لَعَمرُby the life of المَغانيthe dwellings يَومَon the day of صَحراءِthe desert of أَربَدِArbad
لَعَمرُ المَغاني يَومَ صَحراءِ أَربَدِ
لَقَدsurely هَيَّجَتstirred وَجداlonging عَلىin ذيone possessed of تَوَجُّدِyearning
لَقَد هَيَّجَت وَجدا عَلى ذي تَوَجُّدِ
By the life of the dwellings on the day in Arbad's desert,
The days of singing in the desert of Arbad,
they surely stirred longing in one already yearning.
Surely stirred up passion in one accustomed to tenderness,
مَنازِلُdwellings أَضحَتhave become لِلرِياحِfor the winds مَنازِلاًdwellings
مَنازِلُ أَضحَت لِلرِياحِ مَنازِلاً
تَرَدَّدُcome and go فيهاin them بَينَbetween نُؤيِa tent-trench وَرِمدِدِand fine ashes
تَرَدَّدُ فيها بَينَ نُؤيِ وَرِمدِدِ
Dwellings that have become dwellings for the winds,
The abodes have become abodes for the winds,
which come and go there between a tent-trench and fine ashes.
That wander between appearing and hiding.
شَجَتgrieved صاحِبيmy companion أَطلالُهاtheir ruins فَتَهَلَّتso flowed
شَجَت صاحِبي أَطلالُها فَتَهَلَّت
مَدامِعُهُhis tears فيهاamong them وَماand not قُلتُI said أَسعِدِweep with me
مَدامِعُهُ فيها وَما قُلتُ أَسعِدِ
Their ruins grieved my companion, and down streamed
Its ruins made my companion lament, so his tears poured,
his tears among them, though I had not said, 'Weep with me.'
And I did not say, “Be happier!”
وَقَلَّتand too scant was لِدارِfor the dwelling of المالِكِيَّةِal-Malikiyya عَبرَةٌa tear
وَقَلَّت لِدارِ المالِكِيَّةِ عَبرَةٌ
مِنَof الشَوقِlonging لَمnot تُملَكbe restrained بِصَبرِby patience فَتُردَدِand thus held back
مِنَ الشَوقِ لَم تُملَك بِصَبرِ فَتُردَدِ
And too little for al-Malikiyya's dwelling was a tear
And for the abode of Malikiyya, sorrow diminished,
of longing that patience could not master and hold back.
From yearning that could not be controlled with weakened resistance.
سَقَتهاmay they water her الغَواديmorning rain-clouds حَيثُwhere حَلَّتsettled دِيارُهاher dwellings
سَقَتها الغَوادي حَيثُ حَلَّت دِيارُها
عَلىdespite أَنَّهاthat she لَمnot تَسقِgive drink ذاthe one afflicted with الغُلَّةِburning thirst الصَديthe thirsty one
عَلى أَنَّها لَم تَسقِ ذا الغُلَّةِ الصَدي
May morning rain-clouds water her wherever her dwellings lie,
The valleys watered it where its abodes had lodged,
though she gave no drink to the man parched with thirst.
Though they did not water one with great power.
رَأَتshe saw فَلَتاتِstray strands of الشَيبِgray hair فَاِبتَسَمَتso she smiled لَهاat them
رَأَت فَلَتاتِ الشَيبِ فَاِبتَسَمَت لَها
وَقالَتand she said نُجومٌstars لَوif only طَلَعنَthey had risen بِأَسعُدِwith lucky omens
وَقالَت نُجومٌ لَو طَلَعنَ بِأَسعُدِ
She saw stray strands of gray and smiled at them,
It saw the gray hair of old age and smiled at it,
and said, 'Stars—if only they had risen with lucky omens!'
And said, “The stars, if they rose, would be more fortunate.”
أَعاتِكَO Atika ماnot كانَwas الشَبابُyouth مُقَرِّبيbringing me near
أَعاتِكَ ما كانَ الشَبابُ مُقَرِّبي
إِلَيكِto you فَأَلحىso I should blame الشَيبَgray hair إِذsince كانَwas مُبعَديkeeping me away
إِلَيكِ فَأَلحى الشَيبَ إِذ كانَ مُبعَدي
O Atika, youth did not bring me nearer
You were not favorable to me when I was young,
to you, that I should blame gray hair for keeping me away.
So old age drew nearer when it was distanced.
تَزيدينَyou increase هَجراًestrangement كُلَّماwhenever اِزدَدتُI grow in لَوعَةٌanguish
تَزيدينَ هَجراً كُلَّما اِزدَدتُ لَوعَةٌ
طِلاباًseeking لِأَنso that أَردىI perish فَهاso behold أَنَذاhere I am رَدِdead
طِلاباً لِأَن أَردى فَها أَنَذا رَدِ
You shun me more whenever my anguish grows,
You increase estrangement whenever my agony increases,
seeking my death—and here I am, dead.
Yearning to return, yet here I am, driven away.
مَتىwhen أَلحَقِshall I catch up with العَيشَthe life الَّذيthat فاتَslipped by آنِفاًjust now
مَتى أَلحَقِ العَيشَ الَّذي فاتَ آنِفاً
إِذاif كانَis يَوميmy today فيكِwith you أَحسَنَbetter مِنthan غَديmy tomorrow
إِذا كانَ يَومي فيكِ أَحسَنَ مِن غَدي
When shall I regain the life that slipped by just now,
When will I regain the life that recently passed?
if my today with you is better than my tomorrow?
If my day with you is better than tomorrow.
لَعَمرُby the life of أَبيthe father of الأَيّامِthe days ماnot جارَwas unjust حُكمُهاtheir judgment
لَعَمرُ أَبي الأَيّامِ ما جارَ حُكمُها
عَلَيَّtoward me وَلاnor أَعطَيتُهاI gave them ثِنيَthe loop of مِقوَديmy rein
عَلَيَّ وَلا أَعطَيتُها ثِنيَ مِقوَدي
By the life of the father of days, their judgment has not wronged
By the life of the days, they did not rule over me,
me, nor have I surrendered to them the loop of my rein.
Nor did I give them a bridled path.
وَكَيفَand how أَخافُshould I fear الحادِثاتُcalamities وَصَرفَهاand their turning
وَكَيفَ أَخافُ الحادِثاتُ وَصَرفَها
عَلَيَّagainst me وَدونيand before me stands أَحمَدُAhmad بنِson of مُحَمَّدِMuhammad
عَلَيَّ وَدوني أَحمَدُ بنِ مُحَمَّدِ
And how should I fear calamities and their turning
How can I fear misfortunes and their turning
against me, when Ahmad ibn Muhammad stands between them and me?
Upon me while Ahmad ibn Muhammad is with me?
مَلومٌblamed عَلىfor بَذلِgiving away التِلادِlong-held wealth مُفَنَّدٌjudged foolish
مَلومٌ عَلى بَذلِ التِلادِ مُفَنَّدٌ
وَلاand no مَجدَglory إِلّاexcept لِلمَلومِfor the blamed one المُفَنَّدِthe one judged foolish
وَلا مَجدَ إِلّا لِلمَلومِ المُفَنَّدِ
Blamed for giving away long-held wealth, judged foolish;
Blamed for spending his fortune, yet glorious,
yet glory belongs only to one blamed and judged foolish.
There is no glory but for the blamed, the impoverished.
وَأَبيَضُand a bright, noble man نُعماهُhis bounty لَأَقصَرِfor the shortest ماتِحٍwater-drawer
وَأَبيَضُ نُعماهُ لَأَقصَرِ ماتِحٍ
رِشاءًrope وَجَدواهُand his gifts لِأَوَّلِfor the first مُجتَدِseeker of bounty
رِشاءً وَجَدواهُ لِأَوَّلِ مُجتَدِ
And a bright, noble man, whose bounty reaches the water-drawer with the shortest
Whitest are his gifts for the briefest asker,
rope, and whose gifts go to the first petitioner.
Most generous are his gifts for the first beggar.
إِذاwhen اِبتَدَروهُthey rush to him بِالسُؤالِwith requests اِنتَحىhe turns لَهُمfor them
إِذا اِبتَدَروهُ بِالسُؤالِ اِنتَحى لَهُم
عَلىagainst وَفرِهِhis abundant wealth حَتّىuntil يَجورَhe acts unjustly فَيَعتَديand so oversteps bounds
عَلى وَفرِهِ حَتّى يَجورَ فَيَعتَدي
When they rush to him with requests, he turns for their sake
If they accost him with a question, he turns away from them,
against his wealth, until he wrongs it and exceeds all bounds.
Until he is unjust and transgresses.
بَعيدٌdistant عَنِfrom الفِتيانِthe young men أَنthat يَلحَقواthey catch up بِهِwith him
بَعيدٌ عَنِ الفِتيانِ أَن يَلحَقوا بِهِ
إِذاwhen سارَhe travels فيon نَهجٍa path إِلىtoward المَجدِglory مُصعِدِascending
إِذا سارَ في نَهجٍ إِلى المَجدِ مُصعِدِ
He is too far ahead for the young men to catch him,
Far from the youths ever catching up with him
when he follows an ascending path to glory.
If he travels a path upward to glory.
وَفيand among الناسِpeople ساداتٌlords يَروحُcomes to be عَديدُهُمtheir number
وَفي الناسِ ساداتٌ يَروحُ عَديدُهُم
كَثيراًgreat وَلَكِنand yet سَيِّدٌone lord دونَbelow سَيِّدِanother lord
كَثيراً وَلَكِن سَيِّدٌ دونَ سَيِّدِ
And among men are lords whose number is
And among the people there are noble chiefs, their number
great, yet one lord stands below another.
Though plentiful, there is one chief above a chief.
غَداhe has become واحِداًpeerless فيin حَزمِهِhis sound judgment وَاِضطِلاعِهِand his ability
غَدا واحِداً في حَزمِهِ وَاِضطِلاعِهِ
يَنوءُhe shoulders بِنُصحٍloyal service لِلخِلافَةِto the caliphate أَوحَدِunrivaled
يَنوءُ بِنُصحٍ لِلخِلافَةِ أَوحَدِ
He has become peerless in his judgment and ability,
Becoming one in his determination and undertaking,
shouldering unrivaled loyal service to the caliphate.
Bearing sincere advice for the caliphate, matchlessly.
قَريبٌat hand لَهاfor it مِنto حِفظِsafeguarding كُلِّevery مُضَيَّعٍneglected thing
قَريبٌ لَها مِن حِفظِ كُلِّ مُضَيَّعٍ
سَريعٌswift لَهاfor it فيin جَمعِgathering كُلِّevery مُبَدَّدِscattered thing
سَريعٌ لَها في جَمعِ كُلِّ مُبَدَّدِ
At hand to safeguard for it all that is neglected,
Close to it for protecting all that is neglected,
swift to gather for it all that is scattered.
Quick for it in gathering all that is scattered.
يَضيقُhe cannot tolerate عَنِfor الشَيءِthe thing الطَفيفِtrifling يُخانُهُhe is cheated of it
يَضيقُ عَنِ الشَيءِ الطَفيفِ يُخانُهُ
وَإِنand although هُوَhe أَمسىhas become واسِعَbroad الصَدرِof breast وَاليَدِand of hand
وَإِن هُوَ أَمسى واسِعَ الصَدرِ وَاليَدِ
He cannot bear being cheated of even a trifle,
Too narrow for the trivial thing that betrays him,
though he is broad of breast and generous of hand.
Even if he has a spacious chest and hand in the evening.
أَباO father of حَسَنٍHasan تَفديكَmay they ransom you أَنفُسُناour souls الَّتيwhich
أَبا حَسَنٍ تَفديكَ أَنفُسُنا الَّتي
بِنُعماكَthrough your bounty مِنfrom صَرفِthe turns of النَوائِبِcalamities تَفتَديredeem themselves
بِنُعماكَ مِن صَرفِ النَوائِبِ تَفتَدي
Abu Hasan, may our souls ransom you, the souls that
Abu Hasan, our souls that your favors ransom,
through your bounty redeem themselves from the turns of misfortune.
From the turning away of afflictions, ransom you.
وَماand not بَلَغَتhave reached آمالُناour hopes بِكَin you غايَةًa goal
وَما بَلَغَت آمالُنا بِكَ غايَةً
نَراهاwe deem it رِضىًsufficient فيfor قَدرِكَyour stature المُتَجَدِّدِever-renewed
نَراها رِضىً في قَدرِكَ المُتَجَدِّدِ
And our hopes in you have reached no goal
And our hopes in you have not reached an endpoint,
that we deem adequate to your ever-renewed stature.
That we would see as satisfaction in your continuous fate.
فَكَيفَthen how وَذاكَand that الرَأيُjudgment لَمnot yet يَستَنِدrelied بِهِon it
فَكَيفَ وَذاكَ الرَأيُ لَم يَستَنِد بِهِ
مُشيرٌa counselor وَذاكَand that السَيفُsword لَمnot yet يُتَقَلَّدِbeen girded on
مُشيرٌ وَذاكَ السَيفُ لَم يُتَقَلَّدِ
Then how could they, when that judgment has not yet been relied upon
So how when that opinion is not propped up by
by a counselor, and that sword has not yet been girded on?
An advisor, and that sword has not been girded?
Sol 6.1