وَإِنand even if غَيَّرَتهاhave altered it الحادِثاتُcalamities فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I
وَإِن غَيَّرَتها الحادِثاتُ فَإِنَّني
لأَرعىsurely I keep لَهاfor it عَهدَthe covenant of الهَوىlove سالِفَbygone الدَّهرِtime
لأَرعى لَها عَهدَ الهَوى سالِفَ الدَّهرِ
And though calamities have altered it, I
Surely keep for it love’s covenant from days long past.
أَتَعفُوshall it fade? وَلَمand not yet تَكلَفbecome devoted دُمُوعِيmy tears بِسَقيِهاto watering it
أَتَعفُو وَلَم تَكلَف دُمُوعِي بِسَقيِها
لِماذاwhy إِذاًthen أَعدَدتُI stored up دَمعِيَmy tears مِنas ذُخرِa reserve
لِماذا إِذاً أَعدَدتُ دَمعِيَ مِن ذُخرِ
Shall it fade before my tears have taken to watering it?
Why, then, did I lay up my tears in reserve?
ثَكِلتُmay I be bereft of الهَوىlove إِلاexcept هَوىlove of المَحدِglory (likely intended: المجد) وَالعُلىand eminence
ثَكِلتُ الهَوى إِلا هَوى المَحدِ وَالعُلى
وَبيضِand white الأَياديhands (generous deeds) وَالوَزيرِand the vizier أَبيAbu عَمرِوAmr
وَبيضِ الأَيادي وَالوَزيرِ أَبي عَمرِو
May I be bereft of love, save love of glory and eminence,
And hands white with generosity, and the vizier Abu Amr,
سَليلِscion اِبنِof Ibn حَسُّونٍHassun وَناهِيكَand sufficient for you رِفعَةًin eminence
سَليلِ اِبنِ حَسُّونٍ وَناهِيكَ رِفعَةً
وَهَلand does يُنبِتُbring forth الرَّوضُthe garden النَّضيرُverdant سِوىanything but الزَّهرِblossoms
وَهَل يُنبِتُ الرَّوضُ النَّضيرُ سِوى الزَّهرِ
Scion of Ibn Hassun—eminence enough!
And does the verdant garden bring forth anything but blossoms?
فَتىًa youth داسَtrod زُهرَthe brightest of النَّيِّراتِthe stars بِنَعلِهِwith his sandal
فَتىً داسَ زُهرَ النَّيِّراتِ بِنَعلِهِ
وَكَمand how much تَحتَهاbeneath it لِلنَّيِّراتِfor the stars مِنَof الفَخرِpride
وَكَم تَحتَها لِلنَّيِّراتِ مِنَ الفَخرِ
A youth who trod the brightest stars beneath his sandal—
And how much pride the stars take in being beneath it!
وَإِنand though كُنتُI was لَمnot أَلمَحI glimpse سَناهُhis radiance فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I
وَإِن كُنتُ لَم أَلمَح سَناهُ فَإِنَّني
كَلِفتُI became enamored بِهاتيكَwith those السَّجاياqualities عَلىupon الذِّكرِmention
كَلِفتُ بِهاتيكَ السَّجايا عَلى الذِّكرِ
And though I have never glimpsed his radiance, I
Fell in love with those qualities on hearing them recounted.
وَأَحلَلتُهُand I lodged him قَلبيmy heart هَوىًpassion وَمَحَبَّةًand affection
وَأَحلَلتُهُ قَلبي هَوىً وَمَحَبَّةً
وَلاand no قُربَcloseness إِلاexcept بِالتَّخَيُّلِthrough imagination وَالفِكرِand thought
وَلا قُربَ إِلا بِالتَّخَيُّلِ وَالفِكرِ
And I lodged him in my heart, in passion and affection,
With no closeness save through imagination and thought.
وَحَسبِيand sufficient for me لِقاءٌmeeting وَاِتِّصالاًand communion وَأُلفَةًand intimacy
وَحَسبِي لِقاءٌ وَاِتِّصالاً وَأُلفَةً
وَمَعرِفَةًand acquaintance وَصفُthe description الفَقيهِof the jurist أَبيAbu بَحرِBahr
وَمَعرِفَةً وَصفُ الفَقيهِ أَبي بَحرِ
And enough for me as meeting, communion, and intimacy,
And acquaintance, is the jurist Abu Bahr’s description.
لَهُfor him اللَّهُGod إِنّيindeed I ماhowever much شَكَرتُI give thanks مُقَصِّرٌfalling short
لَهُ اللَّهُ إِنّي ما شَكَرتُ مُقَصِّرٌ
عَلىdespite أَنَّهُthat it is لاno شَيءَthing أَكثَرُmore abundant مِنthan شُكرِيmy gratitude
عَلى أَنَّهُ لا شَيءَ أَكثَرُ مِن شُكرِي
God bless him! However much I thank him, I fall short,
Although nothing is more abundant than my gratitude.
فَمازالَfor he has not ceased يَسقينيgiving me to drink حَديثَكَaccounts of you قَهوَةًwine
فَمازالَ يَسقيني حَديثَكَ قَهوَةً
وَيُتحِفُand presents سَمعِيmy hearing مِنfrom حَديثِكَaccounts of you بِالدُّرِwith pearls
وَيُتحِفُ سَمعِي مِن حَديثِكَ بِالدُّرِ
For he keeps serving me accounts of you as wine,
And presenting my hearing with pearls from accounts of you.
أَلَيسَis it not عَجِيباًstrange أَنَّthat عَينِيَmy eye لَمhas not تَفُزwon
أَلَيسَ عَجِيباً أَنَّ عَينِيَ لَم تَفُز
بِلَمحِa glimpse of سنىًradiance مِنكُمfrom you وَأَحلَلتُمُyet you have inhabited صَدريmy breast
بِلَمحِ سنىً مِنكُم وَأَحلَلتُمُ صَدري
Is it not strange that my eye has never caught
A glimpse of radiance from you, yet you have made my breast your home?
Sol 6.1