إذاif شِئْتَyou wish أنto تَجتاحَsweep away حَقاًa rightful claim بباطِلٍwith falsehood
إذا شِئْتَ أن تَجتاحَ حَقاً بباطِلٍ
وتُغْرِقَand drown خَصْماًan opponent كانَwas غيرَnot غَريقِdrowned
وتُغْرِقَ خَصْماً كانَ غيرَ غَريقِ
If you wish to sweep away a rightful claim with falsehood,
If you wish to vanquish truth with falsehood
And drown an opponent who was not drowned,
And drown an adversary not destined to drown
فَسائِلْthen ask أباAbu (father of) بَكْرٍBakr تَجِدْyou will find منهin him سَالِكاًone who follows a path
فَسائِلْ أبا بَكْرٍ تَجِدْ منه سَالِكاً
إلىinto ظُلُماتِthe darknesses الظُّلمِof injustice كلَّevery طَريقِpath
إلى ظُلُماتِ الظُّلمِ كلَّ طَريقِ
Then ask Abu Bakr; you will find in him one who follows
Then ask Abu Bakr, you will find him a guide
Every path into the darkness of injustice.
To the darkness of injustice, down every road
ولاطِفْهُand coax him بالشَّهْدِwith honey المُخَلَّقِanointed with saffron perfume وَجهُهits face
ولاطِفْهُ بالشَّهْدِ المُخَلَّقِ وَجهُه
وإنand although كانَhe is بالألطافِof kindly gifts غيرَnot خَليقِworthy
وإن كانَ بالألطافِ غيرَ خَليقِ
And coax him with honey whose face is anointed with saffron perfume,
Caress him with candy-coated hypocrisy
Though he is unworthy of kindly gifts,
Though he is not inclined toward pretense
بِأَحْمَرَwith something red مُبْيَضِّwhite الزُّجَاجِthe glass كَأَنَّهُas though it were
بِأَحْمَرَ مُبْيَضِّ الزُّجَاجِ كَأَنَّهُ
رِدَاءُa robe عَرُوسٍa bride مُشْرَبٌsuffused بِخَلُوقِwith saffron perfume
رِدَاءُ عَرُوسٍ مُشْرَبٌ بِخَلُوقِ
With red honey in white glass, as though it were
With the rouged transparency of glass that seems
A bride's robe suffused with saffron perfume.
A bride's gown imbued with kohl
لَهُit has فِيin الحَشَاthe breast بَرْدُcoolness الوِصَالِunion وَطيِبِهِand its sweetness
لَهُ فِي الحَشَا بَرْدُ الوِصَالِ وَطيِبِهِ
وَإنْand although كَانَit is يَلْقَاهُit meets it بِلَوْنِwith the color of حَريقِa blaze
وَإنْ كَانَ يَلْقَاهُ بِلَوْنِ حَريقِ
Within the breast it holds the coolness and sweetness of union,
For him the chill of estrangement and its sweetness
Though it greets the breast with the color of a blaze.
Though he meets it in scorched complexion
كأنَّas though بَيَاضَthe whiteness اللَّوزِof almonds فِيin جَنَبَاتِهِits sides
كأنَّ بَيَاضَ اللَّوزِ فِي جَنَبَاتِهِ
كَوَاكِبُstars لاَحَتْshone فيin سَمَاءِa sky عَقيقِagate
كَوَاكِبُ لاَحَتْ في سَمَاءِ عَقيقِ
As though the whiteness of almonds along its sides
As if the whiteness of almonds on his sides
Were stars that shone in a sky of agate.
Were stars appearing in a sapphire sky
Sol 6.1