نصحواthey advised منone who ليسdoes not ينتصحheed advice
نصحوا من ليس ينتصح
ولحواand they reproached منone whose عذرهhis excuse يضحُis clear
ولحوا من عذره يضحُ
They advised one who will not heed advice,
Advise those who take no advice,
And reproached one whose excuse is clear,
And gently reproach those who make excuses,
فيin هوىlove of ظامslender موشحهhis sash-bound waist
في هوى ظام موشحه
برداءin a mantle الحسنof beauty متشجُclad (uncertain form)
برداء الحسن متشجُ
For loving one slim where his sash lies,
In passionate love, the embroidered cloak
Clad in the mantle of beauty.
Of beauty is donned.
صدَّhe turned away فالأشواقso the longings دانيةnear
صدَّ فالأشواق دانية
وتآىand drew far away (uncertain form) فالمسيرso the journey منتزحُfar off
وتآى فالمسير منتزحُ
He turned away, yet longing is near;
He turned away, so longing drew near,
And drew far away; the road to him is distant.
And he came closer, so the journey quickened.
طفرهhis leap (uncertain reading) والطرفand the gaze حيثwherever بداhe appeared
طفره والطرف حيث بدا
بينناbetween us الأبريةthe needle (uncertain reading) والقدحُand the cup
بيننا الأبرية والقدحُ
His leap [uncertain reading] and gaze, wherever he appeared,
His gaze wandered wherever it pleased,
Were, between us, the needle and the cup.
Between us stand dignity and the wine cup.
وغريرand a guileless youth نارthe fire وجنتهof his cheek
وغرير نار وجنته
بمياهwith the waters الحسنof beauty تقتدحُis kindled
بمياه الحسن تقتدحُ
And a guileless youth, the fire of whose cheek
The murmur of fire and its paradise
Is kindled by the waters of beauty.
With the waters of beauty bubble and spark.
جرحتنيwounded me منهof him سالفةa side of the neck
جرحتني منه سالفة
دهرهاthroughout its life للأثمfor sin تجترحُit commits wrongdoing
دهرها للأثم تجترحُ
A side of his neck wounded me,
A past encounter wounded me,
Forever committing sin.
Its days designed for sin persist.
جالroamed منهاfrom it طرفthe gaze عاشقهof his lover
جال منها طرف عاشقه
فيin رياضgardens نبتهاwhose growth الملحُcharms
في رياض نبتها الملحُ
His lover's gaze wandered over it,
The glance of its lover roams
Through gardens whose growth is loveliness.
In gardens grown by salt.
تحسبsuppose الأنظارthe gazes أنthat بهاupon it
تحسب الأنظار أن بها
مدstretched حسناin beauty قوسهhis bow قرحُQarah (perhaps Quzah)
مد حسنا قوسه قرحُ
The eyes imagine that upon it
Eyes think that in it
Qarah [perhaps Quzah] has stretched his bow in beauty.
Beauty has drawn his bow taut.
ياO عذوليmy reproacher خلleave off عذلreproaching شجa grieving man
يا عذولي خل عذل شج
دمعهhis tears فيin السفحpouring forth منفسحُspread freely
دمعه في السفح منفسحُ
O my reproacher, cease reproaching a grieving man,
O, my flirt, leave your coylessness,
Whose tears spread freely as they pour.
Its tears flow freely down the cheek.
هوhe بالأحزانwith sorrows مغتبقdrinking in the evening
هو بالأحزان مغتبق
هوhe بالأشجانwith griefs مصطبحُdrinking in the morning
هو بالأشجان مصطبحُ
He drinks sorrows in the evening;
Tormented by sorrows, wrapped in grief,
He drinks griefs in the morning.
Lighting the darkness with his pain.
ذابhe melted وجداwith passion واستطيرand was swept away جوىby heartache
ذاب وجدا واستطير جوى
فهوso he is فيin أثوابهhis clothes شبحُa shadow
فهو في أثوابه شبحُ
He melted with passion and was swept away by heartache,
Melting in passion, his essence took flight,
So he is a shadow in his clothes.
So he is but a specter in his clothes.
طرحhe cast aside السلوانconsolation عنهfrom himself فهلthen will
طرح السلوان عنه فهل
عاذلa reproacher للعذلthe reproach يطرحُcast aside
عاذل للعذل يطرحُ
He cast consolation aside; then will
He has cast off revelry, so will a reproacher
A reproacher cast reproach aside?
Reproach one who casts off revelry?
منwho عذيريmy defender فيin هوىlove of قمرa moon
من عذيري في هوى قمر
شيماتهhis traits التّيهhaughtiness والمرحand exuberance
شيماته التّيه والمرح
Who will defend me for loving a moon
From my fawn, in love with the moon,
Whose traits are haughtiness and exuberance?
Whose traits are confusion and play.
تحسنare fitting الأغزالthe love poems فيهabout him وفيand for الصal- (title fragment)
تحسن الأغزال فيه وفي الص
صاحبSahib (master) ابنson of الصاحبal-Sahib (the master) المدحُpraise
صاحب ابن الصاحب المدحُ
Love poems suit him; and for al-
The gazelles are beautiful in it, and in lineage
Sahib, son of al-Sahib, praise is fitting.
The companion of the son of the companion of praise.
خيرthe best منof those who يرجىare hoped in وأكرمand the most generous منof those who
خير من يرجى وأكرم من
عندهat his hands تستمنحare asked for المنحُgifts
عنده تستمنح المنحُ
The best to place one's hopes in, and the most generous of those
Better to hope for, more generous than
From whom gifts are sought.
One from whom gifts are sought.
بحرan ocean إحسانof beneficence وغيثand life-giving rain ندىof generosity
بحر إحسان وغيث ندى
بنداهby his generosity الغيثthe rain مفتضحُput to shame
بنداه الغيث مفتضحُ
An ocean of beneficence, a rain of generosity;
An ocean of kindness, a raincloud of dew,
His generosity puts the rain to shame.
Whose raincloud pours forth rain.
شرَّحhas opened اللهGod الصدورthe hearts بمنthrough one
شرَّح الله الصدور بمن
صدرهhis heart فيin الجودgenerosity منشرحُopen wide
صدره في الجود منشرحُ
God has opened hearts through one
May God cheer the hearts of those
Whose heart is open wide in generosity:
Whose hearts are open with generosity.
بأبيthrough Abu الفضلal-Fadl الذيwhose كرمتare noble
بأبي الفضل الذي كرمت
وجلتand exalted خلاقهhis character السمحُmagnanimous
وجلت خلاقه السمحُ
Through Abu al-Fadl, whose character is noble,
By the virtue of the generous one
Exalted and magnanimous.
Whose sublime nature is serene.
باسمهwith his name فيin ذكرrecounting كلevery ندىact of bounty
باسمه في ذكر كل ندى
يبتديbegins التاليthe reciter ويفتتحُand opens
يبتدي التالي ويفتتحُ
With his name, in recounting every bounty,
In the mention of each dew
The reciter begins and opens his recital.
His name begins and unveils.
نلتI received منfrom جدواهhis bounty محتكماon my own terms
نلت من جدواه محتكما
فوقbeyond ماwhat أصبحتI came to اقترحُI ask for
فوق ما أصبحت اقترحُ
I drew from his bounty, setting my own terms,
I have attained from his bounty, judging,
More than I had come to ask.
Beyond what I ever hoped to attain.
ليfor me منهfrom him وفرهhis abundance ولهand he has
لي منه وفره وله
وافرWafir (verse meter) منيfrom me ومنسرحُand Munsarih (verse meter)
وافر مني ومنسرحُ
From him I have his abundance, while he has
For me his abundance, and for him
From me Wafir and Munsarih verse.
My own abundance and tranquility.
إنif تضقare narrow أعذارهhis excuses فبماthen through what
إن تضق أعذاره فبما
عندهin his possession الآمالthe hopes تنفسحُexpand freely
عنده الآمال تنفسحُ
If his excuses are scant, then through what
If his excuses run short, then with what
He possesses, hopes find room to expand.
Hopes have, the horizons expand.
ماwhenever سامرhe converses by night with الملكthe king فهوthen he is بهthrough him
ما سامر الملك فهو به
ضاحكlaughing مستبشرrejoicing فرحُjoyful
ضاحك مستبشر فرحُ
Whenever he converses with the king by night, the king, through him,
He converses with the king, so he is
Is laughing, delighted, and joyful.
Laughing, delighted, and joyful.
وهوand he is مأمونtrusted عليهconcerning him إذاwhen
وهو مأمون عليه إذا
خانbetrays مأمونa trusted man ومنتصحُand a counselor
خان مأمون ومنتصحُ
And he is trusted to safeguard him when
And he is trusted by him, even if
A trusted man and counselor betray.
The trusted one betrays and takes no advice.
دمتmay you endure مجدMajd (glory) الدينal-Din (the faith) منas ملكa king
دمت مجد الدين من ملك
قادرpowerful أحلامهhis wisdom رجحُweighty
قادر أحلامه رجحُ
May you endure, Majd al-Din, as a king,
May the glory of faith remain from a king
Powerful, with weighty wisdom.
Whose dreams outweigh others.
ألسنthe tongues الأقوامof peoples فيكconcerning you علىon
ألسن الأقوام فيك على
أنَّكthat you are المأمولthe one hoped in تصطلحُagree
أنَّك المأمول تصطلحُ
The tongues of peoples, concerning you,
The tongues of all people say of you
Agree that you are the one in whom hopes rest.
That you are the hopeful arbitrator.
ياO ربيطsteadfast الجأشِof heart ثابتهsteady in it
يا ربيط الجأشِ ثابته
وكباشwhile the rams الحربof war تنتطحُclash horns
وكباش الحرب تنتطحُ
O you of steadfast, unwavering heart,
O pillar of the brave, steadfast,
While the rams of war clash horns!
And rams of war who butt heads.
لكyou have وجهa face منwhoever تأملهgazes upon it
لك وجه من تأمله
زالdeparted عنهfrom him البؤسmisery والتَّرحُand sorrow
زال عنه البؤس والتَّرحُ
You have a face; whoever gazes upon it
You have a demeanor, contemplating which,
Finds misery and sorrow lifted from him.
Anxiety and distress depart.
فبقيتso may you endure الدهرthrough time ماas long as سجعتcooed
فبقيت الدهر ما سجعت
عجمwordless creatures فيin أيكهاtheir groves فصحُeloquent
عجم في أيكها فصحُ
So may you endure through time, as long as cooing comes
So you have eternally versified well,
From wordless yet eloquent birds in their groves.
Whether in eloquent Arabic or simple Persian.
Sol 6.1