ظَفَرَtriumphed الأَسىgrief بِمُتَيَّمover a love-stricken man لَمdid not يَظفَرtriumph
ظَفَرَ الأَسى بِمُتَيَّم لَم يَظفَر
قَصُرَgrew short المَنامُsleep وَليلهand his night لَمdid not يقصُرِgrow short
قَصُرَ المَنامُ وَليله لَم يقصُرِ
Grief triumphed over a love-stricken man who had won nothing.
Sorrow prevailed over Mutayyam, though it did not prevail,
Sleep grew short, but his night did not.
Sleep was brief though the night was not brief,
وَمِنَand part of الصَبابَةِardent love أَنَّthat هاَيكَthose (text unclear) الدُمىstatue-like beauties
وَمِنَ الصَبابَةِ أَنَّ هاَيكَ الدُمى
أَدمَتmade bleed محاجِرُهُhis eye-sockets لسفحat the foot of محجَرِMahjar
أَدمَت محاجِرُهُ لسفح محجَرِ
And such is ardent love: those statue-like beauties
And the youth reminded you that those red hills
have made his eye-sockets bleed at the foot of Mahjar.
Whose rocks were dyed by the blood of the valley.
أَعرضنthey turned away عَنfrom مُتَعَرِّضٍone seeking their notice وَمَلَلنand they grew weary
أَعرضن عَن مُتَعَرِّضٍ وَمَلَلن
عَنof متململٍa restless man وَضحِكنَand they laughed منat مُستعبرِone in tears
عَن متململٍ وَضحِكنَ من مُستعبرِ
They turned away from one seeking their notice, and grew weary
I turned away from the ostentatious and the bored,
of one tossing in anguish, and laughed at one in tears.
And laughed at the giggler and the pretentious.
يَحياhe lives حَياةa life of تذكُّرٍremembrance فَإِذاthen when أَتَتthere come
يَحيا حَياة تذكُّرٍ فَإِذا أَتَت
عُلَقُthe bonds of الصَبابَةِardent love ماتَhe dies موتa death of تذكُّرِremembrance
عُلَقُ الصَبابَةِ ماتَ موت تذكُّرِ
He lives a life of remembrance; but when there come
He lives a life of remembrance, so when
the bonds of ardent love, he dies a death of remembrance.
The ropes of youth come, he dies the death of remembrance.
شَوقٌlonging نأىreceded جَلَديmy endurance بِهِbecause of it وَتَجَلُّديand my effort to endure
شَوقٌ نأى جَلَدي بِهِ وَتَجَلُّدي
وَهَوىًand passion هَوىfell صَبريmy patience لهfor it وَتَصَبُّريand my effort to be patient
وَهَوىً هَوى صَبري له وَتَصَبُّري
Longing has carried off my endurance and my effort to endure,
Yearning peeled my skin with it, and my patience,
and passion has felled my patience and my effort to be patient.
And passion melted my patience with it and my composure.
كادَتthey nearly تُجِدrenew الوَجدَlove’s anguish لَولاwere it not for فتيةyoung men
كادَت تُجِد الوَجدَ لَولا فتية
منof مُنذِرٍone who warns أَوor عُصبَةٍa band منof مُبصِرِone who sees clearly
من مُنذِرٍ أَو عُصبَةٍ من مُبصِرِ
They almost renewed love’s anguish, but for young men—
It almost found ecstasy, had it not been for the warning
some giving warning, or a band of clear-sighted men—
Of a warner, or a group of clear-sighted men.
مقسومةdivided بِالحُسنِin beauty بينَbetween مُخَفَّفٍone made light
مقسومة بِالحُسنِ بينَ مُخَفَّفٍ
وَمُثَقَّلٍand one made heavy وَمؤَنَّثٍand a feminine one وَمُذَكَّرِand a masculine one
وَمُثَقَّلٍ وَمؤَنَّثٍ وَمُذَكَّرِ
whose beauty is divided between the light
Divided by beauty between an inflected and uninflected word,
and the heavy, the feminine and the masculine.
Between feminine and masculine, between heavy and light.
تُعطيكَgives you بِالأَلفاظِin words غلظةَthe roughness of ضَيغَمِa lion
تُعطيكَ بِالأَلفاظِ غلظةَ ضَيغَمِ
وَتُريكَand shows you بِالأَلحاظِin glances رِقَّةِthe tenderness of جؤذَرِa wild-ox calf
وَتُريكَ بِالأَلحاظِ رِقَّةِ جؤذَرِ
They give you, in their words, a lion’s roughness,
It gives you in words the roughness of clay,
and show you, in their glances, a wild-ox calf’s tenderness.
And shows you in glances the softness of velvet.
ياO جائِراًunjust one وَالدَهرand Time أُجورُthe most unjust حاكِمjudge
يا جائِراً وَالدَهر أُجورُ حاكِم
وَالحادِثاتُand calamities بِمُنجدٍupon an upland traveler أَوor مُغوِرِa lowland traveler
وَالحادِثاتُ بِمُنجدٍ أَو مُغوِرِ
O unjust one—Time is the most unjust of judges,
O unjust one, and time is the wages of the judge,
and calamities beset those journeying upland or lowland.
And events with a helper or a betrayer.
ماnot ضافَcame as a guest بيto me هَمٌّa sorrow بِهِover him فقربتهso I brought it near
ما ضافَ بي هَمٌّ بِهِ فقربته
إِلّاexcept مدالجةjourneying by night المطيِّthe riding camels الضُمَّرِthe lean ones
إِلّا مدالجة المطيِّ الضُمَّرِ
No grief over him came as my guest but I welcomed it
No care drew near me but the rubbing of the smooth spear,
with journeys through the night on lean riding camels.
And dawn has taken its fingers
وَالصُبحُand dawn قَدalready أَخذتhad begun أَنامِلthe fingertips of كَفِّهِits hand
وَالصُبحُ قَد أَخذت أَنامِل كَفِّهِ
فيinto كُلِّevery جَيبٍcollar لِلظَّلامِof the darkness مُزَرَّرِbuttoned
في كُلِّ جَيبٍ لِلظَّلامِ مُزَرَّرِ
And the fingertips of dawn’s hand had begun to reach
In every pocket of darkness embroidered.
into every buttoned collar of the darkness.
As if in the west a rider of a dusky horse
فَكأَنَّماso, as though فيin الغَربِthe west راكِبُa rider on أَدهَمٍa black steed
فَكأَنَّما في الغَربِ راكِبُ أَدهَمٍ
يحتثُّهurges him on فيin الشَرقِthe east راكِبa rider on أَشقَرِa chestnut steed
يحتثُّه في الشَرقِ راكِب أَشقَرِ
So it was as though a rider on a black steed in the west
Urges it, and in the east a rider of a blond urges it.
were urged onward by a rider on a chestnut steed in the east.
It walks to the furthest of lands from its walking,
يَسريtravels by night لأبعدَtoward more distant سؤددٍglory مِنthan مشيهhis journey
يَسري لأبعدَ سؤددٍ مِن مشيه
وَيَرومand seeks أَقربَa nearer موردٍwatering-place مِنthan مَصدَرِa point of departure
وَيَروم أَقربَ موردٍ مِن مَصدَرِ
He journeys by night toward glory more distant than his journey,
And intends the nearest stop from its source.
and seeks a watering-place nearer than his point of departure.
For the dear state of the Ahmad family in battle
لعزيزِto Aziz, the mighty one دولَةthe dynasty of آلthe house of أَحمدَAhmad فيin الوَغىbattle
لعزيزِ دولَة آل أَحمدَ في الوَغى
وَالسِلمِand peace بدرthe full moon of سَريرهاits throne وَالمَنبرِand the pulpit
وَالسِلمِ بدر سَريرها وَالمَنبرِ
To Aziz of the dynasty of Ahmad’s house, in war
And peace, the full moon is its throne and pulpit.
and peace—the full moon of its throne and pulpit.
An honor that shows you confused in victory
شَرَفٌnobility يُريكَshows you مهلهلاًMuhalhil فيamong تغلبTaghlib
شَرَفٌ يُريكَ مهلهلاً في تغلب
يَومthe day of الكُلابal-Kulab وتبَّعاًand Tubbaʿ فيamong حِميَرِHimyar
يَوم الكُلاب وتبَّعاً في حِميَرِ
A nobility that shows you Muhalhil among Taghlib,
The day of dogs and likewise in donkeys.
on the day of al-Kulab, and Tubbaʿ among Himyar.
How much the rabble curse him
كَمhow many لِلعُفاةِfor those seeking gifts إِلَيهِtoward him منof سَبّابَةٍa forefinger
كَم لِلعُفاةِ إِلَيهِ من سَبّابَةٍ
توميpoints وَكَمand how many يَثنىis bent لَهin his honor منof خِنصَرِa little finger
تومي وَكَم يَثنى لَه من خِنصَرِ
How many a supplicant’s forefinger toward him
Blame and how much the thin-nosed praise him.
points—and how many a little finger is bent in his honor!
As if it throws the enemies with its might
وَكَأَنَّماand as though يَرميassails العِدىthe enemies مِنthrough بأسِهِhis might
وَكَأَنَّما يَرمي العِدى مِن بأسِهِ
بأسوَدَwith the lions of خَفّانKhaffan وَجِنَّةand the jinn of عَبقَرِAbqar
بأسوَدَ خَفّان وَجِنَّة عَبقَرِ
And it is as though, through his might, he assails his foes
Lions and a troop of gazelles.
with Khaffan’s lions and Abqar’s jinn.
Where an agent pierces in a coat of mail,
فيin حيثthe place where يَنفذdrives through عامِلاًa spear’s upper shaft فيinto جَوشَنٍa coat of mail
في حيث يَنفذ عامِلاً في جَوشَنٍ
طعناًwith a thrust وَيبذلand freely uses صارِماًa keen sword فيagainst مِغفَرِa mail helmet
طعناً وَيبذل صارِماً في مِغفَرِ
Where he drives a spearshaft through a coat of mail
Stabbing, and a sword swings in forgiveness.
with a thrust, and plies a keen sword against a helmet.
It painted the edges of swords as if
مُحمَرَّreddened أَطرافthe tips of السُيوفِthe swords كَأَنَّماas though
مُحمَرَّ أَطراف السُيوفِ كَأَنَّما
يُطبِعنَthey are forged منfrom وردthe roses of الخُدودِthe cheeks الأَحمَرِred
يُطبِعنَ من ورد الخُدودِ الأَحمَرِ
With the sword-tips reddened, as though
It prints from the roses of red cheeks.
they were forged from the red roses of cheeks.
You made me forget my worries with the honor of your crafts
أَنسَيتَنيyou made me forget ذُلّيmy abasement بِعزِّthrough the honor of صَنائِعkind deeds
أَنسَيتَني ذُلّي بِعزِّ صَنائِع
علَّمتَنيهِyou taught it to me خبرةthe experience of المُتَخَبِّرِone who tests things
علَّمتَنيهِ خبرة المُتَخَبِّرِ
You made me forget my abasement through the honor of your favors,
You taught me, O experienced one.
honor you taught me through firsthand experience.
So why should I seek more from other than you
فَعلامَso why أَطلبshould I seek منfrom سواكanyone other than you مزيدةadditional bounty
فَعلامَ أَطلب من سواك مزيدة
وقدand already استثرناwe have unearthed مِنكَfrom you مَعدِنَa mine of جَوهَرِjewels
وقد استثرنا مِنكَ مَعدِنَ جَوهَرِ
Then why should I seek further bounty from anyone but you,
When we have extracted from you the essence of substance?
when we have already uncovered in you a mine of jewels?
With your long right hand over me and its length
بيَمينكthrough your right hand الطُولىthe far-reaching عليَّtoward me وَطَولِهاand its bounty
بيَمينك الطُولى عليَّ وَطَولِها
قَصَّرتُI have refrained عَنfrom تَعريضveiled appeals to كلevery مُقصِرِone who falls short
قَصَّرتُ عَن تَعريض كل مُقصِرِ
Through your far-reaching right hand toward me and its bounty,
I fell short of hinting at every failure.
I have forgone veiled appeals to every niggard.
So submit, for how much you brought close the estranged,
فاسلمso remain safe فَكَمfor how many قرَّبتyou brought near منof مُتَباعِدٍa far-off thing
فاسلم فَكَم قرَّبت من مُتَباعِدٍ
صعبdifficult وَكَمand how many يَسَّرتَyou made easy مِنof مُتَعَسِّرِa difficult thing
صعب وَكَم يَسَّرتَ مِن مُتَعَسِّرِ
May you remain safe! How many a far-off thing you have brought near,
Difficult, and how much you eased the frustrated!
though hard to reach, and how many a difficulty you have eased!
And just as you surpassed people in virtues,
وَكَماand just as تَقَدَّمتَyou went before الأَنامmankind فَضائِلاًin virtues
وَكَما تَقَدَّمتَ الأَنام فَضائِلاً
فَإِذاthen when هُمُthey وردواcome to الرَدىdeath فَتأَخَّرِthen lag behind
فَإِذا هُمُ وردوا الرَدى فَتأَخَّرِ
And as you have gone before mankind in virtue,
When they come to interpret, they lag behind.
when they come to death, then lag behind!
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1