أَمِنis it from صَلَفٍarrogance صَدودُكِyour turning away أَمor دَلالِcoquetry
أَمِن صَلَفٍ صَدودُكِ أَم دَلالِ
فَقَدfor indeed أَحدَثتِyou have brought about حالاًa state بَعدَafter حالِa state
فَقَد أَحدَثتِ حالاً بَعدَ حالِ
Does your turning away spring from arrogance or coquetry?
For you have brought about one change after another.
صَدَدتِyou turned away وَكُنتِand you were لاnot تَنوينَintending شَرّاًharm
صَدَدتِ وَكُنتِ لا تَنوينَ شَرّاً
لِمَنto the one whom أَخزَيتِهِyou disgraced him بَينَamong الرِجالِmen
لِمَن أَخزَيتِهِ بَينَ الرِجالِ
You turned away, though you had meant no harm
to the one you disgraced among men.
مَضىhe went on بِكِwith you لاnot يُريبُكِtroubles you مِنهُabout him شَيءٌanything
مَضى بِكِ لا يُريبُكِ مِنهُ شَيءٌ
سِوىexcept ماwhat غابَlay hidden مِنof تِلكَthose الخِلالِtraits
سِوى ما غابَ مِن تِلكَ الخِلالِ
He went on with you; nothing about him troubled you
save what lay hidden of those traits.
وَماand nothing بَينَbetween الرِضىapproval وَالسُخطِand displeasure إِلّاexcept
وَما بَينَ الرِضى وَالسُخطِ إِلّا
تَأَمُّلُthe scrutiny of ناظِرٍa beholder فيماin what بَداappeared ليto me
تَأَمُّلُ ناظِرٍ فيما بَدا لي
And between approval and displeasure lies only
a beholder's scrutiny, so it seems to me.
فَياso, oh لَكِfor you نَظرَةًa glance جَرَّتbrought about شُؤوناًaffairs
فَيا لَكِ نَظرَةً جَرَّت شُؤوناً
هُنالِكَat that time لَمnot تَكُنbe تَجريpassing بِبالِthrough a mind
هُنالِكَ لَم تَكُن تَجري بِبالِ
Oh, what a glance yours was, bringing about things
that had never crossed anyone's mind at the time!
أَحَلتِyou turned سُرورَthe joy of ذاكَthat القَلبِheart حُزناًsorrow
أَحَلتِ سُرورَ ذاكَ القَلبِ حُزناً
وَهِجتِand you stirred up لَهُfor it أَفانينَvarieties of الخَبالِmadness
وَهِجتِ لَهُ أَفانينَ الخَبالِ
You turned that heart's joy into sorrow,
and stirred in it manifold forms of madness.
سَجِيَّةُthe nature of هَذِهِthis الدُنياworld وَخُلقٌand a trait
سَجِيَّةُ هَذِهِ الدُنيا وَخُلقٌ
تُريناهُshow it to us تَصاريفُthe vicissitudes of اللَياليthe nights
تُريناهُ تَصاريفُ اللَيالي
Such is this world's nature—a trait
that the shifting nights reveal to us.
وَلَكِنand yet أَنتِyou أَعجَلُswifter بِاِنقِلابٍin reversal
وَلَكِن أَنتِ أَعجَلُ بِاِنقِلابٍ
مِنَthan الدُنياthe world وَأَعجَبُand more wondrous فيin اِنتِقالِchange
مِنَ الدُنيا وَأَعجَبُ في اِنتِقالِ
Yet you are swifter to reverse yourself
than the world, and more wondrous in your changes,
وَأَقرَبُand closer مِنto هُدىًguidance فيماin what رَواهُhe related it
وَأَقرَبُ مِن هُدىً فيما رَواهُ
لَناto us الراويthe narrator وَأَبعَدُand farther عَنfrom ضَلالِerror
لَنا الراوي وَأَبعَدُ عَن ضَلالِ
and closer to guidance, in the account
the narrator gave us, and farther from error.
رَأَيتِyou deemed خِيانَةَbetrayal of الأَوطانِhomelands ذَنباًa sin
رَأَيتِ خِيانَةَ الأَوطانِ ذَنباً
فَلَمso not يَكُنِwas الجَزاءُthe recompense سِوىexcept الزِيالِparting
فَلَم يَكُنِ الجَزاءُ سِوى الزِيالِ
You deemed betrayal of homelands a sin,
so there was no recompense but parting.
وَلَمand not يَكُwas ذاكthat مِنamong شِيَمِthe ways of الغَوانيbeautiful women
وَلَم يَكُ ذاك مِن شِيَمِ الغَواني
إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis أَزمَعَتthey resolved صَرمَsevering الحِبالِthe cords
إِذا ما أَزمَعَت صَرمَ الحِبالِ
And that was not among the ways of beautiful women
when they resolved to sever the cords.
شَرَعتِyou ordained لَهاfor them وَلِلفِتيانِand for young men ديناًa creed
شَرَعتِ لَها وَلِلفِتيانِ ديناً
ضَرَبتِyou struck بِهِwith it عَلىover دينِthe creed of الأَواليthose of old
ضَرَبتِ بِهِ عَلى دينِ الأَوالي
You ordained for them and for young men a creed,
with which you struck out the creed of those of old.
وَأُقسِمُand I swear لَوحَكَتكِif they emulated you نِساءُthe women of قَوميmy people
وَأُقسِمُ لَوحَكَتكِ نِساءُ قَومي
لَسَنَّتthey would surely establish بَينَناamong us سُبُلَpaths to المَعاليgreatness
لَسَنَّت بَينَنا سُبُلَ المَعالي
And I swear, if the women of my people emulated you,
they would establish among us the paths to greatness.
نَخونُwe betray بِلادَناour country وَنَنامُand we sleep عَنهاheedless of it
نَخونُ بِلادَنا وَنَنامُ عَنها
وَنَخذُلُهاand we forsake it لَدىamid النُوَبِcalamities الثِقالِheavy
وَنَخذُلُها لَدى النُوَبِ الثِقالِ
We betray our country and sleep, heedless of it,
and forsake it amid heavy calamities,
وَنُسلِمُهاand we surrender it إِلىto الأَعداءِthe enemies طَوعاًwillingly
وَنُسلِمُها إِلى الأَعداءِ طَوعاً
بِلاwithout حَربٍwar تُقامُbeing waged وَلاand no قِتالِfighting
بِلا حَربٍ تُقامُ وَلا قِتالِ
and surrender it willingly to the enemies,
without war being waged or any fighting.
وَنَلهوand we dally بِالحِسانِwith beautiful women فَلاyet not تُريناthey show us
وَنَلهو بِالحِسانِ فَلا تُرينا
تَبَرُّمَthe vexation of عاتِبٍa reproacher وَمَلالَand the weariness of قالِone who loathes
تَبَرُّمَ عاتِبٍ وَمَلالَ قالِ
And we dally with beauties, yet they show us neither
a reproacher's vexation nor a hater's weariness.
وَلَوand if صَنَعَتthey acted صَنيعَكِyour deed لَمnot نَخُنهاwe betray it
وَلَو صَنَعَت صَنيعَكِ لَم نَخُنها
وَلَمand not نُؤثِرwe prefer مُصانَعَةَcurrying favor with المَواليthe masters
وَلَم نُؤثِر مُصانَعَةَ المَوالي
Had they acted as you did, we would not have betrayed it,
nor preferred currying favor with the masters.
وَلَمand not يَكُbe نَقصُهاtheir deficiency لِيُعَدَّto be counted عَيباًa fault
وَلَم يَكُ نَقصُها لِيُعَدَّ عَيباً
إِذاwhen عَجَزَfall short الرِجالُmen عَنِof الكَمالِperfection
إِذا عَجَزَ الرِجالُ عَنِ الكَمالِ
Nor should their shortcomings be counted a fault
when men fall short of perfection.
فَإِنso if غَضِبواthey are angry عَلَيَّwith me فَقَولُthen the words of حُرٍّa free man
فَإِن غَضِبوا عَلَيَّ فَقَولُ حُرٍّ
يَرىhe sees أَوطانَهُhis native lands غَرَضَa target for النِبالِarrows
يَرى أَوطانَهُ غَرَضَ النِبالِ
So if they are angry with me, these are the words of a free man
who sees his native lands as a target for arrows.
Sol 6.1