أُبُثُّكَI confide in you أمor أَصُونُكَI spare you يَاO خَلِيليmy dear friend
أُبُثُّكَ أم أَصُونُكَ يَا خَلِيلي
فَإنّfor indeed البَثَّpouring out grief مِفتَاحُthe key الغَلِيلِburning anguish
فَإنّ البَثَّ مِفتَاحُ الغَلِيلِ
Shall I confide in you or spare you, my dear friend?
Shall I confide in you or guard you, my friend?
For confiding is the key to soothing burning anguish.
For confiding is the key to anguish
كِلانَاboth of us فيin حَشِيَّتِهِhis mattress عَليلٌailing
كِلانَا في حَشِيَّتِهِ عَليلٌ
فماso what يُغنِيcan help العَلِيلُthe sufferer عَنِon behalf of العَلِيلِthe sufferer
فما يُغنِي العَلِيلُ عَنِ العَلِيلِ
Each of us lies ailing in his bed;
We both suffer, sick at heart
so what help can one sufferer give another?
So one sick heart cannot heal another
أَأرجُوdo I hope أنthat يُخَفِّفَmay lighten ثِقلُthe weight وَجدِيmy anguish
أَأرجُو أن يُخَفِّفَ ثِقلُ وَجدِي
وَأنتَwhile you تَنُوءُstagger بالعِبءِunder the burden الثَّقِيلِheavy
وَأنتَ تَنُوءُ بالعِبءِ الثَّقِيلِ
Can I hope the weight of my anguish will lessen,
Can I hope that the weight of my love will lessen
while you stagger beneath a heavy burden?
While you buckle under that heavy burden?
وَلكِنand yet أستَرِيحُI find comfort إلىin مُصِيخٍan attentive listener
وَلكِن أستَرِيحُ إلى مُصِيخٍ
وَإنand even if لَمnot يُجدِhe gives help عَنِّيon my behalf مِنso much as فَتِيلِa thread
وَإن لَم يُجدِ عَنِّي مِن فَتِيلِ
But I find comfort in an attentive listener,
But I find solace in sighing
even if he does me not a thread's worth of good.
Even if it brings me no relief
وَيُؤنِسُنيand it comforts me وَإنand even if كَانَتit were مُحَالاًabsurd
وَيُؤنِسُني وَإن كَانَت مُحَالاً
مُراجَعُةُexchanging replies الصَّدَىthe echo قِيلاan utterance بِقِيلِwith an utterance
مُراجَعُةُ الصَّدَى قِيلا بِقِيلِ
And it comforts me, absurd though it may be,
And I take comfort, though it's impossible,
to exchange word for word with the echo.
In the echo repeating my words
فِدىًa ransom لَكfor you مِنas a أخِيbrother ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness كرِيمٍnoble
فِدىً لَك مِن أخِي ثِقَةٍ كرِيمٍ
تَشَكَّىhas complained of الحَيفَinjustice مِنfrom زَمَنٍan age بَخِيلِmiserly
تَشَكَّى الحَيفَ مِن زَمَنٍ بَخِيلِ
May I be your ransom, noble, trusted brother,
You have, in place of a noble brother,
who has lamented the injustice of a miserly age.
One who complains of an ungenerous age
لأنتَyou indeed السَّيفthe sword لَكِنbut غَيرُnot نَابٍُglancing off
لأنتَ السَّيف لَكِن غَيرُ نَابٍُ
ولاnor جَاسِيstiff المَهزّwhen brandished ولاnor كَليلِblunt
ولا جَاسِي المَهزّ ولا كَليلِ
You are indeed the sword, but one that never glances off,
For you are a sword, though lacking a sharp edge
nor stiff when brandished, nor blunt.
No bold warrior or polished blade are you
وإنand even if كُثرُmost الصَّوَارِمِkeen swords فِيهِin it فَلٌّa notch
وإن كُثرُ الصَّوَارِمِ فِيهِ فَلٌّ
فَقَدfor indeed مُدِحَhave been praised الصَّوَارِمُkeen swords بالفُلُولِfor notches
فَقَد مُدِحَ الصَّوَارِمُ بالفُلُولِ
And though most keen swords bear notches,
And if there are many cracks in your steel
keen swords have indeed been praised for their notches.
Cracked swords have still been praised
ولاand no عَيبٌflaw سِوَىexcept حَداثِcalamities دَهرٍof time
ولا عَيبٌ سِوَى حَداثِ دَهرٍ
تُسيءُdo badly الضَّربَthe striking بِالسَّيفِwith the sword الصَّقيلِpolished
تُسيءُ الضَّربَ بِالسَّيفِ الصَّقيلِ
Nor is there any flaw save time's calamities,
No fault but the cruelty of Time
which strike amiss with the polished sword.
That strikes poorly with a polished sword
أعِنِّيhelp me أَستَمِلI may win over صَرفَthe vicissitudes اللَّيَالِيof the nights
أعِنِّي أَستَمِل صَرفَ اللَّيَالِي
فَقَدfor indeed يُرجَىmay be hoped for الرِّضىgoodwill لِلمُستَمِيلِfor one who courts favor
فَقَد يُرجَى الرِّضى لِلمُستَمِيلِ
Help me win over the changing fortunes of the nights,
Help me to gently turn the nights aside
for one who courts favor may hope to obtain it.
For the compliant may hope for consent
وأثنand praise مَعِيwith me علىupon سَفَرٍa journey حَمِيدٍpraiseworthy
وأثن مَعِي على سَفَرٍ حَمِيدٍ
قَضَىfulfilled لِيfor me مِنthrough لِقَائِكَmeeting you كُلَّevery سُولِwish
قَضَى لِي مِن لِقَائِكَ كُلَّ سُولِ
And join me in praising a praiseworthy journey,
Praise with me a blessed journey
which fulfilled my every wish through meeting you.
That fulfilled my every wish to see you
وماand not أحمَدتُI found praiseworthy منهin it سِوَىexcept مُقامٍa stay
وما أحمَدتُ منه سِوَى مُقامٍ
بِتُدمِيرٍin Tudmir أقَلَّless مِنَthan القَلِيلِthe little
بِتُدمِيرٍ أقَلَّ مِنَ القَلِيلِ
And I found nothing in it to praise except a stay
And I praise nothing in it but a halt
in Tudmir, briefer than the briefest.
In a place smaller than small
تَقَضَّىcame to an end وَهوَwhile it was مِلءُfilling العَينِthe eye حُسناًwith beauty
تَقَضَّى وَهوَ مِلءُ العَينِ حُسناً
كَمَاjust as استَمتَعتَyou enjoyed مِنfrom شَمسِthe sun الأصِيلِlate afternoon
كَمَا استَمتَعتَ مِن شَمسِ الأصِيلِ
It passed, still filling the eye with beauty,
It came to an end, as beautiful as could be,
as when you enjoyed the late-afternoon sun.
Like your enjoyment of the brilliant sun
Sol 6.1