أخالدُO Khalid لاdo not تكذبْlie فلستfor you are not بخالدimmortal
أخالدُ لا تكذبْ فلست بخالد
هنالكin that sense بلrather أنتyou المكنَّىthe one called بخالدِby the name Khalid
هنالك بل أنت المكنَّى بخالدِ
O Khalid, do not lie: you are not immortal;
In that sense, you merely bear the name Khalid.
ولَلكلْبُand surely a dog خيرbetter منكthan you لؤمكyour baseness شاهديmy witness
ولَلكلْبُ خير منك لؤمك شاهدي
بذلكto that دهريthroughout my life ماnot أُباعدI keep far away شاهديmy witness
بذلك دهري ما أُباعد شاهدي
And a dog is surely better than you; your baseness is my witness
To that throughout my life; my witness is never far away.
جمعتَyou have gathered خلالtraits of الشرِّevil والعَرِّand disgrace كلهاall of them
جمعتَ خلال الشرِّ والعَرِّ كلها
وشُنعَand hideous forms of المخازيinfamy منof طريفnewly acquired وتالدِand inherited
وشُنعَ المخازي من طريف وتالدِ
You have gathered every trait of evil and disgrace,
And hideous infamies, newly acquired and inherited.
فلوfor if لمnot تكنyou had been فيin صلبthe loins of آدمَAdam نطفةًa drop of seed
فلو لم تكن في صلب آدمَ نطفةً
لخَرَّwould surely have fallen لهُbefore him إبليسIblis أولthe first ساجدِone prostrating
لخَرَّ لهُ إبليس أول ساجدِ
For had you not been a drop of seed in Adam's loins,
Iblis would have fallen before him, the first to prostrate himself.
ولوand even if كنتyou were عيناًan eye (a leading man) فيamong الرجالmen وغُرَّةًand a white forehead-blaze
ولو كنت عيناً في الرجال وغُرَّةً
لكنتَyou would surely be زنيماًa baseborn hanger-on شِنْتَyou marred شينlike the disfigurement of الزَّوائدِfleshy outgrowths
لكنتَ زنيماً شِنْتَ شين الزَّوائدِ
Even were you an eye among men and a white blaze upon their brow,
You would be a baseborn hanger-on, marring them like fleshy outgrowths.
فكيفhow then وقدwhen indeed حُزْتَyou have amassed المعايبfaults كلَّهاall of them
فكيف وقد حُزْتَ المعايب كلَّها
فلمand did not تَتَّركْleave منهاof them نصيباًa share لواجدِfor any finder
فلم تَتَّركْ منها نصيباً لواجدِ
How, then, when you have amassed every fault,
And left no share of them for anyone to find?
رُقادَكkeep to your sleep لاdo not تسهرstay awake إلىinto الليلthe night ضلَّةًin folly
رُقادَك لا تسهر إلى الليل ضلَّةً
ولاand do not تَتجشَّمْburden yourself with فيَّagainst me حَوْكweaving القصائدِpoems
ولا تَتجشَّمْ فيَّ حَوْك القصائدِ
Keep to your sleep; do not foolishly stay awake into the night,
Nor burden yourself with weaving poems against me.
أبيmy father وأبوكand your father الشيخُthe elder آدمAdam تَلتقيmeet
أبي وأبوك الشيخُ آدم تَلتقي
مَناسبناour lineages فيat مُلْتَقىa meeting-point منهfrom him واحدِsingle
مَناسبنا في مُلْتَقى منه واحدِ
My father and yours is the elder Adam; there meet
Our lineages at one common point of descent from him.
فلاso do not تَهجُنيsatirize me حسبيenough for me منof الخزيshame أننيthat I
فلا تَهجُني حسبي من الخزي أنني
وإياكand you ضمَّتناjoined us ولادةُthe begetting of والدِa father
وإياك ضمَّتنا ولادةُ والدِ
So do not satirize me; it is shame enough for me that I
And you were brought together by one father's begetting.
أماnow والقوافيby the rhymes المحكمَاتwell-wrought لقدindeed رعىgrazed
أما والقوافي المحكمَات لقد رعى
سَوامthe grazing herds العِداof the foes منهfrom it بأنكدwith the unluckiest رائدpasture-scout
سَوام العِدا منه بأنكد رائد
Now, by the well-wrought rhymes, there have indeed grazed
The foes' herds upon it, led by the unluckiest pasture-scout.
تَظنَّوْهُthey imagined it سَعْداناًsa'dan fodder مَريئاًwholesome فصادفواbut they found
تَظنَّوْهُ سَعْداناً مَريئاً فصادفوا
ذُعافاًdeadly poison وذِيفاناًand venom وخَيمruinous in العوائدِconsequences
ذُعافاً وذِيفاناً وخَيم العوائدِ
They imagined it wholesome sa'dan fodder, but found
Deadly poison and venom, with ruinous aftereffects.
وكمand how many a شاعرٍpoet غادرتI have left تشبيبthe love-prelude of شعرهhis poetry
وكم شاعرٍ غادرت تشبيب شعره
بكاءًweeping علىover سلمىSalma بعَوْلةwith the wail of فاقدِone bereaved
بكاءً على سلمى بعَوْلة فاقدِ
And many a poet's love-prelude I have turned
To weeping over Salma, with a bereaved man's wail!
لَهتْwas distracted نفسُهhis soul عماfrom what مضىhad passed منof شبابهhis youth
لَهتْ نفسُه عما مضى من شبابه
بإقلاعby the passing of سلمpeace أمسُهits yesterday غيرُnot عائدِreturning
بإقلاع سلم أمسُه غيرُ عائدِ
His soul was distracted from his bygone youth
By the passing of peace, whose yesterday will not return.
إذاwhen ذكرhe recalls استغشاءهhis wrapping himself in النومَsleep آمناًin safety
إذا ذكر استغشاءه النومَ آمناً
جرتstreamed مقلتاهhis two eyes بالدموعwith tears الحواشدِthronging
جرت مقلتاه بالدموع الحواشدِ
When he recalls wrapping himself in sleep, secure,
His eyes stream with thronging tears.
ولِمْand why لاnot يُبكِّيmoves one to tears منone who يبيتspends the night كأنَّهas though he were
ولِمْ لا يُبكِّي من يبيت كأنَّه
سَليمُone bitten by أفاعٍvipers أوor سليمُone bitten by أساودِblack serpents
سَليمُ أفاعٍ أو سليمُ أساودِ
And why should he not move one to tears—he who spends the night as though
Bitten by vipers, or bitten by black serpents?
تهيجsurges بهin him منfrom مبعثthe stirring of الفكرthought لوعةٌburning anguish
تهيج به من مبعث الفكر لوعةٌ
تُوكِّلcharges عينيهhis two eyes برعيwith tending الفراقدِthe Faraqid stars
تُوكِّل عينيه برعي الفراقدِ
A burning anguish surges in him from the stirring of thought,
Charging his eyes with tending the Faraqid stars.
Sol 6.1