المُلكُkingship يُحمىis guarded بملكٍby a king منfrom بَنيthe descendants of العَزَفيal-ʿAzafī
المُلكُ يُحمى بملكٍ من بَني العَزَفي
وَالعلمُand learning يَحياlives بِيحيىthrough Yaḥyā الخَيرِthe good ذيpossessed of الشَرَفِhonor
وَالعلمُ يَحيا بِيحيى الخَيرِ ذي الشَرَفِ
Kingship is guarded by a king of al-ʿAzafī's line,
The kingdom is protected by a king from the noble Azafi tribe
And learning lives through Yaḥyā the Good, a man of honor.
And knowledge lives on through the virtuous Yahya
مُستحكِمُfirm الرَأيin judgment لاnot يَغتالensnares فِكرَتَهُhis thought
مُستحكِمُ الرَأي لا يَغتال فِكرَتَهُ
دَهاcunning الرِجالِof men وَلاnor يَنقادُis led للجَنَفِinto injustice
دَها الرِجالِ وَلا يَنقادُ للجَنَفِ
Firm in judgment, his mind is never ensnared
Of sound judgment, his ideas are not easily misled
By men's cunning, nor is he led into injustice.
By the tricks of men or swayed by pretense
فَسبتَةso Ceuta الغَربِof the West قَدindeed أَلقَتhas cast مَقالِدَهاher keys
فَسبتَة الغَربِ قَد أَلقَت مَقالِدَها
إلَيهِto him فاستعصمَتand so she sought protection بِالكافِلِwith the guardian الأَنِفِproud
إلَيهِ فاستعصمَت بِالكافِلِ الأَنِفِ
So Ceuta of the West has entrusted her keys
The West has entrusted its affairs
To him, seeking safety with the proud guardian.
To him, finding safety in this dignified guardian
مِنfrom أُسرَةِthe house المُلكِof kingship لخمٍLakhm طالَماfor long مَنَعُواthey defended
مِن أُسرَةِ المُلكِ لخمٍ طالَما مَنَعُوا
ذِمارَهُits honor بِالظُباwith sword-edges وَالذُبَّلِand slender spears القُصُفِbrittle
ذِمارَهُ بِالظُبا وَالذُبَّلِ القُصُفِ
From the royal house of Lakhm—long have they defended
From a royal family, the Lakhmis, who long prevented
Its honor with sword-edges and slender, brittle spears.
Their neighbors with spear and coated armor
همُthey المُلوكُthe kings فَلاso no مَلكٌking يُقاسُis compared بِهمwith them
همُ المُلوكُ فَلا مَلكٌ يُقاسُ بِهم
مِنamong الوَرىhumankind أيُقاسُcan be compared? الدرُّpearls بِالصَدَفِwith shells
مِن الوَرى أيُقاسُ الدرُّ بِالصَدَفِ
They are the kings; no king can be compared with them
They are kings, no other king compares
Among mankind—can pearls be compared with shells?
Who else can compare jewels to shells?
إنيindeed I وَإِنeven though فاتَنيeluded me تَقبيلُkissing راحَتِكُمyour palm
إني وَإِن فاتَني تَقبيلُ راحَتِكُم
لَقَدindeed بَعَثتُI sent بِهاit مَعwith طائرِthe bird الصُحفِof letters
لَقَد بَعَثتُ بِها مَع طائرِ الصُحفِ
Indeed, though I have missed the chance to kiss your palm,
Though I missed kissing your hand
I have sent a kiss with the bird of letters.
I sent it with a messenger bird
أَخالُI imagine أَنَّthat البَنانَthe fingertips الرَخصَtender يَلمَسُهاtouch it
أَخالُ أَنَّ البَنانَ الرَخصَ يَلمَسُها
وَكَمand many a عَليلٍsick person بِتخييلِby imagining الوِصالِunion شفيwas healed
وَكَم عَليلٍ بِتخييلِ الوِصالِ شفي
I imagine your tender fingertips touching it,
I imagine cheap pleasures barely touch them
And many a sick man has been healed by imagining union.
And how many ailing are healed by fantasizing about union
أَرتاحُI yearn للقُربِfor nearness لَكنbut كَمhow many عَوائقَobstacles ليfor me
أَرتاحُ للقُربِ لَكن كَم عَوائقَ لي
مِنsuch as خِضرِمٍa vast sea مُربِدٍdarkened أَوor مَهمَهٍa wilderness قُذُفِfar-stretching
مِن خِضرِمٍ مُربِدٍ أَو مَهمَهٍ قُذُفِ
I yearn for nearness, but how many obstacles stand before me—
I find comfort in nearness but so many barriers
A vast, dark sea, or a far-stretching wilderness.
Like a frigid spinster or prudish shrew
وَماand not اِرتِياحيmy yearning بِأَنيbecause I لَمdid not أَنَلattain شَرَفاhonor
وَما اِرتِياحي بِأَني لَم أَنَل شَرَفا
بمصرَin Egypt بَلrather نِلتُI attained فيهاin it مُنتَهىthe height of الشَرفِhonor
بمصرَ بَل نِلتُ فيها مُنتَهى الشَرفِ
Nor does my yearning spring from failure to gain honor
I am not glad I failed to gain prominence
In Egypt; rather, there I attained the height of honor.
In Egypt, but attained the utmost glory
لأَرضعتَنِيsurely suckled me أَخلافُthe teats المُنىof hopes ضَرَباwhite honey
لأَرضعتَنِي أَخلافُ المُنى ضَرَبا
وَانشقتَنيand made me inhale زَهرَthe blossoms الرَوضَةِof the garden الأُنُفِuntouched
وَانشقتَني زَهرَ الرَوضَةِ الأُنُفِ
Indeed, the teats of hope have suckled me on white honey;
The meadow's blooms nursed me
And she let me breathe the blossoms of an untouched garden,
And the garden's blossoms split me open
وَأَطلَعتَنيand made me rise بَدراًas a full moon بَينَamong أَنجُمِهاher stars
وَأَطلَعتَني بَدراً بَينَ أَنجُمِها
حَتّىuntil جَلَتfell away بيَthrough me عَنهاfrom her لَبسةُthe cloak السدَفِof darkness
حَتّى جَلَت بيَ عَنها لَبسةُ السدَفِ
And made me rise, a full moon among her stars,
You revealed me as a full moon among your stars
Until, through me, her cloak of darkness fell away.
Until the veil was lifted from me
وَسرَّحتand she let roam ناظِريmy gaze فيover أَوجهٍfaces فُسُحٍbroad
وَسرَّحت ناظِري في أَوجهٍ فُسُحٍ
وَأَعيُنٍand eyes لُخصٍfleshy-lidded وَآنُفٍand noses ذُلفِsnub
وَأَعيُنٍ لُخصٍ وَآنُفٍ ذُلفِ
And she let my gaze roam over broad faces,
You unleashed my eyes on open faces
And fleshy-lidded eyes and snub noses.
And intense eyes, tilted noses
أَولادُchildren يافثَof Japheth كَمhow many مِنof نافِثٍone breathing forth لَهُمُthey have
أَولادُ يافثَ كَم مِن نافِثٍ لَهُمُ
بِالسحرِwith magic أغنيَةًa song فيinto المُغرَمِthe enamored lover الدَنِفِlanguishing
بِالسحرِ أغنيَةً في المُغرَمِ الدَنِفِ
Japheth's children—how many among them breathe forth
Sons of Jafeth, how many enchanters charm them
A spellbinding song into the languishing lover!
With song, for the infatuated and tender
لَكنَّbut ذاكَthat ارتياحٌa yearning هاجَroused ساكِنَهُits stillness
لَكنَّ ذاكَ ارتياحٌ هاجَ ساكِنَهُ
ذِكرىmemory مَكانٍof a place بِهِin it نَشئيmy upbringing وَمُؤتَلَفِيand my place of fellowship
ذِكرى مَكانٍ بِهِ نَشئي وَمُؤتَلَفِي
But that is a yearning whose stillness was stirred
But that comfort excited its resident
By memory of a place where I grew up and found companionship.
Memories of a place where I was raised and befriended
Sol 6.1