اللَيلُnight إِلاexcept حَيثُwhere كُنتَyou were طَويلُlong
اللَيلُ إِلا حَيثُ كُنتَ طَويلُ
وَالصَبرُand patience إِلّاexcept مُنذُsince بِنتَyou departed جَميلُfair
وَالصَبرُ إِلّا مُنذُ بِنتَ جَميلُ
Night is long except where you are;
And patience is fair, save since you departed.
وَالنَفسُand the soul ماso long as لَمnot تَرتَقِبكَit awaits you كَئيبَةٌsorrowful
وَالنَفسُ ما لَم تَرتَقِبكَ كَئيبَةٌ
وَالطَرفُand the eye مالَمso long as not يَلتَمِحكَit glimpses you كَليلُweary
وَالطَرفُ مالَم يَلتَمِحكَ كَليلُ
And the soul is sorrowful unless it awaits you;
And the eye is weary until it glimpses you.
فَلَقَدfor indeed خَلَعتَyou bestowed عَلىupon الزَمانِtime مَحاسِناًbeauties
فَلَقَد خَلَعتَ عَلى الزَمانِ مَحاسِناً
تُثنىare bent بِهِby it أَعطافُهُits flanks فَيَذيلُso it trails its robes
تُثنى بِهِ أَعطافُهُ فَيَذيلُ
For you have robed time in beauties,
In which its flanks sway as it trails its robes.
وَلَقَدand indeed شَمَلتَyou encompassed الحَضرَتَينِboth courts بِنِعمَةٍwith a blessing
وَلَقَد شَمَلتَ الحَضرَتَينِ بِنِعمَةٍ
يَجريflows الثَناءُpraise بِوَصفِهاin describing it فَيُطيلُso it goes on at length
يَجري الثَناءُ بِوَصفِها فَيُطيلُ
And you have enfolded both courts in a blessing;
Praise flows in describing it and runs on at length.
فَالصُبحُso dawn ثَغرٌa mouth فيin جَنابِكَyour precinct ضاحِكٌsmiling
فَالصُبحُ ثَغرٌ في جَنابِكَ ضاحِكٌ
وَاللَيلُand night طَرفٌan eye فيin ذَراكَyour shelter كَحيلُkohl-lined
وَاللَيلُ طَرفٌ في ذَراكَ كَحيلُ
So dawn is a smiling mouth in your precinct,
And night a kohl-lined eye in your shelter.
وَأَقَمتَand you straightened مِنof أَوَدٍcrookedness هُناكَthere وَهَهُناand here
وَأَقَمتَ مِن أَوَدٍ هُناكَ وَهَهُنا
فَدَفَقتَso you poured forth آراءًcounsels وَأَنتَwhile you are جَليلُmajestic
فَدَفَقتَ آراءً وَأَنتَ جَليلُ
And you have straightened crookedness there and here,
So you poured forth counsels, majestic as you are.
وَتَكَشَّفَتand was unveiled لَكَto you حالَةٌa circumstance عَنconcerning غادِرٍa traitor
وَتَكَشَّفَت لَكَ حالَةٌ عَن غادِرٍ
مَلِقٍfawning وَمرعىand the pasture الغادِرينَof traitors وَبيلُbaneful
مَلِقٍ وَمرعى الغادِرينَ وَبيلُ
And a circumstance revealed to you a traitor,
A flatterer—and the traitors' pasture is baneful.
فَقَعَدتَso you brought low بِالأَعداءِthe enemies قِعدَةَin the manner خالِعٍof one stripping off
فَقَعَدتَ بِالأَعداءِ قِعدَةَ خالِعٍ
ثَوبَthe robe العَزازَةِof might عَنهُfrom him فَهوَso he is ذَليلُabased
ثَوبَ العَزازَةِ عَنهُ فَهوَ ذَليلُ
So you brought the enemies low, like one stripping
The robe of might from him, leaving him abased.
وَهَدَدتَand you demolished هَضبَةَthe hill عِزِّهِof his might فَكَأَنَّهاso it seemed
وَهَدَدتَ هَضبَةَ عِزِّهِ فَكَأَنَّها
نَسفاًblasted apart كَثيبٌa sand dune بِالعَراءِin the open مَهيلُloose-heaped
نَسفاً كَثيبٌ بِالعَراءِ مَهيلُ
And you razed the hill of his might, till it seemed
Blasted apart—a loose sand dune in the open.
فَتَطَوَّقَتso it was collared بِالهَونِwith humiliation مِنهُof his حَمامَةٌa dove
فَتَطَوَّقَت بِالهَونِ مِنهُ حَمامَةٌ
يَعتادُهاrepeatedly visits it تَحتَbeneath الظَلامِthe darkness عَويلُwailing
يَعتادُها تَحتَ الظَلامِ عَويلُ
So a dove of his was collared with humiliation,
Visited by wailing beneath the darkness.
وَأَراهُand showed him صَبوَةَthe youthful folly ماجَناهُwhat he had committed دَهمَةًdarkness
وَأَراهُ صَبوَةَ ماجَناهُ دَهمَةً
نَظَرٌa regard جَزاهُrequited him عَنِfor القَبيحِthe foul deed جَميلُgracious
نَظَرٌ جَزاهُ عَنِ القَبيحِ جَميلُ
And the youthful folly of his deed was shown to him as darkness
By a gracious regard that requited him for his baseness.
فَاِعتاصَso grew difficult مِنout of لُجٍّa deep sea وَأَعتَمَand grew dark مَسلَكٌa path
فَاِعتاصَ مِن لُجٍّ وَأَعتَمَ مَسلَكٌ
وَاِلتاثَand became tangled مُلتَمَسٌa sought goal وَضاقَand narrowed سَبيلُa way
وَاِلتاثَ مُلتَمَسٌ وَضاقَ سَبيلُ
So a path out of the deep grew difficult and dark;
A goal grew elusive, and a way narrowed.
وَوَشىand embroidered رِداءَthe robe الحَمدِof praise بِاِسمِكَwith your name خاطِرٌa mind
وَوَشى رِداءَ الحَمدِ بِاِسمِكَ خاطِرٌ
قَدalready عاثَwreaked havoc فيهِin it السُقمُsickness فَهوَso it is كَليلُweary
قَد عاثَ فيهِ السُقمُ فَهوَ كَليلُ
And a mind embroidered the robe of praise with your name,
Though sickness had ravaged it, leaving it weary.
فَسَجَعتُso I cooed فيin قَيدِthe fetters الشَكاةِof illness مُغَرِّداًsinging
فَسَجَعتُ في قَيدِ الشَكاةِ مُغَرِّداً
طَرَباًin rapture وَلِلطَرفِand the steed has الرَبيطِtethered صَهيلُa neigh
طَرَباً وَلِلطَرفِ الرَبيطِ صَهيلُ
So I cooed in the fetters of illness, singing
In rapture; even a tethered steed has a neigh.
وَلَوىand turned العِنانَthe rein عَنِaway from الإِطالَةِlengthening أَنَّنيthat I am
وَلَوى العِنانَ عَنِ الإِطالَةِ أَنَّني
نِضوُa wasted remnant القُوىof strength بِسُرىfrom night journeys الفِراشِin bed ضَئيلُfrail
نِضوُ القُوى بِسُرى الفِراشِ ضَئيلُ
And what reined me back from prolonging it was that I am
A wreck of strength, frail from night journeys in bed.
مادَmade sway النُحولُwasting بِهِhim فَلاعَبَso toyed with شَخصَهُhis frame
مادَ النُحولُ بِهِ فَلاعَبَ شَخصَهُ
ظِلٌّa shadow تَحَيَّفَهُwhittled it away السَقامُsickness نَحيلُslender
ظِلٌّ تَحَيَّفَهُ السَقامُ نَحيلُ
Wasting made him sway; his frame was toyed with
By a slender shadow that sickness had whittled away.
فَمَنَعتُهُso I denied it جَمَّan abundance المَحاسِنِof beauties ناقِهاًconvalescing
فَمَنَعتُهُ جَمَّ المَحاسِنِ ناقِهاً
قَدindeed كاثَرَvied in number with الأَمداحَthe panegyrics وَهوَthough it is قَليلُscant
قَد كاثَرَ الأَمداحَ وَهوَ قَليلُ
So, convalescing, I denied it abundant beauties;
It has vied with many panegyrics, though itself so brief.
وَلَكَمand many a قَصيرٍa short one مِنfrom يَراعِكَyour reed pen ساحِبٍdragging
وَلَكَم قَصيرٍ مِن يَراعِكَ ساحِبٍ
مِنby نابِthe fang صَدرِat the head الرُمحِof the spear وَهوَthough it is طَويلُlong
مِن نابِ صَدرِ الرُمحِ وَهوَ طَويلُ
And many a brief line from your reed pen has dragged
A spear by the fang at its head, long though it is.
Sol 6.1