ياO ابنson of الدواميal-Dawami لاmay you not زلتcease to be طوداًa mountain
يا ابن الدوامي لا زلت طوداً
نأويwe take refuge إلىin ظلِّهits shade الظليلdeeply shaded
نأوي إلى ظلِّه الظليل
O Ibn al-Dawami, may you ever remain a mountain
O Ibn al-Dawami, may you ever remain a mountain
to whose deep shade we repair.
in whose deep shade we take refuge.
بلغتmay you attain ماwhat ترتجيهyou hope for it فاسمعso listen
بلغت ما ترتجيه فاسمع
منfrom شاعرa poet عاشقa lover عليلِailing
من شاعر عاشق عليلِ
You have attained all that you hope for; now hear
May you attain what you hope for; so listen
from a lovesick, ailing poet.
to a poet, a lover, ailing.
وامننand grant favor عليهto him بباحثاتwith scratching hens
وامنن عليه بباحثات
تهدcrush ثقلاby weight كتفthe shoulder الرسولِof the messenger
تهد ثقلا كتف الرسولِ
And favor him with scratching hens
And favor him with scratching hens
that, for sheer weight, bow the courier’s shoulder.
whose weight crushes the messenger’s shoulder;
فإنfor indeed صوتthe sound الدجاجof chickens أحلىsweeter
فإن صوت الدجاج أحلى
فيto السمعthe ear منthan ثانيthe second الثقيلِheavy rhythm
في السمع من ثاني الثقيلِ
For the sound of chickens is sweeter
for the sound of chickens is sweeter
to the ear than the “Second Heavy” rhythm.
to the ear than the second heavy rhythm.
إنindeed شرابthe drink الأصولof roots شيءsomething
إن شراب الأصول شيء
رأيتI saw فيهin it قلعthe uprooting الأصولِof roots
رأيت فيه قلع الأصولِ
Drinking away one’s capital is a grave affair:
Indeed, the drink of roots is something
I have seen in it the uprooting of one’s roots.
in which I have seen roots uprooted.
والكرخand al-Karkh ياO سيديmy lord فمغنىso, an abode
والكرخ يا سيدي فمغنى
شددتI tightened فيin حبهlove of it طبوليmy drums
شددت في حبه طبولي
And Karkh, my lord, is a haunt of song;
And al-Karkh, my lord, is an abode
for love of it I have tuned my drums,
for love of which I have tightened my drums,
ماwhat lies بينbetween ردفa rump رابswelling ثقيلheavy
ما بين ردف راب ثقيل
وبينand between خصرa waist بالwasted نحيلِslender
وبين خصر بال نحيلِ
amid a heavy rump that sways
between a swelling, heavy rump
and a wasted, slender waist.
and a wasted, slender waist.
لوif عشقfell in love ابنson of العطارal-Attar فيهin it
لو عشق ابن العطار فيه
كدىhe would beg منfrom الناسpeople عنafter قليلِa short while
كدى من الناس عن قليلِ
Had Ibn al-Attar fallen in love there,
Were Ibn al-Attar to fall in love there,
he would soon have begged from other people.
he would soon beg from people.
وإنand if أكدىI beg الكريمthe generous man أولىis preferable
وإن أكدى الكريم أولى
منthan أنthat أكدىI beg منfrom البخيلِthe miser
من أن أكدى من البخيلِ
Yet even if a generous man leaves me empty-handed, it is better
And if I beg, better to ask the generous
than that I should beg from a miser.
than to beg from the miser.
Sol 6.1