عُجturn aside بِشَيخِto the master of النُحاةthe grammarians وَالأدباءِand men of letters
عُج بِشَيخِ النُحاة وَالأدباءِ
وَإِمامِand the imam of الأَئِمَةِthe imams الفُضَلاءِthe eminent ones
وَإِمامِ الأَئِمَةِ الفُضَلاءِ
Turn aside to the master of grammarians and men of letters,
Turn aside to the master of grammarians and men of letters,
the leader of the noble leaders.
and the imam of eminent imams.
تَجِدِyou will find الريمَthe gazelle راتِعاًgrazing فيin حِماهُhis sanctuary
تَجِدِ الريمَ راتِعاً في حِماهُ
قَدindeed حَماهُhe has protected him حَتّىeven مِنfrom الرقباءِthe watchers
قَد حَماهُ حَتّى مِن الرقباءِ
You will find the gazelle grazing within his preserve;
You will find the gazelle grazing in his sanctuary;
he has protected him even from watchful eyes.
he has protected him even from the watchers.
ياO إِماماًimam لَمّاnot yet تَزَلyou cease مُسدِياًbestowing ليon me
يا إِماماً لَمّا تَزَل مُسدِياً لي
نِعَماًbounties قَدindeed جَلَتgrown too great عَنfor الإحصاءِcounting
نِعَماً قَد جَلَت عَن الإحصاءِ
O leader, you have never ceased bestowing upon me
O imam, you have never ceased bestowing on me
favors that surpass all counting.
bounties that have grown beyond counting.
لَوif يحلُّwere to dwell الغَزالُthe gazelle غَيرoutside حِماكُمُyour sanctuary
لَو يحلُّ الغَزالُ غَير حِماكُمُ
لانتَصَفناwe would have obtained redress بِسُنَّةِby the custom of الشُعَراءِthe poets
لانتَصَفنا بِسُنَّةِ الشُعَراءِ
If the gazelle were to dwell outside your preserve,
Were the gazelle to dwell outside your sanctuary,
we would seek redress, as poets customarily do.
we would have obtained redress in the poets' customary way.
إِنif يَكُis القَلبُthe heart غَيرَnot راضٍcontent بِهَذاwith this
إِن يَكُ القَلبُ غَيرَ راضٍ بِهَذا
فَلِسانيyet my tongue عَلَيكof you رَطبُmoist الثَناءِpraise
فَلِساني عَلَيك رَطبُ الثَناءِ
If the heart is not content with this,
Even if my heart is not content with this,
still my tongue is ever fresh with praise of you.
my tongue is still moist with praise of you.
ضَلَّwent astray عَقليmy reason بِصَدِّat the rebuff of ريمِكyour gazelle حَتّىso that
ضَلَّ عَقلي بِصَدِّ ريمِك حَتّى
لكأنيindeed, as though I أَسيرُI walk فيin الظَلماءِdarkness
لكأني أَسيرُ في الظَلماءِ
My reason lost its way at your gazelle’s rebuff, until
My reason has strayed at your gazelle's rebuff, so that
it seemed that I wandered through darkness.
it is as though I walk in darkness.
أَيُّwhat بَحرٍsea يَفيضُoverflows مِنfrom عَبَراتيmy tears
أَيُّ بَحرٍ يَفيضُ مِن عَبَراتي
أَيُّwhat جَمرٍembers يَشُبُّblaze up مِنfrom أَحشائيmy entrails
أَيُّ جَمرٍ يَشُبُّ مِن أَحشائي
What sea overflows from my tears?
What a sea pours forth from my tears!
What ember blazes up from my innards?
What embers blaze from my entrails!
لَيسَis not جَمعُuniting الأَضدادِopposites عِنديfor me مُحالاًimpossible
لَيسَ جَمعُ الأَضدادِ عِندي مُحالاً
إِنَّنيindeed I am جامِعa gatherer لِنارof fire وَماءِand water
إِنَّني جامِع لِنار وَماءِ
To me, the joining of opposites is not impossible:
Uniting opposites is not impossible for me;
I am one who joins fire and water.
indeed, I bring together fire and water.
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom أَحوَرdark-eyed الجُفونِthe eyelids رَبيبٌa ward
بِأَبي أَحوَر الجُفونِ رَبيبٌ
طارَtook flight عَقليmy reason بِهِbecause of him وَطالَand grew long عَنائيmy suffering
طارَ عَقلي بِهِ وَطالَ عَنائي
May my father ransom a dark-eyed ward—
My father be the ransom of that dark-lidded ward,
because of him my reason flew away, and long has been my suffering.
My reason took flight for him, and my suffering grew long.
إِنif تبدّىhe appears فَحَسبُthen sufficient for طَرفيmy eye مِنهُfrom him
إِن تبدّى فَحَسبُ طَرفي مِنهُ
نَظرَةa glance وَهيَand it لَوif تَدومwere to last شِفائيmy cure
نَظرَة وَهيَ لَو تَدوم شِفائي
If he appears, enough for my eye of him is
If he appears, all my eye asks of him is
a single glance—which, if it endured, would be my cure.
one glance—which, if it lasted, would be my cure.
وَلَئِنand if indeed غابَis absent شَخصُهُhis person قُلتI say نَفسيmy soul
وَلَئِن غابَ شَخصُهُ قُلت نَفسي
اصبِريbe patient فَالبَهاءُfor beauty عِندَwith البَهاءِal-Bahāʾ (Splendor)
اصبِري فَالبَهاءُ عِندَ البَهاءِ
And if his person disappears, I tell my soul:
And if he is absent in person, I tell my soul:
Be patient, for all beauty dwells with Bahāʾ.
Be patient, for beauty is with al-Bahāʾ.
Sol 6.1