هُوَit يَوْمٌa day كَماas تَراyou see (continued)
هُوَ يَوْمٌ كَما تَرا
هُit مَليحُlovely الشَّمائِلِthe qualities
هُ مَليحُ الشَّمائِلِ
It is a day, as you see it,
Lovely in its qualities.
هَاجَroused نَوْحُthe lament الحَمامِof the doves فيin
هَاجَ نَوْحُ الحَمامِ في
هِit غِناءَthe singing البَلابِلِof the nightingales
هِ غِناءَ البَلابِلِ
The doves' lament roused, within it,
The singing of nightingales.
ولِرَكْبِand for the caravan السَّحابِof clouds فيin الthe (continued)
ولِرَكْبِ السَّحابِ في ال
جَوْsky حَقٌّreality كَباطِلِlike unreality
جَوْ حَقٌّ كَباطِلِ
And the cloud caravan in the
Sky is real, yet seems unreal,
مِثْلَماjust as ماهَimparted a watery sheen فيon المُهَنَّthe Indian-steel sword (start)
مِثْلَما ماهَ في المُهَنَّ
دِIndian-steel sword (end) بَعْضُsome الصَّياقِلِof the sword-polishers
دِ بَعْضُ الصَّياقِلِ
Like the watery sheen laid upon an Indian-steel sword
By some of the polishers.
جُلِّيَتْwas unveiled شَمْسُهُits sun لرِقْfor delicacy (start)
جُلِّيَتْ شَمْسُهُ لرِقْ
قتِهِits delicacy (end) فيin غَلائِلِgauzy garments
قتِهِ في غَلائِلِ
Its sun was unveiled, for its delicacy,
In gauzy garments;
وعَمودُand the pillar الزَّمانِof time مُعْupright (start)
وعَمودُ الزَّمانِ مُعْ
تَدِلٌupright (end) غَيْرُnot مائِلِleaning
تَدِلٌ غَيْرُ مائِلِ
And the pillar of time stands
Upright, without leaning,
حينَwhen ساوىequaled حَرُّthe heat الهَواthe midday hours (start)
حينَ ساوى حَرُّ الهَوا
جِرِmidday hours (end) بَرْدَthe coolness الأَصائِلِof late afternoons
جِرِ بَرْدَ الأَصائِلِ
When midday heat equaled
The coolness of late afternoons.
وغَداand became الرَّوْضُthe garden فيin قَلاnecklaces (start)
وغَدا الرَّوْضُ في قَلا
ئِدِهِits necklaces (end) والخَلاخِلِand the anklets
ئِدِهِ والخَلاخِلِ
And the garden was arrayed in its necklaces
And anklets.
فَمِنَso, from العَجْزِweakness أَنْthat تَرىyou see
فَمِنَ العَجْزِ أَنْ تَرى
فيهِin it طَوْعَobedience to العَواذِلِthe reproachers
فيهِ طَوْعَ العَواذِلِ
It is weakness, then, to find yourself
On such a day obedient to reproachers.
ياO! لِذاfor this مِنْfrom أَبيAbu (father of) الهُذَيْal-Hudhayl (start)
يا لِذا مِنْ أَبي الهُذَيْ
لِal-Hudhayl (end) وتَوْصيلِand linking arguments وَاصِلِWasil
لِ وتَوْصيلِ وَاصِلِ
Ah, save this day from Abu al-Hudhayl
And Wasil's linking of arguments,
ومُلاحاةِand wrangling with عاقِلٍa sensible man
ومُلاحاةِ عاقِلٍ
ومُقاساةِand enduring جاهِلِan ignorant man
ومُقاساةِ جاهِلِ
And wrangling with a sensible man,
And enduring an ignorant one,
وخُصومٍand opponents يُكَابِروthey obstinately deny (start)
وخُصومٍ يُكَابِرو
نَthey obstinately deny (end) وُضوحَthe clarity الدَّلائِلِof the proofs
نَ وُضوحَ الدَّلائِلِ
And opponents who obstinately deny
The clarity of the proofs.
إِنْفِbanish كيْدَthe wiles الجِدالِof debate عَنْfrom
إِنْفِ كيْدَ الجِدالِ عَنْ
كَyou بِصَيْدِby hunting with الأَجادِلِfalcons
كَ بِصَيْدِ الأَجادِلِ
Banish the wiles of debate from
Yourself by hunting with falcons—
كُلِّevery صَلْبِfirm العِظامِthe bones واللand the (continued)
كُلِّ صَلْبِ العِظامِ والل
لَحْمِflesh رَطْبِsupple المَفاصِلِthe joints
لَحْمِ رَطْبِ المَفاصِلِ
Each firm of bone and
Flesh, supple in its joints.
وَهْوَand it أَهْدىmore unerring منthan الرَّدىdeath
وَهْوَ أَهْدى من الرَّدى
فيon طَريقِthe path المَقاتِلِthe vital spots
في طَريقِ المَقاتِلِ
And it is surer of its way than death
Along the path to the vital spots.
كَمْhow often غَدَوْناwe went out at dawn بِهِwith it لِطَيْfor birds (start)
كَمْ غَدَوْنا بِهِ لِطَيْ
رِbirds (end) التِّلاعِthe ravines السَّوابِلِsloping downward
رِ التِّلاعِ السَّوابِلِ
How often we went out at dawn with it for
The birds of the sloping ravines!
فانْبَرىthen it sprang forth أَخْرَسُsilent الجَناthe wing (start)
فانْبَرى أَخْرَسُ الجَنا
حِwing (end) صَخُوبُclamorous الجَلاجِلِthe bells
حِ صَخُوبُ الجَلاجِلِ
Then it sprang forth, silent of wing,
Clamorous with its bells.
وتَعامىand it turned a blind eye عَنْto الشَّوىthe extremities
وتَعامى عَنْ الشَّوى
واهْتَدىand it found its way لِلشَّواكِلِto the flanks
واهْتَدى لِلشَّواكِلِ
It turned a blind eye to the extremities
And made its way to the flanks,
بِسَكاكينِهِwith its knives التيwhich
بِسَكاكينِهِ التي
ثُبِّتَتْwere fixed فيin الأَنامِلِthe toe-tips
ثُبِّتَتْ في الأَنامِلِ
With its knives, which
Were fixed at the tips of its toes,
عُقِّفَتْwere hooked ثُمَّthen أُرْهِفَتْwere honed
عُقِّفَتْ ثُمَّ أُرْهِفَتْ
فَهيso they مِثْلُlike المَناجِلِsickles
فَهي مِثْلُ المَناجِلِ
Bent into hooks, then honed,
So they were like sickles.
صَاعِدٌrising خَلْفَbehind صَاعِدٍone rising
صَاعِدٌ خَلْفَ صَاعِدٍ
نَازِلٌdescending خَلْفَbehind نَازِلِone descending
نَازِلٌ خَلْفَ نَازِلِ
Rising behind one rising,
Descending behind one descending.
فَتردّىthen he clothed himself فيin رِداءِa robe لَهْpleasure (start)
فَتردّى في رِداءِ لَهْ
وٍpleasure (end) إلىuntil اللَّيْلُnight شامِلِenfolding
وٍ إلى اللَّيْلُ شامِلِ
Then he donned a robe of pleasure,
Enfolding him until nightfall,
ثُمَّthen انْثَنىhe turned back جَذْلانَelated بَيْbetween (start)
ثُمَّ انْثَنى جَذْلانَ بَيْ
نَbetween (end) القَناthe spears والقَنابِلِand the troops
نَ القَنا والقَنابِلِ
Then turned back, elated, between
The spears and the troops,
نَحْوَtoward رَبْعٍa dwelling منof المَكاthe noble virtues (start)
نَحْوَ رَبْعٍ من المَكا
رِمِnoble virtues (end) والمَجْدِand glory آَهِلِinhabited
رِمِ والمَجْدِ آَهِلِ
Toward a dwelling where noble virtues
And glory make their home.
فَترىthen you see الأُنْسَfellowship فيin عَبيperfume (start)
فَترى الأُنْسَ في عَبي
رِكَyour perfume (end) عَذْبَsweet المَناهِلِthe drinking-places
رِكَ عَذْبَ المَناهِلِ
Then you see fellowship in your perfume,
With sweet drinking-places,
منfrom عُقولminds قَدْalready بَلْبَلَتْhas bewildered
من عُقول قَدْ بَلْبَلَتْ
هُنَّthem صَفْراءُyellow wine بابِلِof Babylon
هُنَّ صَفْراءُ بابِلِ
From minds already bewildered
By Babylon's yellow wine.
فَإِذاand when اللَّيْلnight كَفَّrestrained كُلْevery (start)
فَإِذا اللَّيْل كَفَّ كُلْ
لِevery (end) رَقيبٍwatcher وعاذِلِand reproacher
لِ رَقيبٍ وعاذِلِ
And when night has silenced every
Watcher and reproacher,
صَرَّتِcreaked الفُرْشُthe beds تَحْتَbeneath قَوْpeople (start)
صَرَّتِ الفُرْشُ تَحْتَ قَوْ
مٍpeople (end) صَريرَthe creaking المَحامِلِof camel litters
مٍ صَريرَ المَحامِلِ
The beds creak beneath a company
Like the creaking of camel litters.
Sol 6.1