequences of that gaze.
Knowing the consequence of that gaze
والمرءُand a man مادامَas long as ذاpossessing عَينٍan eye يقلِّبُهاhe turns it
والمرءُ مادامَ ذا عَينٍ يقلِّبُها
فيtoward أعيُنِthe eyes of العينِwide-eyed beauties مَوقوفٌexposed علىto خَطرِdanger
في أعيُنِ العينِ مَوقوفٌ على خَطرِ
And a man, so long as he has an eye he keeps turning
As long as one has roving eyes
toward the eyes of wide-eyed beauties, stands in peril.
He remains at the mercy of tempting sights
يَسرُّdelights مُقلتَهhis eye ماwhat ضرَّharmed مهجتَهُhis soul
يَسرُّ مُقلتَه ما ضرَّ مهجتَهُ
لاno مَرحَباًwelcome بسرورٍto joy عادَreturned بالضررِwith harm
لا مَرحَباً بسرورٍ عادَ بالضررِ
What harms his soul delights his eye.
Gladdened by the joy, though hurt inside
No welcome to joy that brings harm!
No welcoming a joy that ended in harm
حتَّىuntil تَرىyou see قلبَهhis heart للنهبِfor plunder معتَرضاًexposed
حتَّى تَرى قلبَه للنهبِ معتَرضاً
كأنَّهas though it were المالُthe money فيin يُمنَىthe right hand of أبيAbu عُمرِUmar
كأنَّه المالُ في يُمنَى أبي عُمرِ
Until you see his heart exposed to plunder,
You see his heart exposed as prey
as though it were the money in Abu Umar's right hand.
As if it were wealth displayed in plain sight
تَراهُyou see it فيهاin it مُباحاًfreely available ليسَnot يَمنعُهhe withholds it
تَراهُ فيها مُباحاً ليسَ يَمنعُه
منwhoever جاءَcomes يَطلُبُهseeking it منamong سائِرall البَشرِhumankind
من جاءَ يَطلُبُه من سائِر البَشرِ
You see it freely available there; he does not withhold it
To all who seek it among mankind
from anyone who comes seeking it, among all humankind.
A nature generous, time does not change
خَليقةٌan innate disposition فيin العَطاياgiving لاnot يُغَيِّرُهاalters it
خَليقةٌ في العَطايا لا يُغَيِّرُها
كرُّthe recurrence of اللياليthe nights عَلىupon الحالاتِcircumstances بالغيرِwith reversals
كرُّ الليالي عَلى الحالاتِ بالغيرِ
An innate disposition in giving, never altered
Though nights change states over time
by the recurring nights as they bring changes of fortune.
A resolve forever shining bright
وهمَّةٌand a resolve لاnot تَزالُceases الدهرَthroughout time مُشرقةًradiant
وهمَّةٌ لا تَزالُ الدهرَ مُشرقةً
طولاًin loftiness وإنand even if خالَفتهاopposes it الحالcircumstance بالقصرِwith limitation
طولاً وإن خالَفتها الحال بالقصرِ
And a resolve ever radiant through time,
However short days make it seem
lofty, though circumstance counters it with constraint.
He who lives content finds his quest
منhe who كانَwas منof عَيشهِhis life صَفواًa clear portion فقاصِدُهthen the one seeking him
من كانَ من عَيشهِ صَفواً فقاصِدُه
يَحظىis favored بهwith it وهوَwhile he يَرضىis content منهfrom it بالكدرِwith the dregs
يَحظى به وهوَ يَرضى منه بالكدرِ
He whose life has a clear portion—whoever seeks him
And is pleased though life may get hard
gains it, while he himself is content with its dregs.
My words counsel, if you hear them
يُنبيكَtells you قَوليmy verse إذاif ماfor emphasis كنتَyou are سامعَهhearing it
يُنبيكَ قَولي إذا ما كنتَ سامعَه
وفعلُهand his conduct أنَّناthat we جِئناwe came عَلىaccording to قدرِdestiny
وفعلُه أنَّنا جِئنا عَلى قدرِ
My verse tells you, if you listen to it,
We came according to divine decree
as does his conduct, that we have met as fate decreed.
Partial English translation: 19 of 20 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1