سَطْوَةُtyranny الحبيبِthe beloved
سَطْوَةُ الحبيبِ
أحلىsweeter مِنْthan جَنىharvest النّحْلِthe bees
أحلى مِنْ جَنى النّحْلِ
The beloved's tyranny
The authority of the beloved
Is sweeter than the bees' harvest.
Is sweeter than the honey of bees
وعلىand incumbent upon اللبيبِthe wise one
وعلى اللبيبِ
أنto يخضعَsubmit للذلِّto humiliation
أن يخضعَ للذلِّ
And the wise must
And it is upon the wise
Submit to humiliation.
To submit to humiliation
أناI فيin حروبِwars
أنا في حروبِ
معwith الأعينthe eyes النُّجلِwide
مع الأعين النُّجلِ
I am at war
I am at war
With wide eyes.
With the beautiful eyes
ليسthere are not ليfor me يدانِtwo hands (strength)
ليس لي يدانِ
بأحورَagainst a dark-eyed one فتَّانِbewitching
بأحورَ فتَّانِ
I have no strength
I have no hands
Against a bewitching, dark-eyed one.
For the alluring charmer
منwhoever رأىhas seen جفونَهhis eyelids
من رأى جفونَه
فقدthen indeed أفْسَدَتْthey have corrupted دينَهْhis faith
فقد أفْسَدَتْ دينَهْ
Whoever has seen his eyelids
Whoever saw his eyelids
Has had his faith corrupted by them.
Has corrupted his faith
يَنْبَغيis fitting التجّنيunjust reproach
يَنْبَغي التجّني
لمثلكَfor one like you فيin الأنْسِintimacy
لمثلكَ في الأنْسِ
Unjust reproach is fitting
It is proper to avoid
For one like you in intimacy.
The like of you in intimacy
لوif قبلتَyou accepted منّيfrom me
لو قبلتَ منّي
لتهتُI would boast علىover الشمسِthe sun
لتهتُ على الشمسِ
If you accepted what I offer,
If I kissed you
I would boast over the sun.
I would be lost in the sun
ياO مُنَىwishes التمنّيlonging
يا مُنَى التمنّي
هلمَّcome إلىto الأنْسcompanionship
هلمَّ إلى الأنْس
O fulfillment of longing,
O object of wishing
Come to the joy of companionship.
Come to intimacy
أنتَyou مهرجانيmy festival
أنتَ مهرجاني
وَخدُّكَand your cheek بُسْتانيmy garden
وَخدُّكَ بُسْتاني
You are my festival,
You are my celebration
And your cheek is my garden.
And your cheek my garden
غَطِّcover ياسمِينَهْits jasmine
غَطِّ ياسمِينَهْ
إنَّindeed الناسَpeople يجنونَهthey pluck it
إنَّ الناسَ يجنونَه
Cover its jasmine,
Cover, o jasmine
For people pluck it.
People are picking you
خلِّleave aside كلَّevery مَيْنِfalsehood
خلِّ كلَّ مَيْنِ
أَتىhas come الحقُّthe truth منقاداsubmissive
أَتى الحقُّ منقادا
Cast aside every falsehood;
Leave every bend
Truth has come, submissive.
Truth has come tamed
منwho رأىhas seen بعينِwith an eye
من رأى بعينِ
فيamong ذاthis الخلقِpeople مَنْone who ساداbecame preeminent
في ذا الخلقِ مَنْ سادا
Who has seen with his own eyes
Whoever saw with an eye
Among these people anyone as eminent
In creation one who excelled
كأبيlike Abu الحسينal-Husayn
كأبي الحسين
ويفديهand ransoms him إنif جاداhe gives generously
ويفديه إن جادا
As Abu al-Husayn?
Like Abu Al-Hussein
And, if he gives, he is ransomed
And ransoms him if he is generous
كلُّevery ذيpossessor of امتنانِbeneficence
كلُّ ذي امتنانِ
لاno بلْrather كلُّevery هتّانِpouring rain-cloud
لا بلْ كلُّ هتّانِ
By every bestower of favors—
Everyone with a blessing
No, rather, by every pouring rain-cloud
No, but every infatuated one
رامَsought أنْto يكونَهْbe his equal
رامَ أنْ يكونَهْ
جوداًin generosity فأنىbut how? دونَهْbeneath him
جوداً فأنى دونَهْ
That sought to be his equal
Wanted to make it
In generosity—but how could it, beneath him as it is?
Generosity, but fell short of it
خَطّطَplanned الوزيرُthe minister
خَطّطَ الوزيرُ
بخطَّةِwith a policy إيثارِselfless giving
بخطَّةِ إيثارِ
The minister devised
The minister planned
A policy of selfless giving;
A plan of preference
فانتهىand reached السُّرورُjoy
فانتهى السُّرورُ
إلىto غيرِno مقدارِmeasure
إلى غيرِ مقدارِ
And joy reached
So joy reached
Beyond all measure.
Beyond limit
رُدَّتِwere returned الأمورُaffairs
رُدَّتِ الأمورُ
إلىto أسدٍa lion ضارِferocious
إلى أسدٍ ضارِ
Affairs were returned
Affairs returned
To a ferocious lion,
To a harmful lion
ثابتِsteadfast الجنانِthe heart
ثابتِ الجنانِ
صفوحٍever forgiving عنtoward الجانيthe offender
صفوحٍ عن الجاني
Steadfast of heart,
Firm of soul
Ever forgiving the offender.
Forgiving of the sinner
قدindeed حَمَىhe protected عرينَهْhis den
قد حَمَى عرينَهْ
بالزُّرْقِwith blue-tipped spears المسنونَهsharpened
بالزُّرْقِ المسنونَه
He has guarded his den
He protected his lair
With sharpened, blue-tipped spears.
With acquired spears
أظْهَرَrevealed المُقامُthe sojourn
أظْهَرَ المُقامُ
فيin الغربةِbeing far from home حرْماناdeprivation
في الغربةِ حرْمانا
My sojourn has revealed
The position revealed
Deprivation far from home;
Deprivation in estrangement
فأناso I أُلامُam blamed
فأنا أُلامُ
إسراراًin secret وإعلاناand in public
إسراراً وإعلانا
So I am blamed
So I blame
In secret and in public.
Secretly and openly
قلتُI said والكلامُand speech
قلتُ والكلامُ
يَصرُحُis forthright أحياناًsometimes
يَصرُحُ أحياناً
I said—and speech
I said and speech
Is forthright at times—
Sometimes declares openly
فزتُI attained بالأمانيwith the wishes
فزتُ بالأماني
لوif كانwere منamong إخوانيmy brethren
لو كان من إخواني
I would attain my wishes
So I won wishes
If among my brethren were
If only he were of my brothers
صاحبُthe lord of المدينةthe city
صاحبُ المدينة
أعلىmay exalt اللهGod تَمكينَهْhis authority
أعلى الله تَمكينَهْ
The lord of the city—
The owner of the city
May God exalt his authority!
May God elevate his empowerment
Sol 6.1