غَرامٌtorment ماwhat أُتيحَwas allotted مِنَof الغَرامِlove
غَرامٌ ما أُتيحَ مِنَ الغَرامِ
وَشَجوٌand sorrow لِلمُحِبِّfor the lover المُستَهامِlove-stricken
وَشَجوٌ لِلمُحِبِّ المُستَهامِ
What has been allotted of love is torment,
A love granted of all loves,
and sorrow for the love-stricken lover.
And longing for the passionate lover,
عَشيتُI grew blind عَنِto المَشيبِgray hair غَداةَthe morning when أَصبوI yearn
عَشيتُ عَنِ المَشيبِ غَداةَ أَصبو
بِذِكرِكِat the mention of you أَوor صَمِمتُI grew deaf عَنِto المَلامِreproach
بِذِكرِكِ أَو صَمِمتُ عَنِ المَلامِ
I grew blind to gray hair the morning I yearned
I missed gray hair one morning,
at the mention of you, or deaf to reproach.
Remembering you or ignoring blame.
أَياO قَمَرَmoon of التَمامِfullness أَعَنتَyou aided ظُلماًunjustly
أَيا قَمَرَ التَمامِ أَعَنتَ ظُلماً
عَلَيَّagainst me تَطاوُلَthe lengthening of اللَيلِthe night التَمامِfull-length
عَلَيَّ تَطاوُلَ اللَيلِ التَمامِ
O full moon, you have unjustly aided
O moon of perfection, you have wronged
the full night's lengthening against me.
Me with the night's prolonged injustice.
أَماindeed وَفُتورِby the languor of لَحظِكِyour glance يَومَthe day when أَبقىleft
أَما وَفُتورِ لَحظِكِ يَومَ أَبقى
تَصَرُّفُهُits play فُتوراًlanguor فيin عِظاميmy bones
تَصَرُّفُهُ فُتوراً في عِظامي
Indeed, by the languor of your glance on the day
If ever your gaze should weaken,
its play left languor in my bones,
Its weakness moves through my bones.
لَقَدindeed كَلَّفتِنيyou burdened me كَلَفاًwith passion أُعَنّىI am tormented
لَقَد كَلَّفتِني كَلَفاً أُعَنّى
بِهِby it وَشَغَلتِنيand you distracted me عَمّاfrom what أَماميis before me
بِهِ وَشَغَلتِني عَمّا أَمامي
you have indeed burdened me with a passion; I am tormented
You have burdened me with a burden to bear
by it, and you have distracted me from what lies before me.
And distracted me from what’s ahead.
سَيُقتَلُwill be slain فيon المَسيرِthe journey إِذاwhen رَحَلناwe depart
سَيُقتَلُ في المَسيرِ إِذا رَحَلنا
غَليلٌburning longing كانَwas يَمرَضُailing فيduring المُقامِthe stay
غَليلٌ كانَ يَمرَضُ في المُقامِ
On the journey, when we depart, there will be slain
On the journey, should we depart,
a burning longing that languished while we stayed.
An ailment nursed here would be slain.
أَساءَdid harm لَهيبُthe blaze of خَدٍّa cheek مِنكِof yours تَدمىis bloodied
أَساءَ لَهيبُ خَدٍّ مِنكِ تَدمى
مَحاسِنُهُits beauties بِقَلبٍby a heart فيكِfor you دامِbleeding
مَحاسِنُهُ بِقَلبٍ فيكِ دامِ
The blaze of a cheek of yours has done harm; blood stains
The flame of your cheek, staining
its beauties, from a heart that bleeds for you.
Its beauty, set my heart aflame.
أُعيذُكِI seek protection for you أَنlest يُراقَbe shed دَمٌblood حَرامٌinviolable
أُعيذُكِ أَن يُراقَ دَمٌ حَرامٌ
بِذاكِby that الدَلِّcoquetry فيin شَهرٍa month حَرامِsacred
بِذاكِ الدَلِّ في شَهرٍ حَرامِ
I invoke protection for you, lest inviolable blood be shed
I seek refuge lest unlawful blood
by that coquetry in a sacred month.
Be shed by that slayer in this holy month.
مُحَمَّدُMuhammad ياO اِبنَson of عَبدِAbd (servant of) اللَهِAllah (God) لَولاwere it not for
مُحَمَّدُ يا اِبنَ عَبدِ اللَهِ لَولا
نَداكَyour bounty لَفاضَwould surely have died away مَعروفُthe generosity of الكِرامِnoble men
نَداكَ لَفاضَ مَعروفُ الكِرامِ
Muhammad, O son of Abd Allah, were it not for
Muhammad, O son of Abdallah, without
your bounty, the generosity of noble men would have died away.
Your call, the noble's kindness would have ebbed.
وَماand not لِلنَجمِfor the star إِلّاexcept طولُthe stature of قَومِa people
وَما لِلنَجمِ إِلّا طولُ قَومِ
بِهِمthrough them تَسموyou rise بِفَخرِكَin your glory أَوor تُساميyou vie in loftiness
بِهِم تَسمو بِفَخرِكَ أَو تُسامي
The star has no height but the stature of a people
A star owes its height but to a people
through whom you rise in your glory or vie in loftiness.
By whom it climbs, prideful, or is sublimed.
لَكُمfor you all بَيتُthe house of الأَعاجِمِthe non-Arabs حَيثُwhere يُبنىit is built
لَكُم بَيتُ الأَعاجِمِ حَيثُ يُبنى
وَمُفتَخَرُand the pride of المَرازِبَةِthe marzbans (Persian lords) العِظامِthe mighty
وَمُفتَخَرُ المَرازِبَةِ العِظامِ
Yours is the house of the non-Arabs, wherever it is built,
For you, the non-Arabs’ abode where’er built,
and the pride of the mighty marzbans.
And the glorious tombs of the Marazib.
يَلومُكَblames you فيfor النَدىbounty مَنone who لَمnot يُوَرَّثwas bequeathed
يَلومُكَ في النَدى مَن لَم يُوَرَّث
عُلاthe heights of الشَرَفِhonor الَّذيwhich عَنهُfrom it تَحامىhe kept away
عُلا الشَرَفِ الَّذي عَنهُ تَحامى
You are blamed for bounty by one who was never bequeathed
In dew, he blames you who was not bequeathed
the heights of honor from which he held aloof.
The lofty honor from which you have recoiled.
فِداؤُكَyour ransom صاحِبُthe man of النَسَبِlineage المُعَمّىobscure
فِداؤُكَ صاحِبُ النَسَبِ المُعَمّى
مِنَfrom among الأَقوامِthe peoples وَالخُلُقِand disposition الكَهامِdull
مِنَ الأَقوامِ وَالخُلُقِ الكَهامِ
May the man of obscure lineage be your ransom,
Your ransom is the lord of the blurred lineage
from among the peoples, and of a dull disposition.
Among the peoples, and the ardent nature.
فَماfor never اِستُجديتَyou were asked for bounty إِلّاexcept that جِئتَyou came عَفواًfreely
فَما اِستُجديتَ إِلّا جِئتَ عَفواً
كَفَيضِlike the overflow of البَحرِthe sea أَوor صَوبِthe downpour of الغَمامِthe clouds
كَفَيضِ البَحرِ أَو صَوبِ الغَمامِ
For never were you asked for bounty but you came freely,
You sought nothing unless you were granted it,
like the sea's overflow or the clouds' downpour.
Like the sea's flood, or the clouds' downpour.
وَكَمand how many مِنof سُؤدُدٍnoble rank غَلَّستَyou set out before dawn فيهِin pursuit of it
وَكَم مِن سُؤدُدٍ غَلَّستَ فيهِ
وَلَمand did not تَربَعyou wait عَلىfor النَفَرِthe band of men النِيامِsleeping
وَلَم تَربَع عَلى النَفَرِ النِيامِ
And how often you set out before dawn for glory,
How many saddlebags have you slipped into,
without waiting for the sleeping band!
Yet not settled on the sleeping travelers!
أَراجِعَتيwill they return to me? يَداكَyour two hands بِأَعوَجِيٍّwith an Aʿwaji steed
أَراجِعَتي يَداكَ بِأَعوَجِيٍّ
كَقَدحِlike an arrow shaft of النَبعِnabʿ wood فيamid الريشِthe feathers اللُؤامِwell-matched
كَقَدحِ النَبعِ في الريشِ اللُؤامِ
Will your hands return to me with an Aʿwaji steed,
My she-camels recalled your hands to be bent
like a nabʿ-wood arrow shaft amid well-matched feathers,
Like the flask of the spring, among the plumed ostriches.
بِأَدهَمَwith a black horse كَالظَلامِlike darkness أَغَرَّwhite-blazed يَحلوsweetens
بِأَدهَمَ كَالظَلامِ أَغَرَّ يَحلو
بِغُرَّتِهِwith his white blaze دَياجيرَthe deep glooms of الظَلامِdarkness
بِغُرَّتِهِ دَياجيرَ الظَلامِ
a black horse dark as night, white-blazed, that sweetens
With an Adham black like darkness, alluring
with his blaze the deep glooms of darkness?
In his blackness, the darkness' creatures.
تَقَدَّمَhe pushed forward فيagainst العِنانِthe rein فَمَدَّthen stretched مِنهُfrom it
تَقَدَّمَ في العِنانِ فَمَدَّ مِنهُ
وَضَبَّرَand sprang with gathered legs فَاِستَزادَso sought more مِنَof الحِزامِthe girth
وَضَبَّرَ فَاِستَزادَ مِنَ الحِزامِ
He pressed forward against the rein and stretched it out,
He advanced in the reins, and lengthened from them,
and sprang with gathered legs, demanding more girth.
And kneaded, and further loosened his belt.
تَرىyou see أَحجالَهُhis white fetlock markings يَصعَدنَrising فيهِalong his body
تَرى أَحجالَهُ يَصعَدنَ فيهِ
صُعودَthe ascent of البَرقِlightning فيthrough الغَيمِthe cloud الجَهامِrainless
صُعودَ البَرقِ في الغَيمِ الجَهامِ
You see his white fetlock markings climbing along his body,
You see his sorrels ascending through them
like lightning rising through a rainless cloud.
Like lightning through thick and rainy clouds.
وَماand not حَسَنٌfitting بِأَنfor ... to تُهديهِyou give him فَذّاًalone
وَما حَسَنٌ بِأَن تُهديهِ فَذّاً
سَليبَstripped of السَرجِthe saddle مَنزوعَdeprived of اللِجامِthe bridle
سَليبَ السَرجِ مَنزوعَ اللِجامِ
And it is not fitting that you give him alone,
What beauty is there in gifting a steed
stripped of saddle, deprived of bridle.
The flashy saddle-cloth with loosed cheekstrap?
فَأَتمِمso complete ماwhat مَنَعتَyou withheld بِهِwith it وَأَفضِلand give more
فَأَتمِم ما مَنَعتَ بِهِ وَأَفضِل
فَماfor no الإِفضالُgenerosity إِلّاexcept بِالتَمامِwith completeness
فَما الإِفضالُ إِلّا بِالتَمامِ
So complete what you have withheld with it, and give more;
So fulfill what you have forbidden with it,
for bounty is bounty only when complete.
For completion is only through perfection.
Sol 6.1