صَمَمتُI grew deaf سَمعاًin hearing فَماso not أُصغيI listen إِلىto العَذَلِreproach
صَمَمتُ سَمعاً فَما أُصغي إِلى العَذَلِ
وَهِمتُand I became love-mad قَلباًat heart فَماso not أَصحوI sober up عَنِfrom الغَزَلِlove
وَهِمتُ قَلباً فَما أَصحو عَنِ الغَزَلِ
I have turned a deaf ear, so I do not heed reproach.
I turned a deaf ear, heeding not the blame;
And I am love-mad at heart, so I do not sober from love.
And steeled my heart, to feel no flame.
وَإِنَّand indeed سُقميmy sickness لَمِنsurely from طَرفٍan eye بِهِin it سَقَمٌsickness
وَإِنَّ سُقمي لَمِن طَرفٍ بِهِ سَقَمٌ
خُلوٍfree مِنَof الكُحلِkohl مَملوءٍfilled مِنَwith الكَحَلِnatural darkness of the eyelids
خُلوٍ مِنَ الكُحلِ مَملوءٍ مِنَ الكَحَلِ
And surely my sickness comes from an ailing eye,
My sickness comes from a glance that did pierce me;
Free of kohl, yet full of natural darkness.
Devoid of kohl, yet filled with kohl deadly.
أَشكوI complain of الظَماءَthirst وَرَيّيand my thirst’s quenching فيin حَصىpebbles بَردٍhail
أَشكو الظَماءَ وَرَيّي في حَصى بَردٍ
لَوif بَلَّit quenched مِنsome of غُلَليmy burning thirst أَبلَلتُI would recover مِنfrom عِلَليmy ailments
لَو بَلَّ مِن غُلَلي أَبلَلتُ مِن عِلَلي
I complain of thirst, though my relief lies in hailstones;
I complain of thirst while my tear-drops rain
If it quenched some of my burning thirst, I would recover from my ailments.
In pearls on the gravel of pain.
فَمَنso who لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick lover يَبيتُhe spends the night اللَيلَthe night يَسهَرُهُhe stays awake through it
فَمَن لِصَبٍّ يَبيتُ اللَيلَ يَسهَرُهُ
مُقَلَّبَtossed to and fro القَلبِthe heart بَينَbetween اليَأسِdespair وَالأَمَلِand hope
مُقَلَّبَ القَلبِ بَينَ اليَأسِ وَالأَمَلِ
Who, then, will help a lovesick man who spends the night awake,
Who can aid the love-lorn youth through the night,
His heart tossed between despair and hope?
Tossed between despair and hope's sweet light?
أَينَwhere الجِراحاتُthe wounds مِنcompared with جِرحٍa wound بِأَضلُعِهِwithin his ribs
أَينَ الجِراحاتُ مِن جِرحٍ بِأَضلُعِهِ
وَأَينَand where بيضُthe gleaming ones المَواضيthe keen swords مِنcompared with جُفونٍeyelids عَليAli
وَأَينَ بيضُ المَواضي مِن جُفونٍ عَلي
What are wounds beside the wound within his ribs?
Where are the scars from a bosom's gashes?
And what are gleaming, keen swords beside Ali’s eyelids?
Where is dawn 'neath the lashes?
ياO ضارِباًyou who cite يوسُفاًJoseph فيin حُسنِهِhis beauty مَثَلاًas a comparison
يا ضارِباً يوسُفاً في حُسنِهِ مَثَلاً
جَلَّis exalted اِبنُson of أَفعَلَAf‘al عَنbeyond مِثلٍan equal وَعَنand beyond مَثَلِa comparison
جَلَّ اِبنُ أَفعَلَ عَن مِثلٍ وَعَن مَثَلِ
O you who cite Joseph as a comparison for his beauty,
Hail the fair Joseph's grace and beauty!
Ibn Af‘al is too exalted for any equal or comparison.
But perfection is an empty illusion.
خُذtake ماwhat تَراهُyou see it وَدَعand leave aside شَيئاًsomething سَمِعتَyou heard بِهِof it
خُذ ما تَراهُ وَدَع شَيئاً سَمِعتَ بِهِ
فيin طَلعَةِthe appearance of الشَمسِthe sun ماthat which يُغنيكَsuffices for you عَنwithout need of زُحَلِSaturn
في طَلعَةِ الشَمسِ ما يُغنيكَ عَن زُحَلِ
Take what you see, and leave aside what you have heard of;
Take what you see and hear, but never believe
The sight of the sun leaves you no need of Saturn.
What the sunrise reveals or stars can achieve.
Sol 6.1