قلبٌa heart بمصرin Egypt وقالبٌand a body بالشامin al-Sham
قلبٌ بمصر وقالبٌ بالشام
مَنْwho مبلغwill convey قلبيmy heart ومصرَand Egypt سلاميmy greetings
مَنْ مبلغ قلبي ومصرَ سلامي
A heart in Egypt and a body in al-Sham.
My heart is in Egypt, my body in Damascus
Who will convey my greetings to my heart and Egypt?
Who will send my heart's greetings and peace to Egypt?
أخفيI hide بكميَّin my two sleeves الدموعthe tears تلوّنتthey have taken on color
أخفي بكميَّ الدموع تلوّنت
فكأنهاso they seem like الأزهارthe flowers فيin الأكمامthe flower-sheaths
فكأنها الأزهار في الأكمام
I hide the tears in my two sleeves; they have taken on color,
I hide my tear-filled eyes that have turned
So they seem like flowers within their sheaths.
Into flowers tucked in sleeves
شوقاًout of longing أجدتI excelled عليهupon it نثرscattering مدامعيmy tears
شوقاً أجدت عليه نثر مدامعي
وعلىand upon عُلاthe eminence of قاضيthe judge of القضاةthe judges نظاميmy versification
وعلى عُلا قاضي القضاة نظامي
Out of longing, I excelled in scattering my tears upon it,
Yearning, I shed my tears over it
And in composing my verse on the Chief Judge's eminence.
And over the eminent Chief Justice
قاضيthe judge of القضاةthe judges عليهfor him يعقدis folded خنصرa little finger
قاضي القضاة عليه يعقد خنصر
ويضيءand shines وجهthe face of العلمlearning منfrom إبهامobscurity
ويضيء وجه العلم من إبهام
The Chief Judge, for whom a little finger is folded in reckoning,
The Chief Justice on whom the ring is placed
And learning's face shines out of obscurity.
And the light of knowledge shines from his thumb
ياO وارثheir of الأنصارthe Ansar عودةthe return of وفدهhis delegation
يا وارث الأنصار عودة وفده
نصراًa victory علىover الأعداءthe enemies والإعدامand destitution
نصراً على الأعداء والإعدام
O heir of the Ansar, his delegation's return—
O inheritor of the Helpers, return with your delegation
A victory over enemies and destitution.
Victorious over enemies and their doom
العيدthe festival قدindeed حملhas borne الهناjoy أعلامهits banners
العيد قد حمل الهنا أعلامه
فتهنّso rejoice ياO علاّمةَgreat scholar of الأعلامthe luminaries
فتهنّ يا علاّمةَ الأعلام
The festival—joy has borne its banners;
The feast has raised its banners of joy
So rejoice, O great scholar among the luminaries!
So congratulations, highest of the high
وانحرand slaughter بصحبتهin its company الضحاياthe sacrificial beasts والعدىand the foes
وانحر بصحبته الضحايا والعدى
فالكلّfor all معدودٌare counted منamong الأنعامthe livestock
فالكلّ معدودٌ من الأنعام
And slaughter, in its company, the sacrificial beasts and foes,
Slaughter with him the sacrifices and enemies
For all are counted among the livestock.
For all are counted among the cattle
بلغتI have reached فيin الحبِّlove سنthe age of الطاعنone advanced in years الهرمdecrepit
بلغت في الحبِّ سن الطاعن الهرم
وماand not بلغتI have reached بسهديthrough my sleeplessness مبلغthe stage of الحلمdreaming
وما بلغت بسهدي مبلغ الحلم
In love I have reached the age of a decrepit elder,
In love I have reached the age of the feeble elder
Yet in my sleeplessness I have not reached the age of dreams.
Yet my passion hasn't reached the state of dreams
لاno وصلunion with سعدىSa'da ولاnor الطيفthe phantom الملمthat visits فياso alas
لا وصل سعدى ولا الطيف الملم فيا
للقلبfor the heart منfrom ألمٍpain باقٍenduring علىupon ألمpain
للقلب من ألمٍ باقٍ على ألم
No union with Sa'da, nor the visiting phantom—alas
No union with Sa'diyah or the dear one I care for
For the heart, with enduring pain upon pain!
But a lingering pain remains in my heart
أصبحتI have become فيin الحبlove فردunique in الانتسابaffiliation وفيand in
أصبحت في الحب فرد الانتساب وفي
مدحpraise of الوزيرthe vizier فقلso speak فيof المفردthe singular one العلمthe illustrious one
مدح الوزير فقل في المفرد العلم
I have become unique in my attachment to love, and in
In love I've become peerless and in
Praising the vizier—speak, then, of the singular, illustrious one.
Praising the minister, say I'm unmatched in knowledge
أزكىthe purest of الأكارمthe noble فيin خُبرٍfirsthand experience وفيand in خبرَreport
أزكى الأكارم في خُبرٍ وفي خبرَ
وأرأسand the foremost القومthe people منamong عربArabs ومنand among عجمnon-Arabs
وأرأس القوم من عرب ومن عجم
The purest of the noble, in firsthand experience and in report,
The most generous in valor and valor
And foremost among the people, Arabs and non-Arabs.
The best of Arabs and non-Arabs alike
ياO مذكريyou who remind me بكرامof noble men قدindeed فقدتهُمI have lost them
يا مذكري بكرام قد فقدتهُم
فكانso it was أكرمthe noblest وجدانfind علىamid عدمloss
فكان أكرم وجدان على عدم
O you who remind me of noble men I have lost,
O my reminders of nobles now gone
Thus it was the noblest find amid loss.
For the most noble of beings is nothingness
ياO منone who يسائلinquires عنabout ماليmy wealth ويطلبنيand seeks me out
يا من يسائل عن مالي ويطلبني
وكلهاand all of it حيلةa stratagem منهfrom him علىfor الكرمgenerosity
وكلها حيلة منه على الكرم
O you who inquire about my wealth and seek me out,
O you who ask about my wealth and seek me
And all this is a stratagem of his for generosity.
When it's just a ruse of generosity from him
جدbe generous ليto me بشيءٍwith something يحاكينيthat resembles me فإنيَfor I قدindeed
جد لي بشيءٍ يحاكيني فإنيَ قد
أصبحتI have become لولاكمُbut for you لحماًmeat علىupon وضمa butcher's board
أصبحت لولاكمُ لحماً على وضم
Be generous to me with something resembling me, for I would indeed have
Find me something that consoles me, for
Become, but for you, meat upon a butcher's board.
Without you all, I'm just flesh and bone
Sol 6.1