لوif سَالَمَتْهُmade peace with him سجاياtraits طَرفِكَyour gaze السَّاجيlanguid
لو سَالَمَتْهُ سجايا طَرفِكَ السَّاجي
لكانthen he would have been أوَّلَthe first صبٍّardent lover فيin الهَوىlove نَاجِيa survivor
لكان أوَّلَ صبٍّ في الهَوى نَاجِي
Had the ways of your languid gaze made peace with him,
Had the glances of your drooping eyelids been safe
he would have been the first ardent lover to survive love.
It would have been the first dawn in love complaining
سَرتْflowed forth أوائلُthe first دمعِtears العينِthe eye حينَwhen سرَتset out by night
سَرتْ أوائلُ دمعِ العينِ حينَ سرَت
أوائلُthe vanguard الحيِّthe tribe منof ظُعْنٍcamel-borne women وأحداجِand camel-litters
أوائلُ الحيِّ من ظُعْنٍ وأحداجِ
The first tears of the eye flowed when there set out
The first tears began to flow when the cheeks of the living
the tribe's vanguard of camel-borne women and litters.
Began with emaciation and solidity
ومنand from وراءِbehind سُجوفِcurtains الرَّقْمِembroidered cloth شَمسُa sun ضُحىًmidmorning
ومن وراءِ سُجوفِ الرَّقْمِ شَمسُ ضُحىً
تجولُmoves about فيin جنحِshadows ليلٍa night مُظلمٍdark دَاجِيpitch-black
تجولُ في جنحِ ليلٍ مُظلمٍ دَاجِي
And from behind embroidered curtains, a midmorning sun
And behind the letters a morning sun
moves in the shadows of a dark, pitch-black night.
Wandering in the wings of a dark gloomy night
مقدودةٌshapely خَرَطَتcarved أيديhands الشبابِyouth لهاfor her
مقدودةٌ خَرَطَت أيدي الشبابِ لها
حُقَّينِtwo small caskets دونَbeneath مجالِsweep العِقدِthe necklace منof عاجِivory
حُقَّينِ دونَ مجالِ العِقدِ من عاجِ
A shapely woman: youth's hands have carved for her
With outstretched hands the youths beckoned it
two ivory caskets beneath the necklace's sweep.
With rights below the scope of the knotty wood
كأنَّas though عَبْرَتَهاher tear يومَon the day of الفِراقِparting جرَتْflowed
كأنَّ عَبْرَتَها يومَ الفِراقِ جرَتْ
منfrom ماءِmoisture وجنتِهاher cheek أوor ماءِfluid (blood) أوداجِjugular veins
من ماءِ وجنتِها أو ماءِ أوداجِ
As though her tear on the day of parting had flowed
As if her tears on the day of parting had flowed
from her cheek's moisture, or the blood of jugular veins.
From the water of her cheeks or from fresh water springs
ماwhat للقوافيwith the rhymes خَطَتpassed over قَوماًa people محاسنُهاtheir beauties
ما للقوافي خَطَت قَوماً محاسنُها
وَأُلْهِجَتْand were made devoted بابنِto the son of فَهدٍFahd أيَّutter إلهاجِdevotion
وَأُلْهِجَتْ بابنِ فَهدٍ أيَّ إلهاجِ
Why have the beauties of rhyme passed over some people
What is wrong with rhymes that their beauty has marked a people
and become so utterly devoted to Ibn Fahd?
And they were delighted with the son of Fahd, what an inspiration!
فكلَّso every يومٍday تُريهِshows him رَوضةًa meadow أُنُفاًuntouched
فكلَّ يومٍ تُريهِ رَوضةً أُنُفاً
تُربيsurpasses علىbeyond الروضِthe meadows منin حُسنٍbeauty وإبهاجِand delight
تُربي على الروضِ من حُسنٍ وإبهاجِ
So each day they show him an untouched meadow,
So every day it shows him a fragrant meadow
surpassing the meadows in beauty and delight.
That nurtures beauty and delight in the meadow
مُفوَّفاتٌstriped brocades إذاwhen استسقَتsought rain from أناملُهhis fingertips
مُفوَّفاتٌ إذا استسقَت أناملُه
ضَحِكْنَthey laughed منfrom عارضٍa rain cloud للجُودِof generosity ثَجَّاجِpouring profusely
ضَحِكْنَ من عارضٍ للجُودِ ثَجَّاجِ
Striped brocades: when they seek rain from his fingertips,
Adorned fingers, when they intertwined,
they laugh beneath a cloud pouring forth generosity.
Laugh from a cheek competing in generosity
ثَنىturned المديحُpraise إليهtoward him عِطْفَهits side فثَنىthen he draped
ثَنى المديحُ إليه عِطْفَه فثَنى
أعطافَهhis sides منهfrom it فيin وَشيٍembroidered cloth وديباجِand brocade
أعطافَه منه في وَشيٍ وديباجِ
Praise turned its shoulder toward him, and he draped
Praise leaned toward him, so he leaned
his shoulders in its embroidery and brocade.
His leaned body towards it, in intimacy and fine garments
أغرُّradiantly noble ماnever حكَمتheld sway يُمناهhis right hand فيover نَشَبٍwealth
أغرُّ ما حكَمت يُمناه في نَشَبٍ
إلاexcept that تحكَّمhad command فيهover it الآملُthe hopeful seeker الراجيthe expectant one
إلا تحكَّم فيه الآملُ الراجي
Radiant and noble, his right hand never held sway over wealth
I boast of what his right hand ruled in valor
without the hopeful supplicant having command of it.
Unless his wishful hoping ruled it
ومُتعِبٌand straining فيin طِلابِpursuit المجدِglory همَّتَهhis ambition
ومُتعِبٌ في طِلابِ المجدِ همَّتَه
مُواصلٌcontinuing للسُّرىwith night travel فيهin its pursuit بإدلاجِby setting out at nightfall
مُواصلٌ للسُّرى فيه بإدلاجِ
And he strains his ambition in the pursuit of glory,
And striving in seeking glory, his resolve
pressing on through the night toward it, setting out at nightfall.
Is continuous in it with persistence
مَعمورةٌfilled بذزيwith wearers of (apparent typo) التِّيجانِcrowns نِسبتُهhis lineage
مَعمورةٌ بذزي التِّيجانِ نِسبتُه
فماso he does not يُعدِّدُenumerate إلاexcept كلَّevery ذيwearer of تاجِa crown
فما يُعدِّدُ إلا كلَّ ذي تاجِ
His lineage is filled with wearers of crowns,
His lineage inhabited with the seeds of crowns
so he counts only those who wear a crown.
So none enumerate but those with a crown
تَسطوyou strike fiercely بأسمرَwith a brown spear يُمضيهdrives it onward سَناgleam قَبَسٍa flame
تَسطو بأسمرَ يُمضيه سَنا قَبَسٍ
بينَbetween الشَّراسيفِthe rib-tips والأحشاءِand the entrails ولاَّجِpenetrating deeply
بينَ الشَّراسيفِ والأحشاءِ ولاَّجِ
You strike with a brown spear, propelled by a flame's gleam,
With dark brown, his years advance a spark
plunging between rib-tips and entrails.
Between the ribs, intestines, and whispers
والبِيضُand bright swords فوقَabove متونِbacks الزَّعْفِsupple coats of mail خافقةٌquivering
والبِيضُ فوقَ متونِ الزَّعْفِ خافقةٌ
كأنهنas though they were حريقٌa blaze فوقَabove أمواجِwaves
كأنهن حريقٌ فوقَ أمواجِ
And bright swords quiver above the backs of supple mail,
And the white above the zebra's backs fluttering
as though they were a blaze above waves.
As if they were a fire above the waves
عزْمٌresolve إذاwhen نابتِbefell الأقوامُthe peoples نائبةٌa calamity
عزْمٌ إذا نابتِ الأقوامُ نائبةٌ
تكشَّفَتْit cleared عنrevealing سِراجٍa lamp منهfrom him وهَّاجِblazing
تكشَّفَتْ عن سِراجٍ منه وهَّاجِ
He is resolve itself: when calamity befalls peoples,
A resolve, when the people experienced adversity
it clears to reveal a blazing lamp from him.
A tribulation was revealed from it, glowing
أباO father of الفوارسِthe horsemen إنيindeed I مُطلِقٌgiving free rein to هِمَميmy ambitions
أبا الفوارسِ إني مُطلِقٌ هِمَمي
فيماin what أحاولُI attempt منof نأيٍgoing far away وإزعاجِand uprooting
فيما أحاولُ من نأيٍ وإزعاجِ
O Abu al-Fawaris, I am giving my ambitions free rein
O father of knights, I unleash my resolve
in my attempts to go far away and uproot myself.
In what I attempt of remoteness and agitation
منافرٌshunning نفَراًa band رثَّتgrew threadbare حِبالُهمُtheir cords
منافرٌ نفَراً رثَّت حِبالُهمُ
وأنهجَand became threadbare الجودُgenerosity فيهمamong them أيَّutter إنهاجِwearing-out
وأنهجَ الجودُ فيهم أيَّ إنهاجِ
I shun a band whose cords have grown threadbare,
Alienating the people whose ropes have worn out
and among whom generosity is utterly worn out.
And generosity has demolished in them any trails
ترىyou see الأديبَthe man of letters مُضاعاًneglected بينamong أظهُرِهمtheir midst
ترى الأديبَ مُضاعاً بين أظهُرِهم
كأنهas though he were عربيٌّan Arab بينَamong أعلاجِuncouth foreigners
كأنه عربيٌّ بينَ أعلاجِ
You see the man of letters neglected in their midst,
You see the literary man being scorned among their backs
as though he were an Arab among uncouth foreigners.
As if he were a Bedouin among non-Arabs!
فليسَso it does not يُطرِبُهمdelight them أنيthat I مدحتُهمُI praised them
فليسَ يُطرِبُهم أني مدحتُهمُ
وليسnor does it يُغْضِبُهُمanger them أنيthat I لهمof them هاجيa satirist
وليس يُغْضِبُهُم أني لهم هاجي
So it does not delight them that I have praised them,
It does not perturb them that I praised them
nor does it anger them that I satirize them.
Nor does it anger them that I address them
وأنتَand you تعلمُknow أنيthat I جَدَّnewly arose ليfor me سَفَرٌa journey
وأنتَ تعلمُ أني جَدَّ لي سَفَرٌ
إنيindeed I إلىfor الكُتْبِletters فيهfor it جِدُّgreatly مُحتاجِin need
إني إلى الكُتْبِ فيه جِدُّ مُحتاجِ
And you know that a journey has come up for me;
And you know that I have a long journey ahead of me
I am in great need of letters for it.
I am in great need of books for it
فماso nothing يُطيلُprolongs مُقاميmy stay فيin ديارِهُمtheir lands
فما يُطيلُ مُقامي في ديارِهُم
إلاexcept انتظارُwaiting for طواميرٍscrolls وأدراجِand folded documents
إلا انتظارُ طواميرٍ وأدراجِ
So nothing prolongs my stay in their lands
Nothing prolongs my stay in their homes
except waiting for scrolls and folded documents.
Except waiting for luggage and belongings
Sol 6.1