بأبيwith my father as ransom مائسةa swaying beauty يثنيpraises علىfor
بأبي مائسة يثني على
قدِّهاher figure بانa bān-tree النقاthe sand dune إذwhen تنثنيshe bends
قدِّها بان النقا إذ تنثني
My father be ransom for a swaying beauty, praised for
With my father who praises her figure
her figure by the dune’s bān-tree when she bends.
When she sways with grace like a willow branch
نطقتshe spoke وابتسمتand she smiled عنrevealing جوهرٍgems
نطقت وابتسمت عن جوهرٍ
يالهhow wondrous it is فيin فمهاher mouth منof معدنa mine
ياله في فمها من معدن
She spoke and smiled, revealing gems;
She spoke and smiled with a radiance
what a mine there is in her mouth!
That shone like gems between her lips
فاسْقنيso give me drink صرفunmixed الحمياstrong wine أطلساًsmooth
فاسْقني صرف الحميا أطلساً
معهاwith her يومthe day اللقاmeeting لاnot معwith دنيmy wine-jar
معها يوم اللقا لا مع دني
So pour me pure, potent wine, smooth,
So let me drink deep of pure wine
with her on the day of meeting, not with my wine-jar.
On the day we meet, not mundanity
درَّةٌa pearl أوor زهوةٌa splendor أوor زهرةٌa blossom
درَّةٌ أو زهوةٌ أو زهرةٌ
فاجتبيso choose أوor فاجتليso behold أوor فاجتنيso pluck
فاجتبي أو فاجتلي أو فاجتني
A pearl, or a splendor, or a blossom—
A pearl or blossom or flower
so choose, or behold, or pluck.
Choose me, embrace me, pluck me
وامتدحand praise منfrom آلthe house of شادٍShād ملكاًa king
وامتدح من آل شادٍ ملكاً
طاهرpure السرِّprivate character كريمgenerous العلنpublic conduct
طاهر السرِّ كريم العلن
And praise a king from the house of Shād,
And I praised a king of noble birth
pure in private, generous in public.
Pure of heart, generous and kind
أفضلmost excellent المنعتthe epithet والذَّاتand essence فقلso speak
أفضل المنعت والذَّات فقل
وانظمand compose الأبياتthe verses فيهabout him وأنثنيand bow
وانظم الأبيات فيه وأنثني
Most excellent in epithet and essence—so speak,
Supreme in gifts and being, so I say
and compose verses about him, and bow.
And compose verses, praising him
وأدعand call upon منone who يدعforgoes لقاreceiving أمداحناour praises
وأدع من يدع لقا أمداحنا
وهوwhile he عنهاof them بأياديهthrough his benefactions غنيhas no need
وهو عنها بأياديه غني
And call upon one who forgoes receiving our praises,
While others beg encounters and praise
though his benefactions leave him no need of them.
Yet from them he's free of need
ملكa king لولاwere it not for حماهhis sanctuary الرحبspacious ماnot
ملك لولا حماه الرحب ما
جلبis brought الشعرpoetry بأغلىat the highest ثمنprice
جلب الشعر بأغلى ثمن
A king—without his spacious sanctuary, never
A king whose protection the land sought
would poetry fetch so high a price.
Else poetry were of no worth
تقتنيacquire الجوهرgems أملاكkings الردىruin
تقتني الجوهر أملاك الردى
وهوwhile he للألفاظfor the words مناfrom us يقتنيacquires
وهو للألفاظ منا يقتني
The kings of ruin acquire gems,
You seek fine jewels, as life decays
while he acquires words from us.
While he seeks but words from me
عاقنيheld me back الفخرpride عنfrom السعيsetting out فياso, oh
عاقني الفخر عن السعي فيا
حسديmy envy للطرسof the page إذas يسبقنيit precedes me
حسدي للطرس إذ يسبقني
Pride has held me back from setting out—oh,
Spare me pride in this weary task
how I envy the page as it goes ahead of me!
Where even songbirds outdo me
قفstand ببابat the gate of الملكthe king الأفضلal-Afdal ياO
قف بباب الملك الأفضل يا
طرسيَmy page الماثلstanding before him واشرحand explain شجنيmy sorrow
طرسيَ الماثل واشرح شجني
Stand at the gate of King al-Afdal, O
Stop at the door of the finest king
my page before him, and explain my sorrow.
My songbird, and ease my ache
سيِّديmy lord بعدafter نداكyour bounty المرتجىhoped for
سيِّدي بعد نداك المرتجى
لاdo not تسلask عنabout حاليَmy condition الممتحنsorely tried
لا تسل عن حاليَ الممتحن
My lord, after your hoped-for bounty,
My lord, after your promised aid
ask not about my sorely tried condition.
Ask not about my tested state
أناI والجاريةand the maid القفحاءQafḥāʾ (unclear epithet) فيin
أنا والجارية القفحاء في
حالa state جوعof hunger مخرسstriking dumb للألسنto the tongues
حال جوع مخرس للألسن
The Qafḥāʾ maid and I are in
The maid and I in hunger's throes
a state of hunger that strikes tongues dumb.
Our tongues silenced and dulled
قدindeed عراناhas befallen us منthrough طواناour hunger زمنٌa time
قد عرانا من طوانا زمنٌ
ماnot عهدناwe have known مثلهits like منof زمنa time
ما عهدنا مثله من زمن
Our hunger has brought upon us a time
Bared now by time that we never knew
unlike any time we have ever known.
In any age or eon
ولقدand indeed تشكوshe complains فماyet not أفهمهاI understand her
ولقد تشكو فما أفهمها
ولقدand indeed أشكوI complain فماyet not تفهمنيshe understands me
ولقد أشكو فما تفهمني
She complains, yet I do not understand her;
I understand not her complaints
and I complain, yet she does not understand me.
She understands not mine
غيرexcept أنِّيthat I بالجوىthrough anguish أعرفهاI know her
غير أنِّي بالجوى أعرفها
وهيand she أيضاًtoo بالجوىthrough anguish تعرفنيknows me
وهي أيضاً بالجوى تعرفني
Yet through anguish I know her,
But I know her suffering
and she too knows me through anguish.
And she knows agony is mine
وإلىand to بابكyour gate أنهيناwe have conveyed الرجاhope
وإلى بابك أنهينا الرجا
وهوand it أوْلىmost worthy باتِّصالof the continuance المننof favors
وهو أوْلى باتِّصال المنن
And to your gate we have brought our hope,
To your door we limp and plead
and it is worthiest of an unbroken flow of favors.
Yours to extend your charity
دمتmay you remain ذاpossessed of إقبالfavor سعدٍgood fortune خادمٍserving
دمت ذا إقبال سعدٍ خادمٍ
وندىand bounty كفّof a hand إليناtoward us محسنdoing good
وندى كفّ إلينا محسن
May you ever have good fortune favoring and serving you,
Long may you live in joy and aid
and a hand’s bounty that does us good.
With gentle hands outstretched to us
Sol 6.1