وَأُخبِرُand I tell أَنّيthat I رُحتُI went فيin حِلَّةِthe robe of الضَنىwasting illness
وَأُخبِرُ أَنّي رُحتُ في حِلَّةِ الضَنى
لَيالِيَnights عَشراًten ضامَهاmay He afflict them اللَهُGod مِنof عَشرِten
لَيالِيَ عَشراً ضامَها اللَهُ مِن عَشرِ
And I tell you I have been clad in the robe of wasting illness
I am told I left in the raiment of grief
for ten nights—may God afflict those ten!
Ten nights brought together by God from ten
تُنَفِّضُنيshakes me الحُمّىthe fever ضُحىًin the forenoon وَعَشِيَّةًand at evening
تُنَفِّضُني الحُمّى ضُحىً وَعَشِيَّةً
كَماjust as إِنتَفَضَتshook فيin الدَجنِcloudy gloom قادِمَتاthe two foremost flight-feathers of نِسرِa vulture
كَما إِنتَفَضَت في الدَجنِ قادِمَتا نِسرِ
The fever shakes me in the forenoon and at evening,
Fever shakes me at dawn and evening
as a vulture's two foremost flight-feathers quiver in the cloudy gloom.
As two lionesses shook in the thicket
تَذُرُّsprinkles عَلَيَّupon me الوَرسَyellow wars dye فيin وَضَحِthe full light of الضُحىthe forenoon
تَذُرُّ عَلَيَّ الوَرسَ في وَضَحِ الضُحى
وَتُبدِلُهُand replaces it بِالزَعفَرانِwith saffron لَدىat العَصرِthe afternoon
وَتُبدِلُهُ بِالزَعفَرانِ لَدى العَصرِ
It sprinkles yellow wars dye over me in the bright forenoon,
It sheds lily pollen on me at dawn’s glow
and replaces it with saffron in the afternoon.
And changes it to saffron at sunset
إِذاwhen اِنصَرَفَتit departed جاءَcame الصُداعُthe headache مُشَمِّراًgirded for action
إِذا اِنصَرَفَت جاءَ الصُداعُ مُشَمِّراً
فَأَربىso it surpassed عَلَيهاover it فيin الأَذِيَّةِtorment وَالشَرِّand evil
فَأَربى عَلَيها في الأَذِيَّةِ وَالشَرِّ
When it departs, the headache comes girded for action,
When it departs, headache comes prepared
surpassing it in torment and evil.
It grows on it with harm and evil
وَتَجعَلُand makes أَعضائيmy limbs عُيوناًeyes دَوامِعاًweeping
وَتَجعَلُ أَعضائي عُيوناً دَوامِعاً
تُواصِلُkeeps up بَينَbetween السَكبِpouring وَالسَجمِand streaming وَالهَمرِand flooding
تُواصِلُ بَينَ السَكبِ وَالسَجمِ وَالهَمرِ
And it turns my limbs into weeping eyes,
And makes my limbs shining eyes
unceasing in their pouring, streaming, and flooding.
Connecting spillage and brooding and fever
فَتَحسَبُهُso you would take it for طَلّاًdew عَلىupon أُقحُوانَةٍa daisy
فَتَحسَبُهُ طَلّاً عَلى أُقحُوانَةٍ
وَعَهديand my recollection بِهِof it يَحكيresembles حُباباًbubbles عَلىupon خَمرِwine
وَعَهدي بِهِ يَحكي حُباباً عَلى خَمرِ
So you would take it for dew upon a daisy,
You would think it beads on an anklet
though I remember it resembling bubbles upon wine.
And my pact with it tells of bubbles on wine
وَلَمّاand when تَمادَتit persisted عُذتُI sought refuge مِنهاfrom it بِحِميَةٍin dietary restriction
وَلَمّا تَمادَت عُذتُ مِنها بِحِميَةٍ
كَمَنlike one who تَرَكَleft الرَمضاءَsun-scorched ground وَاِنفَلَّand fled فيinto الجَمرِlive coals
كَمَن تَرَكَ الرَمضاءَ وَاِنفَلَّ في الجَمرِ
And when it persisted, I sought refuge from it in dietary restriction,
And when it grew too much, I protected myself with fever
like one who leaves sun-scorched ground and flees into live coals.
Like one who left the hot sands and fell into embers
وَماand nothing مِنهُماfrom either of them إِلّاexcept بَلاءٌaffliction وَفِتنَةٌand trial
وَما مِنهُما إِلّا بَلاءٌ وَفِتنَةٌ
وَضَرٌّand harm عَلىto الأَحرارِthe noble يالَكَwhat a ... you are! مِنof ضَرِّharm
وَضَرٌّ عَلى الأَحرارِ يالَكَ مِن ضَرِّ
Neither brings anything but affliction and trial,
Both are but trial and tribulation
and harm to the noble—oh, what harm!
Harm upon the noble—what harm!
وَقَدand indeed عادَنيvisited me in illness الإِخوانُthe friends مِنfrom كُلِّevery جانِبٍside
وَقَد عادَني الإِخوانُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
وَماand not قَصَّرواthey fell short فيin العُرفِkindness وَالفَضلِand generosity وَالبِرِّand benevolence
وَما قَصَّروا في العُرفِ وَالفَضلِ وَالبِرِّ
And my friends have visited me from every quarter,
My brethren have returned to me from all sides
and have not fallen short in kindness, generosity, and benevolence.
They did not fall short of propriety, merit, and righteousness
فَلِمَso why لَمnot تَكُنyou were فيهِمamong them فَيَكمَلَso it might be complete حُسنُهُمtheir beauty
فَلِمَ لَم تَكُن فيهِم فَيَكمَلَ حُسنُهُم
أَياO ظالِماًcruel one أَخلىleft bereft النُجومَthe stars مِنَof البَدرِthe full moon
أَيا ظالِماً أَخلى النُجومَ مِنَ البَدرِ
Why, then, were you not among them, to make their beauty complete,
So why were you not among them to perfect their goodness
O cruel one, who left the stars bereft of the full moon?
O unjust one who left the stars without a moon?
وَإِذand since كُنتَyou were لَمnot تَنهَضbestir yourself إِلَيَّtoward me وَلَمand not تَكَدnearly do so
وَإِذ كُنتَ لَم تَنهَض إِلَيَّ وَلَم تَكَد
فَلِمَso why لَمnot تَسَلask عَنّيafter me فَتُخبَرَso you might be told عَنabout أَمريmy condition
فَلِمَ لَم تَسَل عَنّي فَتُخبَرَ عَن أَمري
And since you did not rise to visit me, or even come close to doing so,
Since you did not rise to come see me or strive
why did you not ask after me, to be told of my condition?
Why did you not ask after me to be told of my affair?
وَماand what لَكَis with you لَمnot تَبعَثsend إِلَيَّto me بِأَسطُرٍwith a few lines
وَما لَكَ لَم تَبعَث إِلَيَّ بِأَسطُرٍ
تُمَجمِجُهاscrawls them إِحدىone of يَمينِكَyour right hand فيon ظَهرِa reverse side
تُمَجمِجُها إِحدى يَمينِكَ في ظَهرِ
And why did you not send me a few lines
What stops you sending me some lines
that one of your right hands might scrawl on a sheet's back?
Scribbled by one of your right hands in the afternoon?
تَضُنُّyou are stingy بِتَسليمٍwith a greeting وَزَورَةِand a visit of ساعَةٍan hour
تَضُنُّ بِتَسليمٍ وَزَورَةِ ساعَةٍ
فَكَيفَso how يُرَجّىcan be hoped for جودُthe generosity of كَفَّيكَyour two palms بِالوَفرِwith abundant wealth
فَكَيفَ يُرَجّى جودُ كَفَّيكَ بِالوَفرِ
You are stingy with a greeting and an hour's visit;
You are stingy to convey regards or an hour’s visit—
so how can one hope for your hands' generosity with wealth?
How can your hands’ generosity be hoped for?
فَإِنso if كُنتَyou are لاnot تُبقيshowing regard عَلىfor الحالِthe relationship بَينَناbetween us
فَإِن كُنتَ لا تُبقي عَلى الحالِ بَينَنا
فَهَلّاthen why not تَخافُyou fear سوءَthe harm of بادِرَةِan outburst of الشِعرِverse
فَهَلّا تَخافُ سوءَ بادِرَةِ الشِعرِ
If, then, you show no regard for the bond between us,
If you do not maintain our relationship
why not fear the harm of an outburst of verse?
Why do you not fear the evil consequences of poetry?
إِذاif لَمnot تَكونواyou all are لِلحُقوقِfor rightful claims فَمَنthen who لَهاis for them
إِذا لَم تَكونوا لِلحُقوقِ فَمَن لَها
وَأَنتُمand you all كِرامُthe noble among الناسِpeople فيin البَدوِthe desert وَالحَضرِand settled towns
وَأَنتُم كِرامُ الناسِ في البَدوِ وَالحَضرِ
If you do not uphold rightful claims, who will,
If you are not for rights, who is for them
when you are the noblest of people in desert and town?
When you are the noblest of people in tent and town?
وَأَنتَand you إِذاwhen أَنحَيتَyou bore down تَفريyou rend أَديمَهاits hide
وَأَنتَ إِذا أَنحَيتَ تَفري أَديمَها
فَماthen what ذَنبُthe fault of ذيone with جَهلٍignorance فَرىrent مِثلَlike ماwhat تَفريyou rend
فَما ذَنبُ ذي جَهلٍ فَرى مِثلَ ما تَفري
And when you bear down, you rend its hide;
And if you turn away, you tear its skin—
so what fault has an ignorant man who rends as you rend?
What is the fault of an ignorant one who sees you turn away?
وَماand why لِعُداةِconcerning the enemies of العِلمِlearning تَذكُرُyou mention عَيبَهُمtheir fault
وَما لِعُداةِ العِلمِ تَذكُرُ عَيبَهُم
وَأَنتَwhile you عَلىaccording to أَمثالِthe examples of غابِرِهِمtheir predecessors تَجريyou proceed
وَأَنتَ عَلى أَمثالِ غابِرِهِم تَجري
And why do you mention the faults of learning's enemies,
Why do you mention the fault of the enemies of knowledge
while you follow the ways of their predecessors?
While you act like those vanished before them?
Sol 6.1