أَماis there no لِعَينَيfor the two eyes of طَليحِone wearied by الشَوقِlonging تَغميضُclosing
أَما لِعَينَي طَليحِ الشَوقِ تَغميضُ
أَمِor is الكَرىslumber عَنfrom جُفونِthe eyelids of الصَبِّthe lovesick one مَرحوضُwashed away
أَمِ الكَرى عَن جُفونِ الصَبِّ مَرحوضُ
Can the eyes of one wearied by longing not close?
Or has slumber been washed from the lovesick one's eyelids?
طَيفُthe phantom of البَخيلَةِthe withholding beloved وافاناcame to us فَنَبَّهَناand so woke us
طَيفُ البَخيلَةِ وافانا فَنَبَّهَنا
بِعَرفِهِwith its fragrance أَمor خِتامِthe seal of المِسكُmusk مَفضوضُbroken open
بِعَرفِهِ أَم خِتامِ المِسكُ مَفضوضُ
The withholding beloved's phantom came to us and woke us
with its fragrance—or was the musk's seal broken open?
لَهاshe has غَرائِبُwondrous forms of دَلٍّcoquetry مايَزالُnever ceases لَهاon her part
لَها غَرائِبُ دَلٍّ مايَزالُ لَها
عَلىtoward الغَرامِpassionate love بِناin us بَثٌّstirring وَتَحريضُand incitement
عَلى الغَرامِ بِنا بَثٌّ وَتَحريضُ
She has wondrous coquetries, which never cease
to kindle and incite passionate love within us.
تُفّاحُthe apple of خَدٍّa cheek إِذاwhen اِحمَرَّتturn red مَحاسِنُهُits charms
تُفّاحُ خَدٍّ إِذا اِحمَرَّت مَحاسِنُهُ
مُقَبَّلٌkissed بِخَفِيِّby a furtive اللَحظِglance مَعضوضُbitten
مُقَبَّلٌ بِخَفِيِّ اللَحظِ مَعضوضُ
The apple of a cheek, when its charms turn red,
is kissed and bitten by a furtive glance.
وَواضِحاتٌand gleaming teeth تُريكَshow you الدُرَّpearls مُتَّسِقاًstrung in order
وَواضِحاتٌ تُريكَ الدُرَّ مُتَّسِقاً
كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were إِذاwhen اِستَغرَبنَthey laugh heartily إِغريضُhailstones
كَأَنَّهُنَّ إِذا اِستَغرَبنَ إِغريضُ
And gleaming teeth show you pearls strung in order,
as though, in hearty laughter, they were hailstones.
لَوif كانَwere يَكفيكَenough for you عِلمُknowledge of الشَيءِthe thing تَجهَلُهُyou do not know it
لَو كانَ يَكفيكَ عِلمُ الشَيءِ تَجهَلُهُ
لَقَدsurely كَفاكَwould have sufficed you مِنَinstead of التَصريحِplain speech تَعريضُan allusion
لَقَد كَفاكَ مِنَ التَصريحِ تَعريضُ
If knowing what you do not know were enough for you,
a hint would surely have sufficed you instead of plain speech.
ماليwhat is wrong with me دَنَوتُI drew near عَلىtoward خَصميmy foe وَأَعهَدُنيand I remember myself
مالي دَنَوتُ عَلى خَصمي وَأَعهَدُني
يُنَكِّبُturns aside الخَصمُthe foe عَنّيfrom me وَهوَthough he is عِرّيضُformidable
يُنَكِّبُ الخَصمُ عَنّي وَهوَ عِرّيضُ
Why have I drawn close to my foe, when I remember myself
being shunned by a foe, formidable though he was?
وَاِستُحدِثَتand were newly introduced لِيَfor me أَبدالٌsubstitutes بَرِمتُI grew weary بِهاof them
وَاِستُحدِثَت لِيَ أَبدالٌ بَرِمتُ بِها
بِالكَورِin place of winding حَورٌunwinding وَبِالبُنيانِand in place of building تَقويضُdemolition
بِالكَورِ حَورٌ وَبِالبُنيانِ تَقويضُ
And new substitutes were brought me, which I found irksome:
unwinding in place of winding, and demolition in place of building.
حَتّىuntil اِصطَفَيتُI chose أُموراًthings كُنتُI used to أَرفُضُهاreject them
حَتّى اِصطَفَيتُ أُموراً كُنتُ أَرفُضُها
وَيُصطَفىand is chosen الأَمرُa thing يَوماًone day وَهوَthough it is مَرفوضُrejected
وَيُصطَفى الأَمرُ يَوماً وَهوَ مَرفوضُ
Until I chose things I used to reject;
and a thing may one day be chosen, though rejected.
وَالسِنُّand age قَدindeed رَجَعَتhas turned back فيto نَقضِundoing مُبرَمِهاits tightly bound work
وَالسِنُّ قَد رَجَعَت في نَقضِ مُبرَمِها
وَكُلُّand all ماthat أَبرَمَتهُbound it fast السِنُّage مَنقوضُundone
وَكُلُّ ما أَبرَمَتهُ السِنُّ مَنقوضُ
And age has turned to undoing what it bound fast,
and everything that age bound fast is undone.
هَلwill يُثمِرَنsurely bear fruit فيwith اِبنِson of نَصرٍNasr مِنfrom تَطَوُّلِهِhis munificence
هَل يُثمِرَن في اِبنِ نَصرٍ مِن تَطَوُّلِهِ
قَولٌverse عَلىon أَلسُنِthe tongues of الراوينَreciters مَقروضُcomposed in verse
قَولٌ عَلى أَلسُنِ الراوينَ مَقروضُ
Will fruit come from Ibn Nasr's munificence through
verse composed and carried on reciters' tongues?
مِثلَlike الحُلِيِّjewelry جَلَتهُpolished it كَفُّthe hand of صانِعِهِits maker
مِثلَ الحُلِيِّ جَلَتهُ كَفُّ صانِعِهِ
فيهِin it خَليطانِtwo blended elements تَذهيبٌgilding وَتَفضيضُand silvering
فيهِ خَليطانِ تَذهيبٌ وَتَفضيضُ
Like jewelry polished by its maker's hand,
in it two elements blend: gilding and silvering.
تَبلىwear away الخُطوبُcalamities وَأَحداثُand the upheavals of الزَمانِtime وَلاbut do not
تَبلى الخُطوبُ وَأَحداثُ الزَمانِ وَلا
تَبلىwear away القَوافيthe rhymes مُثولاًstanding وَالأَعاريضُand the metrical patterns
تَبلى القَوافي مُثولاً وَالأَعاريضُ
Calamities and the upheavals of time wear away, but not
the rhymes, still standing, nor the metrical patterns.
إِذاif أَرادَwishes مُريدٌone who wishes عَدَّto count أَنعُمِهِhis favors
إِذا أَرادَ مُريدٌ عَدَّ أَنعُمِهِ
أَبىrefuses نَوالٌbounty عَلىupon العافينَpetitioners مَفضوضُlavished
أَبى نَوالٌ عَلى العافينَ مَفضوضُ
If anyone wishes to count his favors,
his bounty, lavished on petitioners, defies the count.
أَعطىhe gave الجَزيلَabundantly وَلَمand did not يَنهَضrise up بِهِagainst him أَحَدٌanyone
أَعطى الجَزيلَ وَلَم يَنهَض بِهِ أَحَدٌ
كَالفَحلِlike a bull camel يَحميguards حِماهُhis domain وَهوَthough he is مَأبوضُhobbled
كَالفَحلِ يَحمي حِماهُ وَهوَ مَأبوضُ
He gave abundantly, and none could rise to rival him,
like a bull camel guarding his domain though hobbled.
فِداؤُهُhis ransom قاتِمُgloomy الأَخلاقِin character مُظلِمُهاdark in those traits
فِداؤُهُ قاتِمُ الأَخلاقِ مُظلِمُها
مُغَمَّرٌinexperienced عَنfrom بُلوغِattaining المَجدِglory مَغضوضُheld back
مُغَمَّرٌ عَن بُلوغِ المَجدِ مَغضوضُ
Let a man of gloomy, dark character be his ransom—
an untried man, held back from attaining glory.
لَأَشكُرَنَّكَI shall surely thank you إِنَّindeed الشُكرَgratitude مِنfrom أَمَمٍnear at hand
لَأَشكُرَنَّكَ إِنَّ الشُكرَ مِن أَمَمٍ
حَقٌّa duty عَلىupon حامِلِthe recipient of المَعروفِkindness مَفروضُimposed
حَقٌّ عَلى حامِلِ المَعروفِ مَفروضُ
I shall surely thank you: gratitude, near at hand,
is a duty imposed on the recipient of kindness.
أَيُّwhich of نَوالَيكَyour two gifts لَمdid not تُزهِرshine كَواكِبُهُits stars
أَيُّ نَوالَيكَ لَم تُزهِر كَواكِبُهُ
بِغالُكَyour mules الشُهبُdapple-gray أَمor أَوراقُكَyour silver coins البيضُwhite
بِغالُكَ الشُهبُ أَم أَوراقُكَ البيضُ
Which of your two gifts has stars that have not shone—
your dapple-gray mules, or your white silver coins?
Sol 6.1