وَصلٌunion تُقارِبُshe draws near مِنهُto it ثُمَّthen تُباعِدُshe draws away
وَصلٌ تُقارِبُ مِنهُ ثُمَّ تُباعِدُ
وهَوىًand passion تُخالِفُshe opposes فيهِin it ثُمَّthen تُساعِدُshe favors
وهَوىً تُخالِفُ فيهِ ثُمَّ تُساعِدُ
A union she draws near to, then draws away from;
And a passion she opposes, then favors;
وَجَوىًand heartache إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle قَلَّit wanes عاوَدَreturns كُثرُهُits abundance
وَجَوىً إِذا ما قَلَّ عاوَدَ كُثرُهُ
بِمُلِمِّthrough the visit of طَيفٍa phantom ماnot يَزالُceases يُعاوِدُit returns
بِمُلِمِّ طَيفٍ ما يَزالُ يُعاوِدُ
And heartache whose intensity returns whenever it wanes,
Through the visit of a phantom that keeps returning.
ماwhat ضَرَّwould harm شائِقَةَher who arouses longing الفُؤادِthe heart لَوَif اَنَّهُthat it
ما ضَرَّ شائِقَةَ الفُؤادِ لَوَ اَنَّهُ
شُفِيَwere quenched الغَليلُthe burning thirst أَوِor اِستَبَلَّrecovered الوارِدُthe water-seeker
شُفِيَ الغَليلُ أَوِ اِستَبَلَّ الوارِدُ
What harm would it do the heart's enchantress if
The burning thirst were quenched, or the water-seeker revived?
بَخِلَتshe was stingy بِمَوجودِwith available النَوالِbounty وَإِنَّماand only
بَخِلَت بِمَوجودِ النَوالِ وَإِنَّما
يَتَحَمَّلُbears اللَومَthe blame البَخيلُthe miser الواجِدُwho has means
يَتَحَمَّلُ اللَومَ البَخيلُ الواجِدُ
She withheld the bounty she could give; and only
The miser with means bears the blame.
أَسقىmay water مَحَلَّتَكَyour dwelling الغَمامُthe clouds وَلاand not يَزَلmay cease
أَسقى مَحَلَّتَكَ الغَمامُ وَلا يَزَل
رَوضٌa meadow بِهاin it خَضِرٌgreen وَنَورٌand blossoms جاسِدُdeep-hued
رَوضٌ بِها خَضِرٌ وَنَورٌ جاسِدُ
May clouds water your dwelling, and may there always be
A green meadow there, and deep-hued blossoms.
فَلَقَدfor indeed عَهِدتُI knew العَيشَlife فيin أَفنائِهاits precincts
فَلَقَد عَهِدتُ العَيشَ في أَفنائِها
فَينانَluxuriant يَحمَدُpraises مُجتَناهُits harvest الرائِدُthe pasture-scout
فَينانَ يَحمَدُ مُجتَناهُ الرائِدُ
For I knew life within its precincts
Luxuriant, its harvest praised by the pasture-scout.
عَطفَbent اَذَّكارُكِremembering you يَومَon the day of رامَةَRamah أَخدَعيboth sides of my neck
عَطفَ اَذَّكارُكِ يَومَ رامَةَ أَخدَعي
شَوقاًin longing وَأَعناقُwhile the necks المَطِيِّof the riding-camels قَواصِدُheading straight ahead
شَوقاً وَأَعناقُ المَطِيِّ قَواصِدُ
Remembering you bent my neck on the day at Ramah,
In longing, while the riding-camels' necks pointed onward.
وَسَرىand traveled by night خَيالُكَyour phantom طارِقاًas a night-visitor وَعَلىwhile on اللِوىthe winding sands
وَسَرى خَيالُكَ طارِقاً وَعَلى اللِوى
عيسٌpale camels مُطَلَّحَةٌexhausted by travel وَرَكبٌand riders هاجِدُasleep
عيسٌ مُطَلَّحَةٌ وَرَكبٌ هاجِدُ
And your phantom came as a night-visitor, while on the winding sands
Were pale, travel-worn camels and sleeping riders.
هَلcan? يَشكُرُthanks الحَسَنَal-Hasan بنِson of مَخلَدٍMakhlad الَّذيwhat
هَل يَشكُرُ الحَسَنَ بنِ مَخلَدٍ الَّذي
أَولاهُhe bestowed on him مَحمودُworthy الثَناءِpraise الخالِدُeverlasting
أَولاهُ مَحمودُ الثَناءِ الخالِدُ
Can al-Hasan ibn Makhlad be thanked for what
He bestowed, with worthy, everlasting praise?
بَلَغَتreached يَداهُhis two hands إِلىto الَّتيthat which لَمnot أَحتَسِبI expected
بَلَغَت يَداهُ إِلى الَّتي لَم أَحتَسِب
وَثَنىand followed it up لِأُخرىwith another فَهوَso he is بادٍa first giver عائِدُa returning giver
وَثَنى لِأُخرى فَهوَ بادٍ عائِدُ
His hands reached what I had not expected,
And he followed it with another: he gives first and gives again.
هُوَhe واحِدٌpeerless فيin المَكرُماتِnoble deeds وَإِنماand only
هُوَ واحِدٌ في المَكرُماتِ وَإِنما
يَكفيكَshields you from عادِيَةَthe onslaught of الزَمانِtime الواحِدُthe peerless one
يَكفيكَ عادِيَةَ الزَمانِ الواحِدُ
He is peerless in noble deeds, and only
The peerless one shields you from time's onslaught.
غَنِيَتwere enriched بِسُؤدُدِهِthrough his eminence مَرازِبُmarzbans فارِسٍPersia
غَنِيَت بِسُؤدُدِهِ مَرازِبُ فارِسٍ
هَذاthis one لَهُhis عَمٌّa paternal uncle وَهَذاand this one والِدُa father
هَذا لَهُ عَمٌّ وَهَذا والِدُ
Persia's marzbans were enriched by his eminence:
This one is his uncle, and this one his father.
وَزَرُthe refuge of الخِلافَةِthe caliphate حينَwhen يُعضِلُbecomes intractable حادِثٌa crisis
وَزَرُ الخِلافَةِ حينَ يُعضِلُ حادِثٌ
وَشَهابُهاand its meteor فيin المُظلِماتِdark predicaments الواقِدِblazing
وَشَهابُها في المُظلِماتِ الواقِدِ
The caliphate's refuge when a crisis proves intractable,
And its blazing meteor amid the darkness;
المَذهَبُthe course الأَمَمُdirect الَّذيwhich عُرِفَتwas recognized لَهُas his
المَذهَبُ الأَمَمُ الَّذي عُرِفَت لَهُ
فيهِin it الفَضيلَةُexcellence وَالطَريقُand the path القاصِدُstraight
فيهِ الفَضيلَةُ وَالطَريقُ القاصِدُ
The direct course, in which he is credited
With excellence, and the straight path.
وَلِيَhe took charge of الأُمورَaffairs بِنَفسِهِby himself وَمَحَلُّهاand their setting
وَلِيَ الأُمورَ بِنَفسِهِ وَمَحَلُّها
مُتَقارِبٌclose at hand وَمَرامُهاand their aim مُتَباعِدُfar distant
مُتَقارِبٌ وَمَرامُها مُتَباعِدُ
He took charge of affairs himself; their setting
Is close at hand, but their aims lie far afield.
يَتَكَفَّلُhe undertakes الأَدنىthe nearest وَيُدرِكُand reaches رَأيُهُhis judgment الthe
يَتَكَفَّلُ الأَدنى وَيُدرِكُ رَأيُهُ ال
أَقصىfarthest وَيَتبَعُهُand follows him الأَبِيُّthe unyielding one العانِدُthe obstinate one
أَقصى وَيَتبَعُهُ الأَبِيُّ العانِدُ
He handles what is nearest, and his judgment reaches the
Farthest; the unyielding, obstinate man follows him.
إِنif غارَhe enters the lowlands فَهوَthen he is مِنَthrough النَباهَةِrenown مُنجِدٌon the heights
إِن غارَ فَهوَ مِنَ النَباهَةِ مُنجِدٌ
أَوor غابَhe is absent فَهوَthen he is مِنَthrough المَهابَةِawe-inspiring majesty شاهِدُpresent
أَو غابَ فَهوَ مِنَ المَهابَةِ شاهِدُ
If he descends to the lowlands, his renown keeps him on the heights;
Or if he is absent, his majesty keeps him present.
فَقَدِfor indeed اِغتَدىhas risen at dawn المُعوَجُّthe crooked وَهوَwhile it is مُقَوَّمٌstraightened
فَقَدِ اِغتَدى المُعوَجُّ وَهوَ مُقَوَّمٌ
بِيَدَيهِby his two hands وَاِستَوفىand attained in full الصَلاحَsoundness الفاسِدُthe corrupt
بِيَدَيهِ وَاِستَوفى الصَلاحَ الفاسِدُ
For the crooked has risen at dawn, set straight
By his hands, and the corrupt has attained full soundness.
مَلَكَhe subdued العُداةَthe enemies وَأَسجَحَتand dealt gently آلاؤُهُhis favors
مَلَكَ العُداةَ وَأَسجَحَت آلاؤُهُ
فيهِمwith them وَعَمَّمَand encompassed all فَضلُهُhis bounty المُتَرافِدُmutually reinforcing
فيهِم وَعَمَّمَ فَضلُهُ المُتَرافِدُ
He subdued his foes, and his favors dealt gently
With them; his bounty, gift reinforcing gift, embraced all.
نِعَمٌblessings يُصيخُlistens attentively لِطَولِهِنَّto their bounty المُزدَهىthe conceited one
نِعَمٌ يُصيخُ لِطَولِهِنَّ المُزدَهى
وَيُقِرُّand admits مُعتَرِفاًacknowledging بِهِنَّthem الجاحِدُthe denier
وَيُقِرُّ مُعتَرِفاً بِهِنَّ الجاحِدُ
Blessings to whose bounty the proud give ear,
And the denier admits and acknowledges them.
عَفوٌpardon كَبَتَّyou humbled بِهِwith it العَدُوَّthe enemy وَلَمand did not أَجِدI find
عَفوٌ كَبَتَّ بِهِ العَدُوَّ وَلَم أَجِد
كَالعَفوِlike pardon غيظَwas enraged بِهِby it العَدُوُّthe enemy الحاسِدُthe envious
كَالعَفوِ غيظَ بِهِ العَدُوُّ الحاسِدُ
Pardon with which you humbled the foe; I have found nothing
Like pardon to enrage the envious enemy.
حَتّىso much so that لَكانَindeed became الصَفحُforgiveness أَثقَلَheavier مَحمَلاًa burden
حَتّى لَكانَ الصَفحُ أَثقَلَ مَحمَلاً
مِمّاthan what تَخَوَّفَهُhe feared it المُسيءُthe wrongdoer العامِدُthe willful
مِمّا تَخَوَّفَهُ المُسيءُ العامِدُ
So much so that forgiveness became a heavier burden
Than what the willful offender had feared.
قَدindeed قُلتُI said لِلساعيto the schemer عَلَيكَagainst you بِكَيدِهِwith his guile
قَد قُلتُ لِلساعي عَلَيكَ بِكَيدِهِ
سَفهاًfolly لِرَأيِكَin your judgment مَنwhom? أَراكَI see you تُعانِدُyou defy
سَفهاً لِرَأيِكَ مَن أَراكَ تُعانِدُ
I have said to the man scheming against you with his guile:
“How foolish your judgment! Whom do I see you defying?
أَوفىrose high فَأَعشاكَso it dazzled you الصَباحُthe morning بِضَوئِهِwith its light
أَوفى فَأَعشاكَ الصَباحُ بِضَوئِهِ
وَجَرىand flowed فَغَرَّقَكَso it drowned you الفُراتُthe Euphrates الزائِدُswelling
وَجَرى فَغَرَّقَكَ الفُراتُ الزائِدُ
Morning rose, then dazzled you with its light,
And the swelling Euphrates flowed, then drowned you.”
Sol 6.1