لَيلٌa night بِذيat Dhu الأَثلِal-Athl (tamarisks) عَنّانيwearied me تَطاوُلُهُits lengthening
لَيلٌ بِذي الأَثلِ عَنّاني تَطاوُلُهُ
أَرىI see بِهِin it مُقبِلاًapproaching قِرناًan opponent أُنازِلُهُI confront him
أَرى بِهِ مُقبِلاً قِرناً أُنازِلُهُ
A night at Dhu al-Athl—its length has wearied me.
A night with an effulgent moon whose height astounds me
In it I see an approaching opponent whom I confront.
I see a crescent moon approach, humbling its rising
وَقَدand sometimes أَبيتُI pass the night وَفيand in باعِthe span of الدُجىthe darkness قِصَرٌshortness
وَقَد أَبيتُ وَفي باعِ الدُجى قِصَرٌ
بِزائِرٍwith a visitor قَرُبَتdrew near أُنساًin companionship مَخائِلُهُhis outward signs
بِزائِرٍ قَرُبَت أُنساً مَخائِلُهُ
Yet I sometimes pass the night with darkness's span grown short,
And I stayed awake in the expanse of obscurity, dwelling in a palace
with a visitor whose signs promise close companionship.
With a visitor who made intimacy delightful
إِذwhen لاno وَسيلَةَmeans of approach لِلواشيfor the slanderer يَمُتُّhe claims a connection بِهاthrough it
إِذ لا وَسيلَةَ لِلواشي يَمُتُّ بِها
مَعَamid الصِباyouth وَهوَwhile it is غَضّاتٌfresh and tender وَسائِلُهُits means of approach
مَعَ الصِبا وَهوَ غَضّاتٌ وَسائِلُهُ
When the slanderer has no means by which to claim a connection,
Since there is no means for the sleepless to die of it
amid youth, its avenues of attachment still fresh and tender.
Along with the breeze while he is still plucking its branches
أَواخِرُthe later stages of العَيشِlife أَخبارٌtales مُكَرَّرَةٌrepeated
أَواخِرُ العَيشِ أَخبارٌ مُكَرَّرَةٌ
وَأَقرَبُand the closest part of العَيشِlife مِنto لَهوٍpleasure أَوائِلُهُits beginnings
وَأَقرَبُ العَيشِ مِن لَهوٍ أَوائِلُهُ
Life's later days are tales retold,
The latter part of life is recurring news
and its beginnings are closest to pleasure.
And the nearer part of life is its beginnings, empty of purpose
يَفنىfades away الشَبابُyouth إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle تَمَّreaches completion تَكمِلَةًfully
يَفنى الشَبابُ إِذا ما تَمَّ تَكمِلَةً
وَالشَيءُand a thing يَرجِعُهُturns it back نَقصاًinto decline تَكامُلُهُits perfection
وَالشَيءُ يَرجِعُهُ نَقصاً تَكامُلُهُ
Youth fades once it reaches full completion,
Youth expires when fully completed
and a thing's perfection turns it back toward decline.
And nothing makes up for its loss when perfected
وَيُعقِبُand brings المَرءَa person بُرءًhealing مِنfrom صَبابَتِهِhis passionate longing
وَيُعقِبُ المَرءَ بُرءً مِن صَبابَتِهِ
تَجَرُّمُthe passing of العامِthe year يَأتيthat comes ثُمَّthen قابِلُهُits successor
تَجَرُّمُ العامِ يَأتي ثُمَّ قابِلُهُ
And a man is granted healing from his passionate longing
And a man's prime is succeeded by his liberation from youth
as a year comes and runs its course, then the next.
Passed years arrive, then so does their successor
إِنif فَرَّflees مِنfrom عَنَتِthe hardship of الأَيّامِthe days حازِمُهاthe one prudent about them
إِن فَرَّ مِن عَنَتِ الأَيّامِ حازِمُها
فَالحَزمُthen prudence فَرُّكَyour fleeing مِمَّنfrom one whom لاnot تُقاتِلُهُyou fight him
فَالحَزمُ فَرُّكَ مِمَّن لا تُقاتِلُهُ
If the man wise to the days flees their hardships,
If one escapes the severity of days by being prudent
then prudence is fleeing one whom you cannot fight.
Prudence is escaping one whom you cannot fight
فَإِنso if أَرابَarouses doubt صَديقيmy friend فيin الوِدادِaffection فَكَمthen how often
فَإِن أَرابَ صَديقي في الوِدادِ فَكَم
أَمسَيتُI ended the day أَحذَرُI fear ماwhat أَصبَحتُI began the day آمُلُهُI hope for it
أَمسَيتُ أَحذَرُ ما أَصبَحتُ آمُلُهُ
So if my friend casts doubt on his affection—how often
So if my friend defects in affection, how
have I feared at evening what I hoped for at morning!
I become, at night, more cautious than I was hopeful in the morning
يَكفيكَsuffices you مِنof عُدَّةٍprovision لِدَهرِagainst time تَجعَلُهاyou make it
يَكفيكَ مِن عُدَّةٍ لِدَهرِ تَجعَلُها
ذُخراًa reserve سَماحُthe generosity of أَبيAbu بَكرٍBakr وَنائِلُهُand his bounty
ذُخراً سَماحُ أَبي بَكرٍ وَنائِلُهُ
Sufficient for you as provision against time, which you lay up
It suffices you, as preparation for an age you compose,
in reserve, are Abu Bakr's generosity and bounty.
As treasure: the generosity of Abu Bakr and its obtainment
يَبيتُhe spends the night مِنfrom بَينِهِمamong them وَهوَwhile he is المَحوزُthe one allotted لَهُfor him
يَبيتُ مِن بَينِهِم وَهوَ المَحوزُ لَهُ
عاليthe highest of الفَعالِdeeds وَلِلحُسّادِand for the envious سافِلُهُits lowest part
عالي الفَعالِ وَلِلحُسّادِ سافِلُهُ
He spends the night among them, his allotted share being
He dwells among them, and he alone possesses it
the loftiest deeds, while the envious have the lowest.
Lofty in his actions, while the envious are debased in relation to him
قَدindeed أَفرَدوهُthey have singled him out بِماin what يَختارُhe chooses مِنof حَسَنٍgoodness
قَد أَفرَدوهُ بِما يَختارُ مِن حَسَنٍ
فَماso there is no لَهُfor him فيهِمُamong them نِدٌّrival يُساجِلُهُwho vies with him
فَما لَهُ فيهِمُ نِدٌّ يُساجِلُهُ
They have set him apart in whatever goodness he chooses,
They singled him out with whatever good he chooses
so among them he has no rival to vie with him.
So he has no peer among them to contend with him
إِنif نَحنُwe جِئناهُcame to him لَمdid not تَكسُدgo unsold بِضاعَتُناour merchandise
إِن نَحنُ جِئناهُ لَم تَكسُد بِضاعَتُنا
وَلَمand did not يَحُلhe stands دونَin the way of ماwhat جِئناwe came نُحاوِلُهُwe seek it
وَلَم يَحُل دونَ ما جِئنا نُحاوِلُهُ
If we come to him, our merchandise does not go unsold,
When we came to him, our goods were not devalued
nor does he stand in the way of what we came seeking.
And nothing prevented what we came desiring to obtain
مَتىwhenever تَأَمَّلتَهُyou contemplate him فَالعُرفُthen kindness مِنfrom يَدِهِhis hand
مَتى تَأَمَّلتَهُ فَالعُرفُ مِن يَدِهِ
إِلىto العُفاةِthe supplicants قَويمُstraight النَهجِin course سابِلُهُits traveler
إِلى العُفاةِ قَويمُ النَهجِ سابِلُهُ
Whenever you contemplate him, kindness from his hand
Whenever you observe him, custom flows from his hand
travels a straight path to the supplicants.
To the destitute, direct in method, its conduit
مُحَمَّلاًburdened كُلَّevery يَومٍday مِنby نَوائِبِهِمtheir calamities
مُحَمَّلاً كُلَّ يَومٍ مِن نَوائِبِهِم
ثِقلاًa weight يُزاوِلُhe grapples with مِنهُof it ماwhat يُزاوِلُهُhe undertakes it
ثِقلاً يُزاوِلُ مِنهُ ما يُزاوِلُهُ
Burdened each day by their calamities
Burdened each day with their troubles
with a weight, he grapples with whatever of it he undertakes.
A weight he contends with and contends against
لَمnot نَعدُwe go beyond بَغدادَBaghdad لَولاbut for حَظُّناour good fortune مَعَهُwith him
لَم نَعدُ بَغدادَ لَولا حَظُّنا مَعَهُ
وَلَمand not نُرِدwe seek واسِطاًWasit لَولاbut for نَوافِلُهُhis extra gifts
وَلَم نُرِد واسِطاً لَولا نَوافِلُهُ
We would not have gone beyond Baghdad but for our good fortune with him,
We would not have regained Baghdad, had it not been for our fortune through him
nor would we have sought Wasit but for his gifts.
And we would not have wanted Wasit, were it not for his bonus deeds
يَعرىhe becomes bare مِنَof المالِwealth أَفضالاًin generous favors وَنُلبِسُهُand we clothe him
يَعرى مِنَ المالِ أَفضالاً وَنُلبِسُهُ
وَشياًa brocade مِنَof المَدحِpraise لَمnot تُخلِقbecome threadbare مَباذِلُهُits everyday garments
وَشياً مِنَ المَدحِ لَم تُخلِق مَباذِلُهُ
He strips himself of wealth in giving, and we clothe him
He strips himself of wealth, conferring bounties while we dress him in
in brocade of praise whose everyday garments have not worn thin.
Something of praise his matchless counterparts have not created
نُريهِwe show him كَيفَhow نَسيمُthe breeze of الشُكرِgratitude مُحتَضَراًbeing frequented
نُريهِ كَيفَ نَسيمُ الشُكرِ مُحتَضَراً
أَكنافُهُhis precincts وَيُريناand he shows us كَيفَhow نامُلُهُwe hope for him (probable reading)
أَكنافُهُ وَيُرينا كَيفَ نامُلُهُ
We show him what gratitude's breeze is like, with visitors frequenting
We show him how the breeze of gratitude is expiring
his precincts; he shows us how we may hope in him.
Its sides, and we show him how we hope for it
دَعِleave الَّذيthe one whose فاتَتِoutstripped العَلياءَgreatness بَسطَتُهُhis reach
دَعِ الَّذي فاتَتِ العَلياءَ بَسطَتُهُ
يَموتُhe dies غَيظاًof rage وَنَلand attain ماwhat أَنتَyou نائِلُهُwill attain it
يَموتُ غَيظاً وَنَل ما أَنتَ نائِلُهُ
Leave the man whose reach fell short of greatness
Leave one whom loftiness has eluded with its extension
to die of rage; attain what you are to attain.
To die of spite while you attain what he cannot attain
تَعلوrises high بِبَيتِكَthrough your house مَروُMarw الشاهِجانِal-Shahijan وَقَدand indeed
تَعلو بِبَيتِكَ مَروُ الشاهِجانِ وَقَد
يُزادُis increased فَضلاًin distinction بِفَضلِthrough the distinction of البَيتِthe house آهِلُهُits inhabitant
يُزادُ فَضلاً بِفَضلِ البَيتِ آهِلُهُ
Marw al-Shahijan rises high through your house, and indeed
Your house rises above Marw's horizon and
its inhabitant gains distinction through the house's distinction.
Excellence can be increased by the excellence of its inhabitants
ماnothing أَحسَنَmade beautiful الغَيثَthe rain إِلّاexcept ماwhat حَكاكَimitated you بِهِin it
ما أَحسَنَ الغَيثَ إِلّا ما حَكاكَ بِهِ
تَهتانُهُits steady falling وَاِقتَفاهُand followed it مِنكَfrom you وابِلُهُits downpour
تَهتانُهُ وَاِقتَفاهُ مِنكَ وابِلُهُ
Nothing makes rain lovely except what it copies from you
The rain is made good only by what it relates of you
in its steady fall, and what its downpour takes from your example.
Rushing to you as its pouring trails you
وَلَيسَand there is not لِلبَدرِfor the full moon إِلّاexcept ماwhat حُبيتَyou were endowed بِبِwith it (probable correction)
وَلَيسَ لِلبَدرِ إِلّا ما حُبيتَ بِبِ
أَنthat يَستَنيرَit shines وَأَنand that تَعلوrise high مَنازِلُهُits stations
أَن يَستَنيرَ وَأَن تَعلو مَنازِلُهُ
And the full moon has nothing but what you have been endowed with:
And the moon has no merit but what it was enamored with
to shine, and for its stations to rise high.
That it may shine and raise its stations through you
Sol 6.1