ماthere is no لمنْfor whoever لامَreproached فيكموover you all منany جوابreply
ما لمنْ لامَ فيكمو من جواب
غيرexcept دمعtears جفانهُtheir bowls كالجوابيlike great cisterns
غير دمع جفانهُ كالجوابي
There is no reply to anyone who reproaches me over you,
What can I say to those who blame me - nothing
Save tears, whose bowls are like great cisterns.
Except tears whose flow is my only answer
ياO نزولاguests علىupon عقابʿUqāb المصليal-Muṣallā
يا نزولا على عقاب المصلي
ماnot سمعناwe heard بجنةof a paradise فيin عقابpunishment
ما سمعنا بجنة في عقاب
O guests upon ʿUqāb al-Muṣallā,
O you who descend upon the worshipper's pain
We never heard of a paradise amid punishment.
We never heard of Paradise in torment
أعجزbaffled الورقthe gray doves أنto تعارَbe lent دُموعيmy tears
أعجز الورق أن تعارَ دُموعي
فاستعارتso they borrowed علىupon الغصونthe branches انتحابيmy sobbing
فاستعارت على الغصون انتحابي
The gray doves could not borrow my tears,
My words were too weak to express my tears
So upon the branches they borrowed my sobbing.
So they borrowed the branches' lamentation
أيهاO you المستعيرُthe borrower دمعيَmy tears مهلاgently
أيها المستعيرُ دمعيَ مهلا
إنindeed دمعيmy tears كماas علمتَyou know سكابيmy Sakāb
إن دمعي كما علمتَ سكابي
O borrower of my tears, gently!
O you who borrowed my tears, wait
My tears, as you know, are my Sakāb.
As you know my tears are pouring
حبذاhow dear منزليmy home علىupon السفحِthe slope قدْماًformerly
حبذا منزلي على السفحِ قدْماً
وزمانيand my days وجيرتيand my neighbors وشبابيand my youth
وزماني وجيرتي وشبابي
How dear my home upon the slope in former days,
How good was my home on the hillside
And my days, my neighbors, and my youth!
And my time, neighbor, and youth
حيثwhere لاno واشياًtalebearer سوىexcept عبقfragrance الرّوthe garden (first part)
حيث لا واشياً سوى عبق الرّو
ضِgarden (completion) ولاand no ساعياًgo-between سوَىexcept الأكوابthe cups
ضِ ولا ساعياً سوَى الأكواب
Where no talebearer stirred save the garden's fragrance,
Where there were no spies but the meadow’s scent
And no go-between save the cups.
And no cupbearer but the cups
ذاكthat ربعٌa dwelling عفاbecame effaced علىunder عَنتharshness الدهtime (first part)
ذاك ربعٌ عفا على عَنت الده
رِtime (completion) وعيشand a life مضىpassed معwith الأحبابloved ones
رِ وعيش مضى مع الأحباب
That is a dwelling effaced by time's harshness,
That was a quarter that forgave the torment of time
And a life that passed with loved ones.
And life passed with loved ones
إنif توارتvanished شمسthe sun الضحىof morning فلعمريthen, by my life
إن توارت شمس الضحى فلعمري
ماnot توارتvanished شمسthe sun العلاof eminence بالحجابbehind the veil
ما توارت شمس العلا بالحجاب
If the morning sun has vanished, by my life,
When the sun of morning disappears, by my life
The sun of eminence has not vanished behind a veil.
The sun of glory has not disappeared behind the veil
أطلعَcaused to rise اللهُGod للفضائلfor the virtues شمساًa sun
أطلعَ اللهُ للفضائل شمساً
عوّضcompensated الناسpeople عنfor ذهابthe departure الشهابof al-Shihāb
عوّض الناس عن ذهاب الشهاب
God has made a sun rise for the virtues,
God made the virtues' sun rise
Compensating mankind for al-Shihāb's departure.
Compensating people for the loss of meteors
قالَsaid ديوانهُhis chancery مقالةa statement صدقof truth
قالَ ديوانهُ مقالة صدق
إنّindeed وَكرَthe nest العقابof the eagle لابنbelongs to Ibn العقابal-ʿUqāb
إنّ وَكرَ العقاب لابن العقاب
His chancery uttered a truthful saying:
His poetry said truthfully
The eagle's nest belongs to Ibn al-ʿUqāb.
The eagle's nest belongs to the eagle's son
أيّwhat a فرعbranch نماgrew فمدّand so spread ظلالهits shade
أيّ فرع نما فمدّ ظلاله
سابغاًextending amply ذيلهاits hem علىover الطلاّبpetitioners
سابغاً ذيلها على الطلاّب
What a branch has grown and spread its shade,
What branch grew and spread its shade
With its ample hem extended over petitioners!
Covering its length over students
وافرabundant المكرماتِin noble deeds منشرحُgracious اللفspeech (first part)
وافر المكرماتِ منشرحُ اللف
ظِspeech (completion) طويلُenduring الثناpraise مديدُfar-reaching الثوابreward
ظِ طويلُ الثنا مديدُ الثواب
Abundant in noble deeds, gracious in speech,
Bountiful in generosity, cheerful in manner
Enduring in praise, far-reaching in reward.
Long in praise, rewarding in judgment
يلتقيmeets المادحينthe panegyrists بالخيرwith bounty فيin مذpractice (first part)
يلتقي المادحين بالخير في مذ
هبةhis practice (completion) والعفاةand gift-seekers بالإكتسابwith gain
هبة والعفاة بالإكتساب
His practice is to greet panegyrists with bounty,
Bringing together the virtuous in gift
And petitioners with gain.
And the chaste through endeavor
رافعاًlifting بالتواضعthrough humility الحجبthe veils عنهfrom himself
رافعاً بالتواضع الحجب عنه
وهوَwhile he منbecause of نورِthe radiance غرّةof a bright brow فيin حجابa veil
وهوَ من نورِ غرّة في حجاب
Lifting the veils from himself through humility,
Raising the veils of modesty
Yet veiled by the radiance of his brow.
While he is the light of a rising moon behind a veil
حملتbore كفهُhis palm اليراعthe reed pen فقلناso we said
حملت كفهُ اليراع فقلنا
حبذاhow splendid البرقُthe lightning لامعاًflashing فيin السحابthe clouds
حبذا البرقُ لامعاً في السحاب
His palm bore the reed pen, and we said:
His palm carried lightning so we said
How splendid the lightning, flashing in the clouds!
How good is lightning flashing in the clouds
ياO لهُfor it منof يراعِa reed pen فضلٍexcellence وفيضand abundance
يا لهُ من يراعِ فضلٍ وفيض
سالكfollowing دهرهthroughout its lifetime طريقَthe path الصوَابof right
سالك دهره طريقَ الصوَاب
What a reed pen of excellence and abundance,
What overflowing merit and abundance
Following the path of right throughout its days!
Walking the path of righteousness all his life
وفّرَspared السمرَthe tawny spears عنfrom خصامstrife with الأعاديthe enemies
وفّرَ السمرَ عن خصام الأعادي
وكفىand spared المرهفاتthe sharpened swords طولَthe length الضرَابof combat
وكفى المرهفات طولَ الضرَاب
It spared the tawny spears strife with enemies,
He relieved the nighttalk from enemies' quarrel
And spared the sharpened swords long combat.
And stopped sharp tongues' prolonged assault
فهوَso it is كالصلّlike a viper فيin الدِّماغِthe brain ولكنbut
فهوَ كالصلّ في الدِّماغِ ولكن
كمhow often شفاناit healed us منthrough رشفهِsipping it منof رضابsweet saliva
كم شفانا من رشفهِ من رضاب
It is like a viper in the brain, yet
He is like endurance in the mind but
How often a sip of its sweet saliva has healed us!
How much healing we gained from his touch's droplets
تارةat times يسفحspills الدماءَblood علىupon الترthe soil (first part)
تارة يسفح الدماءَ على التر
بsoil (completion) وأخرىand at other times يديرpasses around صفوَthe purest part الشرابof the wine
ب وأخرى يدير صفوَ الشراب
At times it spills blood upon the soil,
Sometimes he spills blood on the ground
At others it passes round the purest wine.
Other times he turns the cups' top vintage
كالعصاlike the staff فيin يدِthe hand الكليمof God's interlocutor وفيهاand within it
كالعصا في يدِ الكليم وفيها
لحمىfor the protection of الملكthe realm غايةthe utmost الآرابaims
لحمى الملك غاية الآراب
Like the staff in the hand of God's interlocutor; within it
Like Moses' stick in his hand, in it
Lie the highest aims for the realm's defense.
For the King's fever the finest cures
شملتناencompassed us جدواهhis bounty والوقتwhile the times جدبwere barren
شملتنا جدواه والوقت جدب
فاستلانتso it grew pliant ومعطفwhile the flank of الدّهرtime آبيwas unyielding
فاستلانت ومعطف الدّهر آبي
His bounty encompassed us when the times were barren,
His generosity embraced us though time was barren
It proved pliant, though time's flank was unyielding.
So the robe of fate yielded
ماnever سرىit coursed فيthrough الكتابthe document إلاexcept وأضحىand became
ما سرى في الكتاب إلا وأضحى
شغبthe turmoil الدّهرِof time آمناًsafe بالكتابthrough the writ
شغب الدّهرِ آمناً بالكتاب
Whenever it coursed through a document,
Nothing advanced in scripture
Time's turmoil became secure through that writ.
Except the discord of fate was secured by scripture
ياO رئيساًchief بهthrough him لقدindeed أُدّبwas disciplined الدهtime (first part)
يا رئيساً به لقد أُدّب الده
رtime (completion) الذيwhich قدindeed جنىcommitted an offense علىagainst الآدابliterature
ر الذي قد جنى على الآداب
O chief, through whom time has indeed been disciplined—
O Chief, by it fate was disciplined
Which had wronged the literary arts.
When it transgressed all proper behavior
كيفhow يقضيcan discharge شكريmy gratitude حقوقthe dues أيادfavors (first part)
كيف يقضي شكري حقوق أياد
يكyour favors (completion) وأدنىwhile the least of نوالهاtheir bounty قدalready طغاoverflowed بيover me
يك وأدنى نوالها قد طغا بي
How can my gratitude discharge the dues of your favors,
How can I fulfill my debt for your gifts
When even their smallest bounty has overwhelmed me?
When the least of them has overwhelmed me
كيفhow أحصيcan I count حسابهاtheir number وهيَwhile they تبديreveal
كيف أحصي حسابها وهيَ تبدي
كلevery وقتٍmoment ماwhat لمnot يكنwas فيin الحسابthe reckoning
كل وقتٍ ما لم يكن في الحساب
How can I reckon their number, when they reveal
How can I count their sum when each moment
At every moment what was never reckoned on?
Shows what was not in the count before
لاmay not عدَتpass beyond بابكَyour door السعودُauspicious stars فقدfor indeed أضhas become (first part)
لا عدَت بابكَ السعودُ فقد أض
حىhas become (completion) لوفدِfor the delegation of الأشعارpoems أنجحmost fruitful بابa door
حى لوفدِ الأشعار أنجح باب
May auspicious stars never pass beyond your door, for it has become
Your door of good fortune never closed
The most fruitful door for the delegation of poems.
It shone for the caravan of poems as the finest door
سببتprompted نظمناour verse لُهاهُhis lavish gifts ولاand no بدَّescape
سببت نظمنا لُهاهُ ولا بدَّ
لنظمfor composing القريضpoetry منfrom أسبابcauses
لنظم القريض من أسباب
His lavish gifts prompted our verse; there must be
Our compositions caused them commotion, and poems
Causes for the composing of poetry.
Must have a reason to be composed
Sol 6.1