قَدindeed أَذكَرتُI recalled مِنfrom عُهودِthe days الصَبِّthe lovelorn one ماwhat سَلَفاhas passed
قَد أَذكَرتُ مِن عُهودِ الصَبِّ ما سَلَفا
فَكادَand almost يُقضىhe would perish عَلىat تِذكارِهِits remembrance أَسَفاin grief
فَكادَ يُقضى عَلى تِذكارِهِ أَسَفا
I have recalled the lovelorn one's bygone days;
I am reminded of the days of youth now past,
and grief at their remembrance almost proved fatal.
Almost forgotten in my sorrow and grief.
جَيداءُa long-necked beauty منصَلتlong-hanging القُرطينَthe two earrings فيin غَيَدٍlissom grace
جَيداءُ منصَلت القُرطينَ في غَيَدٍ
خَطَّتshe stepped إِلَيَّtoward me كَخُوطٍlike a supple bough تَنثَنيbending قُطُفاwith short steps
خَطَّت إِلَيَّ كَخُوطٍ تَنثَني قُطُفا
A long-necked beauty, her earrings dangling, swaying gracefully,
A beautiful gazelle with braided sidelocks,
stepped toward me like a bending bough, with short steps.
Who drew lines to me like bending sprigs.
بَعيدةُdistant المُرتَمىthe range تَرميshe shoots بِناظِرةٍwith an eye
بَعيدةُ المُرتَمى تَرمي بِناظِرةٍ
مِنof رِيمِa gazelle وَجرَةWajrah يُبديrevealing جِفنَهُits eyelid وَطَفاlong thick lashes
مِن رِيمِ وَجرَة يُبدي جِفنَهُ وَطَفا
Far-reaching in her aim, she shoots with the eye
Far-throwing with a glancing eye,
of a gazelle of Wajrah, showing an eyelid thick with lashes.
From furtive glancing and bashful lids.
خَطتshe stepped علىupon برحِthe torment وَجدٍof longing بِتُّI spent the night أَكلَؤُهُguarding it
خَطت على برحِ وَجدٍ بِتُّ أَكلَؤُهُ
وَحرand the heat وقدa blaze شِغافthe membrane القَلبِof the heart قَدalready شَغفاpierced
وَحر وقد شِغاف القَلبِ قَد شَغفا
She came upon the torment of a longing I guarded through the night,
She walked gently with love-longing,
and the heat of a blaze that had pierced the heart's membrane.
While my heart burned with passion kindled.
فَخِلتso I thought شَرخَthe prime شَبابيof my youth رُدَّwas restored رَيِّقُهits first freshness
فَخِلت شَرخَ شَبابي رُدَّ رَيِّقُه
عَلىwith مَنthe one whom كُنتُI was مَشغوفاًinfatuated بِهِwith him كَلِفاdeeply enamored
عَلى مَن كُنتُ مَشغوفاً بِهِ كَلِفا
I thought the first freshness of my youth had been restored
So the cheerful vigor of my youth returned,
with the one I had loved, enthralled and devoted,
To one for whom I was passionately longing.
إِذاwhen الرُسومthe dwelling-traces تُرىare seen بِالبِيضِwith fair women ناضِرةًfresh
إِذا الرُسوم تُرى بِالبِيضِ ناضِرةً
وَبِالكَواعبand with full-bosomed maidens تُلفىare found رَوضةًa meadow أُنُفاungrazed
وَبِالكَواعب تُلفى رَوضةً أُنُفا
when the old dwellings looked fresh with fair women,
When the traces appear brightened with whiteness,
and, with full-bosomed maidens, seemed an untouched meadow.
And the meadows are folded with tender gazelles.
وَآفتand it arrived كَقطعةِlike a patch of رَوضmeadow غِبَّafter سارِيَةٍa night-rain
وَآفت كَقطعةِ رَوض غِبَّ سارِيَةٍ
سَقَتit watered أَقاحيهِits daisies مِنfrom رَقراقِهاits shimmering water نُطَفاdrops
سَقَت أَقاحيهِ مِن رَقراقِها نُطَفا
And it arrived like a patch of meadow after a night-rain
Like a garden plot watered in a desolate place,
that watered its daisies with drops of its shimmering water.
Its plants nourished from its dripping moisture.
تَرَعرَعتgrew up فيهِin it أَطفالُthe children الرُبىof the hills وَغَداand it became
تَرَعرَعت فيهِ أَطفالُ الرُبى وَغَدا
بَيتَa home القَرارof repose إِلىtoward الحَوذانِthe buttercups مُنعَطَفاbending
بَيتَ القَرار إِلى الحَوذانِ مُنعَطَفا
The hills' children flourished there, and it became
The children of the valley throng and tomorrow,
a home of repose, bending toward the buttercups.
The house will return to the dilapidated ruins.
فيin طَيِّهاits folds نَشرُthe fragrance داريٍّDarin perfume بِهِwith it عَطِرتgrew fragrant
في طَيِّها نَشرُ داريٍّ بِهِ عَطِرت
أَرجاءُthe corners رَبعof a dwelling نَديهاits assembly طالَlong continued ماemphatic particle شَرُفاwas exalted
أَرجاءُ رَبع نَديها طالَ ما شَرُفا
In its folds lay the scent of Darin, which perfumed
In its folds the fragrance of a Dari spread,
the corners of a dwelling whose assembly had long been exalted.
Pervading the expanse of its plains however long they extended.
لِلّهِby God كَمhow much جَمَعتhas gathered عُلياthe loftiness بَلاغَتِهاof its eloquence
لِلّهِ كَم جَمَعت عُليا بَلاغَتِها
مِنof كُلِّevery رائِقٍgraceful مَعنىmeaning راقَdelighted أَوor لَطُفاwas subtle
مِن كُلِّ رائِقٍ مَعنى راقَ أَو لَطُفا
How much, by God, its lofty eloquence has gathered
By God, how much subtle meaning and gentle grace,
of every graceful meaning, delightful or subtle!
Has Eloquence gathered in every tender or subtle expression!
وَضَمّنَتهُand you included in it مِنَsome of الأَشواقِthe longings فيin فِقَرpassages
وَضَمّنَتهُ مِنَ الأَشواقِ في فِقَر
كَأَنَّهاas though they were الزُهرbright stars أَوor زَهرthe flowers الرُبىof the hills تَرَفاin luxuriance
كَأَنَّها الزُهر أَو زَهر الرُبى تَرَفا
And you filled it with longings, set in passages
And imbued it with so much yearning in every line,
like bright stars, or hillside flowers in their luxuriance.
As if it were a bouquet of flowers in a garden.
مِنهاamong them التَهانيcongratulations بِنجمconcerning Najm (Star) الدينِal-Din (the Faith) عَبدِكُمُyour servant
مِنها التَهاني بِنجم الدينِ عَبدِكُمُ
وَحَسبُand enough for أَمثالِهِthose like him أَنthat تَمدَحواyou offer praise شَرفاas honor
وَحَسبُ أَمثالِهِ أَن تَمدَحوا شَرفا
Among them were congratulations concerning Najm al-Din, your servant;
Congratulate the Pillar of the Faith, your servant,
and for his like, your praise is honor enough.
The like of whom it suffices to praise as noble.
وَهاand here بَعَثناwe have sent بِديوانwith the collected poems of الشَريفal-Sharif إِلىto
وَها بَعَثنا بِديوان الشَريف إِلى
جَنابِكُمyour honored presence وَبِوَشيٍand with a brocade إِثرafter ذَلِكَthat قَفاfollowed closely
جَنابِكُم وَبِوَشيٍ إِثر ذَلِكَ قَفا
And here we have sent al-Sharif's collected poems to
And here we have sent you the Diwan of the Noble One,
your honored presence, with a brocade following close behind.
Thereafter seeking your threshold, without delay.
لَكِنَّهُbut it لاnot كَوَشيٍlike a brocade حكتَyou wove بُردَتهُits mantle
لَكِنَّهُ لا كَوَشيٍ حكتَ بُردَتهُ
يُلفىis found to be اللآليpearls وَماand what قَدalready حكتهI wove it الصَدَفاshells
يُلفى اللآلي وَما قَد حكته الصَدَفا
Yet it is not like the brocade whose mantle you have woven:
But it has no binding to enfold the pages
yours proves to be pearls; what I have woven, shells.
That you had sewn with pearl or nacre.
لاnot زِلتَmay you cease تُرشِفُyou make sip سَمعيmy hearing كُلَّevery رائِقَةٍexquisite utterance
لا زِلتَ تُرشِفُ سَمعي كُلَّ رائِقَةٍ
تَغدوit becomes لِأَسماعfor the hearing آذانof the ears الوَرىof humankind شُنُفاearrings
تَغدو لِأَسماع آذان الوَرى شُنُفا
May you never cease to let my hearing sip each exquisite utterance,
Still you make my hearing delight in every tender utterance,
becoming earrings for the ears of humankind.
Becoming for the ears of the people of the world a pleasure.
Sol 6.1