سَفاهاًfoolishly تَمادىpersisted لَومُهاher blame وَلَجاجُهاand her obstinacy
سَفاهاً تَمادى لَومُها وَلَجاجُها
وَإِكثارُهاand her harping فيماon what رَأَتshe saw وَضَجاجُهاand her clamoring
وَإِكثارُها فيما رَأَت وَضَجاجُها
Foolishly, her blame and stubborn insistence went on,
and her harping on what she saw, and her clamor,
وَنَبوَتُهاand her displeasure أَنthat عادَreturned to كَفِّيَmy hand عيدُهاits festival
وَنَبوَتُها أَن عادَ كَفِّيَ عيدُها
وَأَنand that هاجَstirred نَفسيmy soul لِلسَماحِto generosity هَياجُهاits ardor
وَأَن هاجَ نَفسي لِلسَماحِ هَياجُها
and her displeasure that my hand's festival had returned,
and that its ardor stirred my soul to generosity.
هَلِis it? الدَهرُlife إِلّاanything but كُربَةٌdistress وَاِنجِلاؤُهاand its clearing
هَلِ الدَهرُ إِلّا كُربَةٌ وَاِنجِلاؤُها
وَسيكاًsoon وَإِلّاor anything but ضيقَةٌhardship وَاِنفِراجُهاand its relief
وَسيكاً وَإِلّا ضيقَةٌ وَاِنفِراجُها
Is life anything but distress and its clearing,
soon—or hardship and its relief?
تَقَضّىpass away الهَمومُworries لَمdid not يُلَبِّثdelay طُروقُهاtheir nightly visits
تَقَضّى الهَمومُ لَم يُلَبِّث طُروقُها
زَماعيmy resolve وَلَمand not يُغلَقbe shut عَلَيَّupon me رِتاجُهاtheir gate
زَماعي وَلَم يُغلَق عَلَيَّ رِتاجُها
Worries pass; their nightly visits have not delayed
my resolve, nor has their gate been shut upon me.
وَإِنّيand I indeed لَأَثويI surely harbor الهَمَّcare حَتّىuntil أَرُدَّهُI send it back
وَإِنّي لَأَثوي الهَمَّ حَتّى أَرُدَّهُ
إِلىto حَيثُwhere لاnot يَلويturns aside الشُكوكَdoubts خِلاجُهاtheir tugging
إِلى حَيثُ لا يَلوي الشُكوكَ خِلاجُها
And I do harbor care until I send it back
to where no tug of doubt can turn it aside—
إِلىto لَيلَةٍa night إِمّاeither سُراهاits night journey مُبَلِّغيbringing me
إِلى لَيلَةٍ إِمّا سُراها مُبَلِّغي
أُجاوِدَthe most generous of إِخوانيmy brothers وَإِمّاor ادِّلاجُهاits predawn journey
أُجاوِدَ إِخواني وَإِمّا ادِّلاجُها
to a night when either its night journey will bring me
to my most generous brothers, or its predawn journey will.
وَمازالَتِand kept العيسُthe pale camels المَراسيلُthe swift-striding تَنبَريpressing onward
وَمازالَتِ العيسُ المَراسيلُ تَنبَري
فَيُقضىso are fulfilled لَدىwith آلِthe house of المُدَبِّرِal-Mudabbir حاجُهاtheir needs
فَيُقضى لَدى آلِ المُدَبِّرِ حاجُها
The swift, pale camels kept pressing onward,
so at the house of al-Mudabbir their needs were met.
أُناسٌa people قَديمُage-old المَكرُماتِnoble deeds وَجَدتُهاI found them
أُناسٌ قَديمُ المَكرُماتِ وَجَدتُها
لَهُمtheirs وَسَريرُand the throne of العُجمِthe Persians فيهِمamong them وَتاجُهاand their crown
لَهُم وَسَريرُ العُجمِ فيهِم وَتاجُها
A people: I found that the ancient glories
were theirs, and among them are Persia's throne and crown.
إِذاwhen خَيَّمواthey encamp فيin الدارِthe abode ضاقَتgrow cramped رِباعُهاits quarters
إِذا خَيَّموا في الدارِ ضاقَت رِباعُها
وَإِنand if رَكِبواthey ride فيacross الأَرضِthe land ثارَrises عَجاجُهاits dust
وَإِن رَكِبوا في الأَرضِ ثارَ عَجاجُها
When they encamp in an abode, its quarters grow cramped;
and if they ride across the land, its dust rises.
مَلِيّونَworthy أَنthat تُسقىbe watered البِلادُthe land غِياثَهاits saving rain
مَلِيّونَ أَن تُسقى البِلادُ غِياثَها
بِأَوجُهِهِمthrough their countenances حَتّىuntil تَسيلَflow فِجاجُهاits broad passes
بِأَوجُهِهِم حَتّى تَسيلَ فِجاجُها
Worthy are they that the land receive its saving rain
through their countenances, until its broad passes flow.
فَإِنَّfor indeed عَلىover بَغدادَBaghdad ظِلَّthe shade of غَمامَةٍa cloud
فَإِنَّ عَلى بَغدادَ ظِلَّ غَمامَةٍ
بِجودِwith the bounty of أَبيAbu إِسحاقَIshaq يَهميpours down انثِجاجُهاits torrent
بِجودِ أَبي إِسحاقَ يَهمي انثِجاجُها
For over Baghdad lies the shade of a cloud
whose torrents pour down with Abu Ishaq's bounty.
تَرَبَّعتَهاyou made it your spring abode فَازدادَso increased ظاهِرُthe outward aspect of حُسنِهاits beauty
تَرَبَّعتَها فَازدادَ ظاهِرُ حُسنِها
وَأُضعِفَand was doubled فيin لَحظِthe gaze of العُيونِthe eyes ابتِهاجُهاits gladness
وَأُضعِفَ في لَحظِ العُيونِ ابتِهاجُها
You made it your spring abode, and its visible beauty increased,
and its gladness doubled in the eyes that beheld it.
فَلاso no أَمَلٌhope إِلّاexcept that عَلَيكَthrough you طَريقُهُits road
فَلا أَمَلٌ إِلّا عَلَيكَ طَريقُهُ
وَلاand no رُفقَةٌtraveling company إِلّاexcept that إِلَيكَtoward you مَعاجُهاits turning
وَلا رُفقَةٌ إِلّا إِلَيكَ مَعاجُها
No hope exists but its road leads through you,
and no traveling company but turns toward you.
يَدٌa favor لَكَof yours عِنديto me قَدindeed أَبَرَّsurpassed ضِياؤُهاits radiance
يَدٌ لَكَ عِندي قَد أَبَرَّ ضِياؤُها
عَلىbeyond الشَمسِthe sun حَتّىuntil كادَnearly يَخبوfades سِراجُهاits lamp
عَلى الشَمسِ حَتّى كادَ يَخبو سِراجُها
A favor you have done me—its radiance has surpassed
the sun, until the sun's own lamp nearly dimmed.
هِيَit الراحُwine تَمَّتwas perfected فيin صَفاءٍpurity وَرِقَّةٍand delicacy
هِيَ الراحُ تَمَّت في صَفاءٍ وَرِقَّةٍ
فَلَمso not يَبقَremained لِلمَصبوحِfor the morning drinker إِلّاexcept مِزاجُهاits mixing
فَلَم يَبقَ لِلمَصبوحِ إِلّا مِزاجُها
It is wine, perfected in purity and delicacy,
so the morning drinker has only to mix it.
فَإِنso if تُلحِقِyou add النُعمىthe favor بِنُعمىto another favor فَإِنَّهُthen indeed it is so
فَإِن تُلحِقِ النُعمى بِنُعمى فَإِنَّهُ
يَزينُadorns اللَآليpearls فيon النِظامِthe string اِزدِواجُهاtheir pairing
يَزينُ اللَآلي في النِظامِ اِزدِواجُها
If you add favor to favor, then indeed
pearls upon a string are adorned by their pairing.
وَكُنتُand I would إِذاwhenever مارَستُI pursued عِندَكَwith you حاجَةًa need
وَكُنتُ إِذا مارَستُ عِندَكَ حاجَةً
عَلىdespite نَكَدِthe hardship of الأَيّامِthe days هانَbecame easy عِلاجُهاits resolution
عَلى نَكَدِ الأَيّامِ هانَ عِلاجُها
And whenever I pursued a need with you,
despite the days' harshness, its resolution was easy.
وَلِمand why لاnot أُغاليI bid high بِالضِياعِfor estates وَقَدand already دَناhas drawn near
وَلِم لا أُغالي بِالضِياعِ وَقَد دَنا
عَلَيَّto me مَداهاtheir farthest reach وَاِستَقامَand has straightened اِعوِجاجُهاtheir crookedness
عَلَيَّ مَداها وَاِستَقامَ اِعوِجاجُها
And why should I not bid high for estates, now that
their farthest reach has drawn near to me, their crookedness set straight,
إِذاwhen كانَare ليmine تَرييعُهاtheir returns وَاِغتِلالُهاand their revenues
إِذا كانَ لي تَرييعُها وَاِغتِلالُها
وَكانَand are عَلَيكَyour responsibility عُشرُهاtheir tithe وَخَراجُهاand their land tax
وَكانَ عَلَيكَ عُشرُها وَخَراجُها
when their returns and revenues are mine,
while their tithe and land tax fall to you?
Sol 6.1