ماno لظبيfor the gazelle الحمىof the preserve إليهtoward him التفاتهa glance
ما لظبي الحمى إليه التفاته
بعدafter ماthat كدَّرclouded المشيبُgray hair حياتهhis life
بعد ما كدَّر المشيبُ حياته
The gazelle of the preserve casts no glance his way,
What care has the thirsty gazelle for his life
now that gray hair has clouded his life.
After gray hair has marred his youth
لهِجٌobsessed بالهوىwith love وإنand even if نفرتdrove away أيstart of 'hands'
لهِجٌ بالهوى وإن نفرت أي
دِيend of 'hands' اللياليthe nights غزالَهُhis gazelle ومهاتهand his oryx
دِي الليالي غزالَهُ ومهاته
He is obsessed with love, though the hands
Passionate with love, though any doe may shy away
of the nights have driven off his gazelle and his oryx.
The dark nights weaned his fawn and dam
كلَّماwhenever قيلit is said قدalready سلاforgot عنabout فتاةٍa maiden
كلَّما قيل قد سلا عن فتاةٍ
عادَهُrevisited him الحبّlove فاسْتجدّso was renewed فتاتهhis broken fragments
عادَهُ الحبّ فاسْتجدّ فتاته
Whenever they say he has forgotten a maiden,
Whenever it was said he forgot about a girl
love revisits him, shattering him anew.
Love returned so he sought out a new darling
ماno علىupon منone who عصىdefied النهىreason فيهconcerning him رأيٌcounsel
ما على من عصى النهى فيه رأيٌ
لوeven if عصىrebelled فيin الهوىlove عليَّagainst me نهاتهhis admonishers
لو عصى في الهوى عليَّ نهاته
No counsel can sway one who defies reason for him,
No blame to one who disobeyed advice in love
even if his admonishers rebel against me in love.
Had he disobeyed anyone else’s prohibitions against me
بأبيmy father as ransom فاترlanguid اللحاظِof glances غريرguileless
بأبي فاتر اللحاظِ غرير
رامَsought تشبيههto resemble him الغزالُthe gazelle ففاتهbut he outstripped it
رامَ تشبيهه الغزالُ ففاته
My father be ransom for a guileless youth with languid glances:
By my father whose glances have faded
the gazelle sought to resemble him, but he outstripped it.
The gazelle tried to compare himself but failed
صائلassailing الحسنin beauty إنْif رناhe gazes وتثنىand sways
صائل الحسن إنْ رنا وتثنى
سلَّhe drew أسيافهhis swords وهزَّand brandished قناتهhis spear
سلَّ أسيافه وهزَّ قناته
Assailing with beauty, when he gazes and sways,
The swordsman of beauty, if he sings and sways
he draws his swords and brandishes his spear.
Unsheathes his sword and shakes his spear
لعيونfor the eyes الورىof mankind بخدَّيهon his two cheeks وردٌroses
لعيون الورى بخدَّيه وردٌ
طالماhow often عاقبَhas punished السهادُsleeplessness جناتهits pluckers
طالما عاقبَ السهادُ جناته
On his cheeks are roses for all eyes;
For the eyes of maidens, his cheeks are roses
how often sleeplessness has punished their pluckers.
Long has the night watchman punished their gardens
ساقيَO cupbearer الرَّاحof wine بادِّكارin remembrance لقاهof meeting him
ساقيَ الرَّاح بادِّكار لقاه
لاmay ... not عدِمناwe lack ذاكَthat اللقاmeeting وسقاتهand its cupbearers
لا عدِمنا ذاكَ اللقا وسقاته
O wine-pourer, in remembrance of meeting him—
Cupbearer of respite, when he met him
may we never lack that meeting or its cupbearers.
We did not lack that meeting and his pouring
هاتِbring كأسِيmy cup وإنand if لحنتI misspeak منfrom الthe
هاتِ كأسِي وإن لحنت من ال
سكرِdrunkenness فلاthen do not تلحنيblame me إذاwhen قلتُI say هاتهbring it
سكرِ فلا تلحني إذا قلتُ هاته
Bring my cup; and if I misspeak from
Give me my cup, though I may falter drunk
drunkenness, do not blame me when I say, 'Bring it.'
Do not blame me if I say “give it here”
أناI فرعٌa branch منof النباتِvegetation إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle
أنا فرعٌ من النباتِ إذا ما
هجرَتهُforsake it السقاةُthe waterers خافَit fears مماتهits death
هجرَتهُ السقاةُ خافَ مماته
I am a branch of a plant; whenever
I am a branch, if abandoned by irrigators
the waterers forsake it, it fears its death.
I fear my death will come
أنبتتهmade him grow نعمىthe bounty الصفيّof al-Safi وأحيتand revived
أنبتته نعمى الصفيّ وأحيت
ذكرَthe memory أسلافهof his forebears فسرتso gladdened نباتهNubata
ذكرَ أسلافه فسرت نباته
Al-Safi's bounty made him flourish and revived
The loyalty of the sincere raised me up
his forebears' memory, thus gladdening Nubata.
And revived the memory of my ancestors, spreading my growth
حبَّذاhow excellent منas إمامa master لفظٍof eloquence وفضلٍand merit
حبَّذا من إمام لفظٍ وفضلٍ
نشرَspread الذكرrenown فيthroughout البلادِthe lands دُعاتهhis heralds
نشرَ الذكر في البلادِ دُعاته
How excellent a master of eloquence and merit!
Blessed is the imam of eloquence and merit
His heralds spread his renown throughout the lands.
Who propagated remembrance through the land, his callers
ناظمٌa poet يشتكيcomplains الوليدal-Walid قصوراًof shortcomings
ناظمٌ يشتكي الوليد قصوراً
حيتwhen تتلوrecite رُواتهhis reciters أبياتهhis verses
حيت تتلو رُواته أبياته
A poet before whom al-Walid laments his shortcomings
A composer complains of al-Walid’s palaces
when his reciters recite his verses.
Where his transmitters recite his verses
منfrom أناسٍa people كانُواthey were إذاwhen عزمَresolved الدهstart of 'Time'
من أناسٍ كانُوا إذا عزمَ الده
رend of 'Time' وحامىand fought in defense كفاتهits stalwarts وحماتهand its protectors
ر وحامى كفاته وحماته
From a people who, when Time resolved
Of people who, when valor was determined and passionate
and fought, were its stalwarts and protectors.
Were its pillars and defenders
إنif تعالىrose high الثناءُpraise كانواthey were بنيهits sons
إن تعالى الثناءُ كانوا بنيه
أوor تعالىrose high الفخارglory كانواthey were بناتهits builders
أو تعالى الفخار كانوا بناته
If praise rose high, they were its sons;
If praise was proclaimed they were its sons
or if glory rose high, they were its builders.
If pride was proclaimed they were its daughters
قوَّضواthey struck camp وابْتدىand arose فريدone peerless صفاتin qualities
قوَّضوا وابْتدى فريد صفات
طالrose high أوand can ...? تقرعbatter الخطوبُcalamities صفاتهhis rock
طال أو تقرع الخطوبُ صفاته
They struck camp, and one of peerless qualities arose:
They demolished and the unique, virtuous one perished
he towers—can calamities batter his rock?
Whether fate extends or misfortunes repeat
ماnot حمدناwe praised للدهرِof Time إلاَّexcept دواهُits remedy
ما حمدنا للدهرِ إلاَّ دواهُ
ولرقمand for inscribing الطروسthe pages إلاَّexcept دَوَاتهhis inkwell
ولرقم الطروس إلاَّ دَوَاته
We praised Time for nothing but its remedy,
We do not praise time except for its rotation
and the inscribing of pages for nothing but his inkwell.
Or the heavenly spheres except for their circuit
سارset forth علمthe banner القريضof verse يطلبُseeking حجًّاa pilgrimage
سار علم القريض يطلبُ حجًّا
فغدىso became بابُthe gate فضلهِof his bounty ميقاتهits appointed pilgrimage station
فغدى بابُ فضلهِ ميقاته
The banner of verse set forth seeking pilgrimage,
The science of poetry traveled seeking a pilgrimage
and the gate of his bounty became its appointed station.
So the door of its merit became its destination
تارةًat times منfrom حماةHama يدعىit is summoned وطوراًand at other times
تارةً من حماة يدعى وطوراً
يستحثُّurges onward الثناpraise إليهtoward him حُداتهits camel-drivers
يستحثُّ الثنا إليه حُداته
At times it is summoned from Hama, and at times
Sometimes called from Hama, sometimes
praise spurs its camel-drivers toward him.
He hastens praise to himself, his neighbors
ياO مفيدَbestower upon الورىmankind لآلئَpearls بحرٍof a sea
يا مفيدَ الورى لآلئَ بحرٍ
يعرِفُdiscerns الذوقُtaste عذبهits sweetness وفراتهand its freshness
يعرِفُ الذوقُ عذبه وفراته
O you who bestow on mankind the pearls of a sea
O benefit of existence, pearls of a sea
whose sweetness and freshness taste discerns!
Whose sweetness and freshness the taste discerns
وصلreached العبدthe servant منfrom قريضكyour verse برّa kindness
وصل العبد من قريضك برّ
سرّgladdened أحبابهhis friends وساءَand grieved عِداتهhis enemies
سرّ أحبابه وساءَ عِداته
A kindness from your verse reached this servant,
May the servant reach through your poetry, secret
gladdening his friends and grieving his enemies.
Of his loved ones, and avoid their harm
رائقlimpid الكأسin the cup غيرexcept أنthat عتاباًa reproach
رائق الكأس غير أن عتاباً
طالماhow often للمحبِّfor the lover كانhas been قذاتهhis mote
طالما للمحبِّ كان قذاته
A limpid cup, except that a reproach
The wine is pure, though for the lover
has so often been a mote to the lover.
Its bitterness has often been his spite
أيُّwhat ذنبٍsin لساترfor one concealing نظمهhis verse عنfrom
أيُّ ذنبٍ لساتر نظمه عن
كَyou ومنand who ذاthis one يهدِيoffers لطودto a mountain حصاتهhis pebble
كَ ومن ذا يهدِي لطود حصاته
What sin has one who conceals his verse from
What fault in the concealer of his prosody
you? And who would offer a mountain his pebble?
From you, and who can guide rocks to its summit?
خلّleave aside هذاthis وانعَمْand rejoice ببابat the gate مليكof a king
خلّ هذا وانعَمْ بباب مليك
عمّencompassed بالعدلwith justice والنوالand bounty عُفاتهhis petitioners
عمّ بالعدل والنوال عُفاته
Leave this aside, and rejoice at the gate of a king
Leave this and enjoy the gate of a just king
who embraces his petitioners with justice and bounty.
Whose fairness and gifts are widespread
لوif طلبناwe sought لهfor him شبيهاًa likeness منfrom الدهstart of 'Time'
لو طلبنا له شبيهاً من الده
رend of 'Time' لكناthen we would be كطالبٍlike one seeking إعنَاتهhis own hardship
ر لكنا كطالبٍ إعنَاته
Were we to seek his like from Time,
If we sought his equal from time
we would be as one seeking his own hardship.
We would be like the seeker of gifts
زوجتناmarried us to حماةHama نعمىthe bounty يديهof his hands
زوجتنا حماة نعمى يديه
فغدىso became كلناall of us يحبّloves حماتهhis mother-in-law
فغدى كلنا يحبّ حماته
Hama married us to the bounty of his hands,
We married Hama, bounty of his hands
so each of us came to love his mother-in-law.
So we all came to love our mother-in-law
Sol 6.1