قَدindeed عَذَّبَtormented الحُبُّlove هَذاthis القَلبُthe heart ماnot صَلُحاhealed
قَد عَذَّبَ الحُبُّ هَذا القَلبُ ما صَلُحا
فَلاso do not تَعُدَّنَّever count ذَنباًa sin أَنthat يُقالَit is said صَحاit has sobered
فَلا تَعُدَّنَّ ذَنباً أَن يُقالَ صَحا
Love has indeed tormented this heart; it has not healed.
Love has tormented this heart for as long as it remained whole,
So do not count it a sin for them to say it has sobered.
So do not count it a sin if it is rumored that he has recovered.
أَبقَيتَyou left فِيَّin me لِتَقوىfor fear of اللَهِGod باقِيَةًa remnant
أَبقَيتَ فِيَّ لِتَقوى اللَهِ باقِيَةً
وَلَمand not أَكُنI was كَحَريصٍlike an avid man لَمnot يَدَعleave مَرَحاmerriment
وَلَم أَكُن كَحَريصٍ لَم يَدَع مَرَحا
You left in me a remnant for the fear of God,
You left within me a remnant of God-fearing piety,
and I was not like an avid man who left no merriment untried.
And I was not like a greedy soul who left no pleasure unpursued.
وَحاجَةٍand a need لَمnot تَكُنwas كَالحاجِlike other needs واحِدَةًa single one
وَحاجَةٍ لَم تَكُن كَالحاجِ واحِدَةً
كَلَّفتُهاI entrusted it العَزمَresolve وَالعَيرانَةَand the sturdy she-camel السُرُحاfleet-footed
كَلَّفتُها العَزمَ وَالعَيرانَةَ السُرُحا
And a need—not just a single one like other needs—
Driven by a need that was not, like common needs, merely one,
I entrusted it to resolve and the sturdy, fleet-footed she-camel.
I tasked my resolve and the swift, tall camels with its weight.
يَكونُis جَهدُthe utmost effort المَطاياof the riding camels عَفوَthe ease of سيرَتِهاher gait
يَكونُ جَهدُ المَطايا عَفوَ سيرَتِها
إِذاwhen نَسائِجُهاher woven coverings كانَتwere لَهاfor her وُشُحاsashes
إِذا نَسائِجُها كانَت لَها وُشُحا
The mounts' utmost effort is her effortless pace,
The utmost exertion of these mounts appears but an easy pace,
when her woven coverings serve her as sashes.
Even when their saddle-pads shift upon them like sashes.
نَرميwe hurl بِهاwith her كُلَّevery لَيلٍnight كانَwas كَلكَلُهُits breast
نَرمي بِها كُلَّ لَيلٍ كانَ كَلكَلُهُ
مِثلَlike الفَلاةِthe wasteland إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) فَوقَهاabove her جَنَحاit leaned
مِثلَ الفَلاةِ إِذا ما فَوقَها جَنَحا
We hurl her through every night whose breast was
We cast them into every night whose heavy chest was
like the wasteland when it leaned above her,
Vast as a desert when it leans its darkness over the earth,
حَتّىuntil تَبَيَّنَappeared clearly فيin أَثناءِthe folds of نُقبَتِهِits mantle
حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ في أَثناءِ نُقبَتِهِ
وِردَrose-red السَراةِalong the back تَرىyou see فيin لَونِهِits color مِلَحاwhite mottling
وِردَ السَراةِ تَرى في لَونِهِ مِلَحا
until, amid the folds of its mantle, there appeared
Until there appeared, within the folds of its veil,
a rosy-backed dawn, in whose hue you see white flecks.
The watering-path of dawn, in whose hue you see streaks of gray.
وَهُنَّand they يَلحَقنَreach بِالمِعزاءِthe gravelly ground مُجمِرَةًcompact-hoofed
وَهُنَّ يَلحَقنَ بِالمِعزاءِ مُجمِرَةً
خُشمَblunt الأُنوفِof nose نَرىwe see فيin خَطوِهاtheir stride رَوَحاbreadth
خُشمَ الأُنوفِ نَرى في خَطوِها رَوَحا
And they reach the stony ground, compact-hoofed,
They catch up with the stony ground, striking sparks,
blunt-nosed; we see how wide their strides are.
Flaring their nostrils, while we see a wideness in their stride.
يَطلُبنَthey seek بِالقَومِbearing the men حاجاتٍneeds تَضَمَّنَهاhe guaranteed them
يَطلُبنَ بِالقَومِ حاجاتٍ تَضَمَّنَها
بَدرٌa full moon بِكُلِّupon every لِسانٍtongue يَلبِسُwears المِدَحاpraises
بَدرٌ بِكُلِّ لِسانٍ يَلبِسُ المِدَحا
Bearing the men, they seek to meet needs guaranteed by
They seek, carrying the people, needs that are guaranteed by
a full moon, clothed in praise upon every tongue.
A full moon who is robed in praise by every tongue.
كَأَنَّas though فَيضَthe outpouring يَدَيهِof his two hands قَبلَbefore تَسأَلُهُyou ask him
كَأَنَّ فَيضَ يَدَيهِ قَبلَ تَسأَلُهُ
بابُthe gate السَماءِof heaven إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) بِالحَياwith rain اِنفَتَحاopens
بابُ السَماءِ إِذا ما بِالحَيا اِنفَتَحا
It is as though his hands' outpouring, before you ask him,
It is as if the overflow of his hands, before you even ask,
were heaven's gate when it opens with rain.
Is the gate of heaven when it flings open with rain.
لَقَدindeed نَزَلناwe alighted أَباAbu (father of) العَبّاسِal-Abbas مَنزِلَةًat a station
لَقَد نَزَلنا أَبا العَبّاسِ مَنزِلَةً
ماnot إِنat all (emphasis) تَرىsee خَلفَهاbeyond it الأَبصارُthe eyes مُطَّرَحاa resting place
ما إِن تَرى خَلفَها الأَبصارُ مُطَّرَحا
We have indeed alighted, Abu al-Abbas, at a station
We have alighted, O Abu al-Abbas, in a station
beyond which eyes see no further resting place.
Beyond which no eye can see any further destination.
وَكَلتَyou appointed بِالدَهرِover Time عَيناًan eye غَيرَnot غافِلَةٍheedless
وَكَلتَ بِالدَهرِ عَيناً غَيرَ غافِلَةٍ
مِنfrom جودِthe bounty of كَفِّكَyour palm تَأسوheals كُلَّماwhenever جُرِحاit wounds
مِن جودِ كَفِّكَ تَأسو كُلَّما جُرِحا
You have set an ever-watchful eye over Time,
You have set a sleepless watchman over the vicissitudes of Time,
from your palm's bounty, healing whenever Time wounds.
From the generosity of your palm, healing whatever it wounded.
أَنتَyou الَّذيthe one who تَأخُذُgrasp الأَيديthe hands بِحِجزَتِهِat his waistband
أَنتَ الَّذي تَأخُذُ الأَيدي بِحِجزَتِهِ
إِذاwhen الزَمانُTime عَلىagainst أَولادِهِits children كَلَحاbares its teeth
إِذا الزَمانُ عَلى أَولادِهِ كَلَحا
You are the one whose waistband hands grasp
You are the one to whose protection hands cling
when Time bares its teeth at its children,
When Fate grimaces fiercely at its own children.
كَماjust as الرَبيعُal-Rabi' كَفىwarded off أَيّامَin the days of نَكبَتِهِمtheir calamity
كَما الرَبيعُ كَفى أَيّامَ نَكبَتِهِم
صَدعَthe rift in الأُمورِaffairs وَأَدنىand drew near وُدَّthe affection of مَنwhoever نَزَحاwent far away
صَدعَ الأُمورِ وَأَدنى وُدَّ مَن نَزَحا
just as al-Rabi', in their days of calamity, warded off
Just as the spring sufficed them in the days of their calamity,
the sundering of affairs and drew near the affection of those far away.
Mending the rifts of affairs and drawing near the love of the estranged.
تَئطُّgroans دونَbefore الرِجالِthe men الأَقرَبينَclosest بِهِto him
تَئطُّ دونَ الرِجالِ الأَقرَبينَ بِهِ
قُربىkinship رَؤومٌmotherly وَجَيبٌand a bosom طالَماoften نَصَحاcounseled sincerely
قُربى رَؤومٌ وَجَيبٌ طالَما نَصَحا
Before the men closest to him there groan
There cries out, regarding his closest kin,
motherly kinship and a bosom that has often counseled well.
A tender kinship and a heart that has long given true counsel.
كانَwas المُوادِعُthe one not challenging شَأوَthe reach of الفَضلِal-Fadl مُستَتِراًconcealed
كانَ المُوادِعُ شَأوَ الفَضلِ مُستَتِراً
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen رامَhe sought تِلكَthat الخُطَّةَrank اِفتَضَحاwas disgraced
حَتّى إِذا رامَ تِلكَ الخُطَّةَ اِفتَضَحا
He who left al-Fadl's reach unchallenged remained concealed,
The pretender concealed his limit of merit,
until, when he sought that rank, he was disgraced.
Until, attempting this high station, he was exposed.
مَنwho لِلجِذاعِfor the young steeds إِذاwhen المَيدانُthe racecourse ماطَلَهاdelays them
مَن لِلجِذاعِ إِذا المَيدانُ ماطَلَها
بِشَأوِfrom the reach of مُطَّلَعِone overtopping الغاياتِthe finish lines قَدalready قَرِحاhas fully matured
بِشَأوِ مُطَّلَعِ الغاياتِ قَد قَرِحا
Who can aid the young steeds when the racecourse holds them back
Who is there for the young contenders when the race-field outlasts them,
from the reach of a full-grown steed that overtops the finish lines?
Against the stride of one who knows the goals and is battle-scarred?
مَنone who لاnot يُضَعضِعُshakes مِنهُof him البُؤسُhardship أُنمُلَةًa fingertip
مَن لا يُضَعضِعُ مِنهُ البُؤسُ أُنمُلَةً
وَلاnor يُصَعِّدُclimbs أَطرافَthe tops of الرُبىthe hills فَرَحاout of joy
وَلا يُصَعِّدُ أَطرافَ الرُبى فَرَحا
One in whom hardship cannot shake even a fingertip,
He is one whom misery cannot shake by even a fingertip's breadth,
nor does he climb the hilltops in exultation.
Nor does joy send him climbing the peaks of pride.
Sol 6.1