لولاwere it not for معانيthe meanings of السحرmagic منfrom لحظاتِهاher glances
لولا معاني السحر من لحظاتِها
ماnot طالlasted long تردادِيmy repeated visits إلىto أبياتهاher dwellings
ما طال تردادِي إلى أبياتها
Were it not for the meanings of magic in her glances,
Had it not been for the magical meanings in its moments
My repeated visits to her dwellings would not have lasted so long.
My echoing it would not have lasted long in its verses
ولماand would not وقفتُI stood علىat الديارِthe dwellings منادياًcalling
ولما وقفتُ على الديارِ منادياً
قلبيmy heart المتيمَenslaved by love منfrom وراbehind حجراتهاher chambers
قلبي المتيمَ من ورا حجراتها
Nor would I have stood at the dwellings, calling
And had I not stood by the abode calling out
To my love-enslaved heart from behind her chambers.
My longing heart behind its chambers
دارٌa dwelling عرفتُI knew الوجدَlove-longing منذُsince أتيتهاI came to it
دارٌ عرفتُ الوجدَ منذُ أتيتها
زمنَat the time of الوصالunion فليتنيso would that I لمhad not آتهاcome to it
زمنَ الوصال فليتني لم آتها
A dwelling where I have known yearning since I came to it
A house I knew ecstasy since I came to it
In the time of union—would that I had never come!
Time of union, oh if only I had not come to it
حيثُwhere الظباthe gazelles وكواعبٌand budding-breasted maidens وحدائقٌand gardens
حيثُ الظبا وكواعبٌ وحدائقٌ
أنَّىwherever التفتُّI turned رتعتُI grazed freely فيin جناتهاits gardens
أنَّى التفتُّ رتعتُ في جناتها
Where there were gazelles, budding-breasted maidens, and gardens;
Where the gazelle and flirtatious maidens and gardens
Wherever I turned, I grazed freely in its gardens.
Wherever I looked I grazed in its oases
والرَّاحand wine هاديةُbringing السرورjoy إلىto الحشَاthe breast
والرَّاح هاديةُ السرور إلى الحشَا
مثلlike الكواكبthe stars فيin أكفِّthe palms of سقاتهاits cupbearers
مثل الكواكب في أكفِّ سقاتها
And wine, bringing gladness to the breast,
And the breeze gently joyful to the bushes
Was like stars in the palms of its cupbearers.
Like planets in the hands of its water-bearers
لاnot أنظمI compose الأحزانsorrows فيduring أيَّامهاits days
لا أنظم الأحزان في أيَّامها
أوand do ...? ماnot ترىyou see كسرىKisra علىupon كاساتهاits cups
أو ما ترى كسرى على كاساتها
I compose no sorrows in its days;
I do not compose sorrows during its days
And do you not see Kisra upon its cups?
Or see a goblet break on its cups
كمhow many a ليلةٍnight عاطيتI offered صورتهhis image طِلاًwine
كم ليلةٍ عاطيت صورته طِلاً
كادتْit nearly تحركُmoves معطفيهhis two flanks بذاتهاof its own accord
كادتْ تحركُ معطفيه بذاتها
How many a night I offered his image wine!
How many nights did I give its image prolonged yearning
It almost stirred both his flanks of its own accord.
It nearly moved its cloak by itself
فلئنso if بكيتI wept فإنَّthen indeed هذاthis الدمعَtears منfrom
فلئن بكيت فإنَّ هذا الدمعَ من
ذاكthat الحبابِfroth يفيضُoverflows منfrom جنباتهاits sides
ذاك الحبابِ يفيضُ من جنباتها
So if I weep, then these tears come from
So if I cried then these tears are from
That froth, overflowing from its sides.
That love overflowing from its eyelids
ماليwhat have I وماand what للهوِfor revelry بعدafter مفارِقٍhair-partings
مالي وما للهوِ بعد مفارِقٍ
قدalready نفّرتhave driven away غِربانهاtheir ravens ببزاتهاwith their hawks
قد نفّرت غِربانها ببزاتها
What have I to do with revelry, after hair-partings
What is mine and what is after separation
Have driven off their ravens with their hawks?
Its ravens scattered away in their nests
والشيبand gray hair فيon فوديmy temples يخطُّtraces أهلةًcrescents
والشيب في فودي يخطُّ أهلةً
معنىthe meaning of المنونِdeath يلوحglimmers فيin نوناتهاtheir nūns
معنى المنونِ يلوح في نوناتها
And gray hair on my temples traces crescents;
And grey hair in my temples drawing crescents
The meaning of death glimmers in their nūns.
The meaning of death looming in its letters
سقياًmay rain fall لروضاتِon the gardens of الشبابyouth وإنeven though جنتhave wronged
سقياً لروضاتِ الشباب وإن جنت
هذيthese الشجونُsorrows علىagainst قلوبِthe hearts of جُناتهاtheir gatherers
هذي الشجونُ على قلوبِ جُناتها
May rain fall on youth's gardens, though wrong was done
Watering the gardens of youth though they produced
By these sorrows to their gatherers' hearts;
These passions on the hearts of its gardens
ولدولةِand upon the reign of الملكِthe king المؤيدِal-Mu’ayyad إنَّهاfor it
ولدولةِ الملكِ المؤيدِ إنَّها
جمعتhas gathered فنونَthe arts of المدحِpraise بعدَafter شتاتهاtheir dispersal
جمعت فنونَ المدحِ بعدَ شتاتها
And upon the reign of King al-Mu’ayyad, for it
And for the state of the King al-Mu'ayyad indeed
Has gathered the arts of praise after their dispersal.
It gathered the arts of praise after their dispersion
ملكٌa king ليمناهfor his right hand عوائدُhabitual acts of أنعُمٍfavors
ملكٌ ليمناه عوائدُ أنعُمٍ
ألفتْhave grown accustomed نحاةُthe seekers of الجودbounty فيضَthe outpouring of صِلاتهاits gifts
ألفتْ نحاةُ الجود فيضَ صِلاتها
A king whose right hand repeatedly bestows favors;
A king whose favours return to blessings
The seekers of bounty have grown accustomed to its gifts' outpouring.
Grammarians of generosity overflowed its payments
ماnot قالhe said إلاَّexcept فيwhen مبادرَةhastening to العطاgiving
ما قال إلاَّ في مبادرَة العطا
وتناولِand receiving الأمداحpraises هاكَtake this وهاتهاand bring them here
وتناولِ الأمداح هاكَ وهاتها
He says only, when hastening to give
He did not speak except with initiative of gift
And receiving praises, 'Take this' and 'Bring them here.'
And taking praises, here, take this and that
شدَّتwere cinched لساحتهfor his court الرحالُthe saddles ففعلهاso their action
شدَّت لساحته الرحالُ ففعلها
يقضيordains بنصرِsupport for الحرفthe lean she-camel نحوَtoward جهاتهاits precincts
يقضي بنصرِ الحرف نحوَ جهاتها
Saddles were cinched for his court, and their action
Feet hastened to his field so his actions
Ordains aid for the lean she-camel bound for its precincts.
Judge with victory of the word to its directions
أكرمhow noble بساحتهis his court التيwhere لاno صَدْحَsong منfrom
أكرم بساحته التي لا صَدْحَ من
وُرقthe gray doves of الثناpraise إلاَّexcept علىover روْضاتهاits gardens
وُرق الثنا إلاَّ على روْضاتها
How noble his court, where no song rises from
He honoured in his field which no bud of
The gray doves of praise except over its gardens.
Praise blooms on except its meadows
غذِيَwas nourished on الرجاءَhope نباتُهاits growth فانْظرso look لمنto the one whom
غذِيَ الرجاءَ نباتُها فانْظر لمن
وشَّاهadorned him منwith مدحٍpraise فمُthe mouth of ابنِson of نباتهاits growth (Nubata wordplay)
وشَّاه من مدحٍ فمُ ابنِ نباتها
Its growth was nourished on hope; look to him
The vegetation of hope grew so look to whom
Whom the mouth of Ibn Nubata—son of its growth—has embroidered with praise.
He appointed from praise, the son of its plants
واهْرعand hasten إلىto الشخصِthe man الذيwho قدindeed ألفتhave grown attached
واهْرع إلى الشخصِ الذي قد ألفت
كلّall القلوبِthe hearts لهto him علىaccording to رغباتهاtheir desires
كلّ القلوبِ له على رغباتها
And hasten to the man to whom
And hurry to the person whom all hearts
All hearts have grown attached, following their desires.
Are accustomed to desire for his sake
وإذاand when الفتىthe young man اجْتذبdrew القلوبthe hearts سعتhastened إلىtoward
وإذا الفتى اجْتذب القلوب سعت إلى
دينارthe dinar of راحتهِhis palm خُطَىthe footsteps of حبَّاتهاtheir cores
دينار راحتهِ خُطَى حبَّاتها
And when a man draws hearts to him, there hasten toward
And if the youth attracts hearts they hasten to
The dinar in his palm the footsteps of their very cores.
The dinar of his rest the steps of its seeds
وإذاand when حُلىthe adornments of الملكِthe king المؤيدِal-Mu’ayyad أشرقتshine
وإذا حُلى الملكِ المؤيدِ أشرقت
فاخْشعthen be reverent لماbefore what تمليهِthey dictate it منof آياتهاtheir verses
فاخْشع لما تمليهِ من آياتها
And when King al-Mu’ayyad's adornments shine,
And if the jewels of King al-Mu'ayyad shine
Then humble yourself before the verses they dictate.
Then bow to what it dictates of its signs
شرفٌnobility مثالُthe likeness of النجمِthe star دونbeneath مثالهِits likeness
شرفٌ مثالُ النجمِ دون مثالهِ
وَلُهاًand gifts يضيعُis lost الغيثthe rain فيin قطراتهاtheir drops
وَلُهاً يضيعُ الغيث في قطراتها
Nobility, beneath whose likeness lies the likeness of the star,
A nobility like the example of a star below its example
And gifts in whose drops the rain is lost.
Bewildered the rain gets lost in its drops
لمnot يكفwas enough أنthat جلَّىhe cleared away الخطوبcalamities عنfrom الورىhumankind
لم يكف أن جلَّى الخطوب عن الورى
حتَّىuntil جلاhe dispelled بعلومهthrough his learning ظلماتهاtheir darkness
حتَّى جلا بعلومه ظلماتها
It was not enough that he cleared calamities from humankind,
It did not suffice to reveal calamities from people
Until, through his learning, he dispelled their darkness.
Until he revealed with his knowledge its darkness
للهGod has فيهِwithin him سريرةٌa secret مكنونةٌhidden
لله فيهِ سريرةٌ مكنونةٌ
فصفاتهاso describing it الإعياءexhaustion دونshort of صفاتهاits qualities
فصفاتها الإعياء دون صفاتها
God has a hidden mystery within him;
God has a secret in him, concealed
So describing it exhausts one, yet falls short of its qualities.
Its attributes, enumerating falls short of its attributes
لاdo not تطلبنَّever demand منfrom القرائحinspired minds حصرَencompassing ماwhat
لا تطلبنَّ من القرائح حصرَ ما
أفضىhe attained إليهto it وَعدِّand turn away عنfrom إعناتِهاoverburdening them
أفضى إليه وَعدِّ عن إعناتِها
Do not ask inspired minds to encompass what
Do not ask perceptions to enumerate what
He has attained; turn away from overtaxing them.
Poured unto him, stop enumerating its favors
ركعتْbowed لذكراهُat his mention الحروفthe letters فلنso you will not تكدْcome close
ركعتْ لذكراهُ الحروف فلن تكدْ
تتبيَّنُdistinguish الألفاتُthe alifs منfrom دالاتهاtheir dāls
تتبيَّنُ الألفاتُ من دالاتها
The letters bowed at his mention; you will scarcely
The letters bowed to his mention, so they will never
Distinguish the alifs from their dāls.
Manifest the affinities from its indications
وتقشَّعتand have dispersed أنواءُthe rainstorms of كلّevery غمامةٍcloud
وتقشَّعت أنواءُ كلّ غمامةٍ
وهباتُهwhile his gifts تجرِيflow علىaccording to عاداتهاtheir custom
وهباتُه تجرِي على عاداتها
And the rainstorms of every cloud have dispersed,
And the clouds of every cloud gathered
While his gifts flow in their accustomed way.
And his gifts flow according to their habits
ياO ابنَson of الملوكِthe kings الناشرينwho spread لبيتهمfor their house
يا ابنَ الملوكِ الناشرين لبيتهم
سِيراًhistories تبيّضُwhiten منof وجوهِthe faces of رُواتهاtheir narrators
سِيراً تبيّضُ من وجوهِ رُواتها
O son of kings who spread for their house
Oh son of kings who publish their house
Histories that whiten their narrators' faces.
As lives whitened by the faces of its transmitters
مُتَّbind الفقيرَthe poor man إلىto يديكyour two hands بمنةٍwith a favor
مُتَّ الفقيرَ إلى يديك بمنةٍ
إذsince كانhas been صنعthe practice of الجودِgenerosity منamong لذَّاتهاtheir delights
إذ كان صنع الجودِ من لذَّاتها
Bind the poor man to your hands with a favor,
Grant the needy to your hands with favour
Since acts of generosity are among their delights.
Since the making of generosity is from its joys
وصَبتْand yearned إلىto لقياكmeeting you غيرnot ملولةٍweary
وصَبتْ إلى لقياك غير ملولةٍ
نفسٌa soul رأتsaw جدواكyour bounty أصلَthe source of حياتهاits life
نفسٌ رأت جدواك أصلَ حياتها
And, never weary, it yearned to meet you—
And an unresting soul poured to meeting you
A soul that saw your bounty as the source of its life.
Which saw your generosity as the origin of its life
لاnot نعتبwe reproach الأيَّامَthe days كيفَhowever تقلَّبتthey have changed
لا نعتب الأيَّامَ كيفَ تقلَّبت
بالقاطنينَfor the dwellers وأنتَand you منamong حسناتهاtheir blessings
بالقاطنينَ وأنتَ من حسناتها
We do not reproach the days, however they change
We do not blame days however they change
For their dwellers, since you are among their blessings.
With residents, and you are of its best
Sol 6.1