غَنَّتْshe sang تحاوِرُهconversing with him بِطْرَفٍwith a gaze أحوَرِdark-pupilled
غَنَّتْ تحاوِرُه بِطْرَفٍ أحوَرِ
يومَon the day of النَّوىparting وبِوَرْدِand with the rose of خَذٍّa cheek أحمرِred
يومَ النَّوى وبِوَرْدِ خَذٍّ أحمرِ
She sang, conversing with him through a dark-pupilled gaze,
on the day of parting, and through the rose of a red cheek,
ونِظامِand an ordered row of ثَغْرٍa mouth ماnever تهلَّلَgleamed وَشْيُهits embroidery
ونِظامِ ثَغْرٍ ما تهلَّلَ وَشْيُه
إلاexcept بكىwept خَجَلاًin shame نِظامُthe string of الجَوهَرِjewels
إلا بكى خَجَلاً نِظامُ الجَوهَرِ
and through a mouth's ordered teeth, whose embroidery never gleamed
without the string of jewels weeping in shame.
يُهديit offers إليكَto you نسيمَهits breath فكأنماso it is as though
يُهدي إليكَ نسيمَه فكأنما
شِيبَتْwere blended جوانِبُهits sides بمِسكِwith musk أَذفَرِstrong-scented
شِيبَتْ جوانِبُه بمِسكِ أَذفَرِ
It offers you its breath, as though
its sides had been blended with strong-scented musk.
غُصْنٌa branch تعالىrose high فيin كَثيبٍa sand dune أعفَرٍpale
غُصْنٌ تعالى في كَثيبٍ أعفَرٍ
ليلٌa night تَداجَىgrew dark فيin صَباحٍa morning مُسفِرِradiant
ليلٌ تَداجَى في صَباحٍ مُسفِرِ
A branch rising high in a pale sand dune;
a night grown dark within a radiant morning;
شَمسٌa sun يَهُبُّblows علىupon القلوبِthe hearts إذاwhen بَدَتْshe appears
شَمسٌ يَهُبُّ على القلوبِ إذا بَدَتْ
عنfrom صَحْنِthe expanse of وجنَتِهاher cheek نَسيمُa breeze of العنبَرِambergris
عن صَحْنِ وجنَتِها نَسيمُ العنبَرِ
a sun: when she appears, there blows upon hearts
from her cheek's expanse a breeze of ambergris.
لمdid not يجتَذِبْdraw طَرْفاًa gaze شَمائلُthe charms of طَرْفِهhis gaze
لم يجتَذِبْ طَرْفاً شَمائلُ طَرْفِه
إلاexcept ثَنَتْهturned it back حائراًbewildered فيin المِحجَرِthe eye socket
إلا ثَنَتْه حائراً في المِحجَرِ
Never did the charms of his gaze draw an eye
without turning it back, bewildered, in its socket.
قرأتْrecited عليَّto me بزَفْرَةٍwith a sigh ألفاظُهاher words
قرأتْ عليَّ بزَفْرَةٍ ألفاظُها
آياتِverses of شوقٍlonging فيwithin حَشاهاher breast مُضمَرِconcealed
آياتِ شوقٍ في حَشاها مُضمَرِ
With a sigh, her words recited to me
verses of longing concealed within her breast.
فكأنماso it was as though نظرَتْshe looked إليَّat me بناظِرٍwith an eye
فكأنما نظرَتْ إليَّ بناظِرٍ
وتحدَّثَتْand she spoke عنon behalf of قَلبِيَmy heart المُستَهترِbesotted
وتحدَّثَتْ عن قَلبِيَ المُستَهترِ
So it was as though she looked at me with an eye
and spoke on behalf of my besotted heart.
خلَعَتْbestowed لواحِظُهاher glances علىupon وَجَناتِهاher cheeks
خلَعَتْ لواحِظُها على وَجَناتِها
خِلَعَrobes of honor الجَوانحِthe inner breast بالدُّموعِwith tears الهُمَّرِstreaming
خِلَعَ الجَوانحِ بالدُّموعِ الهُمَّرِ
Her glances bestowed upon her cheeks
the heart's robes of honor in streaming tears.
وتَساقَطَتْand they fell فيupon وَرْدِهاher rose فكأنَّهاso they seemed to be
وتَساقَطَتْ في وَرْدِها فكأنَّها
طَلٌّdew تَساقَطَfell فَوقَupon وَرْدٍa rose أحمَرِred
طَلٌّ تَساقَطَ فَوقَ وَرْدٍ أحمَرِ
And they fell upon her rose, as though they were
dew falling upon a red rose.
وصلَتْshe granted reunion ولاand no وقديمِand by the old حُرقَةِburning pain of هَجرِهاher abandonment
وصلَتْ ولا وقديمِ حُرقَةِ هَجرِها
لاnot أَسْتلِّذُّI savor الوَصْلَreunion ماas long as لمnot أُهجَرِI am forsaken
لا أَسْتلِّذُّ الوَصْلَ ما لم أُهجَرِ
She granted reunion; yet no—by the old burning pain of her abandonment,
I do not savor reunion unless I have been forsaken.
عطَفتْshe turned kindly عليَّtoward me بصوبِwith the downpour of ماءِthe water of وِصالِهاher union
عطَفتْ عليَّ بصوبِ ماءِ وِصالِها
عَطْفَthe kind turning of الحُسينِal-Husayn علىtoward رَجاءِthe hope of المُقتِرِthe needy man
عَطْفَ الحُسينِ على رَجاءِ المُقتِرِ
She turned kindly toward me with the downpour of her union's water,
as al-Husayn turns toward the needy man's hope.
مَلِكٌa king أَذَلَّhumbled الوَفدَthe delegation جودُthe generosity of يمينِهhis right hand
مَلِكٌ أَذَلَّ الوَفدَ جودُ يمينِه
حتىuntil تَغَوَّرَhe sank deep فيinto العَلاءِglory الأكبَرِthe greatest
حتى تَغَوَّرَ في العَلاءِ الأكبَرِ
A king whose right hand's generosity humbled the delegation,
until he sank deep into the highest glory.
تحكيmirror يميناهhis two right hands يمينَيthe two right hands of عابدٍa worshipper
تحكي يميناه يمينَي عابدٍ
ويقولُand he says إنْif لمnot أَحْكِهِI emulate him لمnot أُعذَرِI am excused
ويقولُ إنْ لم أَحْكِهِ لم أُعذَرِ
His two right hands mirror a worshipper's two right hands,
and he says, “If I do not emulate him, I shall not be excused.”
وكذاand likewise الفتىthe young man إنif لمnot يُذَكِّرْmakes remembered سيفَهhis sword
وكذا الفتى إن لم يُذَكِّرْ سيفَه
وفِعالَهand his deeds بصلاتِهِthrough his gifts لمnot يُذكَرِhe is remembered
وفِعالَه بصلاتِهِ لم يُذكَرِ
Likewise, unless a young man wins remembrance for his sword
and his deeds through his gifts, he will not be remembered.
شغلَتْdistracted روائِحُهُhis scents العَجاجَthe swirling dust وطيبُهاand their fragrance
شغلَتْ روائِحُهُ العَجاجَ وطيبُها
بينamong القَناthe spears عنfrom طيبِthe sweetness of ريحِthe scent of المِجمَرthe incense brazier
بين القَنا عن طيبِ ريحِ المِجمَر
His scents and their fragrance distracted the swirling dust
among the spears from the sweet scent of the incense brazier.
لقَرينِهfor his opponent بينَamid الصُّفوفِthe ranks سَحائبٌclouds
لقَرينِه بينَ الصُّفوفِ سَحائبٌ
مَوصولَةٌjoined بِسَحابِto clouds of ريحٍa wind صرَصَرِbiting and howling
مَوصولَةٌ بِسَحابِ ريحٍ صرَصَرِ
For his opponent amid the ranks there are clouds,
joined to the clouds of a biting, howling wind.
يَلقىhe meets العدوُّthe enemy بسيفِهwith his sword وجَبينِهand his brow
يَلقى العدوُّ بسيفِه وجَبينِه
ويقولُand he says ليسَis not يَكونُcome to pass ماwhat لمnot يُقدَرِdecreed
ويقولُ ليسَ يَكونُ ما لم يُقدَرِ
He meets the enemy with his sword and his brow,
and says, “What is not decreed does not come to pass.”
تأبىrefuse معاليthe lofty heights of مجدِهhis glory أنto يكتسيclothe himself
تأبى معالي مجدِه أن يكتسي
رَعْداًtrembling fear لِقرْنٍbefore an opponent أوor يُرىbe seen فيin مِغفَرِa mail helmet
رَعْداً لِقرْنٍ أو يُرى في مِغفَرِ
The lofty heights of his glory refuse to let him clothe himself
in fear of an opponent, or be seen in a mail helmet.
أيُّwhich القلوبِhearts أزارَهhe brought it to visit سطَواتِهhis mighty assaults
أيُّ القلوبِ أزارَه سطَواتِه
عنthrough سَطوَةٍan onslaught منهfrom him فلمand did not يتفَطَّرِsplit apart
عن سَطوَةٍ منه فلم يتفَطَّرِ
What heart has he brought before his mighty assaults
through an onslaught of his, without its splitting apart?
أَمor أيُّwhich وِهْمٍٍimagination رامَsought كُنْهَthe essence of صِفاتِهhis qualities
أَم أيُّ وِهْمٍٍ رامَ كُنْهَ صِفاتِه
مُتَحيِّراًperplexed فيهabout him فلمand did not يَتحيَّرِbecome bewildered
مُتَحيِّراً فيه فلم يَتحيَّرِ
Or what imagination has sought the essence of his qualities,
in perplexity about him, yet not grown bewildered?
عَجِلُswift الرِّماحِthe spears إلىtoward الأعاديthe enemies مِسْعَرٌa kindler of war
عَجِلُ الرِّماحِ إلى الأعادي مِسْعَرٌ
يأبىhe rejects سِوىall but طَعْنِpiercing الشُّجاعِthe brave warrior المِسعَرِthe battle-kindler
يأبى سِوى طَعْنِ الشُّجاعِ المِسعَرِ
Swift with his spears against the foes, a kindler of war,
he accepts only piercing a brave kindler of battle.
وإذاand when ارتقىhe climbs دَرَجَthe steps of العُلاglory قالَتْit says لهto him
وإذا ارتقى دَرَجَ العُلا قالَتْ له
أَوفَيتَyou have reached أقصَىthe utmost المُرتَقىheight of ascent فتَصَدَّرِso take the foremost seat
أَوفَيتَ أقصَى المُرتَقى فتَصَدَّرِ
And when he climbs the steps of glory, it says to him,
“You have reached the utmost height: take the foremost seat.”
يَقِظٌvigilant إذاwhen اتَّقَدَتْblazed عَزائِمُthe firm resolves of رَأيِهhis judgment
يَقِظٌ إذا اتَّقَدَتْ عَزائِمُ رَأيِه
أَخمَدْنَthey extinguished رَأيِthe judgment of النَّاكبِthe wayward المتجبِّرِthe tyrannical
أَخمَدْنَ رَأيِ النَّاكبِ المتجبِّرِ
Vigilant: when the firm resolves of his judgment blaze,
they extinguish the judgment of the wayward tyrant.
ياO أيُّهاyou الآمالُhopes أنتِyou صَوائبٌon target
يا أيُّها الآمالُ أنتِ صَوائبٌ
هذاthis is الحُسينُal-Husayn أبوfather of الحُسينِal-Husayn فأَقصِريso go no further
هذا الحُسينُ أبو الحُسينِ فأَقصِري
O hopes, your aim is true;
this is al-Husayn, Abu al-Husayn; go no further.
حُطِّيset down رِحالَكِyour saddles بينَamong خَمْسِfive يمينِهhis right hand
حُطِّي رِحالَكِ بينَ خَمْسِ يمينِه
فلقدfor indeed تقومُit takes مقامَthe place of سبعةِseven أبحرِseas
فلقد تقومُ مقامَ سبعةِ أبحرِ
Set down your saddles among the five fingers of his right hand,
for it indeed takes the place of seven seas.
Sol 6.1