قَدكَenough for you ٱتَّئِبْbe gentle أَربَيتَyou have gone too far فيin الغُلَواءِexcessive zeal
قَدكَ ٱتَّئِبْ أَربَيتَ في الغُلَواءِ
كَمْhow often تَعذِلونَyou reproach وأنتُمُand you are سُجَرَائِيmy close companions
كَمْ تَعذِلونَ وأنتُمُ سُجَرَائِي
Enough! Be gentle—you have gone too far in your zeal.
How often you reproach me, though you are my close companions!
لاdo not تَسقِنيgive me to drink ماءَthe water of المُلامِblame فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
لا تَسقِني ماءَ المُلامِ فَإِنَّني
صَبٌّlovesick قَدِalready ٱسْتَعْذَبْتُI have found sweet ماءَthe water of بُكائيmy weeping
صَبٌّ قَدِ ٱسْتَعْذَبْتُ ماءَ بُكائي
Do not give me the water of blame to drink, for I
am lovesick, and have found the water of my weeping sweet.
وَمُعَرَّسand a resting place للغَيثِfor rain تَخفِقُflutter بينهُamid it
وَمُعَرَّس للغَيثِ تَخفِقُ بينهُ
رَايَاتُthe banners of كلevery دُجُنَّةٍdark cloud وَطفَاءِrain-laden
رَايَاتُ كل دُجُنَّةٍ وَطفَاءِ
And a resting place for rain, where flutter
the banners of every dark, rain-laden cloud.
نَشَرَتit unfurled حَدائِقَهُits gardens فَصِرْنَso they became مَآلِفاًhaunts
نَشَرَت حَدائِقَهُ فَصِرْنَ مَآلِفاً
لِطَرائِفِfor the choicest kinds of الأنْواءِshowers والأنْداءِand dews
لِطَرائِفِ الأنْواءِ والأنْداءِ
It unfurled the place's gardens, and they became haunts
for the choicest showers and dews.
فَسَقاهُso watered it مِسْكَthe musk of الطَلِّdew كافورُthe camphor of الصَّبَاthe east wind
فَسَقاهُ مِسْكَ الطَلِّ كافورُ الصَّبَا
وَٱنْحَلَّand unraveled فيهin it خَيْطُthe thread of كُلّevery سَماءِsky
وَٱنْحَلَّ فيه خَيْطُ كُلّ سَماءِ
So the east wind's camphor watered it with the musk of dew,
and the thread of every sky unraveled over it.
عُنِيَcared الرَّبيعُspring بِرَوضِهِfor its meadow فكأنَّماso as though
عُنِيَ الرَّبيعُ بِرَوضِهِ فكأنَّما
أهدىbestowed إليهِupon it الوَشْيَbrocade مِنْfrom صَنْعاءِSana'a
أهدى إليهِ الوَشْيَ مِنْ صَنْعاءِ
Spring tended its meadow, so it was as though it
had presented it with brocade from Sana'a.
صَبَّحتُهُI greeted it at dawn بِسُلافَةٍwith choice wine صَبَّحتُهاI greeted it at dawn
صَبَّحتُهُ بِسُلافَةٍ صَبَّحتُها
بِسُلافَةِwith the cream of الخُلَطاءِcompanions والنُّدَمَاءِand drinking companions
بِسُلافَةِ الخُلَطاءِ والنُّدَمَاءِ
I greeted it at dawn with choice wine, which I greeted at dawn
with the cream of companions and fellow drinkers—
بمُدامَةٍwith wine تَغْدُوbecome المُنَىwishes لِكُؤوسِهاfor its cups
بمُدامَةٍ تَغْدُو المُنَى لِكُؤوسِها
خَوَلاًservants عَلىin السَّرَّاءِprosperity والضَّرَّاءِand adversity
خَوَلاً عَلى السَّرَّاءِ والضَّرَّاءِ
with wine for whose cups wishes become
servants, in prosperity and adversity.
راحٌwine إذاwhen ماemphatic particle الرَّاحُpalms كنَّthey are مطيَّهاits mounts
راحٌ إذا ما الرَّاحُ كنَّ مطيَّها
كَانَتْit became مَطاياthe mounts of الشَّوْقِlonging فيin الأحْشاءِthe inward parts
كَانَتْ مَطايا الشَّوْقِ في الأحْشاءِ
Wine that, when palms become its mounts,
becomes the mounts of longing within the breast.
عِنَبيَّةٌgrape-made ذَهَبيَّةٌgolden سَكَبتْpoured لَهَاfor it
عِنَبيَّةٌ ذَهَبيَّةٌ سَكَبتْ لَهَا
ذهبَthe gold of المَعانيmeanings صاغةُgoldsmiths الشُّعراءِthe poets
ذهبَ المَعاني صاغةُ الشُّعراءِ
Grape-born and golden—for it was poured
the gold of meanings by the goldsmith-poets.
أكَلَconsumed الزَّمانُtime لطولِthrough the length of مكثِthe duration of بقائهاits survival
أكَلَ الزَّمانُ لطولِ مكثِ بقائها
ماwhatever كانَhad خَامَرَهاmingled with it مِنَof الأقذاءِimpurities
ما كانَ خَامَرَها مِنَ الأقذاءِ
Time, through the long span of its survival, consumed
whatever impurities had mingled with it.
صَعُبَتْit was unruly وَراضَand tamed المَزجُdilution سَيّءَthe badness of خُلقهاits temper
صَعُبَتْ وَراضَ المَزجُ سَيّءَ خُلقها
فَتعلَّمَتْso it learned مِنfrom حُسنِthe goodness of خُلقِthe nature of الماءِwater
فَتعلَّمَتْ مِن حُسنِ خُلقِ الماءِ
It was headstrong; dilution tamed its ill temper,
so it learned from water's good nature.
خَرقاءُreckless يَلعَبُplays بالعُقولِwith minds حبابُهاits bubbles
خَرقاءُ يَلعَبُ بالعُقولِ حبابُها
كتلعُّبِlike the playing of الأفعالِverbs بِالأسماءِwith nouns
كتلعُّبِ الأفعالِ بِالأسماءِ
Reckless—its bubbles play with minds,
as verbs play with nouns.
وَضَعيفَةٌand weak فَإذاthen when أصابَتit found فُرصَةًan opportunity
وَضَعيفَةٌ فَإذا أصابَت فُرصَةً
قَتَلَتْit killed كذَلِكَthus قُدْرَةُthe power of الضُّعَفَاءِthe weak
قَتَلَتْ كذَلِكَ قُدْرَةُ الضُّعَفَاءِ
And weak—yet when it finds an opening,
it kills: such is the power of the weak.
جَهْمِيَّةُJahmite الأوْصافِin attributes إلّاexcept أنَّهُمْthat they
جَهْمِيَّةُ الأوْصافِ إلّا أنَّهُمْ
قَدindeed لقَّبوهاthey dubbed it جَوهَرَthe essence of الأشياءِthings
قَد لقَّبوها جَوهَرَ الأشياءِ
Jahmite in its attributes, except that they
have named it the essence of things.
وَكَأنَّand as though بَهجَتَهاits radiance وَبَهجَةَand the radiance of كَأسِهاits cup
وَكَأنَّ بَهجَتَها وَبَهجَةَ كَأسِها
نَارٌfire وَنورٌand light قُيّداboth were bound بوِعاءِin a vessel
نَارٌ وَنورٌ قُيّدا بوِعاءِ
And it is as though its radiance and its cup's radiance
were fire and light, bound within a vessel.
أوْor دُرَّةٌa pearl بَيْضاءُwhite بكرٌvirgin أُطْبقَتwas laid over
أوْ دُرَّةٌ بَيْضاءُ بكرٌ أُطْبقَت
حَمَلاًas a burden علىupon ياقوتَةٍa ruby حَمراءِred
حَمَلاً على ياقوتَةٍ حَمراءِ
Or a white, virgin pearl laid
as a burden upon a red ruby.
وَمَسافَةٍand a distance كَمَسافَةِlike the distance of الهَجْرِestrangement ارتَقىrose
وَمَسافَةٍ كَمَسافَةِ الهَجْرِ ارتَقى
فيin صَدرِthe breast of باقيremaining الحُبِّlove وَالبُرَحاءِand anguish
في صَدرِ باقي الحُبِّ وَالبُرَحاءِ
And a distance like that of estrangement that rises
in the breast of lingering love and anguish—
بيدٌdeserts لنَسلِfor the offspring of العيدِal-'Id فيin their smooth stretches أملودِهاline_38
بيدٌ لنَسلِ العيدِ في أملودِها
ماwhatever ارتيدَwas sought مِنof عيدٍeasy going ومِنand of عُدَواءِrough ground
ما ارتيدَ مِن عيدٍ ومِن عُدَواءِ
deserts whose smooth stretches offer al-'Id's offspring
all they seek of easy and rugged going.
مَزَّقتُI tore ثَوبَthe robe of عُكوبِهاits desolation بِرُكوبِهاby riding across it
مَزَّقتُ ثَوبَ عُكوبِها بِرُكوبِها
وَالنارُand fire تَنبُعُwells up مِنْfrom حَصىthe pebbles of المَعْزاءِstony ground
وَالنارُ تَنبُعُ مِنْ حَصى المَعْزاءِ
I tore the robe of their desolation by riding across them,
while fire welled up from the pebbles of the stony ground.
وَإلىand toward اِبنِthe son of حَسّانَHassan اِعتَدَتْpressed onward بيwith me هِمَّةٌan ambition
وَإلى اِبنِ حَسّانَ اِعتَدَتْ بي هِمَّةٌ
وَقَفَتْdevoted علَيهِto him خلَّتيmy friendship وَإخائيand my brotherly love
وَقَفَتْ علَيهِ خلَّتي وَإخائي
And toward Ibn Hassan an ambition carried me onward,
which devoted to him my friendship and brotherly love.
لمّاwhen رأيتُكَI saw you قَدْalready غذَوْتَyou had nourished موَدَّتيmy affection
لمّا رأيتُكَ قَدْ غذَوْتَ موَدَّتي
بِالبِشْرِwith cheerfulness وَاسْتَحسَنْتَand you admired وَجْهَthe face of ثَنائيmy praise
بِالبِشْرِ وَاسْتَحسَنْتَ وَجْهَ ثَنائي
When I saw that you had nourished my affection
with cheerfulness, and admired the face of my praise,
أنْبَطتُI brought forth فيin قَلْبيmy heart لِوَأيِكَfor your promise مَشْرَعاًa watering place
أنْبَطتُ في قَلْبي لِوَأيِكَ مَشْرَعاً
ظلَّتْkept تحومُcircling عَلَيهِover it طيرُthe birds of رجائيmy hope
ظلَّتْ تحومُ عَلَيهِ طيرُ رجائي
I made a watering place spring forth in my heart for your promise,
over which the birds of my hope kept circling.
فثَوَيْتُso I dwelt جَاراًas a neighbor لِلحَضيضِto the low ground وَهِمَّتيand my ambition
فثَوَيْتُ جَاراً لِلحَضيضِ وَهِمَّتي
قَدْalready طُوقَتwas garlanded بِكَواكِبِwith the stars of الجَوْزاءِal-Jawza'
قَدْ طُوقَت بِكَواكِبِ الجَوْزاءِ
So I dwelt beside the low ground, while my ambition
was garlanded with the stars of al-Jawza'.
إيهِgo on فَدتْكَmay ransom you مَغارِسيmy planting grounds وَمَنابِتيand my growing places
إيهِ فَدتْكَ مَغارِسي وَمَنابِتي
إطرَحcast غَناءَكَyour aid فيinto بُحُورِthe seas of عَنائيmy distress
إطرَح غَناءَكَ في بُحُورِ عَنائي
Go on—may my roots and origins be your ransom!
Cast your aid into the seas of my distress.
يسِّرْmake ready لِقَولِكَfor your word مَهرَthe dowry of فِعلِكَyour deed إنَّهُfor indeed it
يسِّرْ لِقَولِكَ مَهرَ فِعلِكَ إنَّهُ
يَنويit intends افتِضاضَthe deflowering of صَنيعَةٍa favor عَذراءِvirgin
يَنوي افتِضاضَ صَنيعَةٍ عَذراءِ
Make ready for your word the dowry of your deed, for it
intends to deflower a virgin favor.
وَإلىand to مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad ابتَعَثتُI dispatched قَصائِديmy poems
وَإلى مُحَمَّدٍ ابتَعَثتُ قَصائِدي
وَرَفَعتُand I raised لِلمُستَنشِدينَfor those requesting verse لوائيmy banner
وَرَفَعتُ لِلمُستَنشِدينَ لوائي
And to Muhammad I dispatched my poems,
and raised my banner for those requesting verse.
وإذاand when تَشاجَرَتِbecame entangled الخُطوبُcalamities قَرَيتَهاyou entertained them
وإذا تَشاجَرَتِ الخُطوبُ قَرَيتَها
جَدَلاًargument يَفُلُّthat blunts مَضارِبَthe striking edges of الأعداءِenemies
جَدَلاً يَفُلُّ مَضارِبَ الأعداءِ
And when calamities become entangled, you feast them
on argument that blunts the enemies' sword-edges.
ياO غايَةَthe pinnacle of الأدَباءِmen of letters وَالظُرَفاءِand wits بَلْrather
يا غايَةَ الأدَباءِ وَالظُرَفاءِ بَلْ
ياO سَيِّدَmaster of الشُّعَرَاءِpoets وَالخُطَباءِand orators
يا سَيِّدَ الشُّعَرَاءِ وَالخُطَباءِ
O pinnacle of men of letters and wits—rather,
O master of poets and orators,
يَحيَYahya بنِson of ثابِتْThabit الَّذيwho سَنَّinstituted النَدىgenerosity
يَحيَ بنِ ثابِتْ الَّذي سَنَّ النَدى
وَحَوىand gathered المَكارِمَnoble virtues مِنْfrom حَياًrain وَحَياءِand modesty
وَحَوى المَكارِمَ مِنْ حَياً وَحَياءِ
Yahya ibn Thabit, who made generosity a custom
and gathered noble virtues from rain and modesty.
Sol 6.1