ضاحَكنَthey laughed مِنat أَسَفِsorrow الشَبابِyouth المُدبِرِdeparting
ضاحَكنَ مِن أَسَفِ الشَبابِ المُدبِرِ
وَبَكَينَand they wept مِنat ضَحِكاتِthe laughter شَيبٍgray hair مُقمِرِmoon-bright
وَبَكَينَ مِن ضَحِكاتِ شَيبٍ مُقمِرِ
They laughed at sorrow for departing youth,
They laughed at the grief of departing youth,
And wept at the laughter of moon-bright gray hair.
And cried at the laughter of shimmering old age.
ناوَشنَthey skirmished with خَيلَthe cavalry عَزيمَتيmy resolve بِعَزيمَةٍwith a resolve
ناوَشنَ خَيلَ عَزيمَتي بِعَزيمَةٍ
تَرَكَتit left بِقَلبيin my heart وَقعَةًa battle لَمnot تُنصَرِwas won
تَرَكَت بِقَلبي وَقعَةً لَم تُنصَرِ
They assailed the cavalry of my resolve with a resolve
They gnawed at the steeds of my resolve with resolve,
That left in my heart a battle never won.
Leaving in my heart an irremediable wound.
وَلَقَدand indeed بَلَونَthey tested خَلائِقيmy character traits فَوَجَدنَنيand they found me
وَلَقَد بَلَونَ خَلائِقي فَوَجَدنَني
سَمحَgenerous اليَدَينِof both hands بِبَذلِin bestowing وُدٍّaffection مُضمَرِkept hidden
سَمحَ اليَدَينِ بِبَذلِ وُدٍّ مُضمَرِ
And indeed, they tested my character and found me
And they tested my nature to find me
Open-handed in bestowing hidden affection.
Magnanimous in giving, though vexed within.
يَعجَبنَthey marvel مِنّيat me أَنthat سَمَحتُI gave freely بِمُهجَتيwith my life's blood
يَعجَبنَ مِنّي أَن سَمَحتُ بِمُهجَتي
وَكَذاكَand likewise أَعجَبُI marvel مِنat سَماحَةِthe generosity جَعفَرِof Ja'far
وَكَذاكَ أَعجَبُ مِن سَماحَةِ جَعفَرِ
They marvel at me for freely giving my life's blood,
They were amazed I relinquished my treasured belongings,
And likewise I marvel at Ja'far's generosity.
Just as Ja'far was amazed at such magnanimity.
مَلِكٌa king إِذاwhen الحاجاتُneeds لُذنَthey sought refuge بِحِقوِهِat his waist
مَلِكٌ إِذا الحاجاتُ لُذنَ بِحِقوِهِ
صافَحنَthey clasped كَفَّthe palm نَوالِهِof his bounty المُتَيَسِّرِreadily available
صافَحنَ كَفَّ نَوالِهِ المُتَيَسِّرِ
A king: when needs seek refuge at his waist,
A king whose desires incline to benefaction
They clasp the palm of his readily given bounty.
Will clasp the palm of one made prosperous by him.
مَلِكٌa king مَفاتيحُthe keys الرَدىof death بِشِمالِهِin his left hand
مَلِكٌ مَفاتيحُ الرَدى بِشِمالِهِ
وَيَمينُهُand his right hand إِقليدُthe key قُفلِto the lock المُعسِرِof the needy man
وَيَمينُهُ إِقليدُ قُفلِ المُعسِرِ
A king: the keys of death lie in his left hand,
A king whose keys to munificence are in his left hand,
And his right hand is the key to the needy man's lock.
While his right hand holds the shackle-key of the destitute.
مَلِكٌa king إِذاwhen ماever الشِعرُpoetry حارَlost its way بِبَلدَةٍin a town
مَلِكٌ إِذا ما الشِعرُ حارَ بِبَلدَةٍ
كانَhe became الدَليلَthe guide لِطَرفِهِto its steed المُتَحَيِّرِbewildered
كانَ الدَليلَ لِطَرفِهِ المُتَحَيِّرِ
A king: whenever poetry loses its way in a town,
A king, when poetry is bewildered by eloquence,
He becomes the guide to its bewildered steed.
Becomes its guide out of perplexity.
ياO مَنone who يُبَشِّرُنيgives me glad tidings بِأَسبابِof the means الغِنىto wealth
يا مَن يُبَشِّرُني بِأَسبابِ الغِنى
مِنهُfrom him بَشائِرُglad signs وَجهِهِof his face المُستَبشِرِjoyful
مِنهُ بَشائِرُ وَجهِهِ المُستَبشِرِ
O you, the means to wealth are heralded to me
O you who give me glad tidings of wealth's causes,
From you, by the glad signs of your joyful face.
In your face are glad tidings for the hopeful!
إِفخَرtake pride بِجودِكَin your generosity دونَrather than فَخرِكَyour boasting إِنَّماit is only
إِفخَر بِجودِكَ دونَ فَخرِكَ إِنَّما
جَدواكَyour bounty تَنشُرُproclaims عَنكَabout you ماwhat لَمnot تَنشُرِyou proclaimed
جَدواكَ تَنشُرُ عَنكَ ما لَم تَنشُرِ
Take pride in your generosity, not your boasting; it is only
Boast of your generosity, not your pride, for
Your bounty that proclaims of you what you have not proclaimed.
Your generosity spreads what your pride concealed.
إِنّيindeed I اِنتَجَعتُكَI sought your bounty ياO أَباAbu الفَضلِal-Fadl الَّذيwho
إِنّي اِنتَجَعتُكَ يا أَبا الفَضلِ الَّذي
بِالجودِthrough generosity قَرَّبَbrought near مَورِديmy arrival مِنto مَصدَريmy departure
بِالجودِ قَرَّبَ مَورِدي مِن مَصدَري
I sought your bounty, O Abu al-Fadl, who
O Abu l-Fadl, who by his generosity
Through generosity brought my arrival close to my departure.
Brought my watering-place near to my spring,
عِشlive سالِماًsafe and sound تَبنيyou build العُلاlofty glory بِيَدِwith the hand النَدىof generosity
عِش سالِماً تَبني العُلا بِيَدِ النَدى
حَتّىuntil تَكونَyou become مُناوِئاًa rival لِلمُشتَريto Jupiter
حَتّى تَكونَ مُناوِئاً لِلمُشتَري
Live safe and sound, building glory with generosity's hand,
Live in safety, and build greatness with the hand of bounty,
Until you become a rival to Jupiter.
So you may be a foe to the profiteer.
إِنّيindeed I أَرىI see ثَمَرَthe fruit المَدائِحِof praise-poems يانِعاًripe
إِنّي أَرى ثَمَرَ المَدائِحِ يانِعاً
وَغُصونَهاand their branches تَهتَزُّsway فَوقَabove العُنصُرِthe root
وَغُصونَها تَهتَزُّ فَوقَ العُنصُرِ
I see the fruit of praise-poems ripe,
I see the fruit of praise burgeoning,
And their branches sway above their root.
Its branches trembling over the palace pillars.
لَولاكَbut for you لَمnot أَخلَعI cast off عِنانَthe rein مَدائِحيof my praise-poems
لَولاكَ لَم أَخلَع عِنانَ مَدائِحي
أَبَداًever وَلَمand not أَفتَحI open رِتاجَthe gate تَشَكُّريof my gratitude
أَبَداً وَلَم أَفتَح رِتاجَ تَشَكُّري
But for you, I would not have cast off the rein of my praise-poems,
Were it not for you, I'd never have slipped the bridle of eulogy
Ever, nor opened the gate of my gratitude.
Or opened the saddlebags of my gratitude,
وَلَقَلَّماand seldom عَبَّيتُI marshaled خَيلَthe cavalry مَدائِحيof my praise-poems
وَلَقَلَّما عَبَّيتُ خَيلَ مَدائِحي
إِلّاexcept that رَجَعتُI returned بِهِنَّwith them غَيرَnot مُظَفَّرِvictorious
إِلّا رَجَعتُ بِهِنَّ غَيرَ مُظَفَّرِ
And seldom have I marshaled the cavalry of my praise-poems
And I'd scarcely have saddled the steeds of praise
Without returning with them unsuccessful.
Except to return from them unsuccessful.
أَوَلَمand was it not? يَكُنbe وَطَنيmy home بِأَرضِكَin your land وَالهَوىwhile longing
أَوَلَم يَكُن وَطَني بِأَرضِكَ وَالهَوى
بِدِمَشقَin Damascus يَرتَعُgrazes freely فيin دِيارِthe dwellings البُحتُريof al-Buhturi
بِدِمَشقَ يَرتَعُ في دِيارِ البُحتُري
And was not my home in your land, while longing
Was not my homeland in your lands, and passion
Grazed in Damascus, in al-Buhturi's dwellings?
Grazing in the abode of al-Buhturi?
وَأَعوذُand I seek refuge بِاِسمِكَin your name أَنlest تَكونَyou be كَعارِضٍlike a cloud
وَأَعوذُ بِاِسمِكَ أَن تَكونَ كَعارِضٍ
لاnot يُرتَجىis hoped for وَكَنابِتٍand like a plant لَمnot يُثمِرِbore fruit
لا يُرتَجى وَكَنابِتٍ لَم يُثمِرِ
And I seek refuge in your name lest you be like a cloud
I take refuge in your name from your being like one
From which nothing is hoped, and like a plant that has borne no fruit.
Whose help is not to be hoped for or who yields no fruit.
وَاِعلَمand know بِأَنّيthat I لَمnot أَقُمI stand بِكَof you فاخِراًboasting
وَاِعلَم بِأَنّي لَم أَقُم بِكَ فاخِراً
لَكَfor you مادِحاًas a praiser فيin مَدحِهِhis praise لَمnot أُنذِرِI warned
لَكَ مادِحاً في مَدحِهِ لَم أُنذِرِ
And know that I have not stood boasting of you,
And know that I stand not boasting of you,
As your praiser, without sounding a warning in that praise.
Though I praise without forewarning in my praise of you.
Sol 6.1