قسماًI swear بغصنby the bough of قوامهhis stature المتمايلswaying
قسماً بغصن قوامه المتمايل
إنِّيindeed I لتعجبنيtruly delight me عليهover him بلابليmy torments
إنِّي لتعجبني عليه بلابلي
I swear by the swaying bough of his stature:
I swear by its swaying branch,
Indeed, my torments over him delight me.
How much I love the nightingale upon it!
ويطيبand sweetens أفواهthe mouths of العواذلthe reproachers ذكرهmention of him
ويطيب أفواه العواذل ذكره
حتَّىuntil أهمّI am tempted بلثمto kiss ثغرthe lips of العاذلthe reproacher
حتَّى أهمّ بلثم ثغر العاذل
And mention of him sweetens the reproachers' mouths,
And the mouths of maidens are sweetened by the mention of it,
Until I am tempted to kiss the reproacher's lips.
Until I am inclined to kiss the mouth of the enamored one.
رشأٌa young gazelle سرفتgrew excessive مدامعيmy tears فيin حبِّهlove of him
رشأٌ سرفت مدامعي في حبِّه
ياah للقتيلfor the slain one بكىwept لحبِّfor love of القاتلthe slayer
يا للقتيل بكى لحبِّ القاتل
A young gazelle—my tears have flowed to excess for love of him.
A meadow upon which I have spilled my tears in its love,
Ah, the slain man who wept for love of his slayer!
Oh, for the slain who wept for the love of the killer!
ماwhat ضرَّwould harm عاملthe spear-shaft of قدّهhis stature لوif كانَit were ذاpossessed of
ما ضرَّ عامل قدّه لو كانَ ذا
عطفa tender inclination فليسfor it is not يضيعwasted أجرthe reward of العاملthe worker
عطف فليس يضيع أجر العامل
What harm would the spear-shaft of his stature suffer if it had
No harm to the worker if he has
A tender bend? For a worker's reward is never lost.
Compassion, for the reward of the worker is not lost.
نزلتdescended علىupon جفنيهhis two eyelids فيناamong us آيةٌa sign
نزلت على جفنيه فينا آيةٌ
نزلتdescended علىupon الملكينthe two angels قبلُbefore ببابلin Babylon
نزلت على الملكين قبلُ ببابل
A sign descended among us upon his eyelids,
Signs descended upon his eyelids, likewise
One that had descended upon the two angels before, in Babylon.
Signs descended upon the two kings before Babylon.
وتناهتand culminated الأهواpassions إليهto him كماjust as انْتهىculminated
وتناهت الأهوا إليه كما انْتهى
معنىthe essence of السيادةsovereignty للمليكto the king الكاملal-Kamil (the Perfect)
معنى السيادة للمليك الكامل
And passions reached their height in him, just as
And passions stretched out to him, as
The essence of sovereignty did in al-Kamil, the perfect king.
The meaning of sovereignty reached the perfect king.
ملكa king رأيتI saw الشهبthe bright stars ثمَّthen رأيتهI saw him
ملك رأيت الشهب ثمَّ رأيته
فوجدتهand I found him أعيىharder to attain علىfor المتطاولone reaching upward
فوجدته أعيى على المتطاول
A king—I saw the bright stars, then saw him,
I saw meteors, then I saw him
And found him harder for one reaching upward to attain.
And found him blind to the ambitions.
وقصدتand I sought عذبَthe sweet water of البحرthe sea ثمَّthen قصدتهI sought him
وقصدت عذبَ البحر ثمَّ قصدته
فوجدتهand I found him أدنىnearer إلىto المتناولone reaching to take
فوجدته أدنى إلى المتناول
And I sought the sea's sweet water, then sought him,
And I sought the sweetness of the sea, then sought it
And found him nearer to the one who reaches out.
And found it nearer to the attainable.
نقلتconveyed شمائلهhis virtues صفاتthe qualities of جدودهhis forefathers
نقلت شمائله صفات جدوده
نقلthe conveying of الرياضthe gardens عنfrom الغمامِthe clouds الهاطلpouring rain
نقل الرياض عن الغمامِ الهاطل
His virtues conveyed his forefathers' qualities,
His attributes conveyed the traits of his ancestors
As gardens convey those of the rain-pouring clouds.
As the raincloud conveys from the garden.
وتحدَّثتand spoke فيamid الروعِterror ألسنthe tongues of بيضهhis bright swords
وتحدَّثت في الروعِ ألسن بيضه
بينamong المقاصدthe targets بالحديثِwith speech الفاصلdecisive
بين المقاصد بالحديثِ الفاصل
And amid terror the tongues of his bright swords spoke,
And the tongues of his courtyards conversed
Among the targets, with decisive speech.
Among the goals with the decisive conversation.
وسقىand watered البنانthe fingertips يراعهhis reed pen حتَّىuntil ارْتوىit drank its fill
وسقى البنان يراعه حتَّى ارْتوى
فلذاكand therefore يهزأit scoffs بالوشيحِat the spear-shafts الدابلwithered
فلذاك يهزأ بالوشيحِ الدابل
And his fingers watered his reed pen until it drank its fill,
And he watered creation until it was sated,
And so it scoffs at the withered spear-shafts.
So for that he mocks the importunate pleader.
ياO ابنson of الملوكthe kings الشائدينwho built حمىthe sanctuary of الهدىguidance
يا ابن الملوك الشائدين حمى الهدى
والرافعينand who raised قبابهُits domes بعاملwith a spear-shaft
والرافعين قبابهُ بعامل
O son of kings who built the sanctuary of guidance,
O son of departed kings, protector of the path of guidance,
And raised its domes with a spear-shaft,
And builder of its domes with the worker,
والحاصدينand who reaped عداتهits enemies بقواضبٍwith keen swords
والحاصدين عداته بقواضبٍ
صارتbecame لطولِfrom the length of ضرابهاtheir striking كمناجلlike sickles
صارت لطولِ ضرابها كمناجل
And reaped its enemies with keen swords
And reaper of its crops with ships
That, from long striking, became like sickles.
That became like sickles from the length of their voyage,
أيديهمُtheir hands فيon الأرضِthe earth نبعthe wellspring of زلازلهاits earthquakes
أيديهمُ في الأرضِ نبع زلازلها
ومحطُّand the resting-place of أرجلهمtheir feet أمانsafety from زلازلearthquakes
ومحطُّ أرجلهم أمان زلازل
Their hands on earth are the wellspring of its earthquakes,
Their hands in the earth are the fount of its tremors,
And where their feet rest is safety from earthquakes.
And the place of their feet is the safety from tremors.
منwho مبلغwill tell الأهلينthe family عنيَon my behalf أننيthat I
من مبلغ الأهلين عنيَ أنني
فيin الشامِal-Sham فزتI gained بفوقbeyond ظنّthe expectation of الآملthe hopeful one
في الشامِ فزت بفوق ظنّ الآمل
Who will tell my family, on my behalf, that I
Inform the family that I
In al-Sham have gained more than the hopeful could expect,
In Damascus have surpassed the hopeful expectation.
وأخذتand I took منfrom ريبthe vicissitudes of الزمانTime أمانهits safe-conduct
وأخذت من ريب الزمان أمانه
وقبضتand I received حقّthe due of مآربيmy desires بالكاملthrough al-Kamil (in full)
وقبضت حقّ مآربي بالكامل
And won Time's safe-conduct against its vicissitudes,
And I have taken security from the vicissitudes of time,
And received my desires' due in full through al-Kamil?
And grasped my full desire.
لاno جورinjustice فيin دهرٍan age وفيهِand in it ممدَّحٌa much-praised man
لا جور في دهرٍ وفيهِ ممدَّحٌ
وشحتwere adorned منابتهhis roots بنبتِwith the stock of العادلal-Adil (the Just)
وشحت منابته بنبتِ العادل
There is no injustice in an age that holds a much-praised man
No injustice in an era wherein is one who is praised,
Whose roots are adorned with the stock of al-Adil, the Just.
And its roots are irrigated by the growth of the just.
Sol 6.1