أسائلهI ask him يومon the day of النوىseparation كيفَhow حالهhis condition
أسائله يوم النوى كيفَ حاله
أعيذكI seek protection for you ممَّاfrom what قلَّwas little منهof it احتمالهhis endurance
أعيذك ممَّا قلَّ منه احتماله
I ask him, on the day of separation, how he fares.
I ask him on the day of parting, how is he?
I seek protection for you from what he can scarcely bear.
I seek refuge for you from what little endurance remains
تقضَّتhave passed لياليthe nights of الوصلunion إلاَّexcept ادِّكارهاtheir remembrance
تقضَّت ليالي الوصل إلاَّ ادِّكارها
وغابَand vanished حبيبthe beloved of القلبthe heart إلاَّexcept خيالهhis image
وغابَ حبيب القلب إلاَّ خياله
The nights of union have passed, save their remembrance.
The nights of union have passed, except for remembering them
And the heart’s beloved has vanished, save his image.
And the beloved of my heart is gone, except for his image
بروحيَwith my soul ناءٍa distant one كنتI used to أشكوcomplain of ملالهُhis weariness
بروحيَ ناءٍ كنت أشكو ملالهُ
فمنso who ليfor me بأنthat يدنوhe draw near ويبقىand remain ملالهhis weariness
فمن لي بأن يدنو ويبقى ملاله
My soul would ransom a distant one whose weariness I once lamented.
With a grieving soul, I used to complain of his indifference
So who can grant me his nearness, even if his weariness remains?
So who can come near me and stay, sharing my indifference?
منamong الغيدthe graceful إنif تنسبهyou trace his lineage فهوthen he is كماas ترىyou see
من الغيد إن تنسبه فهو كما ترى
أخواthe two brothers of وجنتيهhis two cheeks الشمسthe sun والمسكand musk خالهhis maternal uncle; his mole
أخوا وجنتيه الشمس والمسك خاله
He is of the graceful: trace his lineage, and he is, as you see—
The full moon, if you attribute it to him, is as you see
The sun is brother to each of his cheeks, and musk his maternal uncle.
Brothers, and its two gardens are the sun and musk are its moles
عداfell short of البدرthe full moon أنto يحكيimitate جميعall صفاتهhis qualities
عدا البدر أن يحكي جميع صفاته
ولكنbut حكاهاit mirrored them نورهُits radiance وانتقالهand its passage
ولكن حكاها نورهُ وانتقاله
The full moon fell short of mirroring all his qualities,
Except the moon relates all his qualities
But its light and its passage mirrored them.
But his light related them and his passing
وراحَand went away القناthe spear-shafts منfrom نيلattaining عطفِهhis flank باهتاًbewildered
وراحَ القنا من نيل عطفِه باهتاً
فكانso it was حقيقاًwell deserved حرّهits burning heat واعْتقالهand its confinement
فكان حقيقاً حرّه واعْتقاله
And the spear-shafts withdrew, baffled at matching his flank,
The canals of his kindness left dry and confused
So their burning heat and confinement were well deserved.
So it was truly its heat and its bonds
خذْtake الحذرheed منof لحظٍa glance لهof his وذوائبٍand tresses
خذْ الحذر من لحظٍ له وذوائبٍ
فماfor not هوit إلاَّexcept سحرهُhis sorcery وحبالهand his snares
فما هو إلاَّ سحرهُ وحباله
Beware a glance of his and his flowing locks,
Take care of a glance that has curls and tresses
For it is nothing but his sorcery and his snares.
It is nothing but his magic and his ropes
وإيَّاكماand beware, you two فيin الحبِّlove منof لومِreproaching مبعدٍone kept afar
وإيَّاكما في الحبِّ من لومِ مبعدٍ
وقولاand say, you two لهto him فيregarding الوصلِunion كيفhow احْتيالهhis devising a means
وقولا له في الوصلِ كيف احْتياله
And beware, you two, of reproaching a lover kept afar,
And beware in love of the blame of one who is far
And ask him how he can contrive a reunion.
And say to him in union, how cunning is he!
جعلتI made وفاءfaithfulness to العهدthe pledge زينةthe adornment of شيمتيmy character
جعلت وفاء العهد زينة شيمتي
كماjust as زانَadorned أبناءthe sons of الزمانthe age جمالهhis beauty
كما زانَ أبناء الزمان جماله
I made faithfulness to pledges the adornment of my character,
I made faithfulness of covenant the adornment of my qualities
Just as his beauty adorned the sons of this age.
Just as the sons of time adorned their beauty
أخوpossessor of العلمlearning والنعماءand beneficence يهديguides رشادهhis sound judgment
أخو العلم والنعماء يهدي رشاده
ويجديand benefits علىupon داعيthe petitioner الرجاءhope نوالهhis bounty
ويجدي على داعي الرجاء نواله
A master of learning and beneficence, whose sound judgment guides,
The brother of knowledge and virtues guides his advice
And whose bounty enriches the hopeful petitioner.
And benefits the supplicant of hope with his bestowal
جميلُbeautiful المحيَّاthe countenance يملأfills العينthe eye بهجةًwith delight
جميلُ المحيَّا يملأ العين بهجةً
وأجملand more beautiful منthan ذاكَthat المحيَّاcountenance فعالهhis deeds
وأجمل من ذاكَ المحيَّا فعاله
Beautiful of countenance, he fills the eye with delight,
The beautiful greeter fills the eye with joy
Yet more beautiful than that countenance are his deeds.
And more beautiful than that is his deed
محاhe erased الجدبdrought عنfrom وجهthe face of البراياhumankind بأنملٍwith fingertips
محا الجدب عن وجه البرايا بأنملٍ
تريكshow you حياlife-giving rain الوسميّof early autumn كيفhow انْهمالهits pouring down
تريك حيا الوسميّ كيف انْهماله
He erased drought from the face of humankind with fingertips
He erased barrenness from the face of the wilds with fingers
That show you how the early autumn rain pours down.
That show you how the marked one coils
ألمhave you not ترهseen him واللهand God يبسطextends عمرهُhis life
ألم تره والله يبسط عمرهُ
يمرّhe passes علىover الواديthe valley فتثنىso they bend رمالهits sands
يمرّ على الوادي فتثنى رماله
Have you not seen him—may God prolong his life—
Did you not see him, by Allah, extending his life
Pass through the valley, so that its sands bend?
Passing by the valley, so its sands fold
رئيسa chief بيَدِin the hand of القائلينthe speakers سكونهhis repose
رئيس بيَدِ القائلين سكونه
ويفضلand excels عنbeyond يمنىthe right hand of الغمامthe raincloud شمالهhis left hand
ويفضل عن يمنى الغمام شماله
A chief whose repose lies in the hands of those who speak,
The chief of speakers, his tranquility
And whose left hand surpasses the raincloud’s right.
And he surpasses the right of the clouds with his left
لهhe has قلمٌa pen إنif قالit speaks روّىquenches سجلهits record; its full bucket
له قلمٌ إن قال روّى سجله
مسامعناour ears أوor جالَit ranges روّتgive drink سجالهits brimming buckets
مسامعنا أو جالَ روّت سجاله
He has a pen: if it speaks, its record refreshes
He has a pen, if it speaks it quenches its register
Our ears; if it ranges, its brimming buckets give drink.
Our hearings or it flows, his registers flow
حرامforbidden علىin الحالينboth states سحرthe sorcery of بديعهits wondrous artistry
حرام على الحالين سحر بديعه
إذاwhen جالَranges فيin سلبِrobbing العقولminds حلالهits lawful magic
إذا جالَ في سلبِ العقول حلاله
Forbidden in either state is the sorcery of its wondrous art,
It is forbidden for the enchanted, the magic of his eloquence
When its lawful magic ranges forth to steal minds.
When it wanders in capturing minds, its permitted
يجولranges بهwith it فيin الحربِwar والسلمand peace ماجدٌa noble man
يجول به في الحربِ والسلم ماجدٌ
مؤيدةupheld أقوالهhis words وفعالهand his deeds
مؤيدة أقواله وفعاله
A noble man wields it in war and peace,
A glorious one roams with it in war and peace
His words and deeds alike upheld.
His words and his actions supported
منfrom المالكيal-Maliki رقّgrew tender المديحpraise بنائلٍthrough a gift
من المالكي رقّ المديح بنائلٍ
كأنas though بحارthe seas of الأرضthe earth فيin الجودِgenerosity آلهhis kin
كأن بحار الأرض في الجودِ آله
Praise has grown tender through a gift from al-Maliki,
Of the Maliki, the tenderness of praise with softness
As though the earth’s seas were his kin in generosity.
As if the seas of earth in generosity are his property
يزيدhe increases اتّضاعاًin humility كلّماwhenever زادَhe increases رفعةًin rank
يزيد اتّضاعاً كلّما زادَ رفعةً
وكمand how many صاعدٍa rising man أخنىbrought ruin عليهupon him اخْتيالهhis conceit
وكم صاعدٍ أخنى عليه اخْتياله
He grows more humble whenever he rises in rank,
He increases in humility whenever he gains loftiness
And how many a rising man has been ruined by his conceit!
And how many ascenders were bent by his cunning
ألاtake heed أيهاO you الباغيwho seek منالاًattainment لشأوِهِof his farthest reach
ألا أيها الباغي منالاً لشأوِهِ
إليكَaway with you فليسfor it is not الأمرthe matter ممَّاamong what تنالهyou attain it
إليكَ فليس الأمر ممَّا تناله
Take heed, you who seek to attain his farthest reach:
Come forth, O transgressor, to his lofty position
Stand back, for this is not something you can attain.
To you, for the matter is not one you can attain
لهfor him اللهGod منwhat a غاليprecious in السجيَّةnature عذبهاsweet in it
له الله من غالي السجيَّة عذبها
كماjust as انْهلَّpoured down منfrom فرعthe crown of السحابthe clouds زلالهtheir pure water
كما انْهلَّ من فرع السحاب زلاله
May God be with him, so precious and sweet in nature,
To him belongs the sweetness of precious temperament
As pure water pours from the crown of the clouds.
As the drizzle of clouds descended with its freshness
نزلتI alighted بمغناهat his dwelling فلمso did not أخشَI fear حادثاًa misfortune
نزلت بمغناه فلم أخشَ حادثاً
وكيفَand how وهذاand this is جاههhis influence ليfor me ومالهand his wealth
وكيفَ وهذا جاهه لي وماله
I alighted at his dwelling and feared no misfortune,
I alighted with his singing, and did not fear mishap
And how could I, with his influence and wealth at my service?
And how could I, when this glory is mine and wealth
أمولايO my lord إنindeed الحالthe plight مدَّstretched رجاؤهits hope
أمولاي إن الحال مدَّ رجاؤه
إليكَtoward you وإنand indeed القصدthe quest آلhas reached مآلهits destination
إليكَ وإن القصد آل مآله
O my lord, indeed the hope of my plight has stretched
My lord, the state has extended its hope
Toward you, and indeed my quest has reached its destination.
To you, and the goal ended with its outcome
دعاكcalled upon you لتمييزto distinguish الوسائلthe means of approach طالبٌa petitioner
دعاك لتمييز الوسائل طالبٌ
فلاso no غَرْوَwonder أنthat يسموrises بريّكthrough your watering حالهhis condition
فلا غَرْوَ أن يسمو بريّك حاله
A petitioner has called upon you to distinguish the means of approach,
A seeker called you to discern the means
So no wonder that his fortunes rise through your watering.
So no wonder your lofty state rises
Sol 6.1