أوهانيَhas weakened me الواهيthe frail one الضَّعيفُthe weak one
أوهانيَ الواهي الضَّعيفُ
والفَتكُand killing منfrom طَرفٍa glance طَريفُremarkable
والفَتكُ من طَرفٍ طَريفُ
The frail, weak one has weakened me.
The weak coward has wronged me,
And killing by a glance is a marvel.
And the lethal blow comes from a gentle hand.
ماwhat بالُهُمtheir concern خافواthey feared عَليهfor him
ما بالُهُم خافوا عَليه
منfrom الضَّنىwasting sickness وهوwhile he المُخيفُthe one who frightens
من الضَّنى وهو المُخيفُ
Why did they fear for him,
Why did they fear for him,
lest he waste away, when he himself inspires fear?
From affection, yet he is frightening?
بخِلُواthey were miserly فشَرُّso the worst الناسِof people عِنin the view of… (word begins)
بخِلُوا فشَرُّ الناسِ عِن
دَهُم…them (word ending) الطروقُthe night visitor المُستَضيفُthe one seeking hospitality
دَهُم الطروقُ المُستَضيفُ
They were miserly, so the worst of men, in
They were stingy, and among people the worst stingy,
their eyes, was the night visitor seeking hospitality.
Is he whose guest halls are frequented.
وولائدٍand maidens لمعَتgleamed قَلاnecklaces… (word begins)
وولائدٍ لمعَت قَلا
ئِدُهن…their necklaces (word ending) درٌّpearls والشنوفُand the earrings
ئِدُهن درٌّ والشنوفُ
And maidens with gleaming
And damsels whose jewelry shone,
pearl necklaces and earrings;
Their necklaces were pearls and chrysolite.
وثغورُهنَّand their smiles لَهاfor them عَلىover الدthe… (word begins)
وثغورُهنَّ لَها عَلى الد
دُرَّينِtwo sets of pearls إذwhen لمعاboth gleamed شُفوفُsuperiority
دُرَّينِ إذ لمعا شُفوفُ
and their smiles outshine
And their lips over ivory teeth,
the two sets of pearls when both gleam.
When they smiled were ruby red.
هيَّفنَthey made slender عاشِقهنَّtheir lover فهso… (word begins)
هيَّفنَ عاشِقهنَّ فه
وَ…he (word ending) وهُنَّand they كَالأَغصانِlike branches هيفُslender
وَ وهُنَّ كَالأَغصانِ هيفُ
They made their lover slender, so he
They entertained their lover,
and they are slender as branches.
While they were like tender branches.
وجمَعنَand they gathered مِنfrom حَوليaround me أُلوthousands… (word begins)
وجمَعنَ مِن حَولي أُلو
فاًcompletion of 'thousands' كلُّهُمevery one of them صبُّa passionate lover ألوفُaffectionate
فاً كلُّهُم صبُّ ألوفُ
And they gathered thousands around me,
And gathered around me thousands,
each an ardent, affectionate lover.
All of them pouring love.
فكأنَّهاso as though she بِجَميعِin all ماthat
فكأنَّها بِجَميعِ ما
تَهوىshe desires نقيبٌa chief أَوor عَريفُa headman
تَهوى نقيبٌ أَو عَريفُ
So she seems, in all that
It was as if with all she loves,
she desires, a chief or a headman.
She was a leader or officer.
إِنif كانَhas أَقعَدَنيimmobilized me الزَّماTime… (word begins)
إِن كانَ أَقعَدَني الزَّما
نُcompletion of 'Time' فَإنَّthen indeed أَخباريmy tidings تَطوفُtravel about
نُ فَإنَّ أَخباري تَطوفُ
If Time has laid me low,
If time has made me stay put,
then news of me still travels.
Still my tales roam about.
ويَحثُّنيand urges me عَدمٌpoverty عَلىtoward
ويَحثُّني عَدمٌ عَلى
طلبٍseeking aid فيَمنَعُنيbut holds me back العُزوفُreluctance
طلبٍ فيَمنَعُني العُزوفُ
Poverty urges me toward
And nothingness urges me,
seeking aid, but reluctance holds me back.
To seek, but laziness prevents me.
ماnot كلُّeveryone مَنwho يُدعىis called إِلىto
ما كلُّ مَن يُدعى إِلى
شَرفٍnobility أَبوAbu (father of) الفَضلِal-Fadl الشَّريفُthe noble
شَرفٍ أَبو الفَضلِ الشَّريفُ
Not everyone called to
Not everyone called to nobility,
nobility is the noble Abu al-Fadl.
Abu Al Fadl the noble one,
يَلقَىconfronts الزَّمانَTime مزاجُهhis temperament
يَلقَى الزَّمانَ مزاجُه
مثلُlike الزمانِTime لَهit has صُروفُturns
مثلُ الزمانِ لَه صُروفُ
His temperament confronts Time;
Meets time with his own disposition,
like Time, it has its turns.
Just as time has its own changes.
تَستَجلبُdraws in العافيthe seeker of gifts فإنand if لَمnot
تَستَجلبُ العافي فإن لَم
يأتِهاcome to them جعلَتbegan تَسوفُsniff about
يأتِها جعلَت تَسوفُ
They draw the seeker of gifts; if he does not
It tries to bring good health, so if,
come to them, they begin to sniff him out.
It does not come, it lingers.
ولِصاحِبِand for the master of البَيتِthe house المُنيthe lofty… (word begins)
ولِصاحِبِ البَيتِ المُني
فِcompletion of 'the lofty' عَلَىabove العُلىthe heights خُلقٌa character منيفُlofty
فِ عَلَى العُلى خُلقٌ منيفُ
And the master of the house towering
And the owner of the excellent home,
above the heights has a lofty character.
Has a noble character.
والناسُand people فيin طُرقاتِهِhis paths
والناسُ في طُرقاتِهِ
منfrom خَلفِهbehind him أبَداًalways خُلوفُlagging behind
من خَلفِه أبَداً خُلوفُ
And people on his paths
And people in his avenues,
forever lag behind him,
Follow behind him always.
حتَّىso much so كأنَّas though السالِكيthe travelers… (word begins)
حتَّى كأنَّ السالِكي
نَcompletion of 'the travelers' وراءهُbehind him فيهاon them وقوفُstanding still
نَ وراءهُ فيها وقوفُ
so much so that the travelers
As if those walking behind him
behind him on them seem to stand still.
Just stand still.
جارٍproceeding عَلىaccording to جَورِthe injustice of الحكوrule… (word begins)
جارٍ عَلى جَورِ الحكو
مَةِcompletion of 'rule' فيin مكارِمِهhis generous deeds عَسوفُtyrannical
مَةِ في مكارِمِه عَسوفُ
He proceeds by the injustice of
Oppressing the oppression of the government,
rule, tyrannical in his generosity.
In his magnanimity he is quick to help.
فكأنَّماso as though عدَلَتacted justly أناfingers… (word begins)
فكأنَّما عدَلَت أنا
مِلُه…his fingers (word ending) بِأَنby the fact that صارَتthey became تحيفُact unjustly
مِلُه بِأَن صارَت تحيفُ
So it is as though his fingers did justice
It is as if its injustices,
by becoming unjust.
Have become, through him, virtuous.
أصبحتُI have become والدُّنياand the world صدودٌaverse
أصبحتُ والدُّنيا صدودٌ
عَنfrom مُواصَلتيfellowship with me صدوفُturning away
عَن مُواصَلتي صدوفُ
I have come to find the world aloof,
I woke up while the world,
turning away from fellowship with me.
Was aloof from my companionship.
ومَعيand with me إليكَto you هَدِيَّةٌa gift
ومَعي إليكَ هَدِيَّةٌ
ثقُلَتbecame weighty ومحملُهاand its burden خَفيفُlight
ثقُلَت ومحملُها خَفيفُ
And with me is a gift for you,
And I have for you a gift,
weighty, yet light to carry,
That was heavy, yet its carrier is light.
سَيارةٌfar-traveling يَتغَيَّرُalternates الthe
سَيارةٌ يَتغَيَّرُ ال
مَشتاwintertime عَلَيهاover it والمصيفُand summertime
مَشتا عَلَيها والمصيفُ
far-traveling, while
A car that changes its pace,
winter and summer take turns over it.
When you drive it, and it is summer.
Sol 6.1