أَيُّهاO البَرقُthe lightning بِتspend the night بِأَعلىon the heights of البِراقِal-Biraq
أَيُّها البَرقُ بِت بِأَعلى البِراقِ
وَاِغدُand go at dawn فيهاin it بِوابِلٍwith a downpour غَيداقِcopious
وَاِغدُ فيها بِوابِلٍ غَيداقِ
O lightning, spend the night on the heights of al-Biraq,
O lightning, strike the highest peaks
and come there at dawn with a copious downpour.
And unleash there torrential downpours
وَتَعَلَّمand know بِأَنَّهُthat it is ماno لِأَنواfor the rain-stars (beginning)
وَتَعَلَّم بِأَنَّهُ ما لِأَنوا
ئِكَof yours (rain-stars ending) إِنif لَمnot تُرَوِّهاyou water it مِنany خَلاقِshare of good
ئِكَ إِن لَم تُرَوِّها مِن خَلاقِ
And know that your rain-stars have no
Learn that, if you do not water them,
share of good unless you water it.
The clouds will have no value
دِمَنٌtraces of dwellings طالَماso often اِلتَقَتmet أَدمُعُtears المُزthe rain-clouds (beginning)
دِمَنٌ طالَما اِلتَقَت أَدمُعُ المُز
نِrain-clouds (ending) عَلَيهاupon them وَأَدمُعُand the tears العُشّاقِof lovers
نِ عَلَيها وَأَدمُعُ العُشّاقِ
Ruins: so often the tears of rain-clouds have mingled
A land long soaked by tears of yearning
upon them with the tears of lovers.
And tears of lovers intermingled
شَرِقاتُchoking الأَطلالِthe ruins بِالماءِwith water مِنfrom تِلthose (beginning)
شَرِقاتُ الأَطلالِ بِالماءِ مِن تِل
كَthose (ending) العَزاليthe cloud-spouts مُلِثَّةًpouring unceasingly وَالمَآقيand the corners of eyes
كَ العَزالي مُلِثَّةً وَالمَآقي
Their remnants choke on water from those
The ruined dwellings glisten with water
unceasing cloud-spouts and the corners of eyes.
From those remote hermitages and springs
حَفِظَmay preserve اللَهُGod حَيثُwhere يَمَّمَheaded إِسماIsmail (beginning)
حَفِظَ اللَهُ حَيثُ يَمَّمَ إِسما
عيلُIsmail (ending) وَليَسقِهِand may he water it مِنَfrom الغَيثِthe rain ساقِa pourer
عيلُ وَليَسقِهِ مِنَ الغَيثِ ساقِ
May God guard the place toward which Ismail turned,
May God preserve where Ismael strode
and may a rain-pourer water it.
And let him drink deep from the rains
قَدindeed سَقَتنيgave me to drink الأَيّامُthe days مِنfrom يَدِهاtheir hand سُمّاًpoison
قَد سَقَتني الأَيّامُ مِن يَدِها سُمّاً
لِفَقديfor my loss لَهُof him بِكَأسٍwith a cup دِهاقِbrimful
لِفَقدي لَهُ بِكَأسٍ دِهاقِ
The days have given me poison to drink from their hand,
The days have made me drink poison
for my loss of him, in a brimful cup.
For the loss of him, from a goblet of anguish
وَلَعَلّيand perhaps I أُدالُam granted victory مِنهاover them بِلاwithout عَهpledge (beginning)
وَلَعَلّي أُدالُ مِنها بِلا عَه
دٍpledge (ending) وَلاnor ذِمَّةٍguarantee of protection وَلاnor ميثاقِcovenant
دٍ وَلا ذِمَّةٍ وَلا ميثاقِ
Perhaps I shall gain the upper hand over them, without a pledge,
Perhaps I will escape them without a pact
without protection or covenant,
Or oath or covenant to constrain me
فَأُجازيso I repay يَومَthe day الرَحيلِof departure وَلاand not تُدovertake (beginning)
فَأُجازي يَومَ الرَحيلِ وَلا تُد
رِكُنيovertake me (ending) رِقَّةٌtenderness لِيَومِfor the day الفِراقِof parting
رِكُني رِقَّةٌ لِيَومِ الفِراقِ
and repay the day of departure, with no
And on the day I depart, I will repay them
tenderness for the day of parting overtaking me.
Let no tenderness for the day of parting deter me
ياO أَباfather of القاسِمِal-Qasim المُقَسَّمَdistributed ماthe space بَيbetween (beginning)
يا أَبا القاسِمِ المُقَسَّمَ ما بَي
نَbetween (ending) شِغافيmy heart's membrane مِثالُهُhis image وَالصِفاقِand the abdominal lining
نَ شِغافي مِثالُهُ وَالصِفاقِ
O Abu al-Qasim, whose image is spread
O Abu al-Qasim, apportioner of fates
between my heart's membrane and my belly's lining,
What is between my passion and its object is like a partition
لَوif تَطَلَّعتَyou looked فيinto وِداديmy affection إِذاًthen فاsurprise (beginning)
لَو تَطَلَّعتَ في وِدادي إِذاً فا
جاكَsurprise you (ending) بَينَbetween الحَشاthe innards وَبَينَand between التَراقيthe collarbones
جاكَ بَينَ الحَشا وَبَينَ التَراقي
if you looked into my affection, it would
If you could see how I love, you would find yourself
take you unawares between my innards and my collarbones.
Perplexed, between ardour and composure
وَشَكَتand complained بَينَناbetween us الأُخُوَّةُbrotherhood إِنَّindeed الthe
وَشَكَت بَينَنا الأُخُوَّةُ إِنَّ ال
وُدَّaffection عِرقٌa vein زاكٍflourishing مِنَamong الأَعراقِthe veins
وُدَّ عِرقٌ زاكٍ مِنَ الأَعراقِ
And brotherhood between us has complained; indeed,
Brotherly love has excused us, for affection
affection is a flourishing vein among veins.
Is a pure vein of the body's subtle fluids
ذاكَthat خِلٌّa close friend جَهَدتُI exerted جَهديmy utmost effort فَلَمyet did not أُحcount (beginning)
ذاكَ خِلٌّ جَهَدتُ جَهدي فَلَم أُح
صِcount (ending) اِنتِفاعيmy benefit بِفَهمِهِfrom his understanding وَاِرتِفاقيand my receiving help
صِ اِنتِفاعي بِفَهمِهِ وَاِرتِفاقي
That is a friend: I tried my utmost, yet could not
That is a tattoo which, strive as I might,
reckon my benefit from his understanding and support.
I gained no benefit from comprehending or gaining intimacy with
لَوif تَرىyou see ذَبَّهُhis defense هُنالِكَthere دونيon my behalf
لَو تَرى ذَبَّهُ هُنالِكَ دوني
لَمnot تَلُمنيyou blame me فيfor حُبِّlove of أَهلِthe people of العِراقِIraq
لَم تَلُمني في حُبِّ أَهلِ العِراقِ
If you saw how he defended me there,
If you could see him there, apart from me
you would not blame me for loving the people of Iraq.
You would not blame me for loving the people of Iraq
ماnever تَمَلَّيتُI enjoyed مِثلَthe like of ذاكَthat الحِجاintellect المُعdeep-rooted (beginning)
ما تَمَلَّيتُ مِثلَ ذاكَ الحِجا المُع
رِقِdeep-rooted (ending) فيin الحِلمِforbearance وَالسَجاياand the qualities العِتاقِnoble
رِقِ في الحِلمِ وَالسَجايا العِتاقِ
Never have I enjoyed the like of that intellect, deep-rooted
I have never wearied of that refined and noble pilgrim,
in forbearance and noble qualities,
Possessed of forbearance and refined dispositions
مَعَdespite ماwhat قَدalready طَوَيتُI encompassed مِنof سائِرِthe rest of الناthe people (beginning)
مَعَ ما قَد طَوَيتُ مِن سائِرِ النا
سِpeople (ending) وَماand what قَدalready نَشَرتُI spread out فيthrough الآفاقِthe horizons
سِ وَما قَد نَشَرتُ في الآفاقِ
despite all the other people I have encompassed,
Along with all I have sampled of other people
and all my ranging through the horizons.
And travelled across all horizons
وَعِذابٌand sweet qualities لَوif اِنَّهاthat they أُطعِمَتwere tasted زاsurpassed (beginning)
وَعِذابٌ لَو اِنَّها أُطعِمَت زا
دَتsurpassed (ending) عَلىover الشَهدِhoney بَسطَةًrichness فيin المَذاقِflavor
دَت عَلى الشَهدِ بَسطَةً في المَذاقِ
And sweet qualities which, if tasted,
A torment which, if it were fed, would increase
would surpass honey in richness of flavor;
To breadth of taste over honey's sweetness
ناعِماتُsoft الأَطرافِat the edges لَوif أَنَّهاthat they تُلbe worn (beginning)
ناعِماتُ الأَطرافِ لَو أَنَّها تُل
بَسُbe worn (ending) أَغنَتwould suffice عَنِinstead of المُلاءِthe wraps الرِقاقِdelicate
بَسُ أَغنَت عَنِ المُلاءِ الرِقاقِ
soft at the edges: if they could be worn,
Graceful-limbed ones, if they were clothed
they would dispense with fine, delicate wraps.
Would outshine the finest silken garments
جُدُدٌfresh كُلَّماwhenever غَداbecame يَومُa day فَخرٍof boasting
جُدُدٌ كُلَّما غَدا يَومُ فَخرٍ
بَعضُهُمsome of them فيin خَلاقَةِshabbiness الأَخلاقِworn-out garments
بَعضُهُم في خَلاقَةِ الأَخلاقِ
Ever fresh, whenever, on a day of boasting,
A new generation, and each day brings a pride
some others appear in threadbare garb.
Some excel in the beauty of character
يَهجُرُhe shuns الهُجرَfoul speech وَالمَقابِحَand vile deeds عِلماًknowing
يَهجُرُ الهُجرَ وَالمَقابِحَ عِلماً
أَنَّthat شَتمَinsulting الأَعراضِpeople's honor عارٌa shame باقِlasting
أَنَّ شَتمَ الأَعراضِ عارٌ باقِ
He shuns foul speech and vile deeds, knowing
He eschews estrangement and shameful deeds, knowing
that insulting people's honor is a lasting shame.
That to insult honours is lasting disgrace
فَإِذاyet when القَومُthe people أَلجَئوهُforced him إِلىto ذَthat (beginning)
فَإِذا القَومُ أَلجَئوهُ إِلى ذَ
لِكَthat (ending) أَلفَواthey found لِسانَهُhis tongue فيin وَثاقِbonds
لِكَ أَلفَوا لِسانَهُ في وَثاقِ
Yet when people force him to
So if people drive him to that
do so, they find his tongue in bonds.
They find his tongue imprisoned and fettered
خالِصُpure الوُدِّin affection وَالهَوىand love فيin زَمانٍan age
خالِصُ الوُدِّ وَالهَوى في زَمانٍ
كَدُرَgrew cloudy الوُدُّaffection فيهِin it غَيرَexcept النِفاقِhypocrisy
كَدُرَ الوُدُّ فيهِ غَيرَ النِفاقِ
Pure in affection and love, in an age
Loyalty and love unsullied in an age
when affection is clouded, except for hypocrisy.
When most affection is but hypocrisy
وَوَجَدتَand you found الإِخوانَbrothers رِزقاًa blessing أَغَرَّradiant الوَجthe face (beginning)
وَوَجَدتَ الإِخوانَ رِزقاً أَغَرَّ الوَج
هِface (ending) مِنfrom بَينِamong هَذِهِthese الأَرزاقِblessings
هِ مِن بَينِ هَذِهِ الأَرزاقِ
And you have found brothers a bright-faced blessing
You found true brothers a livelihood more enticing
among these blessings.
Than all these means of living
قَدalready دَنَتdrew close حَلقَتاthe two loops خِناقيof my noose فَراخىso he loosened
قَد دَنَت حَلقَتا خِناقي فَراخى
بِأَياديهِwith his favors عَقدَthe knot ذاكَof that الخِناقِnoose
بِأَياديهِ عَقدَ ذاكَ الخِناقِ
The two loops of my noose had drawn close; he loosened
The noose has tightened around my neck, so with their hands
with his favors the knot of that noose.
They loosened the knot of that strangling noose
هُمthey شَليلٌShalil وَنَشرَةٌand a healing charm حينَwhen لُفَّتwas entwined
هُم شَليلٌ وَنَشرَةٌ حينَ لُفَّت
فيon غَداةِthe morning of الهَياجِbattle ساقٌa shin بِساقِwith a shin
في غَداةِ الهَياجِ ساقٌ بِساقِ
They are Shalil and a healing charm when
They are intimate and familiar when wrapped
on the morning of battle, shin is entwined with shin.
Together in the heat of excitement, leg entwined with leg
لَوif رَأَواthey saw كَوكَبَthe star المَناياof death لَظَلّواthey would keep
لَو رَأَوا كَوكَبَ المَنايا لَظَلّوا
نَحوَهاtoward it مُهطِعينَhastening بِالأَعناقِwith necks outstretched
نَحوَها مُهطِعينَ بِالأَعناقِ
Were they to see the star of death, they would keep
If they saw the star of annihilation they would remain
hastening toward it with necks outstretched.
Rushing towards it, craning their necks
وَتِلادٌand an heirloom وَلَمand not أَرِثهُI inherit it وَكَنزٌand a treasure
وَتِلادٌ وَلَم أَرِثهُ وَكَنزٌ
لَيسَis not مِنof عَسجَدٍgold وَلاnor أَوراقِsilver
لَيسَ مِن عَسجَدٍ وَلا أَوراقِ
An heirloom I did not inherit, and a treasure
An offspring I did not inherit, and a treasure
not made of gold or silver.
Not of coarse wool, but of leaves
Sol 6.1