يَاO فَاضِلاًlearned man يزْهُوtakes pride بِهِin him المَذهَبُthe school of thought
يَا فَاضِلاً يزْهُو بِهِ المَذهَبُ
وَفَاضِلَand eminent in الْخُطَّةِthe office إذْwhen تَعْصبُyou assume it
وَفَاضِلَ الْخُطَّةِ إذْ تَعْصبُ
O learned man in whom the school takes pride,
and eminent in office when you assume it,
وَمَنْand one who إذَاwhen حَدَّثَspeaks ألْهَىenthralls النُّهَىthe minds
وَمَنْ إذَا حَدَّثَ ألْهَى النُّهَى
وَيَبَسُطُand cheers النَّفْسَthe soul إذَاwhen يَكْتُبُhe writes
وَيَبَسُطُ النَّفْسَ إذَا يَكْتُبُ
whose speech enthralls the minds,
and whose writing cheers the soul.
جَاءَتْcame وَمَاand not بِالْعَهْدِin remembrance مِنْany غَيبَةٍabsence
جَاءَتْ وَمَا بِالْعَهْدِ مِنْ غَيبَةٍ
أبيَاتُكَyour verses الغُرُّradiant الَّتيwhich تُعْجٍبُdelight
أبيَاتُكَ الغُرُّ الَّتي تُعْجٍبُ
There came, though remembrance had never lapsed,
your radiant verses that delight.
فَأذْكَرَتْso they reminded مَنone who لَمnot يَكُنhad been ناسِياًforgetful
فَأذْكَرَتْ مَن لَم يَكُن ناسِياً
لِعَهْدِof the bond with كُلّeach مَنْone who لَهُwith him يَصحَبُkeeps company
لِعَهْدِ كُلّ مَنْ لَهُ يَصحَبُ
They reminded one who had never forgotten
his bond with everyone who keeps him company,
وَجَدَدَّتْand they renewed أنْساًfellowship نَعِمنْاwe took delight بِهِin it
وَجَدَدَّتْ أنْساً نَعِمنْا بِهِ
وَلَيْتَكَand would that you الْحَاضِرُwere present يَاO مُطْرِبُenchanter
وَلَيْتَكَ الْحَاضِرُ يَا مُطْرِبُ
and renewed a fellowship we had enjoyed.
Would that you were here, O enchanter!
حَكَيتَyou recounted فِيهَاin them مَاwhat جَرَىhappened عِندَمَاwhen
حَكَيتَ فِيهَا مَا جَرَى عِندَمَا
أُبْتَyou returned إلَىto أهْلٍa family لَكُمْof yours تَدْأبُyou toil
أُبْتَ إلَى أهْلٍ لَكُمْ تَدْأبُ
In them you recounted what happened when
you returned to your family, for whom you toil:
وَإنَّand indeed سَلْمَىSalma أعْرَضَتْturned away نَاشِزاًdefiant
وَإنَّ سَلْمَى أعْرَضَتْ نَاشِزاً
لِفَقدِهَاbecause she lacked الطَّيبَthe perfume الذيthat تَصْحَبُyou bring along
لِفَقدِهَا الطَّيبَ الذي تَصْحَبُ
how Salma turned away, defiant,
for lack of the perfume you bring.
فَبِتَّso you spent the night منْهَاbecause of her نَابِغِيَّNabigha-like الْعَنَاin anguish
فَبِتَّ منْهَا نَابِغِيَّ الْعَنَا
تَسْتَقْرِبyou find near الْمَاءَthe water ولَاyet do not تَشرَبُdrink
تَسْتَقْرِب الْمَاءَ ولَا تَشرَبُ
So because of her you spent the night in Nabigha-like anguish,
finding water near, yet not drinking,
وَأنتَwhile you ظَمآنٌthirsty لَهُfor it أشْهُراًfor months
وَأنتَ ظَمآنٌ لَهُ أشْهُراً
وَكِدتَand you nearly مِنْfrom شَوقٍlonging لَهُfor it تَهْرَبُflee
وَكِدتَ مِنْ شَوقٍ لَهُ تَهْرَبُ
though you had thirsted for it for months,
and nearly fled from longing for it.
كَأنَّنِيas though I شَاهَدْتُهَاsaw her لَيْلَةًone night
كَأنَّنِي شَاهَدْتُهَا لَيْلَةً
وَأنَّهُand that it قَدْindeed زَادَadded فِيمَاto what دَهَىafflicted
وَأنَّهُ قَدْ زَادَ فِيمَا دَهَى
It is as though I had seen her one night,
and how it had added to the woes
أطْفَالَهَاher children إذْas كُلَّهُمْall of them يَصْخَبُclamor
أطْفَالَهَا إذْ كُلَّهُمْ يَصْخَبُ
عَنْover طُعْمَةٍa meal كَانَتْused to be لَهُمْto them تُجْلَبُbrought
عَنْ طُعْمَةٍ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ تُجْلَبُ
of her children, all of them clamoring
for a meal that used to be brought to them.
وَأنَّهand that it أنسَاكَmade you forget حَاجَاتِهِمْtheir needs
وَأنَّه أنسَاكَ حَاجَاتِهِمْ
فِرَاقُنَاour parting لأنَّهُbecause it يَكْرُبُcauses anguish
فِرَاقُنَا لأنَّهُ يَكْرُبُ
And what made you forget their needs
was our parting, for it brings anguish.
وَمَاand not كَفَفْتَyou stopped الحَربَthe battle إلاَّexcept بِأنْby the fact that
وَمَا كَفَفْتَ الحَربَ إلاَّ بِأنْ
حَلَفتَyou swore أنْthat فِيconcerning شَأنِهِمtheir affairs تَكْتُبُyou would write
حَلَفتَ أنْ فِي شَأنِهِم تَكْتُبُ
You only ended the battle by
swearing you would write about their plight.
فَخُذso take جَوَابَthe answer to الْكَتُبُthe letters مِنfrom سَيِّدٍa lord
فَخُذ جَوَابَ الْكَتُبُ مِن سَيِّدٍ
مَوْلَىa patron لَهُfor him دَفْعُwarding off الْعَنَاdistress مَذهَبُa way
مَوْلَى لَهُ دَفْعُ الْعَنَا مَذهَبُ
So take the answer to the letters from a lord,
a patron whose way is to ward off distress:
عَلِيAli بَاشاPasha ابْنِson of الحُسَينِal-Husayn الذيwho
عَلِي بَاشا ابْنِ الحُسَينِ الذي
مَاnot حَازَهُhas possessed him الشَّرْقُthe East وَلاnor الْمَغْرِبُthe West
مَا حَازَهُ الشَّرْقُ وَلا الْمَغْرِبُ
Ali Pasha, son of al-Husayn, whose like
neither East nor West has possessed.
أسْعَدَهُmay He make him happy اللهُGod وَأنْجَالَهُand his offspring
أسْعَدَهُ اللهُ وَأنْجَالَهُ
وأْسعَفَand may He supply الكُلَّeveryone بِمَاwith what يَطْلُبُhe seeks
وأْسعَفَ الكُلَّ بِمَا يَطْلُبُ
May God grant him and his offspring happiness,
and grant them all what each seeks.
أجَابَhe answered بِالْفِعْلِwith deeds فَأهدىإلَىso he gave to
أجَابَ بِالْفِعْلِ فَأهدىإلَى
نَوَارِكَyour Nawar الْحَسناءthe beautiful مَاwhat تَرغَبُshe desires
نَوَارِكَ الْحَسناء مَا تَرغَبُ
He answered in deeds, giving to
your lovely Nawar what she desired,
وَسَاقَand he sent لِلصّبيَةِto the children مَاwhat أمَّلُواthey hoped for
وَسَاقَ لِلصّبيَةِ مَا أمَّلُوا
أكْلٌfood شَهِيappetizing سَائِغٌpalatable طَيِّبُwholesome
أكْلٌ شَهِي سَائِغٌ طَيِّبُ
and sent the children what they hoped for:
appetizing food, palatable and wholesome,
تَصْحَبُهُaccompanies it لِجَمعِكُمْfor your company كُلَّهِall of it
تَصْحَبُهُ لِجَمعِكُمْ كُلَّهِ
عَافِيةٌwell-being دَامَتْmay it last فَلاso may it not تَذهَبُdepart
عَافِيةٌ دَامَتْ فَلا تَذهَبُ
accompanied, for every one of you,
by well-being—may it last and never depart!
وَإنand although أسَاءواthey did wrong حَيْثُsince لَمْdid not يُلْهِهِمْdistract them
وَإن أسَاءوا حَيْثُ لَمْ يُلْهِهِمْ
عَنfrom ذَاكَthat سِرُّthe secret الْحَضرَةِof the gathering الأطْيَبُthe sweetest
عَن ذَاكَ سِرُّ الْحَضرَةِ الأطْيَبُ
Yet they did wrong, since they were not diverted
from that by the gathering's sweetest secret,
إذْwhen قُلْتُI said فِيِهِabout it أنَهthat it قَدْalready مُلِيhad been filled
إذْ قُلْتُ فِيِهِ أنَه قَدْ مُلِي
مِنْfrom فَيْضِهِits overflowing bounty الْبَيدَاءُthe desert وُالسَّبْسَبُand the barren plain
مِنْ فَيْضِهِ الْبَيدَاءُ وُالسَّبْسَبُ
when I said of it that they had been filled—
the desert and the barren plain—with its bounty.
ذَاكَthat الذيwhich أنسَاكَmade you forget
ذَاكَ الذي أنسَاكَ
مَاwhat بَالُهُمْis wrong with them عَنْfrom شَأنِهِits concern أضْرَبُواthey turned away
مَا بَالُهُمْ عَنْ شَأنِهِ أضْرَبُوا
That is what made you forget.
Why did they turn away from attending to it?
فَإنَّنِيfor indeed I عَنْfrom فَهْمِunderstanding ذاthis وَاقِفٌam held back
فَإنَّنِي عَنْ فَهْمِ ذا وَاقِفٌ
وإنَّنيand indeed I مِنat أمْرِهِمْtheir conduct أعْجَبُmarvel
وإنَّني مِن أمْرِهِمْ أعْجَبُ
For I cannot fathom this,
and I marvel at their conduct.
فَاثْبِتْso stand firm إذاwhen مَا(emphasis) جِئْتَنَاyou come to us كُلَّمَاwhenever
فَاثْبِتْ إذا مَا جِئْتَنَا كُلَّمَا
تُرِيدyou wish مِنfrom حَضْرَتِنَاour gathering تَذهَبُto depart
تُرِيد مِن حَضْرَتِنَا تَذهَبُ
So insist, when you come to us, whenever
you wish to leave our gathering,
عَلىon الذيwhat يَبغُونَهthey seek it وَالذِيand what
عَلى الذي يَبغُونَه وَالذِي
تَبْغِيyou seek لِيَهْنَاso it may be pleasant لَكُمُfor you الْمَطْلَبُthe request
تَبْغِي لِيَهْنَا لَكُمُ الْمَطْلَبُ
on what they seek and what
you seek, so your request may bring you joy.
فَإنَّنيfor indeed I أكْرَهI dislike تَشوِيشَكُمْdisturbing you
فَإنَّني أكْرَه تَشوِيشَكُمْ
فِيin سَاعَةِan hour فِيهَاin which الصَّفاserenity يُطْلَبُis sought
فِي سَاعَةِ فِيهَا الصَّفا يُطْلَبُ
For I dislike disturbing you
at an hour when serenity is sought.
Sol 6.1