أَقِلّيlessen your reproaches فَأَيّامُfor the days المُحِبُّthe lover قَلائِلُfew
أَقِلّي فَأَيّامُ المُحِبُّ قَلائِلُ
وَفيand in قَلبِهِhis heart شُغلٌa preoccupation عَنِaway from اللَومِreproach شاغِلُdistracting
وَفي قَلبِهِ شُغلٌ عَنِ اللَومِ شاغِلُ
Reproach me less, for a lover's days are few,
The days of a lover are few,
And a care within his heart distracts him from reproach.
With a heart preoccupied from blame, busy.
وَلِعتِyou delight بِعَذلِin reproaching المُستَهامِthe love-stricken عَلىfor الهَوىpassion
وَلِعتِ بِعَذلِ المُستَهامِ عَلى الهَوى
وَأَولَعُand most obsessed شَيءٍa thing بِالمُحِبِّwith the lover العَواذِلُthe reproaching women
وَأَولَعُ شَيءٍ بِالمُحِبِّ العَواذِلُ
You delight in reproaching the love-stricken for his passion,
He is blinded by the blame of the obsessed with passion,
And none are more intent on a lover than the women who reproach him.
And the most afflicted thing with the lover is separation.
أَرَيتَكِwould you tell me هَلis there ليfor me مِنfrom جَوىburning anguish الحُبِّlove مَخلَصٌan escape
أَرَيتَكِ هَل لي مِن جَوى الحُبِّ مَخلَصٌ
وَقَدwhen already نَشِبَتhave taken hold لِلحُبِّbelonging to love فِيَّin me حَبائِلُsnares
وَقَد نَشِبَت لِلحُبِّ فِيَّ حَبائِلُ
Tell me: is there any escape for me from love's burning anguish,
Do you see - is there for me any salvation from the agony of love
When love's snares have already taken hold of me?
When the ropes of love have grown into me?
وَبَينَand between بُنَيّاتِyoung maidens الخُدورِcurtained chambers وَبَينَناand between us
وَبَينَ بُنَيّاتِ الخُدورِ وَبَينَنا
حُروبٌwars تَلَظّىblazes نارُهاtheir fire وَتُطاوِلُand rises high
حُروبٌ تَلَظّى نارُها وَتُطاوِلُ
And between the maidens of curtained chambers and us
Between the dwellings of maidens and I
Are wars whose fires blaze and rise high.
Are blazing wars that rage and loom.
أَغَرنَthey raided عَلىupon قَلبيmy heart بِجَيشٍwith an army مِنَof الهَوىpassion
أَغَرنَ عَلى قَلبي بِجَيشٍ مِنَ الهَوى
وَطارَدَand skirmished عَنهُنَّon their behalf الغَزالُthe gazelle المُغازِلُthe flirtatious one
وَطارَدَ عَنهُنَّ الغَزالُ المُغازِلُ
They raided my heart with an army of passion,
They attacked my heart with an army of passion,
And the flirtatious gazelle skirmished on their behalf.
And the flirting gazelle chased away the flirtatious.
تَعَمَّدَdeliberately targeted بِالسَهمِwith the arrow المُصيبِunerring مَقاتِليmy vital spots
تَعَمَّدَ بِالسَهمِ المُصيبِ مَقاتِلي
أَلاindeed كُلَّall أَعضائيmy limbs لَدَيهِbefore him مَقاتِلُvital spots
أَلا كُلَّ أَعضائي لَدَيهِ مَقاتِلُ
He aimed deliberately at my vital spots with an unerring arrow;
He deliberately struck with the hitting arrow my warriors -
Indeed, before him every limb of mine is a vital spot.
Oh! All my limbs are to it warriors.
وَوَاللَهِand by God ماnot قَصَّرتُI fell short فيin طَلَبِseeking العُلاgreatness
وَوَاللَهِ ما قَصَّرتُ في طَلَبِ العُلا
وَلَكِنand yet كَأَنَّas though الدَهرَTime عَنِّيَof me غافِلُheedless
وَلَكِن كَأَنَّ الدَهرَ عَنِّيَ غافِلُ
And by God, I have spared no effort in seeking greatness,
By Allah, I have not been negligent in seeking exaltation,
Yet it is as though Time is heedless of me.
But it is as if fate is oblivious of me.
مَواعِدُpromises أَيّامٍdays تُماطِلُنيkeeps putting me off بِهاwith them
مَواعِدُ أَيّامٍ تُماطِلُني بِها
مُراماةُskirmishing أَزمانٍages وَدَهرٌand Time مُخاتِلُdeceitful
مُراماةُ أَزمانٍ وَدَهرٌ مُخاتِلُ
With promises of days I am kept waiting
Appointments of days that procrastinate me with them
By the skirmishing of ages and deceitful Time.
Aiming of eras and a life that fights.
تُدافِعُنيputs me off الأَيّامُthe days عَمّاfrom what أُريدُهُI desire it
تُدافِعُني الأَيّامُ عَمّا أُريدُهُ
كَماjust as دَفَعَput off الدَينَthe debt الغَريمُthe debtor المُماطِلُthe procrastinating one
كَما دَفَعَ الدَينَ الغَريمُ المُماطِلُ
The days keep putting me off from what I desire,
The days drive me away from what I want
As a procrastinating debtor puts off paying his debt.
As the debtor drove away the insisting creditor.
خَليلَيَّmy two friends أَغراضيmy goals بَعيدٌfar off مَنالُهاtheir attainment
خَليلَيَّ أَغراضي بَعيدٌ مَنالُها
فَهَلso is there فيكُماin you both عَونٌhelp عَلىwith ماwhat أُحاوِلُI attempt
فَهَل فيكُما عَونٌ عَلى ما أُحاوِلُ
My two friends, the attainment of my goals lies far off;
My two friends - my goals are far to attain them
So can you two help me in what I attempt?
So is there in you two help for what I attempt?
خَليلَيَّmy two friends شُدّاsaddle up, both of you ليfor me عَلىon ناقَتَيكُماyour two she-camels
خَليلَيَّ شُدّا لي عَلى ناقَتَيكُما
إِذاwhen مابَداdoes appear شَيبٌgray hair مِنَfrom الفَجرِdawn ناصِلُshowing white
إِذا مابَدا شَيبٌ مِنَ الفَجرِ ناصِلُ
My two friends, saddle your two she-camels for me,
My two friends - tie me onto your two she-camels
When a pale strand of dawn's gray hair appears.
When the gray hair of dawn begins to appear.
فَمِثلِيَfor one like me مَنone who نالَattained المَعاليlofty honors بِنَفسِهِby himself
فَمِثلِيَ مَن نالَ المَعالي بِنَفسِهِ
وَرُبَّتَماand sometimes غالَتهُsnatched him away عَنهاfrom them الغَوائِلُcalamities
وَرُبَّتَما غالَتهُ عَنها الغَوائِلُ
For one like me has attained the heights by his own efforts,
The likes of me - who attained glories by himself
And at times calamities have snatched him away from them.
While most glories were inaccessible to him due to tribulations.
وَماand not كُلُّevery طُلّابٍseekers مِنَamong الناسِpeople بالِغٌone who attains
وَما كُلُّ طُلّابٍ مِنَ الناسِ بالِغٌ
وَلاnor كُلُّevery سَيّارٍtraveler إِلىtoward المَجدِglory واصِلُone who arrives
وَلا كُلُّ سَيّارٍ إِلى المَجدِ واصِلُ
And not every seeker among men attains his goal,
And not everyone striving of people attains
Nor does every traveler toward glory arrive.
Nor every rider reaches glory.
وَإِنَّand indeed مُقيماًone who remains مَنهَجَthe path العَجزِhelplessness خائِبٌunsuccessful
وَإِنَّ مُقيماً مَنهَجَ العَجزِ خائِبٌ
وَإِنَّand indeed مُريغاًone who strives خائِبَunsuccessful الجُهدِeffort نائِلُone who attains
وَإِنَّ مُريغاً خائِبَ الجُهدِ نائِلُ
And one who stays on the path of helplessness surely fails,
Indeed whoever remains on the path of incapacity is disappointed
And one who strives, though his efforts fail, still attains.
And whoever exhausts himself in vain reaches his goal.
وَماand not المَرءُa man إِلّاexcept حَيثُwhere يَجعَلُplaces نَفسَهُhimself
وَما المَرءُ إِلّا حَيثُ يَجعَلُ نَفسَهُ
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَهاfor it (myself) فَوقَabove السَماكَينِthe two Simāk stars جاعِلُplacing
وَإِنّي لَها فَوقَ السَماكَينِ جاعِلُ
A man is only where he places himself,
And man is only where he puts himself,
And I place myself above the two Simāk stars.
And I - above the two skies - place it.
وَلِلوَفرِand of wealth مِتلافٌa squanderer وَلِلحَمدِand of praise جامِعٌa gatherer
وَلِلوَفرِ مِتلافٌ وَلِلحَمدِ جامِعٌ
وَلِلشَرِّand of evil تَرّاكٌa steadfast shunner وَلِلخَيرِand of good فاعِلُa doer
وَلِلشَرِّ تَرّاكٌ وَلِلخَيرِ فاعِلُ
And I squander wealth and gather praise,
And for extravagance there is a squanderer, and for praise a collector,
And I shun evil and do good.
And for evil a committer, and for good a doer.
وَماand why لِيَfor me لاnot تُمسيare at evening وَتُصبِحُand are at morning فيin يَديmy hand
وَما لِيَ لا تُمسي وَتُصبِحُ في يَدي
كَرائِمُthe choicest things أَموالِpossessions of الرِجالِmen العَقائِلُthe most prized ones
كَرائِمُ أَموالِ الرِجالِ العَقائِلُ
And why should my hand not hold, evening and morning,
Why do not valuables of men's families
The choicest, most prized of men's possessions?
Spend the night and morn in my hands as booty?
أُحَكِّمُI grant authority فيover الأَعداءِthe enemies مِنهاfrom among them صَوارِماًkeen swords
أُحَكِّمُ في الأَعداءِ مِنها صَوارِماً
أُحَكِّمُهاI grant them authority فيهاover it إِذاwhen ضاقَis hard-pressed نازِلُa guest
أُحَكِّمُها فيها إِذا ضاقَ نازِلُ
I give keen swords from among them authority over my enemies;
I judge among the enemies with sharp swords from it
I give them authority over that wealth when a guest is hard-pressed.
I judge it among them when the descent is narrow.
وَماand not نالَwon مَحمِيُّthe guarded الرَغائِبِcoveted treasures عَنوَةًby force
وَما نالَ مَحمِيُّ الرَغائِبِ عَنوَةً
سِوىexcept ماwhat أَقَلَّتbore فيwithin الجُفونِthe scabbards الحَمائِلُthe sword-belts
سِوى ما أَقَلَّت في الجُفونِ الحَمائِلُ
And guarded treasures are not won by force
And the protector of desires did not forcibly attain
Except by what the sword-belts carry within the scabbards.
Except what the eyelids made little.
Sol 6.1