مَهْلاًgently عَلَىwith القَلْبِthe heart إِنَّindeed القلبَthe heart قدْalready لُسِبَاhas been stung
مَهْلاً عَلَى القَلْبِ إِنَّ القلبَ قدْ لُسِبَا
إِذْwhen قِيلَit was said حَبْرَthe sage of الْهُدَىguidance عَلَيَّat me قَدْalready عَتَبَاtook offense
إِذْ قِيلَ حَبْرَ الْهُدَى عَلَيَّ قَدْ عَتَبَا
Gently with the heart, for the heart has been stung,
Be gentle with the heart, for the heart has been stung,
when it was said that the sage of guidance had taken offense at me.
When it was said that the scholar of guidance had reproached me.
حَبْرَO sage of الْجَزَائِرِAlgiers لَاnever تَنْفَكُّyou cease to be مُحْتَجِبأshielded
حَبْرَ الْجَزَائِرِ لَا تَنْفَكُّ مُحْتَجِبأ
عَمَّنْfrom whoever يَمُدُّreaches إِلَىtoward تَنْكِيدِكُمْdistressing you سَبَبَاa means
عَمَّنْ يَمُدُّ إِلَى تَنْكِيدِكُمْ سَبَبَا
O sage of Algiers, may you ever remain shielded
O Scholar of Algiers, may you ever remain shielded
from anyone who reaches for a means to distress you.
From anyone who extends a cause to bring you distress.
لَاno وَحَيَاتِكَby your life يَاO ابْنَson of الأَكْرَمِينَthe noblest أَباًin ancestry
لَا وَحَيَاتِكَ يَا ابْنَ الأَكْرَمِينَ أَباً
مَاnot كَانَwas مَاwhat فَاتَslipped مِنَّاfrom us عَنْout of قِلىًhatred عَجَبَاhow strange!
مَا كَانَ مَا فَاتَ مِنَّا عَنْ قِلىً عَجَبَا
No, by your life, O son of the noblest in ancestry,
No, by your life, O son of the most noble ancestry,
what slipped from us was not out of hatred—how strange!
What slipped from us was born neither of hatred nor conceit;
لَكِنْbut طَرِبْنَاwe delighted بِمَاin what أَبْدَيْتَyou revealed مِنْof نُكَتٍsubtle insights
لَكِنْ طَرِبْنَا بِمَا أَبْدَيْتَ مِنْ نُكَتٍ
نَفِيسَةٍprecious أَوْرَثَتْنِيgave me ضَحِكاًlaughter طَرَبَاfrom joy
نَفِيسَةٍ أَوْرَثَتْنِي ضَحِكاً طَرَبَا
But we delighted in the subtle insights you revealed,
But rather, we were enchanted by the subtle points you revealed,
precious ones that made me laugh with joy.
Precious insights that bequeathed me joyous laughter.
وَقَدْand indeed فَهِمْنَاwe understood فَهْمَنَاso we grew enamored بِالذِيof what شَرِبَتْdrank
وَقَدْ فَهِمْنَا فَهْمَنَا بِالذِي شَرِبَتْ
أَفْكَارُنَاour thoughts مِنْof عُقَارٍwine حَكَتِresembled الضَّرَبَاthick white honey
أَفْكَارُنَا مِنْ عُقَارٍ حَكَتِ الضَّرَبَا
And we understood, then grew enamored of what
And we realized our understanding through what our thoughts drank,
our thoughts drank: wine that resembled thick white honey.
From a wine that resembled the purest white honey.
وَمَنْand whoever يَكُنْis بِعُقَارِwith the wine of الْعِلْمِknowledge مُصْطَحِباًkeeping company
وَمَنْ يَكُنْ بِعُقَارِ الْعِلْمِ مُصْطَحِباً
أَجْدِرْhow fitting بِهِfor him أَنْthat يُرَىhe be seen مِنْfrom سُكْرِهِhis drunkenness طَرِبَاelated
أَجْدِرْ بِهِ أَنْ يُرَى مِنْ سُكْرِهِ طَرِبَا
And whoever keeps company with the wine of knowledge—
And whoever takes the wine of knowledge as a companion,
how fitting that he be seen elated by his drunkenness!
It is most fitting that he be seen thrilled by his intoxication.
هَبْنَاgrant that we زَلَلْنَاwe stumbled أَمَاdoes ... not لِلْحِلْمِfor forbearance أَرْدِيَةٌrobes
هَبْنَا زَلَلْنَا أَمَا لِلْحِلْمِ أَرْدِيَةٌ
سَابِغَةٌample تَرْتَدِيهَاit wears them زَلَّةُthe lapse of الْغُرَبَاstrangers
سَابِغَةٌ تَرْتَدِيهَا زَلَّةُ الْغُرَبَا
Grant that we stumbled—does forbearance not have robes,
Grant that we slipped—are there no cloaks of forbearance,
ample ones that the lapse of strangers may wear?
Ample and flowing, to clothe the misstep of strangers?
إِنْif كَانَis هَذَاthis الذِيwhich أبْدَيْتُهُI declared it كَذِباًa lie
إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الذِي أبْدَيْتُهُ كَذِباً
فَلاَthen may ... not قَضَىfulfill وَطَرِيمِنْmy desire, from عِلْمِكُمْyour knowledge أَرَبَاa wish
فَلاَ قَضَى وَطَرِيمِنْ عِلْمِكُمْ أَرَبَا
If this that I have declared is a lie,
If this which I have declared to you is a lie,
then may my longing never find fulfillment in your knowledge,
Then may my desire never attain its purpose from your knowledge,
وَلاَnor رَكِبْتُI rode جِيَادَthe steeds of الْعِلْمِknowledge مُسْرَجَةًsaddled
وَلاَ رَكِبْتُ جِيَادَ الْعِلْمِ مُسْرَجَةً
وَلاَnor اقْتَدَيْتًI followed بِمَنْafter whoever هَامَloved madly بِهَاof them وَصَبَاand yearned
وَلاَ اقْتَدَيْتً بِمَنْ هَامَ بِهَا وَصَبَا
nor may I ride the saddled steeds of knowledge,
Nor may I ever ride the saddled steeds of learning,
nor follow anyone who loved them madly and yearned for them,
Nor follow the example of one who loves it madly and yearns,
وَلاَnor ظَفِرْتُI succeeded بِمَاin what أَرْجُوهُI hope for it مِنْof وَطَرٍa goal
وَلاَ ظَفِرْتُ بِمَا أَرْجُوهُ مِنْ وَطَرٍ
وَلاَnor بَرِحْتُI ceased أُعَانِيI endure الْكَدَّtoil وَالْوَصَبَاand pain
وَلاَ بَرِحْتُ أُعَانِي الْكَدَّ وَالْوَصَبَا
nor may I attain the goal I hope for,
Nor may I triumph in the goal that I hope for,
nor may I ever cease enduring toil and pain,
And may I never cease to suffer toil and exhaustion,
وَلاَnor حَنَنْتُI longed إِلَىfor فَاسٍFez وَجِيرَتِهَاand its neighbors
وَلاَ حَنَنْتُ إِلَى فَاسٍ وَجِيرَتِهَا
وَلاَnor دَعَانِيsummoned me إِلَىto تِطْوَانَTetouan عَرْفُfragrance صَبَاthe east wind
وَلاَ دَعَانِي إِلَى تِطْوَانَ عَرْفُ صَبَا
nor may I long for Fez and its neighbors,
Nor may I ever yearn for Fez and its neighbors,
nor may the east wind's fragrance summon me to Tetouan.
Nor may the fragrant east wind ever call me to Tetouan.
Sol 6.1