مَتىwhenever تَسأَليyou ask عَنabout عَهدِهِhis faithfulness تَجِديهِyou find him
مَتى تَسأَلي عَن عَهدِهِ تَجِديهِ
مَلِيّاًfully able بِوَصلِin joining الحَبلِthe cord لَمnot تَصِليهِyou join it
مَلِيّاً بِوَصلِ الحَبلِ لَم تَصِليهِ
Whenever you ask about his fidelity, you will find him
well able to join the cord you have not joined.
يُكَلِّفُنيhe demands of me عَنكَaway from you العَذولُthe reproacher تَصَبُّراًpatient endurance
يُكَلِّفُني عَنكَ العَذولُ تَصَبُّراً
وَأَعوَزُand the hardest to attain شَيءٍthing ماwhat يُكَلِّفُنيهِhe demands it of me
وَأَعوَزُ شَيءٍ ما يُكَلِّفُنيهِ
The reproacher bids me bear separation from you patiently,
yet what he demands of me is the hardest thing to attain.
وَيَحزُنُكَand they distress you اللُوّامُthe reproachers لَستُI do not أُطيعُهُمI obey them
وَيَحزُنُكَ اللُوّامُ لَستُ أُطيعُهُم
وَقَولٌand talk مِنَfrom الواشينَthe talebearers لَستُI do not أَعيهِI heed it
وَقَولٌ مِنَ الواشينَ لَستُ أَعيهِ
And the reproachers distress you; I do not obey them,
nor do I heed the talebearers' talk.
عَلىthough أَنَّنيthat I أَخشىI fear عَلَيكِfor you وَأَتَّقيand I guard against
عَلى أَنَّني أَخشى عَلَيكِ وَأَتَّقي
زِياداتِadditions مُغراًone obsessed بِالحَديثِwith talk يَشيهِhe embroiders it
زِياداتِ مُغراً بِالحَديثِ يَشيهِ
Yet I fear for you and guard against
the additions of one obsessed with talk, who embroiders it.
عَناءُthe suffering المُحِبِّof the lover عَنfrom عَقابيلِaftereffects لَوعَةٍburning heartache
عَناءُ المُحِبِّ عَن عَقابيلِ لَوعَةٍ
تَحُلُّundoes قُوىthe powers صَبرِof patience الفَتىof the young man وَتَهيهِand weakens him
تَحُلُّ قُوى صَبرِ الفَتى وَتَهيهِ
The lover's suffering comes from the aftereffects of burning heartache
that undo a young man's powers of patience and weaken him.
مُعَلِّلُهُone who soothes him بِالوَعدِwith a promise لَيسَdoes not يَفيkeep faith بِهِwith it
مُعَلِّلُهُ بِالوَعدِ لَيسَ يَفي بِهِ
وَقاتِلُهُand his killer بِالحُبِّwith love لَيسَdoes not يَديهِpay blood money for him
وَقاتِلُهُ بِالحُبِّ لَيسَ يَديهِ
The one who soothes him with a promise does not fulfill it,
and the one who kills him with love pays no blood money for him.
وَأَهيَفُand a slender-waisted one مَأخوذٌtaken مِنَfrom النَفسِthe soul شَكلُهُhis form
وَأَهيَفُ مَأخوذٌ مِنَ النَفسِ شَكلُهُ
تَرىsees العَينُthe eye ماتَحتاجُwhat it needs أَجمَعُall of it فيهِin him
تَرى العَينُ ماتَحتاجُ أَجمَعُ فيهِ
And a slender-waisted one whose form is drawn from the soul—
the eye sees in him everything it needs.
وَلَمand did not تَنسَforget نَفسيmy soul ماwhat سُقيتُI was given to drink بِكَفِّهِby his hand
وَلَم تَنسَ نَفسي ما سُقيتُ بِكَفِّهِ
مِنَof الراحِwine إِلّاexcept ماwhat سُقيتُI was given to drink بِفيهِfrom his mouth
مِنَ الراحِ إِلّا ما سُقيتُ بِفيهِ
My soul never forgot what his hand gave me to drink
of wine, save through what his mouth gave me to drink.
أَرىI see غَفلَةَthe heedlessness الأَيّامِof the days إِعطاءَgiving مانِعٍone who withholds
أَرى غَفلَةَ الأَيّامِ إِعطاءَ مانِعٍ
يُصيبُكَit reaches you أَحياناًat times وَحِلمَand the forbearance سَفيهِof a fool
يُصيبُكَ أَحياناً وَحِلمَ سَفيهِ
I see the days' lapse as a gift from one who withholds,
which reaches you at times, and the forbearance of a fool.
إِذاif ماemphatic particle نَسَبتَyou trace the lineage of الحادِثاتِcalamities وَجَدتَهاyou find them
إِذا ما نَسَبتَ الحادِثاتِ وَجَدتَها
بَناتِdaughters الزَمانِof Time أُرصِدَتset in ambush لِبَنيهِfor his sons
بَناتِ الزَمانِ أُرصِدَت لِبَنيهِ
If you trace the lineage of calamities, you find them
daughters of Time, set in ambush for his sons.
مَتىwhenever أَرَتِshows الدُنياthe world نَباهَةَeminence خامِلٍof an obscure man
مَتى أَرَتِ الدُنيا نَباهَةَ خامِلٍ
فَلاthen do not تَرتَقِبexpect إِلّاexcept خُمولَobscurity نَبيهِof an eminent man
فَلا تَرتَقِب إِلّا خُمولَ نَبيهِ
Whenever the world displays an obscure man's eminence,
expect nothing but an eminent man's obscurity.
وَماand not رَدَّrepelled صَرفَthe vicissitudes الدَهرِof time مِثلُlike مُهَذَّبٍa refined man
وَما رَدَّ صَرفَ الدَهرِ مِثلُ مُهَذَّبٍ
أَبىrefused الدَهرُtime أَنto يَأتيbring لَهُfor him بِشَبيهِwith an equal
أَبى الدَهرُ أَن يَأتي لَهُ بِشَبيهِ
None has repelled time's vicissitudes like a refined man
whose equal time has refused to bring forth.
أَبوAbu (father of) غالِبٍGhalib بِالجودِthrough generosity يَذكُرُremembers واجِبيmy due
أَبو غالِبٍ بِالجودِ يَذكُرُ واجِبي
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle غَبِيُّthe dullard الباخِلينَamong the misers نَسيهِforgot it
إِذا ما غَبِيُّ الباخِلينَ نَسيهِ
Abu Ghalib remembers my due through his generosity,
when the dullard among the misers forgets it.
تَطولُsurpass يَداهُhis two hands عِندَat أَوسَعِthe fullest سَعيِهِمtheir striving
تَطولُ يَداهُ عِندَ أَوسَعِ سَعيِهِم
ذَويthose possessing الطولِwealth مِنamong أَكفائِهِhis equals وَذَويهِand his kin
ذَوي الطولِ مِن أَكفائِهِ وَذَويهِ
His hands surpass, even at their utmost exertion,
the men of means among his equals and his kin.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَوَجَّهناwe sought help بِهِthrough him فيin مُلِمَّةٍa calamity
إِذا ما تَوَجَّهنا بِهِ في مُلِمَّةٍ
فَلَجناwe prevailed بِوَجهٍthrough a face فيamong الكِرامِthe noble وَجيهِesteemed
فَلَجنا بِوَجهٍ في الكِرامِ وَجيهِ
Whenever we seek aid through him in a calamity,
we prevail through a face esteemed among the noble.
تَقَيَّلَhe emulated مِنfrom آلِthe house of المُدَبِّرِal-Mudabbir سَيِّداًa lord
تَقَيَّلَ مِن آلِ المُدَبِّرِ سَيِّداً
يَقودُleads إِلىto العَلياءِthe heights of glory مُتَّبِعيهِhis followers
يَقودُ إِلى العَلياءِ مُتَّبِعيهِ
He modeled himself on a lord of the house of al-Mudabbir,
who leads his followers to the heights of glory.
وَماand not تابِعٌone following فيin المَجدِglory نَهجَthe path عَدُوِّهِof his enemy
وَما تابِعٌ في المَجدِ نَهجَ عَدُوِّهِ
كَمُتَّبِعٍlike one following فيin المَجدِglory نَهجَthe path أَبيهِof his father
كَمُتَّبِعٍ في المَجدِ نَهجَ أَبيهِ
And one who follows his enemy's path to glory is not
like one who follows his father's path to glory.
يُذَلِّلُsubdues صَعبَthe difficulty الأَمرِof the matter حينَwhen يَروضُهُhe tames it
يُذَلِّلُ صَعبَ الأَمرِ حينَ يَروضُهُ
وَيَحفَظُand safeguards أَقصىthe furthest reaches الأَمرِof the matter حينَwhen يَليهِhe takes charge of it
وَيَحفَظُ أَقصى الأَمرِ حينَ يَليهِ
He subdues a matter's difficulty when he tames it,
and guards its furthest reaches when he takes charge of it.
جَديدُfresh الشَبابِin youth كُبرُهُhis greatness بِفَعالِهِthrough his deeds
جَديدُ الشَبابِ كُبرُهُ بِفَعالِهِ
وَبَعضُand some الرِجالِmen كُبرُهُhis greatness بِسِنِيِّهِthrough his years
وَبَعضُ الرِجالِ كُبرُهُ بِسِنِيِّهِ
Fresh in youth, his greatness lies in his deeds,
while some men's greatness lies in their years.
مَخيلَةُan air حِلمٍof composure فيin النَدِيِّthe assembly كَأَنَّهاas though it were
مَخيلَةُ حِلمٍ في النَدِيِّ كَأَنَّها
إِذاwhen اشتُهِرَتbecomes evident مِنهُfrom him مَخيلَةُan air تيهِof haughty pride
إِذا اشتُهِرَت مِنهُ مَخيلَةُ تيهِ
His air of composure in the assembly seems,
when it becomes evident in him, like an air of haughty pride.
إِذاwhen باتَhe spends the night يُعطيhe gives وَالسَماحُand Generosity حَليفُهُhis ally
إِذا باتَ يُعطي وَالسَماحُ حَليفُهُ
تُوُهِّمَit is imagined يُعطيhe gives بِالسَماحِwith Generosity أَخيهِhis brother
تُوُهِّمَ يُعطي بِالسَماحِ أَخيهِ
When he spends the night giving, with Generosity his ally,
one imagines he gives with Generosity, his brother.
فَداكَmay he ransom you مِنَfrom الأَسواءِills مَنwhoever بِتَّyou spend the night مُسمِحاًgiving freely
فَداكَ مِنَ الأَسواءِ مَن بِتَّ مُسمِحاً
بِمالِكَwith your wealth تَفديyou ransom مالَهُhis wealth وَتَقيهِand protect it
بِمالِكَ تَفدي مالَهُ وَتَقيهِ
May he be your ransom from ills—he for whom you spend the night giving freely
of your wealth, ransoming his wealth and shielding it.
حَلاوَةُthe sweetness لا'no' فيin نَفسِهِhis soul جِدُّvery صِدقَةٍgenuine
حَلاوَةُ لا في نَفسِهِ جِدُّ صِدقَةٍ
وَطَعمُand the taste نَعَم'yes' فيin فيهِhis mouth جِدُّvery كَريهِrepugnant
وَطَعمُ نَعَم في فيهِ جِدُّ كَريهِ
The sweetness of 'no' in his soul is very real,
and the taste of 'yes' in his mouth is most repugnant.
وَمُطَّلِبٍand many a seeker مِنكَfrom you المُساواةِequality لَمdid not تَزَلcease
وَمُطَّلِبٍ مِنكَ المُساواةِ لَم تَزَل
أُلوفُكَyour thousands حَتّىuntil أَجحَفَتthey overwhelmed بِمِئيهِhis hundreds
أُلوفُكَ حَتّى أَجحَفَت بِمِئيهِ
And many a seeker of equality with you—unceasing were
your thousands, until they overwhelmed his hundreds.
وَلَوand if كانَhe were يَبغيseeking مَوضِعَthe place الجودِof generosity لَاكتَفىhe would have been content
وَلَو كانَ يَبغي مَوضِعَ الجودِ لَاكتَفى
بِمُسمِعِهِwith one who tells him أَينَwhere النَدىbounty وَمُريهِand one who shows him
بِمُسمِعِهِ أَينَ النَدى وَمُريهِ
Had he sought the place of generosity, he would have been content
with one to tell him where bounty is, and one to show him.
فَئيهٍso, more! لَكَmay you have الخَيراتُblessings مِنof سَيبِكَyour bounty الَّذيwhich
فَئيهٍ لَكَ الخَيراتُ مِن سَيبِكَ الَّذي
غَمَرتَyou submerged بِهِwith it سَيبَthe bounty المُساجِلِof the rival giver إيهِmore!
غَمَرتَ بِهِ سَيبَ المُساجِلِ إيهِ
So, more—blessings be yours!—of your bounty, with which
you have submerged your rival's bounty. More!
Sol 6.1