ماnot زالَceased مُعتَلِجُturmoil الهُمومِthe cares بِصَدرِهِin his breast
ما زالَ مُعتَلِجُ الهُمومِ بِصَدرِهِ
حَتّىuntil أَباحَكَhe revealed to you ماطَوىwhat he concealed مِنof سِرِّهِhis secret
حَتّى أَباحَكَ ماطَوى مِن سِرِّهِ
The turmoil of cares persisted in his breast,
Until he revealed to you the secret he had concealed.
أَضمَرتُI concealed حُبَّكَlove for you وَالدُموعُwhile the tears تُذيعُهُproclaim it
أَضمَرتُ حُبَّكَ وَالدُموعُ تُذيعُهُ
وَطَوَيتُand I folded away وَجدَكَlonging for you وَالهَوىwhile passion فيin نَشرِهِunfolding it
وَطَوَيتُ وَجدَكَ وَالهَوى في نَشرِهِ
I concealed my love for you, while tears proclaim it;
And folded away my longing for you, while passion unfolds it.
تَرِدُcome الدُموعُthe tears لِماbecause of what تُجِنُّconceal ضُلوعُهُhis ribs
تَرِدُ الدُموعُ لِما تُجِنُّ ضُلوعُهُ
تَترىone after another إِلىto وَجَناتِهِhis cheeks أَوor نَحرِهِhis throat
تَترى إِلى وَجَناتِهِ أَو نَحرِهِ
Tears come for what his ribs conceal,
One after another, to his cheeks or throat.
مَنwho ليfor me بِعَطفِهِwith his affection ظالِمٍa cruel one مِنof شَأنِهِhis nature
مَن لي بِعَطفِهِ ظالِمٍ مِن شَأنِهِ
نِسيانُforgetting مُشتَغِلِone occupied اللِسانِthe tongue بِذِكرِهِwith mentioning him
نِسيانُ مُشتَغِلِ اللِسانِ بِذِكرِهِ
Who can win me the affection of that cruel one, whose way
Is to forget one whose tongue is busy speaking of him?
يالَيتَoh, if only مُؤمِنَةُshe who believes in سُلُوّيmy forgetting مادَعَتas long as they coo
يالَيتَ مُؤمِنَةُ سُلُوّي مادَعَت
وُرقَgray ones الحَمامِthe doves مُؤَمِّنيmy guarantor مِنfrom هَجرِهِhis desertion
وُرقَ الحَمامِ مُؤَمِّني مِن هَجرِهِ
Would that she who believes I can forget—as long as there coo
The gray doves—were my safeguard against his desertion.
مَنwho ليfor me بِرَدِّwith holding back الدَمعِthe tears قَسراًby force وَالهَوىwhile passion
مَن لي بِرَدِّ الدَمعِ قَسراً وَالهَوى
يَغدوgoes forth عَلَيهِto them مُشَمِّراًgirded for action فيin نَصرِهِtheir defense
يَغدو عَلَيهِ مُشَمِّراً في نَصرِهِ
Who can force back my tears for me, while passion
Goes forth to them, girding itself to their aid?
أَعياproved baffling عَلَيَّto me أَخٌa brother وَثِقتُI trusted بِوُدِّهِin his affection
أَعيا عَلَيَّ أَخٌ وَثِقتُ بِوُدِّهِ
وَأَمِنتُand I felt safe from فيin الحالاتِall circumstances عُقبىthe aftermath of غَدرِهِhis betrayal
وَأَمِنتُ في الحالاتِ عُقبى غَدرِهِ
A brother whose affection I trusted has baffled me,
And I felt safe, in every circumstance, from the aftermath of his betrayal.
وَخَبَرتُand I tested هَذاthis الدَهرَage خِبرَةَwith the expertise of ناقِدٍan assayer
وَخَبَرتُ هَذا الدَهرَ خِبرَةَ ناقِدٍ
حَتّىuntil أَنِستُI grew familiar بِخَيرِهِwith its good وَبِشَرِّهِand with its evil
حَتّى أَنِستُ بِخَيرِهِ وَبِشَرِّهِ
And I have tested this age with an assayer's skill,
Until I grew familiar with its good and its evil.
لاnot أَشتَريI buy بَعدَafter التَجَرُّبِexperience صاحِباًa friend
لا أَشتَري بَعدَ التَجَرُّبِ صاحِباً
إِلّاexcept that وَدِدتُI wished بِأَنَّنيthat I لَمhad not أَشرِهِbought him
إِلّا وَدِدتُ بِأَنَّني لَم أَشرِهِ
After all my experience, I never buy a friend
Without wishing I had never bought him:
مِنamong كُلِّevery غَدّارٍa traitor يُقِرُّadmits بِذَنبِهِto his guilt
مِن كُلِّ غَدّارٍ يُقِرُّ بِذَنبِهِ
فَيَكونُand so is أَعظَمُthe greatest part of ذَنبِهِhis guilt فيin عُذرِهِhis excuse
فَيَكونُ أَعظَمُ ذَنبِهِ في عُذرِهِ
Each one a traitor who admits his fault,
Yet his greatest fault lies in his excuse.
وَيَجيءُand comes طَوراًat times ضُرُّهُhis harm فيin نَفعِهِhis help
وَيَجيءُ طَوراً ضُرُّهُ في نَفعِهِ
جَهلاًthrough ignorance وَطَوراًand at times نَفعُهُhis help فيin ضُرِّهِhis harm
جَهلاً وَطَوراً نَفعُهُ في ضُرِّهِ
And sometimes his harm comes through his help,
Through ignorance; and sometimes his help through his harm.
فَصَبَرتُso I endured لَمdid not أَقطَعI sever حِبالَthe cords of وِدادِهِhis affection
فَصَبَرتُ لَم أَقطَع حِبالَ وِدادِهِ
وَسَتَرتُand I concealed مِنهُof him ماwhat اِستَطَعتُI could بِسَترِهِby shielding him
وَسَتَرتُ مِنهُ ما اِستَطَعتُ بِسَترِهِ
So I endured, not severing the cords of his affection,
And concealed whatever faults of his I could, shielding him.
وَأَخٍand many a brother أَطَعتُI obeyed فَماyet did not رَأىrecognize ليfor me طاعَتيmy obedience
وَأَخٍ أَطَعتُ فَما رَأى لي طاعَتي
حَتّىuntil خَرَجتُI departed بِأَمرِهِat his command عَنfrom أَمرِهِhis command
حَتّى خَرَجتُ بِأَمرِهِ عَن أَمرِهِ
And many a brother I obeyed gave me no credit for obedience,
Until, at his command, I departed from his command.
وَتَرَكتُand I abandoned حُلوَthe sweetness of العَيشِlife لَمdid not أَحفِلI care بِهِabout it
وَتَرَكتُ حُلوَ العَيشِ لَم أَحفِل بِهِ
لَمّاwhen رَأَيتُI saw أَعَزَّهُits most precious part فيin مُرِّهِits bitterness
لَمّا رَأَيتُ أَعَزَّهُ في مُرِّهِ
And I abandoned life's sweetness, caring nothing for it,
When I saw its most precious part lay in its bitterness.
وَالمَرءُand a man لَيسَis not بِبالِغٍattaining his aim فيin أَرضِهِhis own land
وَالمَرءُ لَيسَ بِبالِغٍ في أَرضِهِ
كَالصَقرِlike the falcon لَيسَis not بِصائِدٍhunting فيin وَكرِهِits nest
كَالصَقرِ لَيسَ بِصائِدٍ في وَكرِهِ
And a man does not attain his goal in his own land,
Just as a falcon does not hunt within its nest.
أَنفِقspend مِنَfrom الصَبرِpatience الجَميلِgracious فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it is so
أَنفِق مِنَ الصَبرِ الجَميلِ فَإِنَّهُ
لَمhas not يَخشَfeared فَقراًpoverty مُنفِقٌone who spends مِنfrom صَبرِهِhis patience
لَم يَخشَ فَقراً مُنفِقٌ مِن صَبرِهِ
Spend of gracious patience, for
No one who spends his patience has ever feared poverty.
وَاِحلَمand be forbearing وَإِنand even if سَفِهَacts foolishly الجَليسُthe companion وَقُلand say لَهُto him
وَاِحلَم وَإِن سَفِهَ الجَليسُ وَقُل لَهُ
حُسنَgood المَقالِspeech إِذاwhen أَتاكَhe comes to you بِهُجرِهِwith his abuse
حُسنَ المَقالِ إِذا أَتاكَ بِهُجرِهِ
And be forbearing, though your companion acts foolishly, and offer him
Kind words when he comes to you with his abuse.
وَأَحَبُّand dearest إِخوانيmy brothers إِلَيَّto me أَبَشَّهُمthe most cheerful of them
وَأَحَبُّ إِخواني إِلَيَّ أَبَشَّهُم
بِصَديقِهِtoward his friend فيin سِرِّهِhis private life أَوor جَهرِهِhis public life
بِصَديقِهِ في سِرِّهِ أَو جَهرِهِ
And dearest to me of my brothers is the most welcoming
To his friend, in private or in public.
لاخَيرَno good فيin بِرِّthe generosity of الفَتىthe young man مالَمunless يَكُنit is
لاخَيرَ في بِرِّ الفَتى مالَم يَكُن
أَصفىthe purest مَشارِبِsprings of بِرِّهِhis generosity فيin بِشرِهِhis cheerfulness
أَصفى مَشارِبِ بِرِّهِ في بِشرِهِ
There is no good in a young man's generosity unless
The purest springs of his generosity lie in his cheerful face.
أَلقىI meet الفَتىthe young man فَأُريدُand so I seek فائِضَthe overflow of بِشرِهِhis cheerfulness
أَلقى الفَتى فَأُريدُ فائِضَ بِشرِهِ
وَأَجِلُّand I am above أَنthat أَرضىI should be content بِفائِضِwith the overflow of بِرِّهِhis generosity
وَأَجِلُّ أَن أَرضى بِفائِضِ بِرِّهِ
I meet a young man and seek his overflowing cheerfulness,
And am above settling for his overflowing bounty.
يارَبُّoh, how many a مُضطَغِنِharboring rancor الفُؤادِthe heart لَقيتُهُI have met him
يارَبُّ مُضطَغِنِ الفُؤادِ لَقيتُهُ
بِطَلاقَةٍwith a cheerful face فَسَلَلتُand so I drew out مافيwhat was in صَدرِهِhis breast
بِطَلاقَةٍ فَسَلَلتُ مافي صَدرِهِ
Ah, how many a man harboring rancor in his heart I have met
With a cheerful face, and so drawn out what lay in his breast!
Sol 6.1