تمكنhas taken firm hold حبlove علوةʿUlwa منof فؤاديmy heart
تمكن حب علوة من فؤادي
وزادand it grew فزالso departed عنfrom عينيmy eyes رقاديmy sleep
وزاد فزال عن عيني رقادي
Love for ʿUlwa has taken firm hold of my heart,
The love of Alwah has taken hold of my heart,
And grown, so that sleep has fled my eyes.
And increased, so sleep has departed from my eye,
وعاودنيand revisited me الغرامpassion فبتso I spent the night صبّاlovesick
وعاودني الغرام فبت صبّا
كأنas though بمضجعيin my bed شوكthorns القتادِthe qatad shrub
كأن بمضجعي شوك القتادِ
Passion revisited me, and I spent the night lovesick,
And passion has returned to me, so I spend the night like one
As though there were qatad thorns in my bed.
Whose bed is thorns and broken fragments.
أحنI yearn إلىfor الحمىthe guarded abode وأذادand I am driven away عنهfrom it
أحن إلى الحمى وأذاد عنه
وفيهand in it مرادthe object of لهويmy pleasure بلnay مراديmy desire
وفيه مراد لهوي بل مرادي
I yearn for the guarded abode, yet am driven from it;
I yearn for the fever and chatter about it,
There lies the object of my pleasure—indeed, my very desire.
For in it is the wish of my passion, rather, my wish.
وبيضاءand a woman white of الترائبupper breast والثناياand front teeth
وبيضاء الترائب والثنايا
لهاshe has فرعtresses دجوجيnight-dark السوادِblackness
لها فرع دجوجي السوادِ
And a woman whose breast and front teeth are white
And her white neck and breasts,
Has tresses black as the deepest night.
For them a branch of my dark night.
إذاwhen مالاحever appears منهاof her الوجهthe face فيهwithin it
إذا مالاح منها الوجه فيه
رأيتI see كمالthe perfection of بدرa full moon فيin دآديthe month's final dark nights
رأيت كمال بدر في دآدي
When her face appears amid that darkness,
When her face is unveiled, in it I see
I see a perfect full moon in the month's dark final nights.
The perfection of a full moon in its renewal.
كأنas though بثغرهاin her mouth سحراat dawn مداماwine
كأن بثغرها سحرا مداما
غدتit has become ومزاجهاand its admixture نطفdroplets الغواديmorning rainclouds
غدت ومزاجها نطف الغوادي
As though wine were in her mouth at dawn,
As if in her mouth is an unending intoxication,
Blended now with drops of morning rain.
And her constitution is the juice of plants.
ويسكرهاand intoxicates her الصباthe east breeze فتهزso she sways قداa figure
ويسكرها الصبا فتهز قدا
كماjust as اهتزتtrembled أنابيبthe jointed shafts of الصعادِspears
كما اهتزت أنابيب الصعادِ
The east breeze intoxicates her, and she sways her figure,
The morning breeze intoxicates her, so she sways her body
As the jointed shafts of spears tremble.
As my soul swayed.
لئنif indeed هجرتshe abandons ملالاfrom weariness لاnot دلالاfrom coyness
لئن هجرت ملالا لا دلالا
وصدتand she turns away صدthe turning-away of مجتنبone shunning مصاديan adversary
وصدت صد مجتنب مصادي
If she abandons me from weariness, not coyness,
If she shunned me without kindness or affection,
And turns away as one shunning an adversary,
And was aloof with aloofness of one avoiding,
فحيّاthen may greet ربعهاher dwelling ربعيearly spring rain مزنrainclouds
فحيّا ربعها ربعي مزن
وصابand may rain upon عهودهاher old haunts صوبthe downpour of العهادِrecurrent rains
وصاب عهودها صوب العهادِ
May the clouds' early spring rain greet her dwelling,
Still, by her quarter my quarter is adorned,
And may recurrent showers fall upon her old haunts.
And her pledges point towards fulfillment.
إذاwhen ماindeed فلrouts جيشthe army of هوىpassion سلوforgetfulness
إذا ما فل جيش هوى سلو
وقلand lessens غليلthe burning thirst of أحشاءinnards صوادِيparched
وقل غليل أحشاء صوادِي
When forgetfulness routs the army of passion,
When the army of passion is routed
And the burning thirst of parched innards lessens,
And the anguish in my heart’s core subsides,
فقلبيyet my heart خافقthrobbing أبداforever لهادfor one at rest
فقلبي خافق أبدا لهاد
وشوقيand my longing حاضرpresent أبداforever لباديfor a desert-dweller
وشوقي حاضر أبدا لبادي
Yet my heart forever throbs for one at rest,
Still, my heart throbs forever for her,
And my longing is ever present for a desert-dweller.
And my longing is always ready for her house.
لئنif indeed لمnot أغدI become خلa companion of جوىheartache ووجدand longing
لئن لم أغد خل جوى ووجد
أعدI count الغيerror فيهin it منamong الرشادِright guidance
أعد الغي فيه من الرشادِ
If I am not a companion of heartache and longing,
If I do not become relaxed with her love and find
Counting error in love as right guidance,
In it counsel, in it is perversion from guidance.
فقلتthen I have said بأنthat للإحسانfor beneficence مولىa master
فقلت بأن للإحسان مولى
سوىother than المولىthe lord أبيAbu الفضلal-Fadl الجوادِthe generous
سوى المولى أبي الفضل الجوادِ
Then I have claimed that beneficence has a master
So I said that the Lord of Majesty
Other than the generous lord Abu al-Fadl.
Besides the Lord is my Master - Abu Al-Fadl Al-Jawad.
أخيbrother of الآراءcounsels إنif دهمتdescend خطوبcalamities
أخي الآراء إن دهمت خطوب
ومنتجعand the resort of الورىmankind الواريkindling الزنادِfire-sticks
ومنتجع الورى الواري الزنادِ
A brother of counsels when calamities descend,
O you of lofty opinions, if calamities approach
And mankind's refuge, whose fire-sticks kindle flame,
And the refuge of mankind, protector, dressed in armour,
وطاردand banisher of كلevery همcare عنfrom حماناour guarded grounds
وطارد كل هم عن حمانا
بضربby striking الهامheads فيon يومthe day of الطرادِmounted combat
بضرب الهام في يوم الطرادِ
And the banisher of every care from our guarded grounds,
Drive away every care from us
By striking heads on the day of mounted combat.
By striking the foreheads on the day of hunting.
ربيبfoster-child of مكارمnoble virtues وخدينand intimate of مجدglory
ربيب مكارم وخدين مجد
وخلand friend of سيادةlordship وأخيand brother of سدادِsound judgment
وخل سيادة وأخي سدادِ
A foster-child of noble virtues and an intimate of glory,
Beloved of noble deeds, cheeks of glory,
A friend of lordship and a brother of sound judgment.
Pure lineage, and brother of righteousness,
إذاwhen أبدىhe offers الندىbounty كرماgenerously لوفدto a delegation
إذا أبدى الندى كرما لوفد
تداركهhe follows it up بإحسانwith kindness معادِrenewed
تداركه بإحسان معادِ
Whenever he generously offers bounty to a delegation,
If the clouds show kindness to a delegation
He follows it with kindness renewed.
He precedes them with benevolence and appointment.
وإنand if وردhe enters الوغىthe fray فيon يومa day of حربwar
وإن ورد الوغى في يوم حرب
رأيتyou see البيضwhite swords فيin حللrobes وِرادِrose-red
رأيت البيض في حلل وِرادِ
And when he enters the fray on a day of war,
And if the turmoil comes on a day of war
You see white swords wearing rose-red robes.
I see the white in robes and mantles,
ومعروفand renowned ببذلfor bestowing العرفkindness فيناamong us
ومعروف ببذل العرف فينا
وإسداءand granting الصنائعfavors والأياديand benefactions
وإسداء الصنائع والأيادي
And renowned among us for bestowing kindness,
Known for benevolence among us
And granting favors and benefactions.
And conferring favours and gifts,
شأيhe surpassed فيin رأيهhis judgment قيساQays وأزرىand put to shame
شأي في رأيه قيسا وأزرى
بمنطقةwith his eloquence علىin comparison with قسQuss الأياديal-Iyadi
بمنطقة على قس الأيادي
In judgment he surpassed Qays, and put to shame
My opinion in his opinion, like Qais and 'Uzra,
Quss al-Iyadi with his eloquence.
With a belt upon the waist of the hands.
لهhe has قلمa pen نحيفslender الجسمof body نضوfrail
له قلم نحيف الجسم نضو
يقلمit clips بادنthe corpulent bulk of النوبcalamities الشدادِsevere
يقلم بادن النوب الشدادِ
He has a pen, slender-bodied and frail,
He has a slender pen, pure,
That clips the corpulent bulk of harsh calamities.
That trims the nimble fingers of outstretched hands.
إذاwhen أجراهhe sets it running فوقacross الطرسthe writing-sheet يوماone day
إذا أجراه فوق الطرس يوما
جرىit runs قمناfit بارزاقfor the sustenance of العبادِthe people
جرى قمنا بارزاق العبادِ
When one day he runs it across the writing-sheet,
If he runs it across paper one day,
It runs, fit to provide the people's sustenance.
It flows with our sustenance, O servants.
أمجدO Majd الدينal-Din مالكyour wealth فيin انتقاصdecrease
أمجد الدين مالك في انتقاص
وشكركand gratitude to you فيin نموgrowth وازدياديِand increase
وشكرك في نمو وازدياديِ
O Majd al-Din, your wealth diminishes,
How excellent is your religion, Malik, in gain
While gratitude to you grows and increases.
And your thanks in growth and increase!
جعلتyou made عتادكyour provision الإحسانbeneficence لماwhen
جعلت عتادك الإحسان لما
رأيتyou saw الخيرgoodness منamong خيرthe best العتادِprovisions
رأيت الخير من خير العتادِ
You made beneficence your provision when
You have made your custom benevolence, for you
You saw goodness among the best provisions.
Saw good from the best of customs.
فماfor no مثعنجرtorrent-pouring cloud زجلroaring دعتهsummoned it
فما مثعنجر زجل دعته
خريقa fierce wind فهوso it is منخرقtorn open المزادِthe waterskins
خريق فهو منخرق المزادِ
For no roaring, torrent-pouring cloud, summoned
So, no thunderer like a young lion whose
By a fierce wind, its waterskins torn open—
Necklace was ripped - he is one whose collar is torn.
كأنas though بروقهits lightning flashes فيon الأفقthe horizon وهناlate at night
كأن بروقه في الأفق وهنا
بريقthe gleam of ظباكyour sword-edges فيon يومthe day of الجلادِcombat
بريق ظباك في يوم الجلادِ
As though its lightning on the horizon late at night were
Its lightning in the horizon and yours here
The gleam of your sword-edges on the day of combat,
Is the gleam of your Indian sword on the day of unsheathing.
ووقعand the crash of رعودهits thunder فيin كلevery سمعear
ووقع رعوده في كل سمع
صهيلthe neighing of خيولكyour horses الجردsleek الجيادِnoble
صهيل خيولك الجرد الجيادِ
And the crash of its thunder in every ear
And its peal falls on every ear
The neighing of your sleek, noble steeds,
The neighing of your swift purebred horses.
وماand what أجراهit set flowing منof دفعاتsurges سيلa torrent
وما أجراه من دفعات سيل
عطاؤكyour bounty للطريفto newcomers وللتلادِand to the long-established
عطاؤك للطريف وللتلادِ
And the torrent-surges it sets flowing
Your bounty to newcomers and the long-established—
And what it sends forth of downpours
بأندىmore generous منكthan you للعافينto petitioners كفاin hand
بأندى منك للعافين كفا
يذوبmelts نداهits bounty فيin السَّنةthe year الجمادِbarren
يذوب نداه في السَّنة الجمادِ
Is more generous-handed to petitioners than you,
Is your gift to the well-known and obscure.
Whose bounty melts even in a barren year.
With one more generous than you, protecting
بقيتmay you remain رهيفkeen حدthe edge of العزمresolve ثبتاsteadfast
بقيت رهيف حد العزم ثبتا
رقودslumbering الحلمin forbearance يقظانwakeful الفؤادِof heart
رقود الحلم يقظان الفؤادِ
May you remain keen-edged in resolve and steadfast,
Those safe, your generosity melts the inanimate.
Slumbering in forbearance, yet wakeful at heart.
You remained gentle, firm of purpose, calm of slumber, vigilant of heart.
ولاand may not زالتcease بحوركyour seas فيin مدودswelling tides
ولا زالت بحورك في مدود
تجيشsurge وظلand the shade ملككof your dominion فيin امتدادِextension
تجيش وظل ملكك في امتدادِ
And may your seas remain in swelling tides,
And your seas are still surging in abundance,
Surging, while the shade of your dominion keeps extending.
And the shadow of your kingdom still spreading.
Partial English translation: 61 of 62 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1