كانَwas جَليداًsteadfast فخانَهbut betrayed him جَلَدُهْhis fortitude
كانَ جَليداً فخانَه جَلَدُهْ
وعادَهand visited him بعدَafter هِمَّةٍresolve كَمدُهْhis grief
وعادَه بعدَ هِمَّةٍ كَمدُهْ
He was steadfast, but his fortitude betrayed him;
He was ice but his skin betrayed him
and after resolve, his grief visited him.
And he returned with determination like his pillar
وأطلقَand released الشَّوقُlonging أَسْرَcaptivity of عَبرَتِهhis tear
وأطلقَ الشَّوقُ أَسْرَ عَبرَتِه
وهوwhile he أسيرُcaptive of الفؤادِthe heart مُضطَهَدُهoppressed by it
وهو أسيرُ الفؤادِ مُضطَهَدُه
And longing released his tear from captivity,
And longing released the shackles of his sadness
while he remained the heart's captive, oppressed by it.
While he is the heart's prisoner, persecuted
أَدَمْعُis it the tears of ذاكَthat الغزالِgazelle فاضَoverflowed علىover الthe
أَدَمْعُ ذاكَ الغزالِ فاضَ على ال
خدَّيْنِtwo cheeks أَمor عِقْدُهُhis necklace وَهَتْloosened عُقَدُهits knots
خدَّيْنِ أَم عِقْدُهُ وَهَتْ عُقَدُه
Did that gazelle's tears flow over the
Are those tears of that gazelle overflowing
cheeks, or did his necklace's knots come loose?
On the cheeks, or is it his necklace coming undone?
قامَrose يُريدُwishing for الوَداعَfarewell كالغُصُنِlike a bough الرْthe … (word continues)
قامَ يُريدُ الوَداعَ كالغُصُنِ الرْ
يَّانِlush (word completion) يَثنيbends قُوامَهhis stature غَيَدُهhis graceful suppleness
يَّانِ يَثني قُوامَه غَيَدُه
He rose to bid farewell, like a bough
He stood to bid farewell like the supple branch
lush with sap, his suppleness bending his frame.
Bending his stature, its greenery swaying
وذوand one possessed of الهَوىlove غَضَّةٌtender صَبابَتُهhis yearning
وذو الهَوى غَضَّةٌ صَبابَتُه
يُكابدُstruggles with الشَّوقَlonging طِبُّهُhis remedy كَبِدُهhis liver
يُكابدُ الشَّوقَ طِبُّهُ كَبِدُه
And the lover's yearning is tender;
And the loving soul is tender in his youth
he wrestles with longing; his remedy is his liver.
Bearing passionate yearning, though it pains his liver
كمhow many بينَamong تلكthose السُّجوفِcurtains منof مُقَلٍeyes
كم بينَ تلك السُّجوفِ من مُقَلٍ
تَبْذُلُfreely give منof دَمعِهاtheir tears الذيthat which تَجدُهthey find it
تَبْذُلُ من دَمعِها الذي تَجدُه
How many eyes behind those curtains
How many lights are there in those chambers
give of the tears they find!
That shed the tears they find?
ومستعيرِand a borrower of النُّضارِgold منfrom رَشإِa fawn
ومستعيرِ النُّضارِ من رَشإِ
لمnot يُخْطِهِmiss him لحظُهhis glance ولاnor جَيَدُهhis neck
لم يُخْطِهِ لحظُه ولا جَيَدُه
And many a borrower of gold from a fawn,
And borrowed radiance from a head
whom neither his glance nor his neck missed.
That his glances did not sketch, nor hands shape
لاnot يرتجيhopes for الصَّبُّthe lovesick lover بَرْدَcooling of غُلَّتِهhis burning thirst
لا يرتجي الصَّبُّ بَرْدَ غُلَّتِه
ماso long as ضَنَّbegrudged عنهfrom him بريقِهwith his saliva بَرَدُهhis hailstones (teeth)
ما ضَنَّ عنه بريقِه بَرَدُه
The lovesick lover hopes for no cooling of his thirst
The pouring rain hopes not for the coolness of its hardship
so long as those hailstone teeth deny him their saliva.
Its coldness never stinted its downpour
غداbecame ابنُson of فهدٍFahd والمجدُand glory شيمَتُهhis nature
غدا ابنُ فهدٍ والمجدُ شيمَتُه
والجودُand generosity والمجدُand glory لهوُهhis pastime وَدَدُهand his play
والجودُ والمجدُ لهوُه وَدَدُه
Ibn Fahd has glory for his nature;
Tomorrow the son of Fahd, and glory is his mark
and generosity and glory are his pastime and play.
Generosity and glory are what he loves and wants
فتىًa youth فَتىchampion of السَّماحِgenerosity مُكتَهِلُmature in الthe
فتىً فَتى السَّماحِ مُكتَهِلُ ال
حِلْمِforbearance ذَكيُّkeen الفُؤادِthe heart مُتَّقِدُهblazing in it
حِلْمِ ذَكيُّ الفُؤادِ مُتَّقِدُه
A youth, a champion of generosity, mature in
A boy, a boy of generosity, mature in patience
forbearance, keen of heart, his heart ablaze.
Sharp of mind, his heart kindled
ومُسرِفُand lavish in الجُودِgenerosity حينَwhen يَقتَصِدُis sparing الthe
ومُسرِفُ الجُودِ حينَ يَقتَصِدُ ال
غَيْثُrain رَفيقُgentle in الفَعالِdeeds مُقتَصِدُهmeasured in them
غَيْثُ رَفيقُ الفَعالِ مُقتَصِدُه
And lavish in bounty when sparing is the
Extravagant in generosity when the rain is measured
rain; gentle and measured in his deeds.
A gentle rain, measured in its actions
كمhow many منof صباحٍa morning سَناهُits radiance عَزْمَتُهhis resolve
كم من صباحٍ سَناهُ عَزْمَتُه
ومنand of أيادٍfavors سِماتُهنَّtheir hallmarks يَدُهhis hand
ومن أيادٍ سِماتُهنَّ يَدُه
How many a morning has his resolve for its light,
How many dawns has his resolve brought forth
and how many favors have his hand for their hallmark!
And deeds which are tokens of his hand
مناقبٌvirtues يَنطويfolds inward الحَسودُthe envious man لهاbecause of them
مناقبٌ يَنطوي الحَسودُ لها
علىupon جَوىًburning anguish أوor يُميتُهkills him حَسَدُهhis envy
على جَوىً أو يُميتُه حَسَدُه
Virtues over which the envious man broods
Virtues that the envious fold into their bosoms
in burning anguish—or his envy kills him.
Out of hatred, or that hatred kills them
جَرىraced فبَذَّthen outstripped المُلوكَthe kings حينَwhen جَرىhe raced
جَرى فبَذَّ المُلوكَ حينَ جَرى
وفاتَand surpassed أقصَىthe farthest مَداهُمُtheir reach أَمَدُهhis range
وفاتَ أقصَى مَداهُمُ أَمَدُه
He raced, outstripping kings as he raced;
He surpassed kings when he surpassed
his range surpassed their farthest reach.
And went beyond the extent of their days
وكيفَand how يَرجوhopes for لَحاقَهcatching him مَلِكٌa king
وكيفَ يَرجو لَحاقَه مَلِكٌ
يَضيقُis too narrow عنfor رَحْبِthe breadth of صَدْرِهِhis breast بَلَدُهhis realm
يَضيقُ عن رَحْبِ صَدْرِهِ بَلَدُه
And how could a king hope to catch him,
How can a king hope to reach him
when his realm is too narrow for that spacious breast?
When his country falls short of the breadth of his chest?
رَبْعٌan abode كأنَّas though الرَّبيعَspring ألبَسَهclothed it
رَبْعٌ كأنَّ الرَّبيعَ ألبَسَه
غَرائبَwonders of النَّوْرِblossoms يانعاًflourishing خَضَدُهits tender boughs
غَرائبَ النَّوْرِ يانعاً خَضَدُه
An abode that spring seems to have clothed
A garden, as if spring had adorned it
in wondrous blossoms, its tender boughs flourishing.
With wondrous blossoms, vibrant and green
ومَنهَلٌand a watering place راقَdelighted وِردُهits draught فغَداso it became
ومَنهَلٌ راقَ وِردُه فغَدا
يَطرُدُdrives away عنَّاfrom us الإعْدامَdestitution مُطَّرَدُهits steady flow
يَطرُدُ عنَّا الإعْدامَ مُطَّرَدُه
And a watering place whose draught delights, so
And a meadow whose stream refreshed it
its steady flow now drives want away from us.
Banishing darkness, steadily dispelling it
وصارمٌand a keen sword لمnot يَشِمْهsheathe it ذوone wearing زَرَدٍchain mail
وصارمٌ لم يَشِمْه ذو زَرَدٍ
إلاexcept that تَفرَّىsplit apart عنbefore حَدِّهِits edge زَرَدُهhis chain mail
إلا تَفرَّى عن حَدِّهِ زَرَدُه
And a keen sword no mail-clad man has sheathed
A blade that no coat of mail tasted
without his mail splitting open before its edge.
Without its links scattering from its sharpness
إذاwhen ارتدىdonned مُهجةَlifeblood of الكَميِّthe armored warrior غَداbecame
إذا ارتدى مُهجةَ الكَميِّ غَدا
مُضرَّجاًcrimson-stained منwith جِسادِهِhis blood-dye جَسَدُهits body
مُضرَّجاً من جِسادِهِ جَسَدُه
When it dons a warrior's lifeblood, then
When he dons the garb of battle he becomes
its body turns crimson with his blood-dye.
Drenched in the blood of his foes, body by body
يَعضُدُsupports قَرْماًa chieftain تَقِلُّهbears it يَدُهhis hand
يَعضُدُ قَرْماً تَقِلُّه يَدُه
طَوْراًat times وطَوْراًand at times يَكُنُّهshelters it عَضُدُهhis upper arm
طَوْراً وطَوْراً يَكُنُّه عَضُدُه
It lends strength to a chieftain whose hand carries it
Supporting a spear that his hand can barely lift
at times, and at times his upper arm shelters it.
At times, and at times gripped tight in his grasp
يَلقَىmeets المَناياdeaths مَنْwhoever راحَsets out يوعدهhe threatens him
يَلقَى المَنايا مَنْ راحَ يوعده
حَتماًinevitably ويَلقىand meets النَّجاحَsuccess مَنْwhoever بَعِدُهunclear; likely 'he promises him'
حَتماً ويَلقى النَّجاحَ مَنْ بَعِدُه
Whoever he sets out to threaten meets death,
Death is destined for whoever challenges him
inevitably; and whoever he promises meets success.
And triumph for whoever comes after him
صَنيعُهhis beneficence سائرٌfar-traveling يلوحُshines وهلand can
صَنيعُه سائرٌ يلوحُ وهل
يَخْفىbe hidden صَنيعٌa benefaction مدائحيmy praises بُرُدُهits cloaks
يَخْفى صَنيعٌ مدائحي بُرُدُه
His beneficence travels far and shines—and can
His work is manifest, brilliant
a benefaction be hidden when my praises are its cloaks?
Can the eloquence of my poems conceal it?
وَقفٌreserved عليناfor us الثَّناءُpraise ماso long as اطَّرَدَتْflowed consistently
وَقفٌ علينا الثَّناءُ ما اطَّرَدَتْ
حُسْناًin beauty معانيهits meanings واستوىand became straight أَوَدُهits crookedness
حُسْناً معانيه واستوى أَوَدُه
Praise is reserved to us, so long as
Praise stopped us - how excellent
its meanings flow in beauty and its crookedness is straightened.
Were its meanings, and how far its love reached!
وكلَّماand whenever أخلَقَتْgrew threadbare بدائِعُهُits marvels
وكلَّما أخلَقَتْ بدائِعُهُ
جاءَتْcame إليهto him مُجِدَّةًhastening جُدُدُهits new ones
جاءَتْ إليه مُجِدَّةً جُدُدُه
And whenever its marvels grow threadbare,
And whenever his wonders create anew
fresh ones come hastening to him.
His glories come to him, made fresh
Sol 6.1