أُناشِدُI implore الغَيثَthe rain كَيso that تَهميpour down غَواديهِits morning showers
أُناشِدُ الغَيثَ كَي تَهمي غَواديهِ
عَلىupon العَقيقِal-Aqiq وَإِنand though أَقوَتhave become deserted مَغانيهِits dwellings
عَلى العَقيقِ وَإِن أَقوَت مَغانيهِ
I implore the rain to let its morning showers pour
upon al-Aqiq, though its dwellings lie deserted;
عَلىupon مَحَلٍّa place أَرىI see الأَيّامَthe days تَضحَكُsmile عَنrevealing
عَلى مَحَلٍّ أَرى الأَيّامَ تَضحَكُ عَن
أَيّامِهِits days وَاللَياليand the nights عَنrevealing لَياليهِits nights
أَيّامِهِ وَاللَيالي عَن لَياليهِ
upon a place where I see the days smile, revealing
its days, and the nights smile, revealing its nights.
عَهدٌa season مِنَof اللَهوِpleasure لَمnever تُذمَمbe faulted عَوائِدُهُits recurring joys
عَهدٌ مِنَ اللَهوِ لَم تُذمَم عَوائِدُهُ
يَوماًever فَتُنسىand thus be forgotten وَلَمand not تَقدُمgrow old بَواديهِits beginnings
يَوماً فَتُنسى وَلَم تَقدُم بَواديهِ
A season of pleasure whose recurring joys were never faulted
even once and so forgotten; nor have its beginnings grown old.
وَفيand among الحُلولِthose encamped عَليلُlanguid الطَرفِthe gaze فاتِرُهُlistless in it
وَفي الحُلولِ عَليلُ الطَرفِ فاتِرُهُ
لَدنُsupple التَثَنّيswaying ضَعيفُdelicate الخَصرِthe waist واهيهِfrail in it
لَدنُ التَثَنّي ضَعيفُ الخَصرِ واهيهِ
And among those encamped is one with a languid, listless gaze,
supple in swaying, delicate and frail of waist.
يُطيلُhe prolongs تَسويفَdeferral وَعديthe promise to me ثُمَّthen يُخلِفُهُhe breaks it
يُطيلُ تَسويفَ وَعدي ثُمَّ يُخلِفُهُ
عَمداًdeliberately وَيَمطُلُand delays paying دَينيmy due ثُمَّthen يَلويهِwithholds it
عَمداً وَيَمطُلُ دَيني ثُمَّ يَلويهِ
He long postpones the promise made to me, then breaks it
deliberately, and delays paying my due, then withholds it.
هَلwill...? يُجزَيَنَّbe rewarded بِبَعضِwith some الوَصلِunion باذِلُهُits giver
هَل يُجزَيَنَّ بِبَعضِ الوَصلِ باذِلُهُ
أَوor يُعدَيَنَّbe granted redress عَلىagainst الهِجرانِestrangement جازيهِits requiter
أَو يُعدَيَنَّ عَلى الهِجرانِ جازيهِ
Will the giver of union be rewarded with some of it,
or will he who requites estrangement be granted redress against it?
وَهَلand will...? تَرُدّينَyou restore حِلماًgood sense قَدalready تَخَوَّنَهُhas undermined it
وَهَل تَرُدّينَ حِلماً قَد تَخَوَّنَهُ
لَكِfor you التَصابيyouthful infatuation فَماso not يُرجىis hoped for تَلافيهِits recovery
لَكِ التَصابي فَما يُرجى تَلافيهِ
And will you restore good sense already undermined
by youthful infatuation with you, with no hope of repairing it?
لَولاwere it not for التَعَلُّقُattachment مِنfrom قَلبٍa heart يُبَرِّحُtorments بيme
لَولا التَعَلُّقُ مِن قَلبٍ يُبَرِّحُ بي
لَجاجُهُits obstinacy وَيُعَنّينيand wears me down تَماديهِits persistence
لَجاجُهُ وَيُعَنّيني تَماديهِ
Were it not for a heart's attachment—I am tormented by
its obstinacy, and its persistence wears me down—
ماnot كانَwould be هَجرُكِyour estrangement مَكروهاًan evil أُحاذِرُهُI dread it
ما كانَ هَجرُكِ مَكروهاً أُحاذِرُهُ
وَلاnor وِصالُكِyour union مَعروفاًa kindness أُرَجّيهِI hope for it
وَلا وِصالُكِ مَعروفاً أُرَجّيهِ
your estrangement would not be an evil I dread,
nor your union a kindness I hope for.
بَنوthe sons of ثَوابَةَThawabah أَقمارٌmoons إِذاwhen طَلَعَتthey rise
بَنو ثَوابَةَ أَقمارٌ إِذا طَلَعَت
لَمnot يَلبَثِlinger اللَيلُthe night أَنthat يَنجابَbe dispelled داجيهِits darkness
لَم يَلبَثِ اللَيلُ أَن يَنجابَ داجيهِ
The sons of Thawabah are moons: when they rise,
the night's darkness is soon dispelled.
كُتّابُscribes مُلكٍa kingdom تَرىyou see التَدبيرَgovernance مُتَّسِقاًwell ordered
كُتّابُ مُلكٍ تَرى التَدبيرَ مُتَّسِقاً
بِرَأيِthrough the judgment of مُختارِهِits chooser مِنهُمamong them وَمُمضيهِand its executor
بِرَأيِ مُختارِهِ مِنهُم وَمُمضيهِ
Royal scribes: you see governance well ordered
through the judgment of those among them who choose and execute it.
يَقفونَthey follow هَديَthe guidance of أَبيAbu العَبّاسِal-Abbas فيalong سَنَنٍa path
يَقفونَ هَديَ أَبي العَبّاسِ في سَنَنٍ
يَرضاهُapproves it سامِعُهُits hearer الأَقصىthe farthest وَدانيهِand the one near it
يَرضاهُ سامِعُهُ الأَقصى وَدانيهِ
They follow Abu al-Abbas's guidance along a path
approved by whoever hears of it, far away or near.
نَغدوwe go in the morning فَإِمّاthen either اِستَعَرناwe borrow مِنfrom مَحاسِنِهِhis virtues
نَغدو فَإِمّا اِستَعَرنا مِن مَحاسِنِهِ
فَضلاًexcellence وَإِمّاand alternatively اِستَمَحناwe seek gifts مِنfrom أَياديهِhis favors
فَضلاً وَإِمّا اِستَمَحنا مِن أَياديهِ
We go in the morning: either we borrow from his virtues
excellence, or seek gifts from his favors.
بَرَّزَhe excelled فيin السَبقِthe race حَتّىuntil مَلَّgrew weary حاسِدُهُhis envier
بَرَّزَ في السَبقِ حَتّى مَلَّ حاسِدُهُ
طولَthe length of العَناءِthe struggle وَخَلّاهُand left him alone مُجاريهِhis rival
طولَ العَناءِ وَخَلّاهُ مُجاريهِ
He excelled in the race until his envier wearied
of the long struggle, and his rival left him unchallenged.
مَتىwhenever أَرَدناwe wish وَجَدناwe find مَنsomeone who يُقَصِّرُfalls short عَنof
مَتى أَرَدنا وَجَدنا مَن يُقَصِّرُ عَن
مَسعاتِهِhis achievements وَفَقَدناand we fail to find مَنsomeone who يُدانيهِcomes near him
مَسعاتِهِ وَفَقَدنا مَن يُدانيهِ
Whenever we wish, we find someone who falls short of
his achievements, but find none who come close to him.
رَأىhe deemed التَواضُعُhumility وَالإِنصافَand fairness مَكرُمَةًa noble virtue
رَأى التَواضُعُ وَالإِنصافَ مَكرُمَةً
وَإِنَّماand only اللُؤمُbaseness بَينَbetween العُجبِconceit وَالتيهِand arrogance
وَإِنَّما اللُؤمُ بَينَ العُجبِ وَالتيهِ
He deemed humility and fairness a noble virtue,
and baseness lies only between conceit and arrogance.
كَأَنَّas though مَذهَبَهُhis pursuit فيof الحَمدِpraise مِنout of مِقَةٍlove
كَأَنَّ مَذهَبَهُ في الحَمدِ مِن مِقَةٍ
لَهُfor it وَمَيلٍand inclination إِلَيهِtoward it مَذهَبيmy pursuit فيهِtoward him
لَهُ وَمَيلٍ إِلَيهِ مَذهَبي فيهِ
It is as though his pursuit of praise, out of love
for it and inclination toward it, were my own pursuit of him.
مُحَبَّبٌbeloved فيamong جَميعِall الناسِpeople إِنif ذُكِرَتare mentioned
مُحَبَّبٌ في جَميعِ الناسِ إِن ذُكِرَت
أَخلاقُهُhis virtues الغُرُّthe radiant حَتّىeven فيamong أَعاديهِhis enemies
أَخلاقُهُ الغُرُّ حَتّى في أَعاديهِ
He is beloved among all people when mention is made of
his radiant virtues—even among his enemies.
كَمhow many حاسِدٍan envier لِأَبيof Abu العَبّاسِal-Abbas مُشتَغِلٌpreoccupied
كَم حاسِدٍ لِأَبي العَبّاسِ مُشتَغِلٌ
بِنِعمَةٍwith a blessing فيin أَبيAbu العَبّاسِal-Abbas تُشجيهِgrieves him
بِنِعمَةٍ في أَبي العَبّاسِ تُشجيهِ
How many an envier of Abu al-Abbas is preoccupied
with a blessing enjoyed by Abu al-Abbas that grieves him!
يَرومُhe seeks وَضعاًa lowering لَهُfor him وَاللَهُyet God يَرفَعُهُraises him
يَرومُ وَضعاً لَهُ وَاللَهُ يَرفَعُهُ
وَيَبتَغيand seeks هَدمَهُhis ruin وَاللَهُyet God يَبنيهِbuilds him up
وَيَبتَغي هَدمَهُ وَاللَهُ يَبنيهِ
He seeks to lower him, yet God raises him,
and seeks his ruin, yet God builds him up.
وَباخِلينَand many misers سَلَوناwe ceased longing عَنfor نَوالِهِمِtheir bounty
وَباخِلينَ سَلَونا عَن نَوالِهِمِ
سُلوانَthe forgetting of صَبٍّa passionate lover تَمادىdragged on هَجرُthe estrangement of مُصبيهِthe one who enamored him
سُلوانَ صَبٍّ تَمادى هَجرُ مُصبيهِ
And many misers—we have ceased longing for their bounty,
as a lover forgets when his beloved's estrangement drags on.
تَكُفُّناkeeps us away عَنهُمُfrom them نُعمىthe bounty of فَتىًa young man شَرُفَتare noble
تَكُفُّنا عَنهُمُ نُعمى فَتىً شَرُفَت
أَخلاقُهُhis virtues وَطَماand overflowed بِالعُرفِwith kindness واديهِhis valley
أَخلاقُهُ وَطَما بِالعُرفِ واديهِ
A young man's bounty keeps us from them; noble are
his virtues, and his valley overflows with kindness.
إِنif يَمنَعوناthey withhold from us فَإِنَّthen indeed البَذلَgenerosity مِنfrom يَدِهِhis hand
إِن يَمنَعونا فَإِنَّ البَذلَ مِن يَدِهِ
أَوor يَكذِبوناthey lie to us فَإِنَّthen indeed الصِدقَtruth مِنfrom فيهِhis mouth
أَو يَكذِبونا فَإِنَّ الصِدقَ مِن فيهِ
If they withhold from us, generosity comes from his hand;
or if they lie to us, truth comes from his mouth.
مُوَفَّرُabundant القَدرِin standing لَمnot تُغمَضbe diminished مَهابَتُهُthe awe he inspires
مُوَفَّرُ القَدرِ لَم تُغمَض مَهابَتُهُ
وَنابِهُand eminent الذِكرِin fame لَمnot تُغضَضbe belittled مَساعيهِhis achievements
وَنابِهُ الذِكرِ لَم تُغضَض مَساعيهِ
Great in standing, the awe he inspires has never been diminished,
and renowned in fame, his achievements have never been belittled.
عادىhe opposed خُراسانَKhurasan حَتّىuntil ذَلَّwas subdued رَيِّضُهاits untamed steed
عادى خُراسانَ حَتّى ذَلَّ رَيِّضُها
بِالرَأيِthrough judgment يَختارُهُhe chooses it وَالعَزمِand resolve يُمضيهِhe carries it through
بِالرَأيِ يَختارُهُ وَالعَزمِ يُمضيهِ
He opposed Khurasan until its untamed steed was subdued,
through the judgment he chooses and the resolve he carries through.
أَولىhe bestowed upon الكِتابَةَthe scribal craft تَسديداًright direction أَقامَhe set straight بِهِthrough it
أَولى الكِتابَةَ تَسديداً أَقامَ بِهِ
مِنهاجَهاits path وَقَدِand already إِعوَجَّتhad grown crooked نَواحيهِits sides
مِنهاجَها وَقَدِ إِعوَجَّت نَواحيهِ
He gave the scribal craft right direction, by which he straightened
its path, when its sides had grown crooked.
غَضُّfresh الأَمانَةِin trustworthiness فيهاin it مِنthrough تَنَزُّهِهِhis moral purity
غَضُّ الأَمانَةِ فيها مِن تَنَزُّهِهِ
وَأَبيَضُand white الزَوبِunclear; possibly 'robe' فيهاin it مِنthrough تَوَقّيهِhis caution
وَأَبيَضُ الزَوبِ فيها مِن تَوَقّيهِ
Fresh in trustworthiness within it through his moral purity,
and white-robed within it through his caution (if 'robe' is intended).
Sol 6.1