عَلِمَتْshe knew بِأنَّthat غَرامَهَاlove for her فيin خَاطِرِيmy thoughts
عَلِمَتْ بِأنَّ غَرامَهَا في خَاطِرِي
فَتَعَزَّزَتْso she grew haughty وَرَنَتْand she gazed بِطَرفٍwith an eye فَاتِرٍlanguid
فَتَعَزَّزَتْ وَرَنَتْ بِطَرفٍ فَاتِرٍ
She knew that love for her dwelt in my thoughts,
She knew my passion burned for her in my heart,
so she grew haughty and gazed with a languid eye.
So she grew distant, glancing at me listlessly.
وتَبَرَقَعَتْand she veiled her face لَمَّاwhen رَأتنيshe saw me زَائِراًvisiting
وتَبَرَقَعَتْ لَمَّا رَأتني زَائِراً
أكَذاكَis it like this? يُفْعَلُis treated بِالحَبيبِthe beloved الزَّائِرِvisiting
أكَذاكَ يُفْعَلُ بِالحَبيبِ الزَّائِرِ
And she veiled her face when she saw me visiting.
She veiled herself when she saw me visiting,
Is this how a beloved visitor is treated?
Is this how a lover should be treated when visiting?
إنْif كَانَis يَعجَبُهَاpleases her النُّفُورُaloofness فَإنَّمَاthen only
إنْ كَانَ يَعجَبُهَا النُّفُورُ فَإنَّمَا
أهوَىI love التَّعَزُّلَaloofness فِيin الغَزَالِthe gazelle النَّافِرِskittish
أهوَى التَّعَزُّلَ فِي الغَزَالِ النَّافِرِ
If aloofness pleases her, then I only
If aloofness pleased her, then indeed
love aloofness in the skittish gazelle.
I love keeping apart, like a startled gazelle.
هَيفَاءُslender-waisted يُثقِلُهَاweighs her down الحِلِيُّjewelry وَوَجهُهاand her face
هَيفَاءُ يُثقِلُهَا الحِلِيُّ وَوَجهُها
أبهىmore radiant وأفتنُand more enchanting منthan حليّjewelry السّامريal-Samiri
أبهى وأفتنُ من حليّ السّامري
Slender-waisted, she is weighed down by jewelry, and her face
Hayfa, jewellery weighs her down and her face
is more radiant and enchanting than al-Samiri's jewelry.
Is lovelier and more alluring than the jewels of a Samaritan.
لاdo not تنكرواcondemn ولهيmy infatuation بهاwith her فعيونهاfor her eyes
لا تنكروا ولهي بها فعيونها
حَكَمَتْthey ruled عَلَىover ضَعفِيmy weakness بِحُكمٍwith a decree قَاهِرِoverpowering
حَكَمَتْ عَلَى ضَعفِي بِحُكمٍ قَاهِرِ
Do not condemn my infatuation with her, for her eyes
Do not deny I am smitten with her, for her eyes
have ruled over my weakness with an overpowering decree.
Have condemned me, with an overwhelming judgement.
أوand ...? مَاnot تَرَونَyou see مِنَfrom القَوامِthe figure وثَغرِهَاand her mouth
أو مَا تَرَونَ مِنَ القَوامِ وثَغرِهَا
طَعنِthe thrusting of الرّمَاحِthe spears ونَفَثْand the breathing of سِحرِthe magic of السَّاحِرِthe sorcerer
طَعنِ الرّمَاحِ ونَفَثْ سِحرِ السَّاحِرِ
And do you not see in her figure and her mouth
Or have you not seen her stature and lips,
the thrusts of spears and the sorcerer's breathed enchantment?
Like the thrust of a lance, and the sorcery of a bewitcher.
وَمَتَىand whenever أشَرتُI hinted مُعَرضاًindirectly فِيabout حَاجَةٍa need
وَمَتَى أشَرتُ مُعَرضاً فِي حَاجَةٍ
غَفَلَتْshe paid no heed ومَرَّتْand she moved on فِيin حَدِيثٍconversation آخَرِanother
غَفَلَتْ ومَرَّتْ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرِ
And whenever I hinted indirectly at a need,
And whenever I gestured discreetly, wanting something,
she paid no heed and moved on to another subject.
She was heedless, speaking of other things.
لَمْdid not أنسَI forget إذwhen قَالَتْshe said عَهدْتُكَI knew you خَائِفاًafraid
لَمْ أنسَ إذ قَالَتْ عَهدْتُكَ خَائِفاً
وَقْعَthe impact of الشَّوائِبِmisfortunes مِنْfrom زَمَانٍan age جَائِرِunjust
وَقْعَ الشَّوائِبِ مِنْ زَمَانٍ جَائِرِ
I have not forgotten when she said, “I knew you were afraid of
I cannot forget when she said, “I knew you were fearful
the blows of misfortune from an unjust age.
Of the pitfalls in these unsettled times.”
بِمَنِthrough whom انْتَصَرْتَyou prevailed عَلَيهِover it قُلْتُI said مُبادِراًpromptly
بِمَنِ انْتَصَرْتَ عَلَيهِ قُلْتُ مُبادِراً
إنِّيindeed I انتَصَرتُI prevailed بِأحمَدَthrough Ahmad بنِson of النَّاصِرِal-Nasir
إنِّي انتَصَرتُ بِأحمَدَ بنِ النَّاصِرِ
Through whom did you prevail over it?” I replied at once,
When asked who I took revenge on, I replied eagerly,
“Indeed, I prevailed through Ahmad ibn al-Nasir.”
“I took revenge through Ahmad ibn al-Nasir.”
قَالَتْshe said ظَفِرتَyou have won فَثِقso trust إذاًthen بِمُوَفَقٍin one granted success
قَالَتْ ظَفِرتَ فَثِق إذاً بِمُوَفَقٍ
رَحبِspacious الفَنَاءِthe courtyard لِوارِدٍfor one arriving والصّادِرِand the one departing
رَحبِ الفَنَاءِ لِوارِدٍ والصّادِرِ
She said, “You have won; trust, then, in one granted success,
She said, “You were victorious, so trust in your good fortune,
whose courtyard is spacious for those who come and go.
Vast is the field for one who arrives and departs.”
مَاthere is none فِيamong الرّجالmen كَمَنْlike the one whom ذَكَرتَyou mentioned ولاتَقُلْand do not say
مَا فِي الرّجال كَمَنْ ذَكَرتَ ولاتَقُلْ
فيamong الألفِthe thousand فَردٌone person مِثلُlike هذاthis النَّادِرِrare one
في الألفِ فَردٌ مِثلُ هذا النَّادِرِ
There is no man like the one you named; do not say,
No man can compare to the one you mentioned, do not say
‘In a thousand there is one like this rare man.’”
Among a thousand there is one like this rare man.
مَنْwho ذاis the one يَراهُsees him ولَمْand did not يَقُلْsay فيin حَقِهِhis regard
مَنْ ذا يَراهُ ولَمْ يَقُلْ في حَقِهِ
كَمhow much قَدindeed بَقَىremained مِنْfrom أولِthe earlier للآخِرِfor the later
كَم قَد بَقَى مِنْ أولِ للآخِرِ
Who can see him without saying of him,
Who sees him and does not say of him,
“How much remains from the earlier for the later!”
“How much remains from beginning to end!”
ورثhe inherited السيادةpreeminence منfrom أبيهhis father وجدهand his grandfather
ورث السيادة من أبيه وجده
وهلمand onward جراin succession كابراًa great forebear عنfrom كابرِa great forebear
وهلم جرا كابراً عن كابرِ
He inherited preeminence from his father and grandfather,
He inherited sovereignty from his father and grandfather,
and so on, one great forebear after another.
Generations of the great, from one great man to another.
ولقدand indeed وردتI came عليهto him إثرafter مشقةٍa hardship
ولقد وردت عليه إثر مشقةٍ
فدحتْweighed heavily وفلبيand my heart (apparent typo) فيin جناحيthe two wings of طائرِa bird
فدحتْ وفلبي في جناحي طائرِ
And indeed I came to him after a hardship
And truly, after hardship befell him,
that weighed me down, my heart between a bird's wings.
I arrived ruffled and crumpled under the wing of a bird.
وَالشَرُّand evil يَنظُرُنِيwatches me بِكُلّat every ثَنِيةٍmountain pass
وَالشَرُّ يَنظُرُنِي بِكُلّ ثَنِيةٍ
شَزراًaskance ويَلقَانِيand meets me بِوَجهٍwith a face غَادِرِtreacherous
شَزراً ويَلقَانِي بِوَجهٍ غَادِرِ
And evil watched me at every mountain pass,
Evil watches me at every turn,
askance, and met me with a treacherous face.
Mocking me maliciously with a treacherous face.
فَإذاthen behold أنَاI لَمَّاwhen لَمَستُI touched بِكَفِّهِwith his palm
فَإذا أنَا لَمَّا لَمَستُ بِكَفِّهِ
جَذلاَنُjoyful أخطُرُI stride proudly فيin انشِرَاحease الخَاطِرِthe mind
جَذلاَنُ أخطُرُ في انشِرَاح الخَاطِرِ
And suddenly, when I touched his palm, I was
But as soon as I touched his palm,
joyful, striding proudly, my mind at ease.
I felt delight spread through my heart.
يَاO آلfamily of نَاجٍNaji كُلُّكُمْall of you مِنْfor أجلِهِhis sake
يَا آل نَاجٍ كُلُّكُمْ مِنْ أجلِهِ
أهلُworthy of المَديحِpraise وأهلُand worthy of شُكرِthe gratitude of الشَّاكِرِthe grateful
أهلُ المَديحِ وأهلُ شُكرِ الشَّاكِرِ
O family of Naji, all of you, on his account,
O family of Naji, you are all, because of him,
are worthy of praise and the thanks of the grateful.
Worthy of praise, and appreciative of the appreciator.
بَلْrather بَيتُكُمْyour house فِيهَاin it الفَضَائِلِthe virtues جُمِّعَتْwere gathered
بَلْ بَيتُكُمْ فِيهَا الفَضَائِلِ جُمِّعَتْ
جَمعاًa gathering يُحصَلُis attained كُلَّevery حَظّshare وَافِرِample
جَمعاً يُحصَلُ كُلَّ حَظّ وَافِرِ
Rather, in your house the virtues have been gathered,
Indeed, virtuous merits in all their varieties
in a gathering where every ample share is attained:
Have gathered in your house, every ample share.
مَاwhat بَينَbetween بَطلٍa hero أوor عَميدٍthe head of ولاَيَةٍa province
مَا بَينَ بَطلٍ أو عَميدٍ ولاَيَةٍ
أوor بَحرِa sea of فَضلِexcellence أوor رئيسِa chief of مَحَابِرِinkwells
أو بَحرِ فَضلِ أو رئيسِ مَحَابِرِ
be it a hero or the head of a province,
None between a champion, or a provincial governor,
or a sea of excellence or a chief of inkwells.
Or an ocean of excellence, or chief man of prestige.
يَاO سَيِّداًa lord قَدindeed رَدَّrestored لِيto me مِنfrom فَضلِهِhis bounty
يَا سَيِّداً قَد رَدَّ لِي مِن فَضلِهِ
عِزيmy honor وحَيَّانيand greeted me بِخَيرٍwith kindness بَاكِرِearly
عِزي وحَيَّاني بِخَيرٍ بَاكِرِ
O lord who, out of his bounty, has restored to me
O master, his generosity has restored my honour,
my honor, and greeted me with early kindness,
And given me life through timely good.
حُسنُgoodness of الطَّويَّةِinner nature فيin الكَرِيمِthe generous man سَجيَّةٌan inborn trait
حُسنُ الطَّويَّةِ في الكَرِيمِ سَجيَّةٌ
تَخفىis hidden وَيُظهِرُهَاand reveals it جَمَالُthe beauty of الظَّاهِرِoutward appearance
تَخفى وَيُظهِرُهَا جَمَالُ الظَّاهِرِ
goodness of heart is an inborn trait of the generous man,
A noble nature in the generous man is instinctive,
hidden, yet revealed by the beauty of his outward appearance.
Hidden, yet his handsome appearance reveals it.
أبقَاكَmay He preserve you رَبُّكَyour Lord سَالِمَاًsafe فِيin غِبطَةٍhappiness
أبقَاكَ رَبُّكَ سَالِمَاً فِي غِبطَةٍ
حَتَّىuntil تُعَمِّرَyou live long عُمرَthe lifespan of جَدّa forebear عَاشِرِtenth
حَتَّى تُعَمِّرَ عُمرَ جَدّ عَاشِرِ
May your Lord preserve you, safe and happy,
May your Lord keep you safe and sound, in bliss,
until you live as long as a forebear ten generations back.
Until you live out the lifetime of your glorious ancestor.
Sol 6.1