أُنَبّيكِI tell you عَنof عَينيmy eye وَطولِand the length of سُهادِهاits sleeplessness
أُنَبّيكِ عَن عَيني وَطولِ سُهادِها
وَحَرقَةِand the burning anguish of قَلبيmy heart بِالجَوىwith consuming longing وَاِتِّقادِهاand its blaze
وَحَرقَةِ قَلبي بِالجَوى وَاِتِّقادِها
I tell you of my eye and its long sleeplessness,
and my heart's burning with longing, and its blaze;
وَأَنَّand that الهُمومَsorrows اِعتَدنَhave frequented بَعدَكِafter you left مَضجَعيmy bed
وَأَنَّ الهُمومَ اِعتَدنَ بَعدَكِ مَضجَعي
وَأَنتِand you الَّتيthe one who وَكَّلتِنيyou charged me بِاِعتِيادِهاwith keeping their company
وَأَنتِ الَّتي وَكَّلتِني بِاِعتِيادِها
and how, since you left, sorrows have haunted my bed,
and you are the one who consigned me to their company.
خَليلَيَّmy two friends إِنّيindeed I ذاكِرٌremember عَهدَthe days of خُلَّةٍa beloved companion
خَليلَيَّ إِنّي ذاكِرٌ عَهدَ خُلَّةٍ
تَوَلَّتwent away وَلَمand did not أُذمِمI find fault with حَميدَpraiseworthy وِدادِهاher affection
تَوَلَّت وَلَم أُذمِم حَميدَ وِدادِها
My two friends, I recall the days of a beloved companion
who went away, though I never faulted her praiseworthy love.
فَواعَجَباًso, what a wonder! ماhow كانَwas أَقصَرَbrief دَهرِهاher time
فَواعَجَباً ما كانَ أَقصَرَ دَهرِها
لَدَيَّwith me وَأَدنىand how near قُربِهاher nearness مِنto بِعادِهاher separation
لَدَيَّ وَأَدنى قُربِها مِن بِعادِها
How strange! How brief her time was
with me, and how near her presence lay to parting!
وَكُنتُand I used to أَرىthink أَنَّthat الرَدىdeath قَبلَbefore بَينِهاparting from her
وَكُنتُ أَرى أَنَّ الرَدى قَبلَ بَينِها
وَأَنَّand that اِفتِقادَthe loss of العَيشِlife قَبلَbefore اِفتِقادِهاlosing her
وَأَنَّ اِفتِقادَ العَيشِ قَبلَ اِفتِقادِها
I had thought death would come before parting from her,
and the loss of life before losing her.
بِنَفسِيَwith my life as ransom مَنthe one whom عادَيتُI hated مِنon أَجلِaccount of فَقدِهِhis loss
بِنَفسِيَ مَن عادَيتُ مِن أَجلِ فَقدِهِ
بِلاديmy homeland وَلَولاand were it not for فَقدُهُhis loss لَمwould not أُعادِهاI oppose it
بِلادي وَلَولا فَقدُهُ لَم أُعادِها
I would give my life for him whose loss made me hate
my homeland; but for his loss, I would not have hated it.
فَلاso may ... not سُقِيَتbe watered غَيثاًwith rain دِمَشقَDamascus وَلاnor غَدَتcome at dawn
فَلا سُقِيَت غَيثاً دِمَشقَ وَلا غَدَت
عَليهاupon it غَواديmorning showers مُزنَةٍof a raincloud لِعِهادِهاfor its recurring rains
عَليها غَوادي مُزنَةٍ لِعِهادِها
So may Damascus never be watered by rain, nor may
a raincloud's morning showers return to water it.
وَقَدand indeed سَرَّنيit has pleased me أَنَّthat الخَليفَةَthe caliph جَعفَراًJa'far
وَقَد سَرَّني أَنَّ الخَليفَةَ جَعفَراً
غَداhas become زاهِداًindifferent فيto أَهلِهاits people وَبِلادِهاand its lands
غَدا زاهِداً في أَهلِها وَبِلادِها
And it has pleased me that the caliph Ja'far
has grown indifferent to its people and its lands.
إِمامٌan imam إِذاwhen أَمضىhe carries through الأُمورَaffairs تَتابَعَتthey follow in succession
إِمامٌ إِذا أَمضى الأُمورَ تَتابَعَت
عَلىalong سَنَنٍa course مِنof قَصدِهاtheir right purpose وَسَدادِهاand their soundness
عَلى سَنَنٍ مِن قَصدِها وَسَدادِها
An imam: when he carries affairs through, they follow one another
along a course of right purpose and sound judgment.
وَماand not غَيَّرَتhas changed مِنهُin him الخِلافَةُthe caliphate شيمَةًa character trait
وَما غَيَّرَت مِنهُ الخِلافَةُ شيمَةً
وَقَدthough indeed أَمكَنَتهُit has given him mastery عَنوَةًby force مِنover قِيادِهاits reins
وَقَد أَمكَنَتهُ عَنوَةً مِن قِيادِها
The caliphate has not changed a single trait in him,
though it has yielded its reins to his might.
وَمازالَتِand have always الأَعداءُthe enemies تَعلَمُknown أَنَّهُthat he
وَمازالَتِ الأَعداءُ تَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ
يُجاهِدُهاhe fights them فيin the cause of اللَهِGod حَقَّwith the full measure of جِهادِهاfighting them
يُجاهِدُها في اللَهِ حَقَّ جِهادِها
And the enemies have always known that he
fights them in God's cause with all due striving.
وَلَمّاand when طَغَتgrew arrogant فيin دارِهاtheir own land الرومُthe Byzantines وَاِعتَدَتand transgressed
وَلَمّا طَغَت في دارِها الرومُ وَاِعتَدَت
سَفاهاًin folly رَماهاhe assailed them جَعفَرٌJa'far بِحَصادِهاwith their reaping
سَفاهاً رَماها جَعفَرٌ بِحَصادِها
And when the Byzantines grew arrogant in their land and transgressed
in folly, Ja'far assailed them, reaping them down.
أَعَدَّhe prepared لَهاagainst them فُرسانَthe horsemen of جَيشٍan army عَرَمرَمٍvast and teeming
أَعَدَّ لَها فُرسانَ جَيشٍ عَرَمرَمٍ
عِدادُthe number of حَصىthe pebbles of البَطحاءِthe broad valley دونَis less than عِدادِهاtheir number
عِدادُ حَصى البَطحاءِ دونَ عِدادِها
He prepared against them the horsemen of a teeming army,
the pebbles of the broad valley falling short of their number.
كَتارِبُbattalions (apparently intended: كتائب) نَصرُthe aid of اللَهِGod أَمضىthe keenest of سِلاحِهَtheir weapons (reading سلاحها)
كَتارِبُ نَصرُ اللَهِ أَمضى سِلاحِهَ
وَعاجِلُand ready تَقوىreverence for اللَهِGod أَكثَرُmost of زادِهاtheir provisions
وَعاجِلُ تَقوى اللَهِ أَكثَرُ زادِها
Battalions whose keenest weapon is God's aid,
and whose chief provision is ready reverence for God.
فَلاso let ... not تَكثِرِgreatly increase الرومُthe Byzantines التَشَكّىcomplaining فَإِنَّهُfor he
فَلا تَكثِرِ الرومُ التَشَكّى فَإِنَّهُ
يُراوِحُهاhe raids them at evening بِالخَيلِwith cavalry إِنif لَمdoes not يُغادِهاraid them at dawn
يُراوِحُها بِالخَيلِ إِن لَم يُغادِها
So let the Byzantines not complain too much, for he
raids them with cavalry at evening if he does not at dawn.
وَلَمand not أَرَI have seen مِثلَthe like of الخَيلِhorses أَجلىbetter at dispelling لِغَمرَةٍa perilous plight
وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ الخَيلِ أَجلى لِغَمرَةٍ
إِذاwhen اِختَلَفَتthey move to and fro فيin كَرِّهاtheir charging وَطِرادِهاand their pursuit
إِذا اِختَلَفَت في كَرِّها وَطِرادِها
Nor have I seen the like of horses for dispelling peril,
when they sweep to and fro in charge and pursuit.
بَقيتُmay you endure (contextual reading: بَقيتَ) أَميرَO Commander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful وَأَنفَدَتand may exhaust
بَقيتُ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنفَدَت
حَياتُكَyour life عُمرَthe lifespan of الدَهرِTime قَبلَbefore نَفادِهاits exhaustion
حَياتُكَ عُمرَ الدَهرِ قَبلَ نَفادِها
May you endure, Commander of the Faithful, and may
your life exhaust Time's lifespan before its own end.
Sol 6.1