هلis there لركْبِfor the caravan of العراقِIraq بعدَafter نُجودِهits journey into the uplands
هل لركْبِ العراقِ بعدَ نُجودِه
أوبةٌa return تقتضيbringing about دنوّthe nearness of بَعيدِهْits distant one
أوبةٌ تقتضي دنوّ بَعيدِهْ
Will Iraq's caravan, after its journey into the uplands,
return, bringing its distant one near?
فيُردُّso is driven back الحسودُthe envier وهوwhile he is حسيرٌweary
فيُردُّ الحسودُ وهو حسيرٌ
عنfrom محبٍّa lover صبِّardently yearning الفؤادِthe heart عميدِهْstricken in it
عن محبٍّ صبِّ الفؤادِ عميدِهْ
Then the envier will be driven back, weary,
from a lover with a yearning, love-stricken heart.
لنyou will not ترىsee فيamong جميعall ذاthis الخلقِcreation أتْلىmore closely following
لن ترى في جميع ذا الخلقِ أتْلى
قولَa statement of صدقٍtruth لعائقٍto an obstructer منthan حَسودِهْhis envier
قولَ صدقٍ لعائقٍ من حَسودِهْ
You will see no closer follower in all this creation—
in truth—of an obstructer than his envier.
وغزالٍand a gazelle أغنّnasal-voiced أحوىdark-hued رخيمٍsoft-spoken
وغزالٍ أغنّ أحوى رخيمٍ
أهيفِslender of القدّfigure مخطفِnarrow of الكشحِwaist رُودِهْsupple in it
أهيفِ القدّ مخطفِ الكشحِ رُودِهْ
And a gazelle, nasal-voiced, dusky, soft-spoken,
slender of figure, narrow and supple of waist,
مثلlike بدرِthe full moon of السماءِheaven وجهاًin face ومثلِand like الدthe pearls (word begins)
مثل بدرِ السماءِ وجهاً ومثلِ الد
رِّpearls (word ends) ثغراًin teeth قدindeed راعنيhe dismayed me بصدودِهwith his turning away
رِّ ثغراً قد راعني بصدودِه
like heaven's full moon in face, and like
pearls in his teeth—his turning away has dismayed me.
يُخلِفُhe breaks الوعدَthe promise بالدنوّof closeness ويوفيand fulfills
يُخلِفُ الوعدَ بالدنوّ ويوفي
لمحبّيهfor his lovers فيin الهوىlove بوعيدهwith his threat
لمحبّيه في الهوى بوعيده
He breaks his promise of closeness, yet fulfills
his threats to those who love him passionately.
ساحرُenchanting of الطرفِglance كالغزالِlike a gazelle مَتاعُthe delight of الthe
ساحرُ الطرفِ كالغزالِ مَتاعُ ال
عينِeye فيin خدّهhis cheek وفيand in توريدِهits rosy bloom
عينِ في خدّه وفي توريدِه
Enchanting of glance, like a gazelle; the delight of the
eye lies in his cheek and its rosy bloom.
رُمتُI sought أستنجدُto seek help from الفؤادَthe heart عليهagainst him
رُمتُ أستنجدُ الفؤادَ عليه
فوجدتُand I found الفؤادَthe heart بعضsome of جُنودِهhis troops
فوجدتُ الفؤادَ بعض جُنودِه
I sought my heart's help against him,
but found my heart among his troops.
زارنيhe visited me فيin الدُجىthe darkness وقدand already أقبلhad come البدْthe full moon (word begins)
زارني في الدُجى وقد أقبل البدْ
رُmoon (word ends) سريعاًswiftly ولاحand shone ضوءُthe light of عمودِهits shaft
رُ سريعاً ولاح ضوءُ عمودِه
He visited me in the darkness, and the full
moon came swiftly, the light of its shaft gleaming.
مُعطياًgiving ضدthe opposite of ماwhat لعمرُكby your life يعطىhe gives
مُعطياً ضد ما لعمرُك يعطى
وهوwhile he is مستيقظٌawake أذًىpain منfrom صدودِهhis turning away
وهو مستيقظٌ أذًى من صدودِه
Granting—by your life—the opposite of what he gives
when awake: pain from his turning away.
ولقدand indeed قلتI said حينwhen زارhe visited وقلبيand my heart
ولقد قلت حين زار وقلبي
ذوpossessing ثباتٍsteadfastness علىin الهوىlove وعهودِهand its covenants
ذو ثباتٍ على الهوى وعهودِه
And when he visited, I said, while my heart
was steadfast in love and its covenants:
ياO مريضَlanguid of الجفونثthe eyelids منfrom غيرno سُقمٍillness
يا مريضَ الجفونث من غير سُقمٍ
والذيand the one who يُمرِضُmakes ill القلوبَthe hearts بجيدِهwith his neck
والذي يُمرِضُ القلوبَ بجيدِه
O you with languid eyelids, yet no illness,
and who sicken hearts with your neck,
لاdo not تعذّبْtorment صبّاًa yearning lover غداhas become غيرnot مُصغٍheeding
لا تعذّبْ صبّاً غدا غير مُصغٍ
لملامِto the blame of العذولِthe reprover أوor تفْنيدِهhis faultfinding
لملامِ العذولِ أو تفْنيدِه
do not torment a yearning lover now heedless
of the reprover's blame or his faultfinding.
وفلاةٍand a wilderness قطعتُهاI crossed it بمطيٍّon riding camels
وفلاةٍ قطعتُها بمطيٍّ
أربُthe desire of النفسِthe soul لُفّwas wrapped فيin توحيدِهsingling him out
أربُ النفسِ لُفّ في توحيدِه
And a wilderness I crossed on riding camels,
the soul's desire wrapped in singling him out.
لمnot يزلْhe ceased فيin مذمومthe blameworthy part of عيشٍlife فلماbut when
لم يزلْ في مذموم عيشٍ فلما
أنthat رأىhe saw الخيرَgoodness ظلّhe remained فيin محمودِهits praiseworthy part
أن رأى الخيرَ ظلّ في محمودِه
He had always lived a life of blame; but when
he saw goodness, he lived on in a life of praise.
أحمدAhmad الحافظُal-Hafiz الأجلُّthe most exalted ومنand he who أصbecame (word begins)
أحمد الحافظُ الأجلُّ ومن أص
بحbecame (word ends) كلُّall الورىmankind عَبيدَthe servants of عَبيدِهhis servants
بح كلُّ الورى عَبيدَ عَبيدِه
Ahmad al-Hafiz, the most exalted, and he whose
servants' servants all mankind have become.
سندُthe support of المستجيرِthe refuge-seeker عرّفهُmay He make him know اللGod (word begins)
سندُ المستجيرِ عرّفهُ الل
هGod (word ends) تعالىMost High برغمdespite أنفthe nose of حسودِهhis envier
ه تعالى برغم أنف حسودِه
Support of the refuge-seeker: may he be shown by
God Most High, to his envier's humiliation,
بركاتِthe blessings of الشهرِthe month المباركِthe blessed فيin العزّhonor
بركاتِ الشهرِ المباركِ في العزّ
ولقّاهُand may He grant him باكراتِthe first fruits of سُعودِهhis good fortunes
ولقّاهُ باكراتِ سُعودِه
the blessed month's blessings amid honor,
and granted the first fruits of his good fortune.
علمٌa towering figure عمّhe encompassed مَنْthose who يُعاديهoppose him بأساwith might
علمٌ عمّ مَنْ يُعاديه بأسا
مثلlike ماwhat عمّhe encompassed قاصديهِthose seeking him بجودِهwith his generosity
مثل ما عمّ قاصديهِ بجودِه
A towering figure, whose might reaches all who oppose him,
just as his generosity reaches all who seek him.
يُصدرُhe pours forth الجودَbounty عنfrom سماحِopenhandedness وجودٍand giving
يُصدرُ الجودَ عن سماحِ وجودٍ
كالسحابَينِlike the two clouds مُزنِهhis raincloud ورُعودِهand his thunder
كالسحابَينِ مُزنِه ورُعودِه
He pours forth bounty from openhandedness and giving,
like two clouds—his raincloud and his thunder.
رفعَتْهُraised him جدودُهhis fortunes وكثيرٌand many
رفعَتْهُ جدودُه وكثيرٌ
منa person who أتاهُcame to him انخفاضُهhis abasement منfrom جُدودِهhis forefathers
من أتاهُ انخفاضُه من جُدودِه
His fortunes have raised him; yet many
owe their abasement to their forefathers.
فإذاand when مدّhe extends كفَّهhis palm كانis أعلىthe highest
فإذا مدّ كفَّه كان أعلى
سؤدُدٍeminence عندهto him كحبلِlike the cord of وريدهhis jugular vein
سؤدُدٍ عنده كحبلِ وريده
And when he extends his palm, the highest
eminence lies as near to him as his jugular vein.
كمhow many رجالٍmen قامواrose لكسبِto attain المعاليhigh honors
كم رجالٍ قاموا لكسبِ المعالي
لمnot ينالواthey attained ماwhat نالَهhe attained فيin قُعودِهhis sitting
لم ينالوا ما نالَه في قُعودِه
How many men rose to attain high honors,
yet failed to gain what he attained while seated!
فإذاand if ماever العُداةُthe enemies يوماًone day رأوهُsaw him
فإذا ما العُداةُ يوماً رأوهُ
رجعواthey returned خيبةًdisappointed لفرطِbecause of the abundance of سعودِهhis good fortune
رجعوا خيبةً لفرطِ سعودِه
If his enemies should see him one day,
they return disappointed, so great is his good fortune,
بوجوهٍwith faces مسودّةٍblackened وشُعورٍand hair
بوجوهٍ مسودّةٍ وشُعورٍ
عُدْنَthey became بيضاًwhite هذاthis is حديثُthe tale of حسودِهhis envier
عُدْنَ بيضاً هذا حديثُ حسودِه
with blackened faces and hair
turned white: such is the tale of his envier.
صانhe safeguarded أعراضَهُhis honor وجادَand gave generously بماwith what فيin
صان أعراضَهُ وجادَ بما في
راحتَيْهِhis two palms فلنso you will not ترىsee مثلَthe like of جودِهhis generosity
راحتَيْهِ فلن ترى مثلَ جودِه
He safeguarded his honor and freely gave what was in
his two palms; you will never see generosity like his.
سيدٌa lord أجمعَتْagreed unanimously جميعُall البراياcreatures
سيدٌ أجمعَتْ جميعُ البرايا
قولَa statement of صدقٍtruth إذاًtherefore علىupon تسويدِهmaking him master
قولَ صدقٍ إذاً على تسويدِه
A lord whom all creatures have unanimously agreed,
truly, then, to acknowledge as their master.
هوhe مُبديthe bringer-forth of العلوِّloftiness والمجدِand glory أكرِمْhow noble
هو مُبدي العلوِّ والمجدِ أكرِمْ
بإمامٍis an imam مُبديthe bringer-forth of العُلوّloftiness مُعيدِهits restorer
بإمامٍ مُبدي العُلوّ مُعيدِه
He brings forth loftiness and glory—how noble
an imam who brings forth loftiness and restores it!
ياO إماماًimam عمّencompassed الورىmankind بعدafter قحطٍa drought
يا إماماً عمّ الورى بعد قحطٍ
عمهمhe encompassed them منfrom طريفِهhis newly acquired wealth وتليدِهand his inherited wealth
عمهم من طريفِه وتليدِه
O imam who embraced all mankind after drought,
embracing them with his newly acquired and inherited wealth:
عشْlive on فداءٌa ransom لكfor you النفوسُthe souls موقًّىprotected
عشْ فداءٌ لك النفوسُ موقًّى
منfrom صروفِthe reversals of الزمانِtime معalong with تنكيدِهits vexations
من صروفِ الزمانِ مع تنكيدِه
Live on—souls are your ransom—shielded
from time's reversals and its vexations.
وابقَand remain واسلَمْand stay safe فيin العزّhonor ماas long as أرّقَkeeps awake الصبّthe yearning lover
وابقَ واسلَمْ في العزّ ما أرّقَ الصبّ
حمامٌdoves فيin أيكِهits thicket بنشيدِهwith its song
حمامٌ في أيكِه بنشيدِه
And endure, safe in honor, as long as a yearning lover is kept awake
by doves in their thicket, with their song.
Sol 6.1