علاكَhas covered you قناعُthe veil المشيبِof gray hair اليَقِقْdazzling white
علاكَ قناعُ المشيبِ اليَقِقْ
وثوبand the robe المشيبof gray hair جديدٌnew خَلِقْworn-out
وثوب المشيب جديدٌ خَلِقْ
The dazzling-white veil of gray hair has covered you;
and gray hair's robe is new, yet worn-out.
علاكit has covered you فأبرقthen flashed إبراقةًa flash
علاك فأبرق إبراقةً
تُراعُare startled لهاby it ظبياتthe gazelles البُرَقof the stony sands
تُراعُ لها ظبيات البُرَق
It covered you and flashed with a brilliance
that startles the gazelles of the stony sands.
وأنىyet how تراعcould they be frightened بماby what أومنتthey were made safe
وأنى تراع بما أومنت
بهthrough it منfrom حبالكyour snares ذاتhaving العُلَقentangling loops
به من حبالك ذات العُلَق
Yet how could they fear what has made them safe
from your snares with their entangling loops,
ومنand from نَبلكyour arrows المرسلاتsent flying التيwhich
ومن نَبلك المرسلات التي
صوائبهاtheir unerring shafts فيin الرماياthe targets نسقan ordered succession
صوائبها في الرمايا نسق
and from your arrows sent flying, whose
unerring shafts strike their targets in succession?
بلىyes indeed فيin المشيبgray hair لهاfor them رائعٌa cause of fright
بلى في المشيب لها رائعٌ
وإنand even though هوit أطفأhas quenched فيهاwithin them الحُرَقburning passions
وإن هو أطفأ فيها الحُرَق
Yes, gray hair holds something that frightens them,
although it quenches the burning passions within them.
وشرخand the prime الشبابof youth وإنand even though صادهاit ensnares them
وشرخ الشباب وإن صادها
أحبُّdearer إليهاto them لذاكfor that الأنقloveliness
أحبُّ إليها لذاك الأنق
And youth in its prime, though it ensnares them,
is dearer to them for that loveliness.
أعاذِلتيO my reproaching lady إنif بكيتI have wept الشباyouth (continued)
أعاذِلتي إن بكيت الشبا
بcompletion of 'youth' إنيindeed I لمdid not أبكweep for ثوباًa robe سحقthreadbare
ب إني لم أبك ثوباً سحق
My reproaching lady, if I have wept for youth,
I have not wept for a threadbare robe.
لقدcertainly علمhas learned الدهرTime أنthat الشباyouth (continued)
لقد علم الدهر أن الشبا
بcompletion of 'youth' ثوبa robe لدىamong الناسpeople لاnot كالخرقlike rags
ب ثوب لدى الناس لا كالخرق
Time knows full well that youth
is a robe to mankind unlike mere rags.
لذاكfor that reason يدبit creeps خفيّاًstealthily لهtoward it
لذاك يدب خفيّاً له
فيسلبهand so strips it away سلباًa stripping away كالسَّرقlike theft
فيسلبه سلباً كالسَّرق
That is why Time creeps stealthily toward it,
then strips it away like a thief.
ولوand if كانit were يسلبهstripping it away جهرةopenly
ولو كان يسلبه جهرة
للاقىit would surely encounter القناlances دونهin its defense والدرَقand shields
للاقى القنا دونه والدرَق
Were it to strip it away openly,
it would meet lances and shields defending it.
وحُقَّand it is fitting لهfor it معdespite إقدامهits daring
وحُقَّ له مع إقدامه
إذاwhen ابتزit snatches away مثلthe like of الشبابyouth الفرقfear
إذا ابتز مثل الشباب الفرق
And for all its daring, it has good cause,
when seizing the likes of youth, to fear.
رعاناtended us الأميرthe emir أبوAbu (father of) أحمدٍAhmad
رعانا الأمير أبو أحمدٍ
فأرعىand so gave pasture المريعlush pasture وأسقىand gave to drink الغدقabundant water
فأرعى المريع وأسقى الغدق
The emir Abu Ahmad has tended us,
giving us lush pasture and abundant water.
وضمَّand gathered الشتيتthe scattered ولمَّand brought together الجميeveryone (continued)
وضمَّ الشتيت ولمَّ الجمي
عcompletion of 'everyone' وانتظمand was knit together الشملthe whole company حتىuntil اتفقit became united
ع وانتظم الشمل حتى اتفق
He gathered the scattered and brought everyone together,
and knit the whole community into harmony.
وأغنىand enriched الفقيرَthe poor وحاطand protected الغنيْthe rich (continued)
وأغنى الفقيرَ وحاط الغنيْ
يَcompletion of 'the rich' ماas لمdid not يَحُطْprotect والدa father ذوpossessing شفقtender care
يَ ما لم يَحُطْ والد ذو شفق
He enriched the poor and guarded the rich
as no tenderhearted father ever could.
عبيدUbayd الإلهal-Ilah (God) بنson of عبدAbd (servant of) الإلَal-Ilah (God; continued)
عبيد الإله بن عبد الإلَ
هcompletion of al-Ilah (God) خيرthe best of الملوكkings وخيرand the best of السُّوَقthe common people
ه خير الملوك وخير السُّوَق
Ubayd al-Ilah ibn Abd al-Ilah,
the best of kings and the best of commoners.
فأضحىso he enters morning وأمسىand enters evening وقدwhile already أجمعتhave agreed unanimously
فأضحى وأمسى وقد أجمعت
عليهon him بأهوائهنwith their affections الفِرَقthe factions
عليه بأهوائهن الفِرَق
So he passes morning and evening with
all factions united in wholehearted devotion to him.
وظلُّواand they pass the day وباتواand spend the night بهthrough him آمنيsecure (continued)
وظلُّوا وباتوا به آمني
نcompletion of 'secure' فيin ظلthe shade عيشof a life أثيثluxuriant الورقin foliage
ن في ظل عيش أثيث الورق
Through him they spend their days and nights secure,
in the shade of a life luxuriant with leaves.
لياليهمُtheir nights مثلlike أيامهمtheir days
لياليهمُ مثل أيامهم
ضياءًin brightness وأنساًand companionship وماand there is not منany أرقsleeplessness
ضياءً وأنساً وما من أرق
Their nights are like their days,
bright and companionable, with no sleeplessness;
وأيامهمand their days كلياليهُمُlike their nights
وأيامهم كلياليهُمُ
سكوناًin tranquility وروحاًand ease وماand there is not منany غسقdarkness
سكوناً وروحاً وما من غسق
and their days are like their nights,
tranquil and restful, yet with no darkness.
يداهhis two hands يمينانtwo right hands لكنهbut he
يداه يمينان لكنه
إذاwhen شاءhe wishes علَّgives a second drink to الظُّباthe sword-edges بالعلقwith blood
إذا شاء علَّ الظُّبا بالعلق
Both his hands are right hands; yet,
when he wills, he gives sword-edges another draught of blood.
وطوراًand at times شمالانtwo left hands لكنهbut he
وطوراً شمالان لكنه
إذاwhen شاءhe wishes سحpours forth الندىbounty فانبعقand so it gushes out
إذا شاء سح الندى فانبعق
And at times both are left hands; yet,
when he wills, he pours out bounty in a gushing flood.
مهيبawe-inspiring إذاwhen سارhe marches فيwith جيشهhis army
مهيب إذا سار في جيشه
وقدwhile already لاحhas shone forth كوكبهhis star فائتلقand so blazed
وقد لاح كوكبه فائتلق
He is awe-inspiring when he marches with his army,
his star shining forth and blazing bright.
أشارتpoint إليهtoward him قلوبthe hearts الورىof mankind
أشارت إليه قلوب الورى
وكفَّand cease البنانُthe fingers وغضَّand look down الحدقthe eyes
وكفَّ البنانُ وغضَّ الحدق
The hearts of mankind point to him,
while fingers cease their pointing and eyes look down.
بلاwithout سببa rope فالتمسthen seek رفدهhis bounty
بلا سبب فالتمس رفده
فإنكfor you تقربُapproach ماءًwater دفقfreely gushing
فإنك تقربُ ماءً دفق
Seek his bounty without a rope,
for you approach freely gushing water.
وهلand does يستعدُّprepare الرشاءa drawing-rope امرؤٌany man
وهل يستعدُّ الرشاء امرؤٌ
لوردto drink from الفراتthe Euphrates إذاwhen ماemphatic particle فهقit brims over
لورد الفرات إذا ما فهق
Does any man prepare a drawing-rope
to drink from the Euphrates when it brims over?
ألاtake heed فارجُهُthen hope in him واخشَهand fear him إنهindeed he
ألا فارجُهُ واخشَه إنه
هوhe is البحرthe sea فيهwithin it الغنىwealth والغرقand drowning
هو البحر فيه الغنى والغرق
Take heed: hope in him and fear him, for he
is the sea, with wealth and drowning within it.
ألاtake heed فارجهthen hope in him واخشهand fear him إنهindeed he
ألا فارجه واخشه إنه
هوhe is الغيثthe rain فيهwithin it الحياlife-giving rain والصعقand thunderbolts
هو الغيث فيه الحيا والصعق
Take heed: hope in him and fear him, for he
is the rain, with life-giving showers and thunderbolts.
مضرٌّharmful بملتمسٍto whoever seeks ضرَّهُharm against him
مضرٌّ بملتمسٍ ضرَّهُ
وفيهand in him لمرتفقfor a seeker of help مرتَفقa source of help
وفيه لمرتفق مرتَفق
He harms whoever seeks to harm him,
and in him the seeker of help finds support.
هوhe is السيفthe sword إنif أنتyou أنحيتهdirect it
هو السيف إن أنت أنحيته
لرأسكat your head أوor رأسthe head قرنof a rival فلقit cleaves
لرأسك أو رأس قرن فلق
He is the sword: if you direct it
at your head or a rival's, it cleaves.
هوhe is الماءwater فاشربهso drink it ذاwith غُلَّةٍburning thirst
هو الماء فاشربه ذا غُلَّةٍ
وذاand with غصةa morsel stuck in the throat وتوقَّand beware of الشرَقchoking on liquid
وذا غصة وتوقَّ الشرَق
He is water: drink it when thirst burns
and when a morsel sticks—but beware of choking on it.
هوhe is النارfire فاصطلهاso warm yourself by it واستضئand take light
هو النار فاصطلها واستضئ
بهاfrom it فيin الدجىthe darkness وتوقَّand beware of الحرقburning
بها في الدجى وتوقَّ الحرق
He is fire: warm yourself by it, and take light
from it in the darkness, but beware of burning.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle وعىhave learned by heart مدحَهhis praise المادحوthe panegyrists (continued)
إذا ما وعى مدحَه المادحو
نcompletion of 'panegyrists' طابbecomes fragrant نسيمُهمtheir breath والعرقand sweat
ن طاب نسيمُهم والعرق
When panegyrists learn his praise by heart,
their breath and sweat grow fragrant.
فتنشرso diffuse fragrance أرواحهمtheir spirits نشرةa fragrant waft
فتنشر أرواحهم نشرة
وماthough no منهمamong them ذوpossessor of لسانa tongue نطقhas spoken
وما منهم ذو لسان نطق
Their spirits give forth a waft of perfume,
though not a tongue among them has spoken.
فإنthen if أنشدواthey recite مدحهhis praise غادرواthey leave behind
فإن أنشدوا مدحه غادروا
منof المسكmusk فيin كلevery شيءthing عبقa lingering fragrance
من المسك في كل شيء عبق
Then, if they recite his praise, they leave
a lingering fragrance of musk in everything.
إذاwhen كذبlie الناسpeople أوor كذبواthey are belied
إذا كذب الناس أو كذبوا
لدىin القولspeech والفعلand action يوماًon any occasion صدقhe proves true
لدى القول والفعل يوماً صدق
When people lie or are belied,
in word and deed he proves true, every time.
وحلمand forbearance يوازنbalances in weight مثقاُلهits weight
وحلم يوازن مثقاُله
جبالَthe mountains الشرىof al-Shara وجبالand the mountains السلقof al-Salq
جبالَ الشرى وجبال السلق
And his forbearance—its weight would balance
the mountains of al-Shara and the mountains of al-Salq.
بهthrough it يجمعgathers together الملكthe king أشتاتهhis scattered people
به يجمع الملك أشتاته
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle عصاthe staff of unity الناسof the people طارتflies apart شققin splinters
إذا ما عصا الناس طارت شقق
Through it the king gathers his scattered people,
when the people's staff of unity flies into splinters.
يباشرhe faces directly شوكthe thorn-points القناof lances حاسراًunarmored
يباشر شوك القنا حاسراً
ويلبسand dons دونagainst اللسانthe tongue الحلقrings of mail
ويلبس دون اللسان الحلق
He faces the thorn-points of lances unarmored,
yet dons rings of mail against the tongue.
Sol 6.1