حمدتI praised دموعيmy tears إذwhen وفتthey kept faith بوعودِهاwith their promises
حمدت دموعي إذ وفت بوعودِها
فكأنَّso it was as though ماwhat فيin مقلتيmy eye فيon جيدهاher neck
فكأنَّ ما في مقلتي في جيدها
I praised my tears when they fulfilled their promises,
My tears have kept their promise,
As though what lay in my eye lay upon her neck.
As if what's in my eyelids is on its cheeks.
وتأوَّدتْand she swayed تدعوinviting للذَّةto the delight of ضمِّهاembracing her
وتأوَّدتْ تدعو للذَّة ضمِّها
ماas long as دامتremained الرَّقباءthe watchers طوعَin thrall to هجودهاtheir slumber
ما دامت الرَّقباء طوعَ هجودها
And she swayed, inviting the delight of embracing her,
It yearned and called for the sweetness of its embrace
So long as the watchers remained in thrall to their slumber.
As long as the gazelles obeyed its beckoning.
وهممتand I intended فامْتنعتbut resisted عليَّme نهودهاher breasts
وهممت فامْتنعت عليَّ نهودها
واحسرتاand alas حتَّىeven رقيبa watcher نهودهاher breasts
واحسرتا حتَّى رقيب نهودها
I made to embrace her, but her breasts resisted me.
It intended, but denied itself to me
Alas—even her breasts stand guard!
And I regretted until the gazelle of its denial.
سمراءa brown-skinned woman تطعنpierces بالقوامwith her figure ورُبَّماand sometimes
سمراء تطعن بالقوام ورُبَّما
نظرتshe glanced فصالتso charged بيضهاher eye-whites معalongside سودهاher dark pupils
نظرت فصالت بيضها مع سودها
A brown-skinned beauty who pierces with her figure; sometimes
A brunette who mocks with her figure, and sometimes
She glances, and her eyes' whites charge alongside their blacks.
Glances, so her whiteness mixes with her darkness.
وقفتI devoted عليهاto her لوْعتيmy anguish وصبابتيand my yearning
وقفت عليها لوْعتي وصبابتي
ومدامعِيand my tears تجريflow علىalong معهودهاtheir accustomed course
ومدامعِي تجري على معهودها
I devoted my anguish and yearning to her,
I stood before her, with my love and my youth,
And my tears flow in their accustomed course.
And my tears flowing as they always have.
لمnot يبقَremain فيin زمنthe time of الوزيرthe minister بقيةٌa remnant
لم يبقَ في زمن الوزير بقيةٌ
فيof الظلمِinjustice إلاَّexcept ظلمهاher cruelty لعميدهاtoward her lovesick lover
في الظلمِ إلاَّ ظلمها لعميدها
In the minister's time, no trace remains
No injustice remains in the time of the minister
Of injustice, save her cruelty to her lovesick lover.
Except her injustice to her beloved.
هذاthis وقدand indeed أصبحتُI have become فيat أبوابهِhis gates
هذا وقد أصبحتُ في أبوابهِ
أدعىI am called وأحسبand counted منamong عديدthe ranks of عبيدهاtheir servants
أدعى وأحسب من عديد عبيدها
All this, though I have come to stand at his gates,
And now I come to his doors
Summoned and counted among their host of servants.
Pretending, and counting myself among his many slaves,
لاno غَرْوَwonder إنif نفحتbreathe fragrance مدائحُthe praises of ناظمٍa poet
لا غَرْوَ إن نفحت مدائحُ ناظمٍ
والخضرُand al-Khidr سارٍpassing فيthrough خلالthe midst of نشيدهاtheir song
والخضرُ سارٍ في خلال نشيدها
No wonder if a poet's praises breathe fragrance,
No wonder, if the praises of a composer blow
With al-Khidr passing through the midst of their song.
While the green one walks among its melodies,
ذوpossessed of همَّةٍan ambition رأتsaw المكارمnoble deeds فيamong الورىhumankind
ذو همَّةٍ رأت المكارم في الورى
ضيعاًestates فأعْجبهاso it pleased that ambition افتراعscaling نجودهاtheir highlands
ضيعاً فأعْجبها افتراع نجودها
A man of ambition that saw noble deeds among mankind
One with lofty ambition, who saw generosity in people
As estates, and delighted in scaling their highlands.
Lacking, so was pleased to make it flourish.
ومواهبand gifts مثلlike السحائبclouds برّةbeneficent
ومواهب مثل السحائب برّة
يومon the day of الندىbounty لقريبهاto those near them وبعيدهاand those far from them
يوم الندى لقريبها وبعيدها
And gifts like clouds, beneficent
And gifts like heavy rains
On the day of bounty to those near and far.
On a dewy day, for both neighbor and stranger.
ومنازلand dwellings ماnothing بينbetween كفِّكyour palm والغنىand wealth
ومنازل ما بين كفِّك والغنى
ياO مشتكيyou who lament الإقتارpoverty غيرexcept ورودهاreaching them
يا مشتكي الإقتار غير ورودها
And dwellings: nothing stands between your palm and wealth,
And dwellings between your palm and wealth
O you who lament poverty, but coming to them.
O you who complain of poverty, other than its roses.
يتواضعhumble themselves العلماءُthe scholars فيهاwithin them هيبةًin awe
يتواضع العلماءُ فيها هيبةً
لأعزّbefore the mightiest ممدوحpraised for الفعالdeeds سديدهاupright in them
لأعزّ ممدوح الفعال سديدها
Scholars humble themselves within them in awe
The scholars are humble before it
Before the mightiest, whose deeds are praised and upright.
Out of reverence for the most praised of effective men.
ومبشّرand a herald بالقاصدينof the petitioners كأنهas though he
ومبشّر بالقاصدين كأنه
وأبيكby your father قاصدهاa seeker of them وطالبand a seeker of جودهاtheir bounty
وأبيك قاصدها وطالب جودها
And a herald announcing the petitioners seems—
And heralding those who visit, as if he
By your father!—himself a seeker of them and their bounty.
Were visiting it and seeking its bounty.
يلقىhe meets العدىthe foes وذويand possessors of المقاصدrequests والنهىand reason
يلقى العدى وذوي المقاصد والنهى
بمميتهاwith what slays them ومغيثهاand what aids them ومفيدهاand what instructs them
بمميتها ومغيثها ومفيدها
He meets foes, petitioners, and men of reason
He meets enemies and those of purpose and prohibition
With death for the foes, aid for the seekers, and instruction for the wise.
With its death, its life, and its benefit.
ياO بهجةَdelight of العلياhigh glory ونسرand eagle of صيفهاits summer
يا بهجةَ العليا ونسر صيفها
وملاذand refuge of عاديهاthose hastening to it وغيظand vexation of حسودهاits envier
وملاذ عاديها وغيظ حسودها
O joy of high glory, and eagle of its summer,
O joy of the exalted, hawk of its summer,
And refuge for those who hasten to it, and vexation of those who envy it!
And refuge of its people, and anger of its envious,
أماas for نفوسthe souls of عداكyour enemies منfrom غيظٍrage فقدْso indeed
أما نفوس عداك من غيظٍ فقدْ
كادتْhave nearly تكونbecome جسومهاtheir bodies كلحودهاlike their graves
كادتْ تكون جسومها كلحودها
As for your enemies' souls, from sheer rage
The souls of others nearly die of envy
Their bodies have almost become like their graves.
Their bodies shrivel like parchment.
فافْخرso take pride بنفسكin yourself إنَّهاindeed it is النفسthe soul التيthat
فافْخر بنفسك إنَّها النفس التي
كملتhas become perfect فماso not تبغيyou seek سوىother than تأبيدهاmaking it everlasting
كملت فما تبغي سوى تأبيدها
So take pride in yourself: it is the soul that
So boast of yourself, for it is the only soul
Has reached perfection; you seek only to make it everlasting.
Perfect, seeking only eternity.
وتهنّand rejoice بالأعوامin the years نزعُshedding خليقهاtheir worn-out garb
وتهنّ بالأعوام نزعُ خليقها
مستأنفrenewing النعمىblessing ولبسand donning جديدهاtheir new garb
مستأنف النعمى ولبس جديدها
And rejoice in the years: casting off their worn-out garb
It scorns the passing years, the fading of its form,
Renews blessing, as does donning their new.
Renewing blessings and wearing a new cloak,
تجلىare unveiled أهلتهاtheir crescents إليكَto you محبةًout of love
تجلى أهلتها إليكَ محبةً
فكأنهاso it is as though they أهوتbowed down لشكرin gratitude سجودهاtheir prostration
فكأنها أهوت لشكر سجودها
Their crescent moons are unveiled to you in love,
Its readiness has inclined it to you in love,
As though they bowed down in grateful prostration.
As if it fell in gratitude prostrate before you.
ولقدand indeed قصْدتكَI came to you شاكياًcomplaining of حرّthe burning heat of الظماthirst
ولقد قصْدتكَ شاكياً حرّ الظما
فكرعتُso I drank deeply فيfrom عذبِthe sweet water of الصلاتgifts بِرودهاtheir coolness
فكرعتُ في عذبِ الصلات بِرودها
And indeed I came to you, lamenting the burning heat of thirst,
And I came to you complaining of the heat of thirst,
And drank deeply of the cool, sweet water of your gifts.
So I drank from the sweetness of its cool salvation.
وتقلدتْand wore as a necklace عنقيmy neck عطاياكyour gifts التيwhich
وتقلدتْ عنقي عطاياك التي
حكّمتI was given mastery فيover الأيامthe days عنthrough تقليدهاbeing invested with them
حكّمت في الأيام عن تقليدها
My neck has worn your gifts as ornaments,
And your gifts have adorned my neck, those which
By whose investiture I was given mastery over the days.
Have ruled the days, never discarded.
فلأسْمعنَّكso I will surely make you hear ماas long as ترنمَsings melodiously صادحa songbird
فلأسْمعنَّك ما ترنمَ صادح
مدحاًpraise يصغّرmakes seem small ماضياتthe earlier verses of وليدهاtheir Walid
مدحاً يصغّر ماضيات وليدها
So, as long as a songbird sings, I shall surely let you hear
So let me hear you chanting loudly
Praise that dwarfs Walid's earlier verses.
A praise that diminishes all past newborns.
لاnot ينبغيbefits حرّthe finest of المقالspeech فريدهits rarest jewel
لا ينبغي حرّ المقال فريده
إلاَّexcept علىfor حرّthe finest of الكرامnoble men فريدهاtheir peerless one
إلاَّ على حرّ الكرام فريدها
The finest speech, its rarest jewel, befits none
No heated speech befits the unique
But the finest of noble men, their peerless one.
Except regarding the uniquely generous.
Sol 6.1