رَبْعُthe abode الْمَوَدَّةِof affection بِالْحَشَاwithin the heart مَأْنُوسُinhabited
رَبْعُ الْمَوَدَّةِ بِالْحَشَا مَأْنُوسُ
بِهَوَىthrough love الأَحِبَّةِof the dear ones مَاnot عَرَاهُovertook it دُرُوسُdecay
بِهَوَى الأَحِبَّةِ مَا عَرَاهُ دُرُوسُ
The abode of affection within my heart is inhabited;
The abode of affection within the heart is a familiar comfort,
through love of my dear ones, no decay has overtaken it.
Sustained by love for the dear ones, untouched by ruin or effacement.
وَلَدَيَّand I have لِلْأَحْبَابِfor the dear ones ذِكْرُremembrance مَعَاهِدٍof familiar haunts
وَلَدَيَّ لِلْأَحْبَابِ ذِكْرُ مَعَاهِدٍ
رَوْضُthe garden الْفُؤَادِof the heart بِحُبِّهَاwith love for them مَغْرُوسُplanted
رَوْضُ الْفُؤَادِ بِحُبِّهَا مَغْرُوسُ
And I retain memories of my dear ones' familiar haunts;
And I hold for my beloveds the memory of familiar meeting places,
the garden of my heart is planted with love for them.
The garden of the heart is planted with their love.
وَلَئِنْand though كَبَاstumbled طَرْفُthe steed الْقَرِيحَةِof inspiration عَنْهُمُaway from them
وَلَئِنْ كَبَا طَرْفُ الْقَرِيحَةِ عَنْهُمُ
لِحَوَادِثٍbecause of misfortunes مِنْهَاfrom them الْحَشَاthe heart مَخْلُوسُsnatched away
لِحَوَادِثٍ مِنْهَا الْحَشَا مَخْلُوسُ
And though the steed of my inspiration has faltered in reaching them,
And even if the steed of poetic inspiration stumbles away from them,
because of misfortunes that have snatched my heart away,
Due to calamities that snatch the heart away,
فَهَوَايَyet my passion صَبٌّlovesick فِيهِمُfor them وَمَوَدَّتِيand my affection
فَهَوَايَ صَبٌّ فِيهِمُ وَمَوَدَّتِي
إِنَّindeed الْمَوَدَّةَaffection لِلْوَفَاfor fidelity تَأْسِيسُa foundation
إِنَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ لِلْوَفَا تَأْسِيسُ
yet my passion yearns for them, and my affection—
My passion for them remains ardent, and my affection—
indeed, affection is the foundation of fidelity.
For indeed, affection is the very foundation of loyalty.
سَنَدِيmy mainstay أَبَاحَسَنٍO Abu Hasan أَمِثْلُكَcan one like you وَهْوَwhile he is مَنْone who
سَنَدِي أَبَاحَسَنٍ أَمِثْلُكَ وَهْوَ مَنْ
أَرْسَىanchored firmly لَدَيْهِwith him الْعِلْمُlearning وَالتَّقْدِيسُand sanctity
أَرْسَى لَدَيْهِ الْعِلْمُ وَالتَّقْدِيسُ
My mainstay, O Abu Hasan, can one like you—one in whom
My support, Abu Hasan, is someone like you—the one
learning and sanctity are firmly anchored,
In whom knowledge and sanctity are firmly anchored.
وَتَشَعْشَعَتْand radiated أَنْوَارُهُhis lights إِذْwhen أَشْرَقَتْshone forth
وَتَشَعْشَعَتْ أَنْوَارُهُ إِذْ أَشْرَقَتْ
مِنْهُfrom him بُدُورُfull moons مَعَارِفٍof knowledge وَشُمُوسُand suns
مِنْهُ بُدُورُ مَعَارِفٍ وَشُمُوسُ
and whose lights gleamed when there shone
Whose radiant lights gleamed when there shone forth
from him full moons of knowledge and suns,
From him the full moons and suns of knowledge.
وَبِهِand through him عَلَىupon تِطْوَانَTetouan صَابَتْrained down أَسْعُدٌgood fortunes
وَبِهِ عَلَى تِطْوَانَ صَابَتْ أَسْعُدٌ
وَلَقَدْand indeed هَمَىpoured down مِنْfrom قَبْلُbefore فِيهَاin it الْبُوسُmisery
وَلَقَدْ هَمَى مِنْ قَبْلُ فِيهَا الْبُوسُ
and through whom good fortunes rained upon Tetouan,
Through him, fortunate stars rained down upon Tetouan,
though misery had indeed poured down there before—
Where before, only misery and hardship had poured.
يَنْمِيascribes إِلَىto مِثْلِيَone like me غَدْراًtreachery وَهْوَwhile he is مَنْone who
يَنْمِي إِلَى مِثْلِيَ غَدْراً وَهْوَ مَنْ
مَاnot زَالَceased أَفْرَاسَthe steeds الْوَفَاءِof fidelity يَسُوسُguides
مَا زَالَ أَفْرَاسَ الْوَفَاءِ يَسُوسُ
ascribe treachery to one like me, when he is one
Would he attribute treachery to one like me, while he is the one
who has never ceased to guide the steeds of fidelity,
Who has never ceased to groom the steeds of loyalty,
وَيَذُمُّand condemns مَنْwhoever نَبَذَdiscarded الْعُهُودَthe pledges وَحَادَand strayed عَنْfrom
وَيَذُمُّ مَنْ نَبَذَ الْعُهُودَ وَحَادَ عَنْ
سَنَنِthe path الْعُلاَof nobility إِنِّيindeed I إِذَنْthen لَخَسِيسُam truly base
سَنَنِ الْعُلاَ إِنِّي إِذَنْ لَخَسِيسُ
and condemns whoever casts aside pledges and strays from
And who condemns anyone who discards covenants and deviates from
the path of nobility? Then I would indeed be base.
The paths of nobility? If so, I would truly be despicable.
غَيْرِيsomeone other than me قََتِيلُslain الْوُدِّaffection مَرْمُوسُburied الْهَوَىpassion
غَيْرِي قََتِيلُ الْوُدِّ مَرْمُوسُ الْهَوَى
تَثْنِيهِturns him aside عَنْfrom سَنَنِthe path الْكِرَامِof the noble عَرُوسُa bride
تَثْنِيهِ عَنْ سَنَنِ الْكِرَامِ عَرُوسُ
It is another, not I, whose affection is slain and whose passion is buried;
Let someone else be the casualty of affection, buried by passion,
a bride turns him aside from the path of noble men.
Diverted from the path of the noble by a bride.
أَيَصُدُّنِيcan it bar me? عَنْfrom نَشْوَتِيmy rapture بِخِطَابِكُمْin addressing you
أَيَصُدُّنِي عَنْ نَشْوَتِي بِخِطَابِكُمْ
وَهْوَwhile it is الْمُنَىwhat I long for رُودٌa graceful maiden زَهَتْshone in beauty وَلَبُوسُand attire
وَهْوَ الْمُنَى رُودٌ زَهَتْ وَلَبُوسُ
Can I be kept from my rapture in addressing you—
Could anything turn me away from the intoxication of addressing you—
which is all I long for—by a graceful maiden in bloom and by attire?
While it remains my ultimate desire, more than a tender maiden or fine garments?
لاَno وَالذِيby Him who أَعْلاَكَexalted you سُمْتَtoward الْعُلاَthe heights
لاَ وَالذِي أَعْلاَكَ سُمْتَ الْعُلاَ
عَرْشاًas a throne عَنَتْbowed لِسَنَائِهِto its splendor بَلْقِيسُBilqis
عَرْشاً عَنَتْ لِسَنَائِهِ بَلْقِيسُ
No, by Him who exalted you toward the heights,
No, by the One who elevated you as you sought the highest ranks,
as a throne to whose splendor Bilqis bowed,
Towards a throne whose brilliance would humble Bilqis,
وَكَسَاand clothed بِلاَدَكَyour land مِنْfrom سَنَاكَyour radiance مُلاَءَةًa mantle
وَكَسَا بِلاَدَكَ مِنْ سَنَاكَ مُلاَءَةً
وَلَقَدْand indeed كَسَاهَاclothed it قَبْلَكَbefore you الْحِنْدِيسُdeep darkness
وَلَقَدْ كَسَاهَا قَبْلَكَ الْحِنْدِيسُ
and clothed your land in a mantle of your radiance,
He clothed your land in a radiant mantle of your light,
though before you deep darkness had indeed clothed it.
Though before you, utter darkness had enshrouded it.
مَاnot حِدْتُI strayed عَنْfrom سَنَنِthe path الْكِتَابَةِof writing عَنْout of رِضىًwillingness
مَا حِدْتُ عَنْ سَنَنِ الْكِتَابَةِ عَنْ رِضىً
لَكِنْbut لِوَاءَthe banner عَزَائِمِيof my resolves مَنْكُوسُinverted
لَكِنْ لِوَاءَ عَزَائِمِي مَنْكُوسُ
I did not willingly stray from the path of writing,
I did not stray from the path of writing to you willingly,
but the banner of my resolve hangs inverted.
Rather, the banner of my resolve has been lowered.
وَرَوِيَّتِيand my reflection مَشْغُولَةٌpreoccupied وَقَرِيحَتِيand my inspiration
وَرَوِيَّتِي مَشْغُولَةٌ وَقَرِيحَتِي
أَوْدَىbrought ruin بِهَاupon it الإِقْرَاءُreading instruction وَالتَّدْرِيسُand teaching
أَوْدَى بِهَا الإِقْرَاءُ وَالتَّدْرِيسُ
And my thoughts are preoccupied, and my inspiration—
For my mind is deeply occupied, and my poetic inspiration
reading instruction and teaching have laid it waste.
Has been exhausted by the demands of reciting and teaching.
وَإذَاand if أَرَدْتَyou seek حَقِيقَتِيmy true condition فَأَنَاthen I am الذِيthe one who
وَإذَا أَرَدْتَ حَقِيقَتِي فَأَنَا الذِي
مَاnot حَدَّdetermined طِبَّthe cure هَوَايَfor my passion جَالَيْنُوسُGalen
مَا حَدَّ طِبَّ هَوَايَ جَالَيْنُوسُ
And if you seek my true condition, I am the one
And if you wish to know my truth, I am the one
whose passion's cure Galen never determined.
Whose passion is a malady that even Galen could not cure.
وَلَرُبَّand many a مَحْرُوقِone scorched الْجَوَىheartache بِلَظَىby the blaze الْهَوَىof love
وَلَرُبَّ مَحْرُوقِ الْجَوَى بِلَظَى الْهَوَى
يَثْنِيهِturns him away عَنْfrom بَثِّvoicing السَّقَامِsickness رَسِيسُa lingering pang
يَثْنِيهِ عَنْ بَثِّ السَّقَامِ رَسِيسُ
And many a man scorched with heartache by love's blaze
And many a soul, its core scorched by the blazing fire of love,
is kept from voicing his sickness by a lingering pang.
Is held back from spreading its sickness by a lingering feverish ache.
فَمِنَfor among الْمَعَانِيmeanings خُرَّدٌbashful maidens دَلَّهْنَنِيthey have bewildered me
فَمِنَ الْمَعَانِي خُرَّدٌ دَلَّهْنَنِي
عَقْلِيmy mind بِسِحْرِby the magic جَمَالِهَاof their beauty مَأْلُوسُmaddened
عَقْلِي بِسِحْرِ جَمَالِهَا مَأْلُوسُ
For among meanings are bashful maidens who have bewildered me;
Among the meanings are coy maidens who have left me bewildered;
my mind is maddened by the magic of their beauty.
My mind, bewitched by the magic of their beauty, is driven mad.
وَمِنَand in الْبَيَانِeloquence مُدَامَةٌwine وَكُؤُوسُand cups
وَمِنَ الْبَيَانِ مُدَامَةٌ وَكُؤُوسُ
وَمِنَand in الْبَدِيعِrhetorical embellishment حَدَائِقٌgardens وَغُرُوسُand plantings
وَمِنَ الْبَدِيعِ حَدَائِقٌ وَغُرُوسُ
And in eloquence are wine and cups,
And from eloquence there arises fine wine and flowing cups,
and in rhetorical embellishment are gardens and plantings.
And from poetic invention bloom lush gardens and new plantings.
إِنْif كُنْتُI was أَخَّرْتُI delayed الْكِتَابَةَwriting لاَهِياًheedlessly
إِنْ كُنْتُ أَخَّرْتُ الْكِتَابَةَ لاَهِياً
لاَmay no خَامَرَتْنِيintoxicate me بِالسُّرُورِwith joy كُؤُوسُcups
لاَ خَامَرَتْنِي بِالسُّرُورِ كُؤُوسُ
If I delayed writing out of heedlessness,
If I have delayed writing to you out of frivolous distraction,
may no cups intoxicate me with joy,
May no cups of joy ever mix with my spirit,
وَتَبَرَّأَتْand may dissociate themselves مِنِّيfrom me السُّرَاةُthe noble وَخَانَنِيand may betray me
وَتَبَرَّأَتْ مِنِّي السُّرَاةُ وَخَانَنِي
أَدَبِيmy literary learning وَلاَand may not اشْتَمَلَتْenfold يَدِيَّmy two hands طُرُوسُwritten pages
أَدَبِي وَلاَ اشْتَمَلَتْ يَدِيَّ طُرُوسُ
and may the noble disown me, and may I be betrayed by
May the noblemen disown me, may my literary skill betray me,
my literary learning; and may no written pages enfold my hands.
And may my hands never again embrace the parchment.
Sol 6.1