نظَرَتْshe gazed بألْحاظِwith the glances of الظِّباءِthe gazelles العِينِthe wide-eyed
نظَرَتْ بألْحاظِ الظِّباءِ العِينِ
ظَمْياءُa dark-lipped beauty بالعَقِداتِamong the clustered dunes منْof يَبْرينِYabrin
ظَمْياءُ بالعَقِداتِ منْ يَبْرينِ
She gazed with the glances of wide-eyed gazelles—
a dark-lipped beauty among Yabrin's clustered dunes.
تَرْنوshe gazes وقدand already وَلِعَbecame enamored الفُتورُlanguor بعَيْنِهاof her eye
تَرْنو وقد وَلِعَ الفُتورُ بعَيْنِها
وَلَعَwith the infatuation of الهَوىpassion بفؤادِيَfor my heart المَفْتونِthe spellbound
وَلَعَ الهَوى بفؤادِيَ المَفْتونِ
She gazes, languor enamored of her eye,
as passion is enamored of my spellbound heart.
ولَهاand hers is اسْتِراقَةُa stealing of نَظْرَةٍa glance نالَتْshe attained بِهاwith it
ولَها اسْتِراقَةُ نَظْرَةٍ نالَتْ بِها
ماwhat لاnot يُنالُis attained بصارِمٍwith a keen sword مَسْنونِwhetted
ما لا يُنالُ بصارِمٍ مَسْنونِ
Hers is a stolen glance with which she won
what no keen, whetted sword can win.
ونَشَدْتُand I sought قَلبيmy heart حينَwhen عزَّbecame difficult مَرامُهُits recovery
ونَشَدْتُ قَلبي حينَ عزَّ مَرامُهُ
إذwhen ضلَّit strayed بينَamong مَحاجِرٍeye-sockets وعُيونِand eyes
إذ ضلَّ بينَ مَحاجِرٍ وعُيونِ
I sought my heart when recovering it grew hard,
when it strayed among eye-sockets and eyes.
تلكَthose النّواظِرُgazing eyes ماnot تُفيقُthey awaken منَfrom الكَرىslumber
تلكَ النّواظِرُ ما تُفيقُ منَ الكَرى
وبِهاand through them سُهادُthe sleeplessness of الهائِمِthe lovesick lover المَحْزونِthe sorrowful
وبِها سُهادُ الهائِمِ المَحْزونِ
Those eyes never awaken from slumber,
yet they bring sleeplessness to the sorrowing, lovesick lover.
ياO سَعدُSa'd إنّindeed الجِزْعَthe valley bend أكثَبَhas drawn near فاسْتَعِرْso borrow
يا سَعدُ إنّ الجِزْعَ أكثَبَ فاسْتَعِرْ
نَظَراتِglances of طاويone gone hungry ليلَتَينِtwo nights شَفونِkeen-eyed
نَظَراتِ طاوي ليلَتَينِ شَفونِ
O Sa'd, the valley's bend draws near: borrow
the gaze of one keen-eyed and hungry for two nights.
واجْذِبْand draw in زِمامَthe rein of الأرْحَبيّthe Arhabi camel ولاand do not تُبَلْheed
واجْذِبْ زِمامَ الأرْحَبيّ ولا تُبَلْ
ذِكْراًmemories وَصَلْنَthey joined حَنينَهُits yearning cry بحَنينيwith my yearning cry
ذِكْراً وَصَلْنَ حَنينَهُ بحَنيني
Draw in the Arhabi camel's rein, and heed not
memories that joined its yearning cry with mine.
واشتاقَand it longed for كاظِمَةًKazima فجُنَّso went mad جُنونُهُits madness
واشتاقَ كاظِمَةً فجُنَّ جُنونُهُ
وذَكَرْتُand I remembered ساكِنَهاits dweller فجُنَّso went mad جُنونيmy madness
وذَكَرْتُ ساكِنَها فجُنَّ جُنوني
It longed for Kazima, and its madness ran wild;
I recalled her who dwells there, and my madness ran wild.
لمنِwhose are الظّعائِنُthe women in howdahs دونthis side of أكثِبَةِthe dunes of الحِمىthe protected pasture
لمنِ الظّعائِنُ دون أكثِبَةِ الحِمى
يَطويtraverses الفَلاةَthe desert waste بهِنَّwith them كُلُّeach أَمونِtrusty she-camel
يَطوي الفَلاةَ بهِنَّ كُلُّ أَمونِ
Whose are the women in howdahs, this side of the preserve's dunes?
Each trusty she-camel bears them across the waste.
فالآلُso the mirage بَحْرٌa sea حينَwhen ماجَit surged برَكْبِهاwith their caravan
فالآلُ بَحْرٌ حينَ ماجَ برَكْبِها
وجَرىand sped الرّكائِبُthe riding camels فيهِthrough it جَريَwith the motion of سَفينِships
وجَرى الرّكائِبُ فيهِ جَريَ سَفينِ
The mirage was a sea, surging with their caravan,
and the riding camels moved through it like ships.
عارَضْتُهاI drew alongside them فنظَرْنَand they gazed عنfrom حَدَقِthe pupils of المَهاoryx
عارَضْتُها فنظَرْنَ عن حَدَقِ المَها
يَلمَحْنَthey glimpse بارقَةَthe lightning flash of الغَمامِthe rainclouds الجُونِthe dark
يَلمَحْنَ بارقَةَ الغَمامِ الجُونِ
I drew alongside them; they gazed with oryx eyes,
glimpsing the lightning flash of dark rainclouds.
وتكاثَرَتْand multiplied دُفَعُthe surges of الدّموعِtears كأنّهاas though they were
وتكاثَرَتْ دُفَعُ الدّموعِ كأنّها
نَفَحاتُwafts of سَيْبِكَyour bounty ياO قِوامَupholder of الدّينِthe faith
نَفَحاتُ سَيْبِكَ يا قِوامَ الدّينِ
The surges of tears multiplied, as though they were
wafts of your bounty, O Qiwam al-Din.
للهِto God دَرُّكَyour excellence مِنْas مُدَبِّرِa steward of دولَةٍa state
للهِ دَرُّكَ مِنْ مُدَبِّرِ دولَةٍ
وَجَدَتْهُit found him خَيْرَthe best مُؤازِرٍsupporter ومُعينِand helper
وَجَدَتْهُ خَيْرَ مُؤازِرٍ ومُعينِ
God bless you, steward of a state
that found in you its finest supporter and helper.
يُلْقيhe lays بعَقْوَتِهاin its courtyard ذِراعَيْthe two forelegs of ضَيْغَمٍa lion
يُلْقي بعَقْوَتِها ذِراعَيْ ضَيْغَمٍ
أدْمىthat bloodied شَباthe sharp tips of الأنْيابِthe fangs دونَin defense of عَرينِa lair
أدْمى شَبا الأنْيابِ دونَ عَرينِ
He lays a lion's forelegs in its courtyard—
a lion that bloodied its fang-tips defending its lair.
ويَحوطُهاand he guards it بيَراعِهِwith his reed pen وحُسامِهِand his sword
ويَحوطُها بيَراعِهِ وحُسامِهِ
متدَفِّقَيْنِboth pouring forth بنائِلٍwith bounty ومَنونِand death
متدَفِّقَيْنِ بنائِلٍ ومَنونِ
He guards it with his reed pen and his sword,
both pouring forth bounty and death.
وضَحَتْand became clear مَناقِبُهُhis virtues فليسَso he is not بمُدَّعٍa pretender
وضَحَتْ مَناقِبُهُ فليسَ بمُدَّعٍ
شَرَفاًto honor ولاnor فيin مَجْدِهِhis glory بظَنينِunder suspicion
شَرَفاً ولا في مَجْدِهِ بظَنينِ
His virtues shine: he is no pretender
to honor, nor is his glory open to suspicion.
واسْتَأْنَفَand regained الفُضَلاءُmen of merit فيin أيامِهِhis days
واسْتَأْنَفَ الفُضَلاءُ في أيامِهِ
عِزّاًhonor فلمْand did not يتَضاءَلواthey shrink لِلهُونِbefore humiliation
عِزّاً فلمْ يتَضاءَلوا لِلهُونِ
Men of merit renewed in his days
their honor, never bowing to humiliation.
وتطوَّحَتْand swept far بيwith me هِمّةٌa high resolve درَأَتْdrove إِلىonto
وتطوَّحَتْ بي هِمّةٌ درَأَتْ إِلى
وَجْناءَa sturdy she-camel جائِلَةِshifting النّسوعِthe girth-straps وَضِينيmy saddle-girth
وَجْناءَ جائِلَةِ النّسوعِ وَضِيني
Ambition swept me far, thrusting
my saddle-girth onto a sturdy she-camel with shifting straps.
وطَرَقْتُand I came by night ساحتَهُhis courtyard فألْقَمْتُso I fed الثّرىthe dust
وطَرَقْتُ ساحتَهُ فألْقَمْتُ الثّرى
صَنِفاتِthe edges of ذَيْلِthe skirt of دِلاصِيَmy gleaming mail المَوْضونِclosely woven
صَنِفاتِ ذَيْلِ دِلاصِيَ المَوْضونِ
I came by night to his courtyard and fed the dust
the skirt-edges of my gleaming, close-woven mail.
مَنْwho مُبْلِغٌwill tell بَطْحاءَthe broad valley of مكّةَMecca أنّنيthat I
مَنْ مُبْلِغٌ بَطْحاءَ مكّةَ أنّني
لمْnot أرْعَI grazed بالجَرْعاءِon the sandy plain رَوْضَa meadow of هُدونِrepose
لمْ أرْعَ بالجَرْعاءِ رَوْضَ هُدونِ
Who will tell Mecca's Batha that I
have not grazed a meadow of repose on the sandy plain?
ورأيْتُand I saw مَنْone whose يَمْتارُdraws sustenance from ضَوْءَthe light of جَبينِهِhis brow
ورأيْتُ مَنْ يَمْتارُ ضَوْءَ جَبينِهِ
بَصَريmy sight فقبَّلْتُso I kissed الثّرىthe dust بجَبينيwith my forehead
بَصَري فقبَّلْتُ الثّرى بجَبيني
And I saw one whose brow's light nourishes
my sight; so I kissed the dust with my forehead.
لولاwere it not for العُلاthe heights of glory وأناand I am القَمينُworthy بنَيْلِهاof attaining it
لولا العُلا وأنا القَمينُ بنَيْلِها
لنَفَضْتُI would have shaken منْfrom مِنَحِthe gifts of المُلوكِkings يَمينيmy right hand
لنَفَضْتُ منْ مِنَحِ المُلوكِ يَميني
Were it not for glory—and I am worthy to attain it—
I would have shaken my right hand free of kings' gifts.
فالعِزُّfor honor بالبَطْحاءِin the Batha بينَbetween مُغَرِّرٍa daring man
فالعِزُّ بالبَطْحاءِ بينَ مُغَرِّرٍ
شَرِسٍfierce وأبْلَجَand a bright-browed man شامِخِproudly lifted العِرْنينِnose
شَرِسٍ وأبْلَجَ شامِخِ العِرْنينِ
For honor in the Batha lies between a daring man—
fierce—and a bright-browed man with proudly lifted nose.
ولأَشْكُرَنّand I shall surely thank نَداكَyour bounty شُكْرَwith the thanks of خَميلَةٍa lush grove
ولأَشْكُرَنّ نَداكَ شُكْرَ خَميلَةٍ
لندىًfor dew يُرَقْرِقُهُmakes it shimmer الغَمامُthe raincloud هَتونِstreaming
لندىً يُرَقْرِقُهُ الغَمامُ هَتونِ
And I shall surely thank your bounty as a lush grove gives thanks
for streaming dew that the raincloud makes shimmer.
ولأنْظِمَنَّand I shall surely compose قَصائِداًpoems لَفَّhas entwined الحِجىreason
ولأنْظِمَنَّ قَصائِداً لَفَّ الحِجى
فيهاwithin them سُهولَthe smooth plains of بَلاغَةٍeloquence بحُزونِwith rugged terrain
فيها سُهولَ بَلاغَةٍ بحُزونِ
And I shall surely compose poems: reason has entwined
within them eloquence's smooth plains with rugged terrain.
وتَهُزُّand they sway أعْطافَthe shoulders of المُلوكِkings كأنّهاas though they were
وتَهُزُّ أعْطافَ المُلوكِ كأنّها
ريحُthe wind of الشّمالِthe north تعثّرَتْstumbled بغُصونِover branches
ريحُ الشّمالِ تعثّرَتْ بغُصونِ
They shall sway the shoulders of kings, as though they were
the north wind stumbling over branches.
وكأنand as though راويهاtheir reciter يطوفُgoes round علَيْهِمُamong them
وكأن راويها يطوفُ علَيْهِمُ
بابْنِwith the son of الغَمامةِthe raincloud وابْنَةِand the daughter of الزَّرْجونِthe vine
بابْنِ الغَمامةِ وابْنَةِ الزَّرْجونِ
And it is as though their reciter goes round among them
with the raincloud's son and the vine's daughter.
Sol 6.1