أَيُّwhat رَأيٍjudgment وَأَيُّand what عَقلٍmind صَحيحِsound
أَيُّ رَأيٍ وَأَيُّ عَقلٍ صَحيحِ
لَمdid not يُخَوِّفكَmake you fear سانِحيmy auspicious omen وَبَريحيand my ominous omen
لَم يُخَوِّفكَ سانِحي وَبَريحي
What judgment, what sound mind
What mind and what sane thought
failed to warn you of my favorable and adverse omens?
Did not frighten you, my satire and my gale?
كَذَبَتlied نَفسُكَyour soul الَّتيwhich حَدَّثَتtold أَنthat (word continues)
كَذَبَت نَفسُكَ الَّتي حَدَّثَت أَن
نِيَI (completes 'that I') أُنميlet escape to die out of sight رَمِيَّتيmy shot quarry وَجَريحيand my wounded prey
نِيَ أُنمي رَمِيَّتي وَجَريحي
Your soul lied when it told you that
Your soul lied to you when it told you
I let my quarry and my wounded prey stray off to die.
I grow my arrows and my wounds.
خَلَقَcreated اللَهُGod لِحيَةًa beard لَكَfor you لَوif تُحbe shaved (word begins)
خَلَقَ اللَهُ لِحيَةً لَكَ لَو تُح
لَقُbe shaved (word ends) لَمwould not يُدرَbe known ماwhat غَلاءُhigh cost المُسوحِcoarse haircloth
لَقُ لَم يُدرَ ما غَلاءُ المُسوحِ
God made you a beard which, if it were shaved,
God created a beard for you—if you shave
the high price of haircloth would be unknown.
It, its high price would not be known.
وَذَراهاand scatter it فيinto الريحِthe wind إِنif كُنتَyou are تَرجوhope for
وَذَراها في الريحِ إِن كُنتَ تَرجو
سَيرَtravel شِعريmy verse فيin نَعتِهاdescribing it بِالريحِon the wind
سَيرَ شِعري في نَعتِها بِالريحِ
And scatter it into the wind, if you hope
And toss it to the wind if you hope
for my verse describing it to travel on the wind.
My poem will describe it blown by the wind.
سارَwent فيinto التيهِthe wilderness عَقلُmind مَنwhoever ظَنَّthought أَنّيthat I
سارَ في التيهِ عَقلُ مَن ظَنَّ أَنّي
بِالأَمانيby wishes يَسيرُtravels فيكَabout you مَديحيmy praise
بِالأَماني يَسيرُ فيكَ مَديحي
Into the wilderness strayed the mind of anyone who thought
Lost was the mind of one who thought I
my praise of you would travel on wishes alone.
Proceed with praises of you through wishes.
ياO حَروناًobstinate one فيin البُخلِstinginess قَدindeed وَأَبيby the father of بُخstinginess (word continues)
يا حَروناً في البُخلِ قَد وَأَبي بُخ
لِكَyour (completes 'your stinginess') عوقِبتَyou were punished بِالأَصَمِّwith the deaf one الجَموحِthe unbridled one
لِكَ عوقِبتَ بِالأَصَمِّ الجَموحِ
O you obstinate in stinginess—indeed, by the father of your stinginess,
O Haroun, stingy to the core, who refused
you have been punished with the deaf, unbridled one,
And so were punished with deafness obstinate and zealous,
بِبَعيدِwith one far المَدىreach قَريبِnear المَعانيmeanings
بِبَعيدِ المَدى قَريبِ المَعاني
وَثَقيلِand weighty الحِجىintellect خَفيفِlight الروحِspirit
وَثَقيلِ الحِجى خَفيفِ الروحِ
with one far-reaching, yet near in meaning,
Of far-reaching import, near in meaning,
and weighty in intellect, light in spirit.
Weighty in argument, light in spirit,
سَجَرَتfilled كَفُّهُhis hand بُحورَseas القَوافيrhymes
سَجَرَت كَفُّهُ بُحورَ القَوافي
لَكَfor you عِندَduring التَعريضِindirect allusion وَالتَصريحِand explicit speech
لَكَ عِندَ التَعريضِ وَالتَصريحِ
His hand has filled the seas of rhyme
His palm enchained the seas of verse
for you, in indirect allusion and plain speech.
When hinting and when speaking outright.
لُجَجيmy deep waters لَستَyou are not سالِماًsafe مِنfrom تَعاليrising high
لُجَجي لَستَ سالِماً مِن تَعالي
هاtheir وَلَوand even if كُنتَyou were فيin سَفينَةِthe ship of نوحِNoah
ها وَلَو كُنتَ في سَفينَةِ نوحِ
My deep waters—you are not safe from their rising,
My billows spare you no arrogance
even were you in Noah's ark.
Even if you were in Noah’s ship.
Sol 6.1