فلقَدfor indeed حَداdrove onward برقُlightning الغليyearning (word begins)
فلقَد حَدا برقُ الغلي
لِyearning (word ending) سحائبَclouds الدمعِtears السَّكوبِstreaming
لِ سحائبَ الدمعِ السَّكوبِ
For the lightning of yearning has indeed driven
The lightning of passion flashed
the clouds of streaming tears.
Against the pouring clouds of tears,
لولاهwere it not for it لمnot يكُwas للمناfor the dwellings (word begins)
لولاه لم يكُ للمنا
زلِdwellings (word ending) فيin دُموعيmy tears منany نصيبِshare
زلِ في دُموعي من نصيبِ
Without it, the dwellings would have had
Else my share of tears would not have flowed.
no share in my tears.
It brought downpours
وردَتْcame عليهupon it صوالجٌpolo mallets
وردَتْ عليه صوالجٌ
لَعِبَتplayed بحبّاتِwith the kernels of القلوبِhearts
لَعِبَت بحبّاتِ القلوبِ
Polo mallets came upon it,
That played with fragments of hearts.
playing with the kernels of hearts.
When I sought the soft dew,
لَمَّاwhen خطبتُI sought نَدىthe bounty of الحُسيal-Husayn (name begins)
لَمَّا خطبتُ نَدى الحُسي
نِal-Husayn (name ending) أَمِنْتُI was safe from غائلةَthe ravages of الخُطوبِcalamities
نِ أَمِنْتُ غائلةَ الخُطوبِ
When I sought al-Husayn's bounty,
I secured the knot of engagement.
I was safe from the ravages of misfortune.
The moon of dew, nay the sun
قَمرُmoon النَّدىbounty بلrather ضيغمُlion الthe
قَمرُ النَّدى بل ضيغمُ ال
هيجاءِbattle فيon اليومِthe day العَصيبِdire
هيجاءِ في اليومِ العَصيبِ
The moon of bounty—rather, the lion
Shining on a dire day.
of battle on the dire day.
Its grace in a pasture
فعُفاتُهso his bounty-seekers فيin مَرتَعٍa pasture
فعُفاتُه في مَرتَعٍ
منfrom سَيْبِthe largesse of راحتِهhis palm خَصيبِfertile
من سَيْبِ راحتِه خَصيبِ
Thus his bounty-seekers are in a pasture
Of grass flourishing in its comfort.
made fertile by the largesse of his palm.
Pure traits from praise
شِيَمٌvirtues حَليِنَwere adorned منwith الثناpraise (word begins)
شِيَمٌ حَليِنَ من الثنا
ءِpraise (word ending) كماjust as عَطَلْنَwere bare منof العُيوبِfaults
ءِ كما عَطَلْنَ من العُيوبِ
Virtues adorned with praise,
As if flaws were never created.
just as they are bare of faults.
It flows ahead of its springtime
يجريhe races أمامahead of ربيعهRabiʿa
يجري أمام ربيعه
فيin الحزمresolve والرأيand judgment المصيبsound
في الحزم والرأي المصيب
He races ahead of Rabiʿa
With wisdom and sound opinion.
in resolve and sound judgment,
Like an arrow that passed by
مثلlike السنانthe spearhead مضىadvanced وقاand led (word begins)
مثل السنان مضى وقا
دled (word ending) الرمحthe spear متسقwell-aligned الكعوبthe joints
د الرمح متسق الكعوب
like a spearhead that advanced and led
While the spear remained balanced.
the spear with its joints aligned.
Praising his beauty
حسنgrew beautiful المديحpraise بوصفهthrough describing him
حسن المديح بوصفه
فأتاهso it came to him فيin حسنthe beauty of نسيبa love lyric
فأتاه في حسن نسيب
Praise grew beautiful in describing him,
Came to him in good credit.
so it came to him with a love lyric's beauty,
With wonders that give
بغرائبٍwith marvels تَهْديconvey اللُّباthe essence (word begins)
بغرائبٍ تَهْدي اللُّبا
بَessence (word ending) منof الثَّناءِpraise إلىto اللَّبيبِthe discerning person
بَ من الثَّناءِ إلى اللَّبيبِ
with marvels that convey the essence
Intelligent ones gifts of praise.
of praise to the discerning.
If the lover's hearing embraced it
لوif صافحَتْshook hands with سَمَعَthe hearing of المُحِبْthe lover (word begins)
لو صافحَتْ سَمَعَ المُحِبْ
بِlover (word ending) لأذهلْتهُwould distract him عنfrom الحبيبِthe beloved
بِ لأذهلْتهُ عن الحبيبِ
Were they to clasp a lover's ear,
It would distract him from the beloved.
they would distract him from his beloved.
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1