أذْكىkindled بقَلبيin my heart لوعَةًanguish إذwhen أوْمَضاflashed
أذْكى بقَلبي لوعَةً إذ أوْمَضا
بَرْقٌlightning أضاءَlit up وميضُهُits gleam ذاتَDhat (place of) الأضاal-Ada (pools)
بَرْقٌ أضاءَ وميضُهُ ذاتَ الأضا
It kindled anguish in my heart when it flashed—
My heart was inflamed with yearning when lightning
lightning whose gleam lit Dhat al-Ada.
Flashed, illuminating the one with shining cheeks
فَبداthen appeared وقدand already نَشَرَspread الصّباحُthe morning رِداءَهُits mantle
فَبدا وقد نَشَرَ الصّباحُ رِداءَهُ
كالأيْمِlike a serpent ماجَsurged بهِaround it الغَديرُthe pool فنَضْنَضاthen flicked its tongue
كالأيْمِ ماجَ بهِ الغَديرُ فنَضْنَضا
It appeared as morning spread its mantle,
Then dawn appeared spreading its cloak
like a serpent in a surging pool, flicking its tongue.
Like a deluge swirling in the pond
إنْif لمْnot يُصرِّحْspeak plainly بابْتِسامِكِof your smile جَهْرَةًopenly
إنْ لمْ يُصرِّحْ بابْتِسامِكِ جَهْرَةً
فلقَدْthen surely وحُبّكِby love of you ياO لُبيْنىLubayna عرّضاhinted at it
فلقَدْ وحُبّكِ يا لُبيْنى عرّضا
If it did not openly proclaim your smile,
If your smile does not explicitly show
by love of you, O Lubayna, it surely hinted at it.
Then your love, my gazelle, has surely hinted
ونَظَرْتُand I looked إذْwhen غَفَلَgrew heedless الرّقيبُthe watcher فراعَنيso it startled me
ونَظَرْتُ إذْ غَفَلَ الرّقيبُ فراعَني
نَعَمٌlivestock لأهْلِكِbelonging to your people هامَwandered فيin واديthe valley of الغَضَىal-Ghada (ghada trees)
نَعَمٌ لأهْلِكِ هامَ في وادي الغَضَى
And I looked when the watcher grew heedless, and was startled by
And I looked when the guard was unaware so it startled me
your people's livestock roaming Wadi al-Ghada.
Good tidings to your people roaming in the valley of separation
وسَعَتْmade room لهُfor it خُطَطُthe lands العدوِّof the enemy بغِلْمَةٍthrough young men
وسَعَتْ لهُ خُطَطُ العدوِّ بغِلْمَةٍ
شوسٍfierce-eyed إذاwhen ابْتَدَرواthey rushed to الوَغىbattle ضاقgrew narrow الفَضاthe open space
شوسٍ إذا ابْتَدَروا الوَغى ضاق الفَضا
The enemy's lands made room for it, thanks to young men,
The schemes of the enemy expanded treacherously
fierce-eyed, whose rush to battle cramped the open plain.
When the valiant pounced, space was confined
حيثُwhere الغَمامُthe cloud تبجّسَتْgushed أطْباؤُهُits teats
حيثُ الغَمامُ تبجّسَتْ أطْباؤُهُ
وكَسىand clothed الحِمىthe protected pasture حُلَلَthe robes الرّبيعِof spring فروّضاthen made meadowland
وكَسى الحِمى حُلَلَ الرّبيعِ فروّضا
Where the cloud's teats gushed,
Where clouds grumbled, their edges gloomy
it clothed the protected pasture in spring's robes, making it meadowland.
And the sanctuary donned the garb of spring, embellished
ومتَيَّمٍand a lovesick man شَرقَchoked اللِّحاظُthe eyes بدَمْعِهِon his tears
ومتَيَّمٍ شَرقَ اللِّحاظُ بدَمْعِهِ
فإذاthen when اسْتَرابَgrew suspicious بهِof him العواذِلُthe reproachful women غَيّضاstemmed his tears
فإذا اسْتَرابَ بهِ العواذِلُ غَيّضا
And many a lovesick man whose eyes choked on his tears:
And a weeping lover's tent shone eastward
when the reproachful women suspected him, he stemmed his tears.
If the maidens doubted him, he would cease
هجَرَforsook الكَرىsleep قَلِقَrestless الجُفونِthe eyelids بهِbecause of it فلَوso even if
هجَرَ الكَرى قَلِقَ الجُفونِ بهِ فلَو
عثَرَstumbled الخَيالُthe phantom بطَرْفِهِagainst his eye ماnot غمّضاclosed it
عثَرَ الخَيالُ بطَرْفِهِ ما غمّضا
He forsook slumber, his eyelids restless with longing; even if
He abandoned the encampments, restless of eyelids, so if
the phantom stumbled against his eye, he would not shut it.
Imagination stumbled in its gaze, it would not blink
ونَصاand seized by the forelock الشّبابَyouth وعنْand from ضَميرٍa heart عاتِبٍreproachful
ونَصا الشّبابَ وعنْ ضَميرٍ عاتِبٍ
أعْطىgave المَشيبَgray hair قِيادَهُhis reins لاnot عنْout of رِضىwillingness
أعْطى المَشيبَ قِيادَهُ لا عنْ رِضى
And he clutched youth by the forelock, and with a resentful heart
He counseled youth and against a blaming conscience
gave his reins to gray hair, not willingly.
He gave leadership to old age, not by choice
إنif ساءَهُit distressed him بنُزولِهِwith its arrival فهوَthen it is الذيwhat
إن ساءَهُ بنُزولِهِ فهوَ الذي
ساءَdistressed الأنامَhumankind مُخَيِّماًencamping ومُغَرِّضاand tightening saddle-girths
ساءَ الأنامَ مُخَيِّماً ومُغَرِّضا
If its arrival distressed him, it is what
If its descent aggrieved him, it is he who had
has distressed humankind, whether encamped or saddling for the road.
Aggrieved people by lingering and plotting
وشَكاand he lamented غُرابَthe raven البَيْنِof parting أسْودَblack حالِكاًpitch-dark
وشَكا غُرابَ البَيْنِ أسْودَ حالِكاً
حتىuntil شَداsang بنَوىof the departure الأحبّةِof the loved ones أبْيَضاwhite
حتى شَدا بنَوى الأحبّةِ أبْيَضا
And he lamented parting's raven, pitch-black,
He complained of the crow of separation, grim of state
until it sang, now white, of his loved ones' departure.
Until it deafened the ears of loved ones, whitened
وتعثّرَتْand stumbled نُوَبُthe calamities الزّمانِof time بماجِدٍagainst a noble man
وتعثّرَتْ نُوَبُ الزّمانِ بماجِدٍ
إنْif لمْnot يُقاتِلْfight فيamid النّوائِبِcalamities حرّضاurged others on
إنْ لمْ يُقاتِلْ في النّوائِبِ حرّضا
And time's calamities stumbled against a noble man
The turns of fate stumbled due to Magid
who, if he did not fight amid misfortunes, urged others on.
If he did not fight during tribulations, incited
وإذاand when تنكّرَturned hostile مَورِدٌa watering place لمَطيّهِto his mounts
وإذا تنكّرَ مَورِدٌ لمَطيّهِ
لمْnot يَشْتَشِفَّsip بحافَتَيْهِat its two banks العَرْمَضاthe algae
لمْ يَشْتَشِفَّ بحافَتَيْهِ العَرْمَضا
And when a watering place turned hostile to his mounts,
And if a watering place was unfamiliar to his steed
he would not sip the algae at either of its banks.
It would not scoop its edges with yearning
وانْصاعَand sped away كالوَحْشيِّlike a wild beast سابَقَraced ظِلَّهُhis shadow
وانْصاعَ كالوَحْشيِّ سابَقَ ظِلَّهُ
وتقَعْقَعَتْand rattled عَمَدُthe poles الخِيامِof the tents فقوّضاthen struck camp
وتقَعْقَعَتْ عَمَدُ الخِيامِ فقوّضا
He sped away like a wild beast, racing his shadow;
It would bolt like a wild beast, its shadow outpacing
and the tent poles rattled; then he struck camp.
The poles of the tents shaken and uprooted
لاnot أسْتَنيمُI acquiesce إِلىto الهَوانِhumiliation ولاnor يُرىis seen
لا أسْتَنيمُ إِلى الهَوانِ ولا يُرى
أمْريmy affairs إِلىto الوَكَلِthe weakling الجَبانِthe cowardly مُفوّضاentrusted
أمْري إِلى الوَكَلِ الجَبانِ مُفوّضا
I do not resign myself to humiliation, nor are
I do not incline toward disgrace, nor is my affair
my affairs seen entrusted to a helpless coward.
Entrusted to the spineless trustee
وأرُدُّand I repel طارِقَةَthe visitation اللّياليof the nights إنْif عَرَتْbefalls me
وأرُدُّ طارِقَةَ اللّيالي إنْ عَرَتْ
بعزائِميwith my resolves وهيَand they are الصوارِمُthe keen swords تُنْتَضىare unsheathed
بعزائِمي وهيَ الصوارِمُ تُنْتَضى
And I repel the nights' assault, should it befall me,
I repel the permutations of nights if they
with my resolves, which are keen swords unsheathed,
Cross my resolves which are cutting swords
وأغرَّand a bright-faced man إنْif بسَطَstretched out الَرَجّيthe hopeful petitioner نحوَهُtoward him
وأغرَّ إنْ بسَطَ الَرَجّي نحوَهُ
كِلْتاboth يَدَيهِhis two hands لنائِلٍfor a gift لمْnot تُقْبَضاthey were drawn back
كِلْتا يَدَيهِ لنائِلٍ لمْ تُقْبَضا
and with a bright-faced man: if a hopeful petitioner stretches toward him
And I stir him if he extends his hopes toward it
both his hands for a gift, they are not drawn back empty.
With both his hands like one whose grasp was not withheld
ولهُand he has أمائِرُsigns سؤْدَدٍof eminence أَيِسَdespaired العِداthe foes
ولهُ أمائِرُ سؤْدَدٍ أَيِسَ العِدا
منهُof him وأمْرَضَand made ill حاسِدِيهِhis enviers وأرْمَضاand scorched them
منهُ وأمْرَضَ حاسِدِيهِ وأرْمَضا
He bears the marks of eminence; his foes have lost hope
He has commands of Sodad which the enemy
of besting him, and he has sickened his enviers and scorched them.
Despaired of him and sickened his enviers
وجْهٌa face يَجولُroams البِشْرُcheerfulness فيin صَفَحاتِهِits features
وجْهٌ يَجولُ البِشْرُ في صَفَحاتِهِ
ويَدٌand a hand تَنوبُtakes the place عنِof الحَياthe rain إنْif برّضاrained sparingly
ويَدٌ تَنوبُ عنِ الحَيا إنْ برّضا
A face across whose features cheerfulness plays,
A face around which humanity circulates in its horizons
and a hand that replaces rain when its fall is scant.
And a hand that would suffice for a tribe, if it brandished
ألْقَتْcast أزِمَّتَهاits reins إليهِto him هِمّةٌan ambition
ألْقَتْ أزِمَّتَها إليهِ هِمّةٌ
كانتْhad been علىin the face of خُدَعِthe deceits الأمانيof hopes رَيِّضاuntamed
كانتْ على خُدَعِ الأماني رَيِّضا
An ambition cast its reins to him,
A resolve which had tethered its reins to him
one that had been untamed by the deceits of hopes.
Formerly roaming the deceits of wishes
وشَكَرْتُهُand I thanked him شُكْرَwith the thanks المَهيضِof the broken one جَناحُهُhis wing
وشَكَرْتُهُ شُكْرَ المَهيضِ جَناحُهُ
نَبَتَتْgrew قَوادِمُprimary feathers هزَّهُنَّhe shook them ليَنْهَضاso he might rise
نَبَتَتْ قَوادِمُ هزَّهُنَّ ليَنْهَضا
And I thanked him as a bird with a broken wing gives thanks
I thanked him, my winged one whose flight
when its flight feathers grow anew and it shakes them to rise.
Sprouted, its pinions fluttered up to take off
ياO مُنْعِماًone bringing ease باليmy mind ولمْthough not يَكُit was كاسِفاًdowncast
يا مُنْعِماً بالي ولمْ يَكُ كاسِفاً
ومُؤَثِّلاًand building up ماليmy wealth ولمْthough not أكُI was مُنْفِضاpenniless
ومُؤَثِّلاً مالي ولمْ أكُ مُنْفِضا
O you who eased my mind, though it was not downcast,
O bestower of my wellbeing who was not spiteful
and built up my wealth, though I was not penniless:
And pilferer of my wealth, though I was not destitute
أسْرَفْتَyou were lavish فيin الدّنياthis world عليّtoward me أواهِباًas a giver?
أسْرَفْتَ في الدّنيا عليّ أواهِباً
ألْبَسْتَنيyou clothed me حُللَthe robes الغِنىof wealth أمْor مُقْرِضاas a lender
ألْبَسْتَني حُللَ الغِنى أمْ مُقْرِضا
You were lavish toward me in this world—was it as a giver
You have been excessive toward me in granting this world
that you clothed me in wealth's robes, or as a lender?
Clothing me in the garb of wealth, or am I mistaken?
Sol 6.1