الهَوىlove فيin طُلوعِthe rising of تِلكَthose النُجومِstars
الهَوى في طُلوعِ تِلكَ النُجومِ
وَالمُنىand hopes فيin هُبوبِthe blowing of ذاكَthat النَسيمِbreeze
وَالمُنى في هُبوبِ ذاكَ النَسيمِ
Love lies in the rising of those stars,
And hopes in the blowing of that breeze.
سَرَّناdelighted us عَيشُناour life الرَقيقُdelicate الحَواشيin its fringes
سَرَّنا عَيشُنا الرَقيقُ الحَواشي
لَوif only يَدومُwould last السُرورُjoy لِلمُستَديمِfor one seeking continuance
لَو يَدومُ السُرورُ لِلمُستَديمِ
Our softly fringed life delighted us—
If only joy endured for one who seeks to keep it.
وَطَرٌa desire ماnot اِنقَضىended إِلىuntil أَنthat تَقَضّىhad ended
وَطَرٌ ما اِنقَضى إِلى أَن تَقَضّى
زَمَنٌa time ماnot ذِمامُهُits pledged faith بِالذَميمِblameworthy
زَمَنٌ ما ذِمامُهُ بِالذَميمِ
A desire that did not end until there ended
A time whose pledged faith was beyond reproach.
إِذwhen خِتامُthe seal of الرِضاfavor المُسَوَّغِgranted مِسكٌmusk
إِذ خِتامُ الرِضا المُسَوَّغِ مِسكٌ
وَمِزاجُand the admixture of الوِصالِunion مِنfrom تَسنيمTasnim
وَمِزاجُ الوِصالِ مِن تَسنيم
When the seal of granted favor was musk,
And union's blend was drawn from Tasnim.
وَغَريضُand fresh in الدَلالِcoyness غَضٌّtender جَنىthe fruit of الصَبوَةِyouthful passion
وَغَريضُ الدَلالِ غَضٌّ جَنى الصَبوَةِ
نَشوانُintoxicated مِنwith سُلافِthe pure wine of النَعيمِbliss
نَشوانُ مِن سُلافِ النَعيمِ
And one fresh in coyness, tender in the fruit of youthful love,
Drunk on the pure wine of bliss.
طالَماhow often نافَرَshunned الهَوىlove مِنهُin him غِرٌّa guileless youth
طالَما نافَرَ الهَوى مِنهُ غِرٌّ
لَمnot يَطُلhad been long عَهدُthe time since جيدِهِhis neck بِالتَميمِwith amulets
لَم يَطُل عَهدُ جيدِهِ بِالتَميمِ
How often that guileless youth shied away from love,
Whose neck had only lately worn amulets.
أَيُّهاO المُؤذِنيyou who warn me بِظُلمِof the injustice of اللَياليthe nights
أَيُّها المُؤذِني بِظُلمِ اللَيالي
لَيسَnot يَوميmy day بِواحِدٍthe only one مِنamong ظَلومِcruel days
لَيسَ يَومي بِواحِدٍ مِن ظَلومِ
O you who warn me of the nights' injustice,
My day is not alone among cruel days.
قَمَرُthe moon of الأُفقِthe horizon إِنif تَأَمَّلتَyou reflect وَالشَمسُand the sun
قَمَرُ الأُفقِ إِن تَأَمَّلتَ وَالشَمسُ
هُماthose two يُكسَفانِare eclipsed دونَrather than النُجومِthe stars
هُما يُكسَفانِ دونَ النُجومِ
The horizon's moon—if you reflect—and the sun:
Those two are eclipsed, unlike the stars.
وَهُوَand such is الدَهرُTime لَيسَnot يَنفَكُّceases يَنحوaiming
وَهُوَ الدَهرُ لَيسَ يَنفَكُّ يَنحو
بِالمُصابِwith calamity العَظيمِgreat نَحوَtoward العَظيمِthe great
بِالمُصابِ العَظيمِ نَحوَ العَظيمِ
Such is Time: it never ceases to aim
Great calamity at the great.
بَوَّأَhas established اللَهُGod جَهوراًJahwar شَرَفَthe honor of السُؤدَدِleadership
بَوَّأَ اللَهُ جَهوراً شَرَفَ السُؤدَدِ
فيin السَروِnobility وَاللُبابِand the purest essence الصَميمِgenuine
في السَروِ وَاللُبابِ الصَميمِ
God has granted Jahwar the dignity of leadership,
In nobility and the purest essence.
واحِدٌa peerless man سَلَّمَyielded الجَميعُeveryone لَهُto him الأَمرَcommand
واحِدٌ سَلَّمَ الجَميعُ لَهُ الأَمرَ
فَكانَso were الخُصوصُthe elite وَفقَin accord with العُمومِthe multitude
فَكانَ الخُصوصُ وَفقَ العُمومِ
A peerless man to whom all yielded command,
So the elite agreed with the multitude.
قَلَّدَfollowed الغُمرُthe inexperienced man ذاone possessed of التَجارِبِexperience فيهِconcerning him
قَلَّدَ الغُمرُ ذا التَجارِبِ فيهِ
وَاكتَفىand was content جاهِلٌan ignorant man بِعِلمِwith the knowledge of العَليمِthe learned man
وَاكتَفى جاهِلٌ بِعِلمِ العَليمِ
The inexperienced followed the seasoned in judging him,
And the ignorant were content with the learned man's knowledge.
خَطَرٌa stature يَقتَضيrequiring الكَمالَperfection بِنَوعَيin the two kinds of
خَطَرٌ يَقتَضي الكَمالَ بِنَوعَي
خُلُقٍcharacter بارِعٍexcellent وَخَلقٍand form وَسيمِhandsome
خُلُقٍ بارِعٍ وَخَلقٍ وَسيمِ
A stature requiring perfection in both kinds:
Excellent character and handsome form.
أَيُّهاO ذاyou الوَزيرُthe minister هاhere أَناI أَشكوcomplain
أَيُّها ذا الوَزيرُ ها أَنا أَشكو
وَالعَصاand the staff بَدءُthe beginning of قَرعِهاits tapping لِلحَليمِfor the discerning
وَالعَصا بَدءُ قَرعِها لِلحَليمِ
O minister, here I am, complaining,
And the staff's first tap is for the discerning.
ماwhat عَناناtroubles us أَنthat يَأنَفَscorns السابِقُthe racehorse المَربِطَthe tethering-place
ما عَنانا أَن يَأنَفَ السابِقُ المَربِطَ
فيin العِتقِnoble breeding مِنهُin him وَالتَطهيمِand fine conformation
في العِتقِ مِنهُ وَالتَطهيمِ
What troubles us is the racehorse's scorn for the tether,
In his noble breeding and fine form.
وَبَقاءُand the remaining of الحُسامِthe sharp sword فيin الجَفنِthe sheath يَثنيweakens
وَبَقاءُ الحُسامِ في الجَفنِ يَثني
مِنهُfrom it بَعدَafter المَضاءِkeenness وَالتَصميمِand unerring thrust
مِنهُ بَعدَ المَضاءِ وَالتَصميمِ
And the sword's lingering in its sheath weakens
It, after its keenness and unerring thrust.
أَفَصَبرٌthen must I endure? مِئينَhundreds خَمساًfive مِنَof الأَيّامِdays
أَفَصَبرٌ مِئينَ خَمساً مِنَ الأَيّامِ
ناهيكَenough for you مِنof عَذابٍtorment أَليمِpainful
ناهيكَ مِن عَذابٍ أَليمِ
Must I then endure five hundred days?
That is painful torment enough!
وَمُعَنّىًand tormented مِنَby الضَنىwasting sickness بِهَناتٍby afflictions
وَمُعَنّىً مِنَ الضَنى بِهَناتٍ
نَكَأَتreopened بِالكُلومِwith wounds قَرحَthe sores of الكُلومِwounds
نَكَأَت بِالكُلومِ قَرحَ الكُلومِ
And I am tormented by wasting sickness and afflictions
That, with wounds, reopened the sores of wounds.
سَقَمٌan illness لاnot أُعادُI am visited فيin وَفيand in العائِدِthe sick-visitor
سَقَمٌ لا أُعادُ في وَفي العائِدِ
أُنسٌcomfort يَفيsuffices بِبُرءِto cure السَقيمِthe sick person
أُنسٌ يَفي بِبُرءِ السَقيمِ
An illness in which none visits me, though in a visitor
Is comfort enough to cure the sick.
نارُa fire of بَغيٍinjustice سَرىcrept إِلىinto جَنَّةِthe garden of الأَمنِsafety
نارُ بَغيٍ سَرى إِلى جَنَّةِ الأَمنِ
لَظاهاits blaze فَأَصبَحَتand it became كَالصَريمِlike a harvested field
لَظاها فَأَصبَحَت كَالصَريمِ
A fire of injustice—into the garden of safety crept
Its blaze, and the garden became like a harvested field.
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom أَنتَyou إِنif تَشَأyou wish تَكُit will become بَرداًcool
بِأَبي أَنتَ إِن تَشَأ تَكُ بَرداً
وَسَلاماًand safe كَنارِlike the fire of إِبراهيمِAbraham
وَسَلاماً كَنارِ إِبراهيمِ
My father be your ransom! If you wish, it will be cool
And safe, like Abraham's fire.
لِلشَفيعِto the intercessor الثَناءُpraise وَالحَمدُand thanks فيin صَوبِthe downpour of
لِلشَفيعِ الثَناءُ وَالحَمدُ في صَوبِ
الحَياrain لِلرِياحِto the winds لاnot لِلغُيومِto the clouds
الحَيا لِلرِياحِ لا لِلغُيومِ
Praise and thanks are the intercessor's; for the downpour
Of rain, they are the winds', not the clouds'.
وَزَعيمٌand a guarantor بِأَنthat يُذَلِّلَit will tame ليfor me الصَعبَhardship
وَزَعيمٌ بِأَن يُذَلِّلَ لي الصَعبَ
مَثابيmy recourse إِلىto الهُمامِthe magnanimous man الزَعيمِthe leader
مَثابي إِلى الهُمامِ الزَعيمِ
And a guarantor that hardship will be tamed for me
Is my recourse to the magnanimous leader.
وَوِدادٌand an affection يُغَيِّرُchanges الدَهرُTime ماwhatever شاءَit wills
وَوِدادٌ يُغَيِّرُ الدَهرُ ما شاءَ
وَيَبقىand it endures بَقاءَwith the endurance of عَهدِthe pledge of الكَريمِthe noble man
وَيَبقى بَقاءَ عَهدِ الكَريمِ
And an affection—Time may change what it will—
Yet it endures as a noble man's pledge endures.
وَثَناءٌand praise أَرسَلتُهُI sent it سَلوَةَa respite for الظاعِنِthe departing traveler
وَثَناءٌ أَرسَلتُهُ سَلوَةَ الظاعِنِ
عَنfrom شَوقِهِhis longing وَلَهوَand diversion for المُقيمِthe one who stays
عَن شَوقِهِ وَلَهوَ المُقيمِ
And praise I sent, a respite for the departing traveler
From his longing, and diversion for the one who stays.
فَهوَso it is رَيحانَةُthe sweet basil of الجَليسِthe companion وَلاand no فَخرَboasting
فَهوَ رَيحانَةُ الجَليسِ وَلا فَخرَ
وَفيهِand in it مِزاجُthe blend of كَأسِthe cup of النَديمِthe drinking companion
وَفيهِ مِزاجُ كَأسِ النَديمِ
It is the companion's sweet basil—no boast—
And holds the blend of the drinking companion's cup.
لَمnot يَزَلhas ceased مُغضِياًclosing his eyes عَلىto هَفوَةِthe lapse of الجانيthe offender
لَم يَزَل مُغضِياً عَلى هَفوَةِ الجاني
مُصيخاًlistening intently إِلىto اِعتِذارِthe apology of الكَريمِthe noble man
مُصيخاً إِلى اِعتِذارِ الكَريمِ
He has always overlooked the offender's lapse,
Listening intently to the noble man's apology.
وَمَتىand whenever يَبدَإِhe begins الصَنيعَةَa kindness يولِعكَmakes you eager
وَمَتى يَبدَإِ الصَنيعَةَ يولِعكَ
تَمامُthe perfection of الخِصالِvirtues بِالتَتميمِfor completion
تَمامُ الخِصالِ بِالتَتميمِ
And whenever he begins a kindness, you are stirred
By the perfection of his virtues to long for its completion.
Sol 6.1