قِفِhalt العيسَthe pale camels قَدalready أَدنىbrought closer together خُطاهاtheir strides كَلالُهاtheir weariness
قِفِ العيسَ قَد أَدنى خُطاها كَلالُها
وَسَلand question دارَthe dwelling of سُعدىSu'da إِنif شَفاكَheals you سُؤالُهاquestioning it
وَسَل دارَ سُعدى إِن شَفاكَ سُؤالُها
Halt the pale camels; weariness has shortened their strides.
Stop the camel, her steps have drawn near, her weariness is complete
And question Su'da's dwelling, if questioning it will heal you.
Ask the abode of my joy if your question will bring it healing
وَماand not أَعرِفُI recognize الأَطلالَthe ruins مِنfrom بَطنِthe valley floor of توضِحٍTudih
وَما أَعرِفُ الأَطلالَ مِن بَطنِ توضِحٍ
لِطولِbecause of the length of تَعَفّيهاtheir effacement وَلَكِنand yet إِخالُهاI think I recognize them
لِطولِ تَعَفّيها وَلَكِن إِخالُها
And I do not recognize the ruins on Tudih's valley floor,
I know not the ruins amidst the clearly shining valley
because they have long been effaced; yet I think I recognize them.
For long has it been desolate and only its traces remain
إِذاwhen قُلتُI say أَنسىI forget دارَthe dwelling of لَيلىLayla عَلىamid النَوىseparation
إِذا قُلتُ أَنسى دارَ لَيلى عَلى النَوى
تَصَوَّرَtook shape فيin أَقصىthe deepest part of ضَميريmy inner heart مِثالُهاher image
تَصَوَّرَ في أَقصى ضَميري مِثالُها
When I say I will forget Layla's dwelling while far away,
If I say I forget the abode of Layla in al-Nawā
her image takes shape in the deepest recesses of my heart.
Her image is pictured in the furthest reaches of my soul
وَقَدand indeed كُنتُI had been أَرجوhoping for وَصلَهاunion with her قَبلَbefore هَجرِهاher estrangement
وَقَد كُنتُ أَرجو وَصلَها قَبلَ هَجرِها
فَقَدso now بانَdeparted مِنّيfrom me هَجرُهاher estrangement وَوِصالُهاand union with her
فَقَد بانَ مِنّي هَجرُها وَوِصالُها
And I had hoped for union with her before her estrangement,
I had hoped to attain union with her before we parted
but now her estrangement and union with her alike have left me.
But my parting and union with her have become clear to me
فَلَمso not يَبقَremained إِلّاexcept لَوعَةٌan anguish تُلهِبُsets aflame الحَشاthe heart
فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا لَوعَةٌ تُلهِبُ الحَشا
وَإِلّاand except أَكاذيبُthe falsehoods of المُنىwishes وَضَلالُهاand their delusions
وَإِلّا أَكاذيبُ المُنى وَضَلالُها
So nothing remains but an anguish that sets my heart aflame,
There remains only a burning anguish igniting my thoughts
and nothing but the falsehoods of wishes and their delusions.
And the false hopes and strayings of my wishes
فَلاso no عَهدَbond إِلّاexcept أَنthat يُعاوِدَreturns ذِكرُهاher memory
فَلا عَهدَ إِلّا أَن يُعاوِدَ ذِكرُها
وَلاand no وَصلَunion إِلّاexcept أَنthat يَزورَvisits خَيالُهاher phantom
وَلا وَصلَ إِلّا أَن يَزورَ خَيالُها
So no bond remains except the return of her memory,
I have no pact but that her memory should recurrently revive
and no union except when her phantom visits.
No union but that her phantom should visit me
تَمَنَّيتُI longed for لَيلىLayla بَعدَafter فَوتٍloss وَإِنَّماbut only
تَمَنَّيتُ لَيلى بَعدَ فَوتٍ وَإِنَّما
تَمَنَّيتُI longed for مِنهاfrom her خُطَّةًa state of affairs لاnot أَنالُهاI attain it
تَمَنَّيتُ مِنها خُطَّةً لا أَنالُها
I longed for Layla after losing her; yet I only
I wished for Layla after she was gone but truly
longed for a prospect with her that I cannot attain.
I wished from her only an unattainable fantasy
زَهَتshone proudly سُرَّwas delighted مَنwhoever راsaw بِالخَليفَةِwith the caliph جَعفَرٍJa'far
زَهَت سُرَّ مَن را بِالخَليفَةِ جَعفَرٍ
وَعادَand returned إِلَيهاto it حُسنُهاits loveliness وَجَمالُهاand its beauty
وَعادَ إِلَيها حُسنُها وَجَمالُها
Surra Man Ra shone proudly with the Caliph Ja'far,
The capital flourished when Jaʿfar al-Khalīfa returned
and its loveliness and beauty returned to it.
Her beauty and charm went back to her
صَفاcleared جَوُّهاits sky لَمّاwhen أَتاهاhe came to it وَكُشِّفَتand was dispelled
صَفا جَوُّها لَمّا أَتاها وَكُشِّفَت
ضَبابَتُهاits haze عَنهاaway from it وَهَبَّتand blew شَمالُهاits north wind
ضَبابَتُها عَنها وَهَبَّت شَمالُها
Its sky cleared when he came to it, and swept away was
Its air cleared when he came to it and its obscurities
its haze, and its north wind blew.
Were unveiled from it and its north wind blew
وَكانَتand it had been قَدِalready اِغبَرَّتgrew dust-grey رُباهاits hills وَأَظلَمَتand darkened
وَكانَت قَدِ اِغبَرَّت رُباها وَأَظلَمَت
جَوانِبُthe reaches of قُطرَيهاits two sides وَبانَand became apparent اِختِلالُهاits disarray
جَوانِبُ قُطرَيها وَبانَ اِختِلالُها
And its hills had grown dust-grey, and darkness had fallen over
It had been covered in dust and the sides of its crescents darkened
the reaches of both its sides, and its disarray was plain.
And the disorder of its condition became evident
إِذاwhen غِبتَyou are absent عَنfrom أَرضٍa land وَيَمَّمتَand turn toward غَيرَهاa land other than it
إِذا غِبتَ عَن أَرضٍ وَيَمَّمتَ غَيرَها
فَقَدthen indeed غابَvanished عَنهاfrom it شَمسُهاits sun وَهِلالُهاand its crescent moon
فَقَد غابَ عَنها شَمسُها وَهِلالُها
When you are absent from a land and turn toward another,
When you are absent from a land and head for another
then its sun and crescent moon have vanished from it.
Its sun disappears from it and its crescent is veiled
غَدَتbecame بِكَthrough you آفاقُthe horizons of البِلادِthe lands خَصيبَةًfertile
غَدَت بِكَ آفاقُ البِلادِ خَصيبَةً
وَهَلand can تُمحِلُgrow barren الدُنياthe world وَأَنتَwhile you are ثِمالُهاits mainstay
وَهَل تُمحِلُ الدُنيا وَأَنتَ ثِمالُها
Through you, the horizons of the lands have become fertile;
By you the horizons of the countries become fertile
and can the world grow barren while you are its mainstay?
Can the world carry you while you are its adornment?
وَأَيَّةُand whatever نُعمىblessing ساقَهاbrought it اللَهُGod نَحوَناtoward us
وَأَيَّةُ نُعمى ساقَها اللَهُ نَحوَنا
فَكانَso were لَناours اِستِئنافُهاits renewal وَاِقتِبالُهاand its reception
فَكانَ لَنا اِستِئنافُها وَاِقتِبالُها
And every blessing God has brought our way,
What blessings has God conveyed to us?
whose renewal and reception have been ours,
Their restoration to us and our receiving them were because of you
فَمِنthen from وَجهِكَyour face الضاحيradiant إِلَيناtoward us بِبِشرِهِwith its cheer
فَمِن وَجهِكَ الضاحي إِلَينا بِبِشرِهِ
وَمِنand from يَدِكَyour hand الجاريflowing عَلَيناupon us نَوالُهاits bounty
وَمِن يَدِكَ الجاري عَلَينا نَوالُها
comes from your face, radiant toward us with its cheer,
So from your radiant face good news comes to us
and from your hand, whose bounty flows upon us.
And from your open hand its plenty flows to us
لَكُمyours كُلُّevery بَطحاءٍgravelly valley بِمَكَّةَin Mecca إِذwhile غَداbecame
لَكُم كُلُّ بَطحاءٍ بِمَكَّةَ إِذ غَدا
لِغَيرِكُمُthe lot of others than you ظُهرانُهاits uplands وَجِبالُهاand its mountains
لِغَيرِكُمُ ظُهرانُها وَجِبالُها
Yours is every gravelly valley in Mecca, while
You possess every plain in Mecca when its furniture
its uplands and mountains have become the lot of others.
And its mountains belong to others
وَأَنتُمand you بَنيsons of العَبّاسِal-'Abbas عَمِّthe uncle of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
وَأَنتُم بَني العَبّاسِ عَمِّ مُحَمَّدٍ
يَمينُthe right hand of قُرَيشٍQuraysh إِذwhile سِواكُمothers besides you شِمالُهاits left hand
يَمينُ قُرَيشٍ إِذ سِواكُم شِمالُها
And you, sons of al-'Abbas, Muhammad's uncle,
And you, O Banū al-ʿAbbās, are the uncle of Muḥammad
are Quraysh's right hand, while all besides you are its left.
The right wing of Quraysh when their left wing are others
وَقَدand indeed سَرَّنيgladdened me أَنَّthat الخِلافَةَthe caliphate فيكُمُamong you
وَقَد سَرَّني أَنَّ الخِلافَةَ فيكُمُ
مُخَيِّمَةٌencamped ماnot إنat all (emphasis) يُخافُis feared اِنتِقالُهاits transfer
مُخَيِّمَةٌ ما إن يُخافُ اِنتِقالُها
And it has gladdened me that the caliphate among you
I was pleased that the Caliphate was established among you
is encamped, with no fear of its moving elsewhere.
Encamped, not fearing it would transfer
لَكُمyours إِرثُهاits inheritance وَالحَقُّand the rightful claim مِنهاto it وَلَمand not يَكُنwas
لَكُم إِرثُها وَالحَقُّ مِنها وَلَم يَكُن
لِغَيرِكُمُfor others than you إِلّاexcept اِسمُهاits name وَاِنتِحالُهاand its usurpation
لِغَيرِكُمُ إِلّا اِسمُها وَاِنتِحالُها
Yours are its inheritance and rightful title; there was
Yours is its inheritance and truthfully from it, no one else had
for others only its name and a usurped claim to it.
Anything but its name and false claim to it
وَإِنَّand indeed بَنيthe sons of حَربٍHarb وَمَروانَand Marwan أَصبَحواhave become
وَإِنَّ بَني حَربٍ وَمَروانَ أَصبَحوا
بِدارِin an abode of هَوانٍhumiliation قَدalready عَراهُمovertook them نَكالُهاits exemplary punishment
بِدارِ هَوانٍ قَد عَراهُم نَكالُها
And the sons of Harb and Marwan have come to be
The Banū Ḥarb and Marwān have woken up
in an abode of humiliation, whose punishment has overtaken them.
In an abode of humiliation, stripped of all honor
يَغُضّونَthey lower أَبصاراًeyes مَغيظاًenraged ضَميرُهاtheir inward thoughts
يَغُضّونَ أَبصاراً مَغيظاً ضَميرُها
وَيُبدونَand reveal أَلحاظاًglances مُبيناًplain كَلالُهاtheir weariness
وَيُبدونَ أَلحاظاً مُبيناً كَلالُها
They lower their eyes, their inward thoughts enraged,
They lower their eyes in anger and their souls
and reveal glances whose weariness is plain.
Reveal gazing looks expressing weariness
وَإِنَّand indeed الَّذيthe one who يُهديoffers عَداوَتَهُhis enmity لَكُمto you
وَإِنَّ الَّذي يُهدي عَداوَتَهُ لَكُم
لَمُرتَكِضٌsurely floundering فيin عَثرَةٍa stumble مايُقالُهاhe is not lifted from it
لَمُرتَكِضٌ في عَثرَةٍ مايُقالُها
And whoever offers his enmity to you
Whoever shows enmity to you
is surely floundering in a fall from which he will not be lifted.
Is plunging into a pitfall from which there is no escape
مَتىwhen ماثَنَواever they bend أَعناقَهُمtheir necks نَحوَtoward فِتنَةٍrebellion
مَتى ماثَنَوا أَعناقَهُم نَحوَ فِتنَةٍ
يَكُنwill be بِالسُيوفِthrough the swords الماضِياتِkeen-edged اِعتِدالُهاtheir straightening
يَكُن بِالسُيوفِ الماضِياتِ اِعتِدالُها
Whenever they bend their necks toward rebellion,
Whenever they incline their necks toward strife
their straightening will come through keen-edged swords.
There is equilibrium in the passing swords
وَدونَand before الَّتيthat which مَنّىmade hope for الأَعاديthe enemies نُفوسَهُمtheir souls
وَدونَ الَّتي مَنّى الأَعادي نُفوسَهُم
مَناياهُمُtheir deaths فيamong العالَمينَall the worlds نَكالُهاtheir exemplary punishment
مَناياهُمُ في العالَمينَ نَكالُها
And before what the enemies have made their souls hope for
Beneath those their enemies’ souls desired
lie their deaths, a warning to all the worlds:
Is their perdition in both worlds
مُثَقَّفَةٌstraightened سُمرٌbrown لِدانٌsupple صُدورُهاtheir foreparts
مُثَقَّفَةٌ سُمرٌ لِدانٌ صُدورُها
وَهِندِيَّةٌand Indian swords بيضٌwhite حَديثٌfresh صِقالُهاtheir polishing
وَهِندِيَّةٌ بيضٌ حَديثٌ صِقالُها
straightened brown spears, supple in their foreparts,
Burnished Indian swords white and newly sharpened
and white Indian swords, freshly polished.
Their chests split open and their skulls cloven
Sol 6.1