ماnot مثلthe like of قلبيmy heart سالياًforgetful عنof مثلهits like
ما مثل قلبي سالياً عن مثله
خدّa cheek قرأتI read عليهِupon it صورةthe image of نملهits ants
خدّ قرأت عليهِ صورة نمله
No heart like mine can forget such a one:
My heart is unmatched in its flowing tears,
a cheek on which I read the image of its ants.
On my cheek I saw the image of an ant,
وجلستand I sat منout of شغفٍpassion أنزِّهI delight ناظريmy gaze
وجلست من شغفٍ أنزِّه ناظري
فيin ماءِthe water of رونقهits radiance وخضرةand the greenness of شكلهits form
في ماءِ رونقه وخضرة شكله
And, out of passion, I sat to delight my gaze
And I sat enthralled, directing my eyes,
in the water of its radiance and the greenness of its form.
At the sheen of its color and the greenness of its form.
أهوىI love العذارَthe cheek-down مبقلاًsprouting green ويسرُّنيand it delights me
أهوى العذارَ مبقلاً ويسرُّني
لقبُthe epithet of العذولthe reprover علىaccording to هواهhis fancy بعذلهin his reproach
لقبُ العذول على هواه بعذله
I love the cheek-down sprouting green, and I am pleased
I desire the one who rebukes while smiling, and it pleases me
by the reprover's epithet, coined as he pleases in his reproach.
To be called stubborn in my love of him and his coquetry.
ليسis not العذولthe reprover وإنand even if تحاذقfeigns cleverness ذهنهhis mind
ليس العذول وإن تحاذق ذهنه
منamong خلّa friend بقلكyour greenery ياO عذارcheek-down فخلّهso leave him
من خلّ بقلك يا عذار فخلّه
The reprover, though his mind feigns cleverness,
Though the coquette, however sharp his mind,
is no friend of your greenery, O cheek-down; leave him be.
Has not the heart of one who wounds your heart, O reproacher, then leave him be!
ماذاwhat علىupon العذَّالthe reprovers منof عقلthe reason of الفتىthe young man
ماذا على العذَّال من عقل الفتى
فيin هذهthese الأشواقlongings أوor فيin جهلهhis ignorance
في هذه الأشواق أو في جهله
What concern have reprovers with a young man's reason
What is the mind of the youth to the flirt
in these longings, or with his ignorance?
In this yearning or in his ignorance?
منamong حكمةthe wisdom of اللهGod الخفيَّةhidden أنthat ترىyou see
من حكمة الله الخفيَّة أن ترى
كلّall البريَّةcreation راضياًcontent عنwith عقلهhis reason
كلّ البريَّة راضياً عن عقله
It is part of God's hidden wisdom that you see
By God's hidden wisdom you see
all creation content with its own reason.
All creation satisfied with its own mind.
هذاthis one ببعضwith some اللهوamusement مشغولٌoccupied وذاand that one
هذا ببعض اللهو مشغولٌ وذا
كلّall المحامدpraiseworthy deeds والعلىand high honors منamong شغلهhis pursuits
كلّ المحامد والعلى من شغله
This one is occupied with some amusement, while that one—
One is busy with some frivolity, another
all praiseworthy deeds and lofty aims are his concern.
With all that is praiseworthy and lofty in his occupation,
كجمالlike Jamal دينthe religion of اللهGod إنَّindeed لهhe has هوىًa passion
كجمال دين الله إنَّ له هوىً
بجميلهfor his kindness وهوىand the passion of سواهothers than him بحملهfor carrying it
بجميله وهوى سواه بحمله
Like Jamal Din Allah, whose passion is
Just as the beauty of God's religion has a love
for his gracious giving, while others long to carry it away.
For its beauty, and a love of other things in carrying it.
ذوpossessed of العزمresolve ماnot حكتimitated الثريَّاthe Pleiades راحهhis palm
ذو العزم ما حكت الثريَّا راحه
إلاexcept لتعلّقto cling فيin العلاءthe heights بحبلهto his rope
إلا لتعلّق في العلاء بحبله
A man of resolve: the Pleiades copied his palm
The steadfast one's repose has not told of
only to cling to his rope in the heights.
Anything but his adherence to the most high with his rope,
والسعيand endeavor ماnot حكتimitated المجرَّةthe Milky Way مسلكاًa path
والسعي ما حكت المجرَّة مسلكاً
إلاexcept لتحسبto be counted فيduring السرىnight travel منamong سبلهhis paths
إلا لتحسب في السرى من سبله
And of endeavor: the Milky Way copied a path
And striving has not told of any path
only to be counted among his roads of night travel.
Save to account for the lofty ones among its roads.
ذاكthat man الذيwho منعتهkept him منfrom صرفِturning away العلىhigh honor
ذاك الذي منعته من صرفِ العلى
والمجدand glory معرفةknowledge تناطis bound بعدلهto his justice
والمجد معرفة تناط بعدله
That is the man kept from turning away from high honor
The one who was prevented from pursuing the lofty
and glory by knowledge bound to his justice.
And glory by his deficient knowledge,
واعْتاضand took in exchange عنfor سلفpast gifts الأولىearlier men قصَّادهhis petitioners
واعْتاض عن سلف الأولى قصَّاده
بذلاًa bounty يقومsuffices ببعضهwith part of it عنin place of كلِّهall of it
بذلاً يقوم ببعضه عن كلِّه
His petitioners took, in place of the gifts of earlier men,
And turned away the archers of early Islam
a bounty whose mere part suffices for the whole.
With generosity, some of which stands for all of it.
لولاwere it not for ابنson of محمودMahmoud الممدَّحthe much-praised ماnot روىrecounted
لولا ابن محمود الممدَّح ما روى
ذوone possessed of النظمverse عنof حَزنthe rugged ground of النوالgiving وسهلهand its smooth ground
ذو النظم عن حَزن النوال وسهله
Without the much-praised Ibn Mahmoud, there would be no telling
Were it not for the son of Mahmoud the praised
by a poet of bounty's rugged ground and its smooth.
The composer would not have told of the sorrow of intimacy and its ease.
ندبٌa gallant man يرىdeems فرضthe obligation of التكرّمgenerosity قاصراًinsufficient
ندبٌ يرى فرض التكرّم قاصراً
إنif لمnot تقمfulfill جدوىthe bounty of يديهhis two hands بنفلهits voluntary giving
إن لم تقم جدوى يديه بنفله
A gallant man who deems obligatory generosity insufficient
A reproach one sees as inadequate
unless his hands' bounty fulfills its voluntary portion too.
If the usefulness of his hands does not fulfill it as a supererogatory act.
ماnot السهمthe arrow أنفذmore penetrating فيin الرميةthe target منthan شباthe point of
ما السهم أنفذ في الرمية من شبا
قلمٍa pen ينوبstands in لناfor us منابةthe place of نصلهits arrowhead
قلمٍ ينوب لنا منابة نصله
No arrow pierces its target more keenly than the point
No dart thrown in archery
of a pen that serves us in place of its arrowhead.
Is like a pen that takes our place like its blade.
ياO حبَّذاhow fine فيupon الطرسِthe parchment فرعa branch سامقٌtowering
يا حبَّذا في الطرسِ فرع سامقٌ
تجريflow أحاديثtales الندىof generosity عنfrom أصلهits root
تجري أحاديث الندى عن أصله
How fine upon the parchment is a towering branch,
How excellent on a branch is a lofty scion
from whose root flow tales of generosity!
Upon which the conversations of dew run down from its origin!
عجباًhow wondrous لذاكat that الفرعbranch أتلفdestroyed ماwhatever يرىit sees
عجباً لذاك الفرع أتلف ما يرى
وحمىand the protection of العواصمthe strongholds ساكنٌdwelling فيin ظلِّهits shade
وحمى العواصم ساكنٌ في ظلِّه
Marvel at that branch: it destroys whatever it sees,
Wondrous is that scion which destroys what it sees
while the strongholds' protection rests within its shade.
And protects the great capitals, settled in its shade.
يزجيdrives onward سحائبهits clouds بنانthe fingers of مؤمَّلone in whom hopes are placed
يزجي سحائبه بنان مؤمَّل
فيin الخافقينeast and west نوافحshowering منfrom سجلهhis brimming bucket
في الخافقين نوافح من سجله
The fingers of a hoped-for benefactor drive its clouds onward,
It makes its clouds weep the tears of hoped-for rain
across east and west, showering from his brimming bucket.
In the horizons, breezes from its loftiness.
لوif أنَّindeed مثلthe like of ربيعةٍRabi'a فيamong وائلٍWa'il
لو أنَّ مثل ربيعةٍ في وائلٍ
لمnot يخلbe empty موطئُa foothold of ذرَّةٍa tiny ant منof فضلهhis bounty
لم يخل موطئُ ذرَّةٍ من فضله
Had there been one like Rabi'a among Wa'il,
If the likes of Rabi'a were among Wael,
not an ant's foothold would have lacked his bounty.
No foot's place would be devoid of his bounty.
ياO منyou who سريتI journeyed by night إلىto ذُراthe heights of أبوابهhis gates
يا من سريت إلى ذُرا أبوابه
سيرthe journey of الغريبthe stranger إلىto منازلthe dwellings of أهلهhis family
سير الغريب إلى منازل أهله
O you, to the heights of whose gates I journeyed by night,
O you who traveled the doors of his dwellings,
as a stranger journeys to the dwellings of his family:
Travel like a stranger to the dwellings of his family.
شكراًthanks لبرّكfor your kindness ليto me علىthroughout طولthe length of المدىthe span
شكراً لبرّك لي على طول المدى
إنif كانَis يقضيdischarges الشكرgratitude حقّthe due of أقلهits least part
إن كانَ يقضي الشكر حقّ أقله
thanks for your kindness to me over so long a span,
Thanks to your kindness to me over the long term,
if thanks can discharge the due of even its least part.
Even if giving thanks pays only a small part of what I owe.
Sol 6.1