لاmay not يبعدنَّever pass away شبابُكyour youth الغرنيقُgraceful
لا يبعدنَّ شبابُك الغرنيقُ
أيامin the days منظرهits appearance عليكupon you أنيقُlovely
أيام منظره عليك أنيقُ
May your graceful youth never pass away,
Do not let your youthful vigor depart,
In the days when it looked lovely upon you.
Its fine appearance suits you well.
سقياًrain's blessing لأزمانupon times مضتwent by أيامُهاtheir days
سقياً لأزمان مضت أيامُها
بيضاًbright كأنas though غروبهنtheir sunset شروقsunrise
بيضاً كأن غروبهن شروق
May rain bless the times whose days went by
Quenching times now passed, their days
Bright, as though their sunset were sunrise;
Are white as though their sunsets dawn.
إذwhen للشبيبةfor youth صبوةyouthful passion تُصبيyou enchant بهاwith it
إذ للشبيبة صبوة تُصبي بها
وبشاشةand cheerfulness يصبىone is captivated بهاby it وتروقand delights
وبشاشة يصبى بها وتروق
When youth had a passion with which you enchanted,
For youth has a willfulness with which
And a cheerfulness that captivated and delighted.
It can be willful, and a charm with which it charms.
يهتزsways فيكwithin you لأريحياتwith the joyful stirrings of الصباyouth
يهتز فيك لأريحيات الصبا
غصنa bough تفيَّأهsought its shade الظباءُthe gazelles وريقleafy
غصن تفيَّأه الظباءُ وريق
Within you, stirred by youth's high spirits, swayed
In you quivers a branch for the breezes of youth
A leafy bough in whose shade the gazelles rested.
Shaded by gazelles and in bloom.
هيهاتfar beyond reach أيتهاO you الكواعبbudding-breasted maidens كالدمىlike figurines
هيهات أيتها الكواعب كالدمى
ماليI have no بكنَّwith you (women) معwith المشيبgray hair صديقa friend
مالي بكنَّ مع المشيب صديق
Far beyond reach, O budding-breasted maidens like figurines!
Alas, you idols like statues!
With my hair now gray, I have no friend among you.
What have I to do with old age as a friend?
منيfrom me عليكنupon you (women) السلامpeace تحيةa greeting
مني عليكن السلام تحية
إنfor الشبابyouth هراقَهhas spilled it away مُهريقone who spills
إن الشباب هراقَه مُهريق
From me, peace be upon you as a greeting;
Peace be upon you in greeting,
For one who spills has spilled youth away.
For my youth has poured away swiftly.
لمnever تجمعgathered الأيامthe days شملthe union of أحبةٍloved ones
لم تجمع الأيام شمل أحبةٍ
إلاexcept وشرطand the condition of صروفهاtheir vicissitudes التفريقseparation
إلا وشرط صروفها التفريق
The days have never brought loved ones together
Days have not united beloved ones
Without their turns of fortune making separation the condition.
Except on condition they separate them.
ياO آلfamily of طاهرTahir المطهرthe purified one كاسمهas his name implies
يا آل طاهر المطهر كاسمه
إنindeed اللسانthe tongue بمدحكمin praising you لطليقtruly unfettered
إن اللسان بمدحكم لطليق
O house of Tahir—purified, as his name implies—
O household of Tahir the pure, as his name,
Indeed, my tongue is unfettered in praising you.
My tongue is free in praising you.
إنif ينسنيmakes me forget عصرthe time of الشبابyouth وعهدهand its days
إن ينسني عصر الشباب وعهده
عصرan age فعصركمthen your age لذاكfor that خليقworthy
عصر فعصركم لذاك خليق
If I can be made to forget youth's time and its days
If the time of youth forgets me and its covenant,
By any age, then yours is worthy of that.
The time of your era will suffice for that.
قدindeed قلتI said للدهرto Time الملحِّrelentless بصرفهin its reversals
قد قلت للدهر الملحِّ بصرفه
لماwhen اعتصمتI clung for safety بحبلكمto your rope ستفيقyou will come to your senses
لما اعتصمت بحبلكم ستفيق
I have said to Time, relentless in its reversals,
I have told cruel, turning fate,
When I clung to your rope for refuge: 'You will come to your senses.'
"When I cling to your rope, it will awake."
أمسىhas become مجاوركمyour neighbor يحلُّdwells بنجوةٍon high ground
أمسى مجاوركم يحلُّ بنجوةٍ
ماno للخطوبfor calamities بهاthere عليهto him طريقa path
ما للخطوب بها عليه طريق
Your neighbor now dwells on high ground,
I have come to dwell in your sanctuary,
Where calamities have no path to reach him.
No misfortunes have access to it.
منwhoever خانbetrays أوor نكثbreaks العهودthe covenants فعهدُكمyet your covenant
من خان أو نكث العهود فعهدُكم
عهدٌa covenant أُمِرَّmade firm by twisting علىupon الوفاءfidelity وثيقsecure
عهدٌ أُمِرَّ على الوفاء وثيق
Whoever may betray or break covenants, your covenant
Whoever betrays pacts and covenants,
Is a firm covenant, tightly bound to fidelity.
Your pact is commanded to fulfill.
وكأنand as though وعدكمyour promise تقيَّلtook after عهدكمyour covenant
وكأن وعدكم تقيَّل عهدكم
فلقاحهso its conception بنتاجهby its birth مرهوقclosely followed
فلقاحه بنتاجه مرهوق
And your promise seems to have followed your covenant's example,
As if your promise guarantees your pact,
So its conception is swiftly followed by its birth.
Its harvest ripened by its planting.
لِتَعُذlet them seek refuge بسَيبِكُمُin your bounty المطامعُaspirations والمنىand wishes
لِتَعُذ بسَيبِكُمُ المطامعُ والمنى
فعليكمfor upon you rests لعداتهاfor their promises التصديقfulfillment
فعليكم لعداتها التصديق
Let aspirations and wishes seek refuge in your bounty,
Ambitions and desires take refuge in your swords,
For it rests with you to fulfill their promises.
And you sanction their adversary.
ماnot زلتمyou have ceased ترقونyou ascend فيin درَجthe steps of العلىglory
ما زلتم ترقون في درَج العلى
حتىuntil أشارpointed إليكمtoward you العيُّوقal-ʿAyyuq (Capella)
حتى أشار إليكم العيُّوق
You have never ceased climbing the steps of glory,
You continue rising up the steps of ascendance
Until the star al-ʿAyyuq pointed toward you.
Until the Pleiades point to you.
مهماwhatever سرقتI have stolen عنfrom الأوائلthe earlier poets فيكمُabout you
مهما سرقت عن الأوائل فيكمُ
فلغيرthen not because of باعa reach بالمديحin praise يضيقthat falls short
فلغير باع بالمديح يضيق
Whatever I have stolen from the earlier poets in your praise,
However much is stolen from your ancestors,
It was not because my reach in praise fell short.
No seller profits by praising others.
لكنهمbut they نحلواthey ascribed سواكمto others than you مجدَكمyour glory
لكنهم نحلوا سواكم مجدَكم
فرددتُso I restored حقَّكمyour rightful due وذاكand that حقيقis just
فرددتُ حقَّكم وذاك حقيق
But they ascribed your glory to others,
But they granted your glory to others than you,
So I restored your rightful due, and that was just.
So I give your due and that is the truth.
ماnot المدحthe praise مسروقstolen لكمfor you منfrom غيركمothers than you
ما المدح مسروق لكم من غيركم
بلrather منكمfrom you فيin praise of غيركمothers than you مسروقstolen
بل منكم في غيركم مسروق
Praise for you is not stolen from others;
Praise is not stolen from others for you,
Rather, it is stolen from you in praise of others.
But from you it is stolen for others.
Sol 6.1