مذsince صِرتِyou became همِّيmy preoccupation فيin النومsleep واليقَظَهْand wakefulness
مذ صِرتِ همِّي في النوم واليقَظَهْ
أتعبتُI have wearied مماwith what أهذيI rave بكabout you الحفَظَهْthe recording angels
أتعبتُ مما أهذي بك الحفَظَهْ
Since you became my preoccupation in sleep and wakefulness,
Since you became my only concern, waking or asleep
I have wearied the recording angels with my ravings about you.
I have wearied myself with fantasies of you
وعظْتُand I admonished نفسيmy soul فخالفتْbut it defied عِظتيmy admonition
وعظْتُ نفسي فخالفتْ عِظتي
وخالفَand defied القلبُthe heart فيكover you منwhoever وَعظهadmonished it
وخالفَ القلبُ فيك من وَعظه
I admonished my soul, but it defied my counsel,
And admonished myself but my soul disobeyed my admonishment
and my heart, over you, defied whoever admonished it.
And my heart disobeyed any advice regarding you
وكيفand how بالصبرِwith endurance عنكِwithout you ياO حسناbeauty
وكيف بالصبرِ عنكِ يا حسنا
يأمرcommands بالسيئاتto evil deeds منwhoever لحَظَهbeholds it
يأمر بالسيئات من لحَظَه
And how could I endure being without you, O beauty
How can I be patient without you, O beauty
that commands whoever beholds it to do evil?
When a mere glance commands evil
ياO منone whose حلاgrew sweet فيin الفؤادthe heart منظرهhis appearance الthe
يا من حلا في الفؤاد منظره ال
حلوُsweet فماso it did not مجَّهُspit it out ولاnor لفظهcast it out
حلوُ فما مجَّهُ ولا لفظه
O you whose appearance has grown sweet within the heart—
O you whose face delights the heart
sweet indeed: it neither spat it out nor cast it away.
Sweet beyond description neither gathered nor expressed
عذَّبنيtormented me منكِof yours ياO معذبتيmy tormentor
عذَّبني منكِ يا معذبتي
ونُزْهتيand my delight فيin المنامsleep واليقظهand wakefulness
ونُزْهتي في المنام واليقظه
What torments me in you, O my tormentor,
You have tortured me, O my tormentor
and my delight in sleep and wakefulness,
While awake or asleep I dream of you
وجهٌa face إلىuntil كمhow long تصيدensnares رِقَّتُهُits tenderness
وجهٌ إلى كم تصيد رِقَّتُهُ
قلبيmy heart وقلبٌand a heart كمhow often أشتكيI complain of غِلظهits harshness
قلبي وقلبٌ كم أشتكي غِلظه
is a face—how long will its tenderness ensnare
A face that ensnares hearts with its softness
my heart?—and a heart whose harshness I so often lament.
And a heart - how much I complain of its harshness
ماnot يوفيكgives you in full حقَّكyour due التقريظُpraise
ما يوفيك حقَّك التقريظُ
كُفءُequal to تقريظكpraising you العليمُthe All-Knowing الحفيظُthe Preserver
كُفءُ تقريظك العليمُ الحفيظُ
Praise cannot give you your due.
No praise can fully credit you
The All-Knowing, the Preserver, is equal to praising you.
The Knowledgeable Protector alone is your equal
فيكin you أشياءُqualities منwhoever يواليكis loyal to you مسروdelighted (word continues)
فيك أشياءُ من يواليك مسرو
رٌcompletes 'delighted' بهاwith them والعدوُّand the enemy منهاby them مغيظُenraged
رٌ بها والعدوُّ منها مغيظُ
You have qualities that leave your loyal friend
In you are qualities, whether friend or foe
delighted with them, and your enemy enraged by them.
One is delighted, the other indignant
لكyou have فيهاin them تيقظٌvigilance غيرnot محتاneeding (word continues)
لك فيها تيقظٌ غير محتا
جٍcompletes 'needing' إلىto أنthat يُعينهassist it تيقيظُarousing to vigilance
جٍ إلى أن يُعينه تيقيظُ
In these, your vigilance has no need
You are vigilantly awake, needing no rousing
of an awakening to lend it aid.
Until the rouser comes to awaken you
كمhow many تحفظتَyou kept in memory منof وصيةa counsel مجدٍnobility
كم تحفظتَ من وصية مجدٍ
لمdid not ينفِّلكَbestow upon you حفظَهاremembering it تحفيظcoaching in memorization
لم ينفِّلكَ حفظَها تحفيظ
How many counsels of nobility you have kept,
How many wise teachings you have preserved
though no coaching taught you to remember them.
No keeper could keep as well as you
أنتyou غيثٌlife-giving rain يقيظُlasts through summer فيناamong us حياهُits life-giving rain
أنت غيثٌ يقيظُ فينا حياهُ
إذwhile حياlife-giving rain الغيثِof the rain لاnot يكادnearly يقيظlasts through summer
إذ حيا الغيثِ لا يكاد يقيظ
You are rain whose life-giving bounty stays with us through summer,
You are a downpour that awakens life in us
though rain's bounty scarcely lasts through summer.
For the downpour's life could hardly awaken
إنif يكنis ماwhat فعلتَyou did بِرّاًa kindness لطيفاًgentle
إن يكن ما فعلتَ بِرّاً لطيفاً
إنindeed ميثاقthe covenant of شكرهgratitude for it لغليظis indeed weighty
إن ميثاق شكره لغليظ
If what you did was a gentle kindness,
If your kindness was a gentle virtue
the covenant of gratitude for it is weighty indeed.
Then the covenant of gratitude for it is harsh
منكfrom you قِدحيmy arrow-shaft ومنكand from you نصليَmy arrowhead والفُوْand the nock (word continues)
منك قِدحي ومنك نصليَ والفُوْ
قُcompletes 'nock' ومنكand from you الترييشthe fletching والترعيظand fitting the arrowhead
قُ ومنك الترييش والترعيظ
From you is my shaft, and from you my arrowhead and the
From you come my wine cup and spear
nock; from you the fletching and the fitting of the head.
And my feathers and provision for war
أيwhat شيءthing أقولshall I say ياO منone whom عداهpassed him by
أي شيء أقول يا من عداه
فيin نداهhis bounty التنكيدgrudging giving والتنكيظand vexation
في نداه التنكيد والتنكيظ
What can I say, O you who are untouched,
What can I say, O you who beyond praise
in your bounty, by grudgingness and vexation?
Is emphasis and re-emphasis in praise
أنتَyou قبلbefore التقريظِpraise منone whom كمَّلmade perfect اللَGod (word continues)
أنتَ قبل التقريظِ من كمَّل اللَ
هُcompletes 'God' فماذاso what يزيدُكadds to you التقريظُpraise
هُ فماذا يزيدُك التقريظُ
Before praise, you are one made perfect by
You were perfected by God before any praise
God; what, then, can praise add to you?
What can praise add to you?
جهدthe utmost effort of الناسpeople أنto يدانوكdraw near you فيin المجglory (word continues)
جهد الناس أن يدانوك في المج
دcompletes 'glory' فماbut not قاربcame near الصميمthe trueborn الوشيظُthe lowborn outsider
د فما قارب الصميم الوشيظُ
Others' utmost effort is to approach you in
People struggle to match you in glory
glory; but no lowborn outsider has approached the trueborn.
But the core truth escapes that effort
وجرىand raced الشعرpoetry فيin مداكyour range فلمyet did not يلovertake (word continues)
وجرى الشعر في مداك فلم يل
حقكcompletes 'overtake you' ترقيقهits gentleness ولاnor التغليظُforcefulness
حقك ترقيقه ولا التغليظُ
Poetry raced along your course, yet neither
Poetry flowed in your praise yet fell short
its gentleness nor its forcefulness could catch you.
Neither polished nor exaggerated the reality
أنتَyou حلوٌsweet وأنتand you مرٌّbitter وماyet not تُلْyou are spat out (word continues)
أنتَ حلوٌ وأنت مرٌّ وما تُلْ
فَظcompletes 'you are spat out' كلّاno indeed وكلُّand every مُرٍّbitter thing لفيظُspat out
فَظ كلّا وكلُّ مُرٍّ لفيظُ
You are sweet, and you are bitter, yet you are not
You are sweet and bitter and cannot be
spat out—no indeed!—though every bitter thing is rejected.
Fully grasped - bitterness has an edge
أريحيٌّgenerous مُلحَّظٌlooked to فيin النواديthe assemblies
أريحيٌّ مُلحَّظٌ في النوادي
للأياديto bestow favors يهزُّكrouses you التلحيظsignaling with glances
للأيادي يهزُّك التلحيظ
You are generous, looked to in assemblies;
Gentle when caressed in gatherings
glances rouse you to bestow favors.
Rough when clenched in fists
هِبزريٌّnoble and generous موعَّظٌadmonished بذويby those bearing الذَّمْblame (word continues)
هِبزريٌّ موعَّظٌ بذوي الذَّمْ
مِcompletes 'blame' فقدfor indeed صانsafeguarded عرضَكyour honor التوعيظadmonition
مِ فقد صان عرضَك التوعيظ
Noble and generous, warned by those who incur
Forbearing when blamed by the vile
blame; such admonition has safeguarded your honor.
Your honor protected by wise advice
تحملyou carry الثقلthe burden حملَthe carrying of غيرone not بهيظٍweighed down
تحمل الثقل حملَ غير بهيظٍ
وأَخوand the one owing شكرِgratitude for ماwhat فعلتَyou did بهيظoverburdened
وأَخو شكرِ ما فعلتَ بهيظ
You carry the burden like one not weighed down,
Bearing burdens without being brash
while whoever owes thanks for your deeds is overwhelmed.
Grateful for your gifts without conceit
فالبسso wear العمرlife سابغاًfull and ample ومُعاديand the adversary of
فالبس العمر سابغاً ومُعادي
كyou حضيضabased وأنتwhile you عالٍexalted حظيظfortunate
ك حضيض وأنت عالٍ حظيظ
So wear an ample life, while your enemy
So wear your age fully and thwart
is abased, and you are exalted and fortunate.
Those who wish you low and hold you dear
ذوpossessor of ندىًbounty غامرٍengulfing يفيضoverflows فتضحىso they become
ذو ندىً غامرٍ يفيض فتضحى
أنفسُthe souls الحاسدينof the envious فيهin it تفيظُexpire
أنفسُ الحاسدين فيه تفيظُ
You possess engulfing bounty that overflows, so that
With abundant overflowing bounty
the souls of the envious expire within it.
Leaving even envious souls satisfied
بعطاياwith gifts موفَّراتٍgiven in full measure هيthey are الإرْthirst-quenching (word continues)
بعطايا موفَّراتٍ هي الإرْ
واءcompletes 'thirst-quenching' بعدafter الإشباعsating hunger لاnot التلميظُa mere taste
واء بعد الإشباع لا التلميظُ
With lavish gifts that quench
Remain, O Father of Hussein, brother of benevolence and beauty
thirst after hunger is sated, not a mere taste.
Indignant at indignities, your belly filled
لاdo not تزلcease to be ياO أباAbu (father of) الحسينal-Husayn أخاa brother to الإحbeneficence (word continues)
لا تزل يا أبا الحسين أخا الإح
سانcompletes 'beneficence' والحسنand beauty غائظاًenraging منwhoever تغيظbecame enraged
سان والحسن غائظاً من تغيظ
May you ever remain, O Abu al-Husayn, a brother to
With merit, your patron devoid of conceit
beneficence and beauty, enraging whoever seethes.
لكyou have بطنa belly منof الفضولexcess خميصٌempty
لك بطن من الفضول خميصٌ
ووليٌّand a friend منwith الفضولsurplus كظيظstuffed full
ووليٌّ من الفضول كظيظ
Your belly is empty of excess,
while your friend is stuffed with surplus.
Partial English translation: 49 of 52 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1