دِيارُdwellings of نَوارٍNawār ماwhat دِيارُdwellings of نَوارِNawār
دِيارُ نَوارٍ ما دِيارُ نَوارِ
كَسَونَكَthey clothed you شَجواًgrief هُنَّthey themselves مُنهُof it عَوارِbare
كَسَونَكَ شَجواً هُنَّ مُنهُ عَوارِ
The dwellings of Nawār—what are the dwellings of Nawār?
The dwellings of Nawar—ah, what dwellings they are!
They clothed you in grief, though they themselves are bare of it.
They have clothed you in sorrow, though they themselves stand stripped and bare.
يَقولونَthey say فيin الشَيبِgray hair الوَقارُdignity لِأَهلِهِfor its wearers
يَقولونَ في الشَيبِ الوَقارُ لِأَهلِهِ
وَشَيبيand my gray hair بِحَمدِwith praise to اللَهِGod غَيرُother than وَقارِdignity
وَشَيبي بِحَمدِ اللَهِ غَيرُ وَقارِ
They say gray hair brings dignity to its wearers,
They say that gray hair brings dignity to those who bear it,
Yet my gray hair, praise be to God, brings no dignity.
But my gray hair—praise be to God—signifies no such solemnity.
إِذاif كُنتُI am لاnot أَنفَكُّcease عَنfrom طاعَةِobedience to الهَوىdesire
إِذا كُنتُ لا أَنفَكُّ عَن طاعَةِ الهَوى
فَإِنَّthen indeed الهَوىdesire يَرميcasts الفَتىa young man بِبَوارِinto ruin
فَإِنَّ الهَوى يَرمي الفَتى بِبَوارِ
If I never cease obeying desire,
For as long as I cease not from obeying the call of passion,
Then desire surely casts a young man into ruin.
Passion shall surely cast a man into perdition.
فَهاso behold إِنَّindeed قَلبيmy heart لاno مَحالَةَescape مائِلٌinclined
فَها إِنَّ قَلبي لا مَحالَةَ مائِلٌ
إِلىtoward رَشَإٍa young gazelle يَسعىhurries بِكَأسِwith a cup of عُقارِwine
إِلى رَشَإٍ يَسعى بِكَأسِ عُقارِ
So behold, my heart is inevitably inclined
Thus, my heart inevitably inclines
Toward a young gazelle hurrying with a cup of wine,
Towards a young gazelle who hastens with a cup of vintage wine.
شَمولٍwine إِذاwhen شُجَّتis diluted تَقولُyou would say عَقيقَةٌan agate
شَمولٍ إِذا شُجَّت تَقولُ عَقيقَةٌ
تَنافَسَcompeted فيهاfor it السَومُbidding بَينَamong تِجارِmerchants
تَنافَسَ فيها السَومُ بَينَ تِجارِ
Wine which, when diluted, you would call an agate,
A chilled wine which, when diluted, resembles carnelian stone,
For which merchants vied in bidding.
For which merchants have vied in high-stakes bidding.
كَأَنَّas though بَقاياremnants of ماwhat عَفاfaded away مِنof حَبابِهاits bubbles
كَأَنَّ بَقايا ما عَفا مِن حَبابِها
تَفاريقُscattered strands of شَيبٍgray hair فيin سَوادِthe blackness of عِذارِa sideburn
تَفاريقُ شَيبٍ في سَوادِ عِذارِ
As though the remnants of its fading bubbles
As though the remnants of bubbles fading upon its surface
Were scattered gray hairs in the blackness of a sideburn.
Were scattered strands of gray amidst the blackness of a youth's sideburns.
تَرَدَّتclothed itself بِهِin it ثُمَّthen انفَرَتsplit away عَنfrom أَديمِهِits surface
تَرَدَّت بِهِ ثُمَّ انفَرَت عَن أَديمِهِ
تَفَرِّيَthe parting of لَيلٍnight عَنfrom بَياضِthe whiteness of نَهارِday
تَفَرِّيَ لَيلٍ عَن بَياضِ نَهارِ
It wore it as a mantle, then split away from its surface,
The foam cloaked the wine, then broke away from its surface,
As night parts from the whiteness of day.
Like the parting of night to reveal the whiteness of day.
تُعاطيكَهاpasses it to you كَفٌّa hand كَأَنَّas though بَنانَهاits fingertips
تُعاطيكَها كَفٌّ كَأَنَّ بَنانَها
إِذاwhen اعتَرَضَتهاsurveyed it العَينُthe eye صَفُّa row of مَدارِcombing pins
إِذا اعتَرَضَتها العَينُ صَفُّ مَدارِ
A hand passes it to you, whose fingertips seem,
A hand offers it to you, with fingertips that seem—
When the eye surveys it, a row of combing pins.
When the eye falls upon them—like a row of polished stones.
حَلَفتُI swore يَميناًan oath بَرَّةًtruthful لاnot يَشوبُهاtaints it
حَلَفتُ يَميناً بَرَّةً لا يَشوبُها
فَجارٌwickedness وَماand not دَهريmy habitual practice يَمينُan oath of فَجارِwickedness
فَجارٌ وَما دَهري يَمينُ فَجارِ
I swore a truthful oath untainted
I have sworn a righteous oath, unsullied by
By wickedness; false swearing is not my way.
Falsehood, for it is not my nature to swear falsely:
لَقَدindeed قَوَّمَset right العَبّاسُal-ʿAbbās لِلناسِfor the people حِجَّهُمtheir pilgrimage
لَقَد قَوَّمَ العَبّاسُ لِلناسِ حِجَّهُم
وَساسَand governed بِرَهبانِيَّةٍwith ascetic devotion وَوِقارِand dignity
وَساسَ بِرَهبانِيَّةٍ وَوِقارِ
Indeed, al-ʿAbbās set the people's pilgrimage right,
Al-Abbas has indeed set right the Pilgrimage for the people,
And governed with ascetic devotion and dignity.
And managed it with pious devotion and solemn dignity.
وَعَرَّفَهُمand made known to them أَعلامَهُمtheir landmarks وَأَراهُمُand showed them
وَعَرَّفَهُم أَعلامَهُم وَأَراهُمُ
مَنارَbeacons of الهُدىguidance مَوصولَةًlinked بِمَنارِto beacons
مَنارَ الهُدى مَوصولَةً بِمَنارِ
And made their landmarks known to them and showed them
He taught them their landmarks and revealed to them
Beacons of guidance, linked beacon to beacon.
The beacons of guidance, one light joined to another.
وَأَطعَمَand fed حَتّىuntil ماno بِمَكَّةَin Mecca آكِلٌan eater
وَأَطعَمَ حَتّى ما بِمَكَّةَ آكِلٌ
وَأَعطىand gave عَطاياgifts لَمnot تَكُنwere بِضِمارِunattainable
وَأَعطى عَطايا لَم تَكُن بِضِمارِ
And fed them until no one in Mecca could eat more,
And he provided food until no soul in Mecca
And gave gifts that were not beyond reach.
Remained hungry, giving gifts that were immediate and sure.
وَحُملانُand mounts provided أَبناءِsons of السَبيلِthe road تَراهُمُyou see them
وَحُملانُ أَبناءِ السَبيلِ تَراهُمُ
قِطاراًa caravan إِذاwhen راحواthey set out أَمامَahead of قِطارِa caravan
قِطاراً إِذا راحوا أَمامَ قِطارِ
And the mounts he gave the wayfarers—you see them
And as for the mounts for the travelers, you see them
Caravan ahead of caravan as they set out.
Moving in trains, one caravan following another.
أَبَتrefused لَكَfor you ياO عَبّاسُʿAbbās نَفسٌa soul سَخِيَّةٌgenerous
أَبَت لَكَ يا عَبّاسُ نَفسٌ سَخِيَّةٌ
بِزِبرِجَwith the finery of دُنياناour world وَعَتقِand nobility of نَجارِstock
بِزِبرِجَ دُنيانا وَعَتقِ نَجارِ
You are kept from stinginess, O ʿAbbās, by a soul generous
O Abbas, a generous soul has refused for you,
With our world's finery, and by nobility of stock,
Along with your noble lineage, the mere glitter of this world.
وَأَنَّكَand that you لِلمَنصورِare of al-Manṣūr مَنصورِManṣūr of هاشِمٍHāshim
وَأَنَّكَ لِلمَنصورِ مَنصورِ هاشِمٍ
وَماand no بَعدَهُbeyond him مِنany غايَةٍgoal لِفَخارِfor glory
وَما بَعدَهُ مِن غايَةٍ لِفَخارِ
And by your descent from al-Manṣūr, Manṣūr of Hāshim,
For you belong to Al-Mansur—the Victorious One of Hashim—
And beyond him there is no further goal for glory.
Beyond whom there is no summit left for glory to reach.
فَجَدّاكَso your two grandfathers هَذاthis one خَيرُthe best of قَحطانَQaḥṭān واحِداًalone
فَجَدّاكَ هَذا خَيرُ قَحطانَ واحِداً
وَهَذاand this one إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عُدَّis reckoned خَيرُthe best of نِزارِNizār
وَهَذا إِذا ما عُدَّ خَيرُ نِزارِ
So, of your two grandfathers, one is Qaḥṭān's unrivaled best,
Your two forebears: the one, the single best of Qahtan,
And the other, when reckoned, is the best of Nizār.
And the other, when reckoned, the very best of Nizar.
إِلَيكَto you غَدَتset out in the morning بيwith me حاجَةٌa need لَمdid not أَبُحI disclose بِهاabout it
إِلَيكَ غَدَت بي حاجَةٌ لَم أَبُح بِها
أَخافُI fear عَلَيهاfor it شامِتاًa gloater فَأُداريso I am discreet
أَخافُ عَلَيها شامِتاً فَأُداري
A need brought me to you this morning, one I have not disclosed;
A need has driven me to you, one I have not voiced,
I fear someone gloating over it, so I keep it hidden.
Fearing the gloating of enemies, so I keep it hidden.
فَأَرخِso lower عَلَيهاover it سِترَthe veil of مَعروفِكَyour kindness الَّذيwhich
فَأَرخِ عَلَيها سِترَ مَعروفِكَ الَّذي
سَتَرتَyou covered بِهِwith it قِدماًlong ago عَلَيَّfor me عُواريmy shame
سَتَرتَ بِهِ قِدماً عَلَيَّ عُواري
So draw over it the veil of your kindness, which
So lower upon it the veil of your kindness, that same veil
You used long ago to cover my shame.
With which you have long covered my faults and shame.
Sol 6.1