عِلَلُailments النُفوسِof souls قَريبَةٌnear أَوطانُهاtheir abodes
عِلَلُ النُفوسِ قَريبَةٌ أَوطانُها
وَصَلَتthey visited فَمَلَّso grew weary وِصالَهاtheir company جيرانُهاtheir neighbors
وَصَلَت فَمَلَّ وِصالَها جيرانُها
The ailments of souls have dwelling places close at hand;
they visited, and their neighbors wearied of their company.
سَهُلَتbecame easy لِرائِدِهاfor their scout الجِبالُthe mountains ثَبيرُهاtheir Thabir
سَهُلَت لِرائِدِها الجِبالُ ثَبيرُها
فَجَليلُهاthen their Jalil فَشَمامُهاthen their Shamam فَأَبانُهاthen their Aban
فَجَليلُها فَشَمامُها فَأَبانُها
The mountains grew easy for their scout—Thabir,
then Jalil, then Shamam, then Aban.
فَاُشكُرso thank يَدَthe hand or favor of الأَيّامِthe days فيin حَسَنٍHasan فَقَدfor indeed
فَاُشكُر يَدَ الأَيّامِ في حَسَنٍ فَقَد
عَفّىeffaced إِساءَتَهاtheir ill-treatment بِهِthrough him إِحسانُهاtheir kindness
عَفّى إِساءَتَها بِهِ إِحسانُها
So thank the days for their favor in Hasan, for
their kindness through him has effaced their ill-treatment.
أَوَand do...? ماnot تَراهُyou see him تَغَيَّرَتhas altered قَمَرِيَّةٌa moonlike radiance
أَوَ ما تَراهُ تَغَيَّرَت قَمَرِيَّةٌ
فيin لَونِهِhis complexion فَتَغَيَّرَتand so changed أَلوانُهاits hues
في لَونِهِ فَتَغَيَّرَت أَلوانُها
And do you not see him? A moonlike radiance has altered
within his complexion, and its hues have changed.
نَفسيmy soul فِداؤُكِa ransom for you أَيُّهاO النَفسُsoul الَّتيthat
نَفسي فِداؤُكِ أَيُّها النَفسُ الَّتي
لَوif خُلِّيَتwere left to itself أَودىwould bring ruin بِهاupon it خُلّانُهاits close friends
لَو خُلِّيَت أَودى بِها خُلّانُها
My soul be your ransom, O soul that,
if left to itself, would be undone by its friends.
قَدindeed زِدتَyou have increased فيin مَرَضِthe sickness القُلوبِof hearts فَبَرَّحَتso grew fierce
قَد زِدتَ في مَرَضِ القُلوبِ فَبَرَّحَت
بُرَحاؤُهاtheir anguish وَتَضاعَفَتand have multiplied أَشجانُهاtheir sorrows
بُرَحاؤُها وَتَضاعَفَت أَشجانُها
You have deepened the sickness of hearts, and fierce has grown
their anguish, while their sorrows have multiplied.
ماwhat an عِلَّةٌillness كَتَمَconcealed التَجَمُّلُcomposure سِرَّهاits secret
ما عِلَّةٌ كَتَمَ التَجَمُّلُ سِرَّها
لَوhad لَمnot يُخَبِّرناtold us بِهاof it إِعلانُهاits public disclosure
لَو لَم يُخَبِّرنا بِها إِعلانُها
What an illness! Composure would have concealed its secret,
had its public disclosure not told us of it.
أُنبِئتُهاI was told of it بِالغَيبِfrom afar ثُمَّthen رَأَيتُهاI saw it
أُنبِئتُها بِالغَيبِ ثُمَّ رَأَيتُها
تَدنوdraws near مَسافَتُهاits distance وَيَصغُرُand diminishes شانُهاits gravity
تَدنو مَسافَتُها وَيَصغُرُ شانُها
I was told of it from afar; then I saw it,
the distance to it shrinking and its gravity dwindling.
وَسَمِعتُand I heard وَصفَكَهاyour description of it فَقُلتُso I said لَوَif only انَّهاit
وَسَمِعتُ وَصفَكَها فَقُلتُ لَوَ انَّها
زادَتincreased وَأَكبَرُand the greatest بُغيَتيmy desire نُقصانُهاits decrease
زادَت وَأَكبَرُ بُغيَتي نُقصانُها
And I heard your description of it, and said, 'If only it
would grow!'—though my greatest wish is its decline.
لاdo not تَبعَثَنَّever send لَهاagainst it الهُمومَworries قَواصِداًheading straight
لا تَبعَثَنَّ لَها الهُمومَ قَواصِداً
بَعدَafter الهُمومِworries فَإِنَّهاfor they are أَعوانُهاits allies
بَعدَ الهُمومِ فَإِنَّها أَعوانُها
Do not send worries marching against it,
worry after worry, for they are its allies.
أَنّىhow أَخافُshould I fear جِماحَهاits running wild مِنfrom بَعدِماafter
أَنّى أَخافُ جِماحَها مِن بَعدِما
ظَهَرَhas appeared الدَواءُthe remedy وَفيand in يَدَيهِits two hands عِنانُهاits reins
ظَهَرَ الدَواءُ وَفي يَدَيهِ عِنانُها
How should I fear its running wild, after
the remedy has appeared, holding its reins in both hands?
ضَربٌone kind مِنَof المَكروهِharm يَدفَعُwards off آخَراًanother
ضَربٌ مِنَ المَكروهِ يَدفَعُ آخَراً
كَالنارِlike fire كُفَّwas checked بِغَرقَدٍwith boxthorn وَقَدانُهاits burning
كَالنارِ كُفَّ بِغَرقَدٍ وَقَدانُها
One kind of harm wards off another,
as fire's blaze is checked with boxthorn.
وَالسَيفُand the sword قَدmay يُنقيهِcleanse it مِنof كَدَرِthe dullness الصَداof rust
وَالسَيفُ قَد يُنقيهِ مِن كَدَرِ الصَدا
كَدَرُthe roughness المَداوِسِof files بِكرُهاtheir unused ones وَعَوانُهاand their used ones
كَدَرُ المَداوِسِ بِكرُها وَعَوانُها
And a sword may be cleansed of rust's dullness
by the roughness of files, both new and well-used.
وَالبَدرُand the full moon يَكسِفُهُeclipses it النَهارُthe daylight فَتَبتَديthen appear
وَالبَدرُ يَكسِفُهُ النَهارُ فَتَبتَدي
ظُلَمُthe shadows الدُجىof night فَتُنيرُهُand so illuminate it أَدجانُهاtheir gloom
ظُلَمُ الدُجى فَتُنيرُهُ أَدجانُها
And daylight eclipses the full moon; then appear
the shadows of night, whose gloom makes it shine.
لاتَعدُمَنكَmay it never lose you عَشيرَةٌa clan تَسموascends إِلىto
لاتَعدُمَنكَ عَشيرَةٌ تَسمو إِلى
سَعدِSaʿd العَشيرَةِal-ʿAshira عَمرُهاits ʿAmr وَقَنانُهاand its Qanan
سَعدِ العَشيرَةِ عَمرُها وَقَنانُها
May the clan never lose you; tracing their descent to
Saʿd al-ʿAshira are its ʿAmr and Qanan.
فَلَأَنتَfor you indeed are يَومَwhen تَعُدُّyou reckon أَحسَنَthe finest مالَهاof its wealth
فَلَأَنتَ يَومَ تَعُدُّ أَحسَنَ مالَها
يَدُهاits hand الصَناعُskillful وَوَجهُهاand its face وَلِسانُهاand its tongue
يَدُها الصَناعُ وَوَجهُها وَلِسانُها
For, when you reckon its finest wealth, you are indeed
its skillful hand, its face, and its tongue.
Sol 6.1