أَطلُبُI seek النَومَsleep كَيso that يَعودَmay return غِرارُهits brief slumber
أَطلُبُ النَومَ كَي يَعودَ غِرارُه
بِخَيالٍwith a phantom يَحلوis sweet لَدَيَّto me اِغتِرارُهbeing beguiled by it
بِخَيالٍ يَحلو لَدَيَّ اِغتِرارُه
I seek sleep, that its fleeting slumber may return
with a phantom whose beguilement is sweet to me.
كَمhow many تَلاقٍa meeting أَراكَهُhas shown it to you مِنfrom قَريبٍa recent time
كَم تَلاقٍ أَراكَهُ مِن قَريبٍ
صِلَةُcommunion with الطَيفِthe phantom طارِقَنcoming by night وَاِزدِيارُهand its visit
صِلَةُ الطَيفِ طارِقَن وَاِزدِيارُه
How many a meeting has lately been shown you
by the phantom's nighttime communion and visit!
وَهُوَand he فيin حِليَةِthe adornment of الشَبابِyouth يُضاهيrivals
وَهُوَ في حِليَةِ الشَبابِ يُضاهي
جِدَّةَthe freshness of الرَوضِthe garden مُشرِقَنradiant نُوّارُهits blossoms
جِدَّةَ الرَوضِ مُشرِقَن نُوّارُه
Adorned with youth, he rivals
the freshness of a garden with radiant blossoms.
صَبِغُthe hue of خَدٍّa cheek يَكادُalmost يَدمىbleeds اِحمِراراًwith redness
صَبِغُ خَدٍّ يَكادُ يَدمى اِحمِراراً
وَردُهُits rose فيin العُيونِthe eyes أَوor جُلَّنارُهits pomegranate blossom
وَردُهُ في العُيونِ أَو جُلَّنارُه
A cheek's hue, almost bleeding with redness—
its rose, to the eye, or its pomegranate blossom.
وَفُتورٌand languor مِنfrom طَرفِthe glance of أَحوىa dark-eyed one إِذاwhen صَرturns (first part)
وَفُتورٌ مِن طَرفِ أَحوى إِذا صَر
رَفَهُ(completes 'turns it') أَعنَتِtorments القُلوبَhearts إِحوِرارُهhis eyes' black-and-white contrast
رَفَهُ أَعنَتِ القُلوبَ إِحوِرارُه
And languor in a dark-eyed one's glance: when he turns
it, his eyes' black-and-white beauty torments hearts.
أُنسُهُhis intimacy لِلعِدىfor the foes وَماand not لِيَfor me مِنهُfrom him الthe (in 'today')
أُنسُهُ لِلعِدى وَما لِيَ مِنهُ ال
يَومَday (in 'today') إِلّاexcept اِستيحاشُهُhis estrangement وَنِفارُهand his aversion
يَومَ إِلّا اِستيحاشُهُ وَنِفارُه
His warmth is for my foes; I have from him
today only his estrangement and aversion.
جارُهُhis protector اللَهُGod حَيثُwherever حَلَّhe settles وَإِنand even if لَمnot
جارُهُ اللَهُ حَيثُ حَلَّ وَإِن لَم
يُجدِyields نَفعاًbenefit مَقالَتيmy saying اللَهُGod جارُهhis protector
يُجدِ نَفعاً مَقالَتي اللَهُ جارُه
God be his protector wherever he settles, even if
my saying "God is his protector" brings no benefit.
لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowing ماwhat حُجَّةُthe plea of الدَهرFate فيهِconcerning him
لَيتَ شِعري ما حُجَّةُ الدَهر فيهِ
أَمor لِماذاwhy اِعتِلالُهُits excuse-making وَاِعتِذارُهand its apologies
أَم لِماذا اِعتِلالُهُ وَاِعتِذارُه
If only I knew what plea Fate has concerning him,
or why it offers excuses and apologies.
وَوَزيرُand the minister of السُلطانِthe sovereign يَملِكُhas the power أَنto يَخbe exclusive (first part)
وَوَزيرُ السُلطانِ يَملِكُ أَن يَخ
لُصَ(completes 'be exclusive') ليfor me رُقُّهُhis bondage وَتَدنوand draw near دِيارُهhis dwellings
لُصَ لي رُقُّهُ وَتَدنو دِيارُه
And the sovereign's minister has the power
to make his bondage mine alone and bring his dwelling near.
أَوَقارٌis it reserve? مِنهُon his part فَمِنthen from نَقصِthe lack of حَظّيmy good fortune
أَوَقارٌ مِنهُ فَمِن نَقصِ حَظّي
حِلمُهُhis forbearance دونَbarring بُغيَتيmy desire وَوَقارُهand his dignity
حِلمُهُ دونَ بُغيَتي وَوَقارُه
Is this reserve on his part? Then it is my ill fortune
that his forbearance and dignity bar my desire.
ياO أَباfather of غانِمٍGhanim أَعِدrepeat فِيَّon my behalf قَولاًa word
يا أَبا غانِمٍ أَعِد فِيَّ قَولاً
يَفِضِlet overflow البَحرَthe sea طامِياًsurging تَيّارُهits current
يَفِضِ البَحرَ طامِياً تَيّارُه
O Abu Ghanim, repeat a word on my behalf,
and let the sea overflow, its current surging.
لَمnot يَكُنwas وَعدُهُhis promise بَعيداًfar مِنَfrom النُجfulfillment (first part)
لَم يَكُن وَعدُهُ بَعيداً مِنَ النُج
حِ(completes 'fulfillment') وَلاand not مُبطِئاًslow يَطولُgrows long اِنتِظارُهthe wait for it
حِ وَلا مُبطِئاً يَطولُ اِنتِظارُه
His promise was never far from fulfillment,
nor slow, with a long wait for it.
نَيلُهُhis bounty قُصرَةٌclose at hand عَلَيكَfor you وَكافٍand sufficient
نَيلُهُ قُصرَةٌ عَلَيكَ وَكافٍ
لَكَfor you دونَwithout اِقتِضائِهِdemanding it إِقصارُهhis restrained giving
لَكَ دونَ اِقتِضائِهِ إِقصارُه
His bounty is within your easy reach; sufficient
for you, without demanding it, is even his restrained giving.
يُعظِمُesteems المالَwealth مَعشَرٌsome people وَأَرىand I regard الماwealth (first part)
يُعظِمُ المالَ مَعشَرٌ وَأَرى الما
لَ(completes 'wealth') بِحَيثُas deserving اِزدِراؤُهُscorning it وَاِحتِقارُهand despising it
لَ بِحَيثُ اِزدِراؤُهُ وَاِحتِقارُه
Some people esteem wealth; I regard
wealth as deserving scorn and contempt.
نَفَقَfound a market الشِعرُpoetry بَعدَماafter كانَwas عِلقاًa precious thing
نَفَقَ الشِعرُ بَعدَما كانَ عِلقاً
فاحِشَoutrageous in الرُخصِcheapness مُكسِدينَunable to sell تِجارُهits merchants
فاحِشَ الرُخصِ مُكسِدينَ تِجارُه
Poetry found a market, after being a precious thing
of shamefully low price, its merchants unable to sell.
جامِعُgatherer of المَّكرُماتِnoble deeds إِذwhen باتَcame to يَأبىrejects
جامِعُ المَّكرُماتِ إِذ باتَ يَأبى
هُنَّthem جَمعَthe hoarding of البَخيلِthe miser وَاِستِئثارُهand his keeping all to himself
هُنَّ جَمعَ البَخيلِ وَاِستِئثارُه
He gathers noble deeds, which are now spurned
by the miser's hoarding and his keeping all to himself.
بَيَّنَrevealed الجودِgenerosity بِشرُهُhis cheerfulness وَأَراناand showed us الthe
بَيَّنَ الجودِ بِشرُهُ وَأَرانا ال
عَفوَpardon مِنهُfrom him عَلىover العُداةِthe enemies اِقتِدارُهhis power
عَفوَ مِنهُ عَلى العُداةِ اِقتِدارُه
His cheerfulness revealed his generosity, and his power
over his enemies showed us his pardon.
وَتَقَرّىand followed آثارَthe footsteps of مَصقَلَةَMasqala البَكرِal-Bakri (first part)
وَتَقَرّى آثارَ مَصقَلَةَ البَكرِ
يَّ(completes 'al-Bakri') حَتّىuntil تَجَدَّدَتwere renewed آثارُهhis traces
يَّ حَتّى تَجَدَّدَت آثارُه
He followed in the footsteps of Masqala al-Bakri
until his legacy was renewed.
رَجَعَتreturned مَكرُماتُهُhis noble deeds قَبلَbefore أَنthat تَرreturn (first part)
رَجَعَت مَكرُماتُهُ قَبلَ أَن تَر
جِعَ(completes 'return') مَبنِيَّةًrebuilt عَلىin العَهدِthe former state دارُهhis house
جِعَ مَبنِيَّةً عَلى العَهدِ دارُه
His noble deeds returned before
his house returned, rebuilt as of old.
أَحوَذِيٌّresourceful إِذاwhen تَمَهَّلَhe deliberates فيin الرَأjudgment (first part)
أَحوَذِيٌّ إِذا تَمَهَّلَ في الرَأ
يِ(completes 'judgment') أَراكَhe shows you الصَوابَwhat is right كَيفَhow اِختِيارُهhis choice
يِ أَراكَ الصَوابَ كَيفَ اِختِيارُه
Resourceful: when he takes time in judgment,
he shows you how sound his choice is.
موشِكٌswift عَزمُهُhis resolve وَمِنand among حَسَبِthe merits of السَيthe sword (first part)
موشِكٌ عَزمُهُ وَمِن حَسَبِ السَي
فِ(completes 'the sword') إِذاwhen هُزَّit is brandished أَنthat يُهَزَّbe brandished غِرارُهits edge
فِ إِذا هُزَّ أَن يُهَزَّ غِرارُه
Swift is his resolve; part of a sword's merit
is that, when brandished, its edge is brandished too.
وَفَّرَmade plentiful الفَيءَthe spoils وَهُوَand it is حُرُّthe finest of الصَفاياchoice treasures
وَفَّرَ الفَيءَ وَهُوَ حُرُّ الصَفايا
وَحَباand bestowed on ذاthe possessor of العَفافِintegrity فيهِin it خِيارُهits best
وَحَبا ذا العَفافِ فيهِ خِيارُه
He made the spoils plentiful, the finest of choice treasures,
and gave their best to the man of integrity.
مُنهِضُrouser of الزَحفِthe marching host لِلمُعادينَagainst the enemies يَبدوappears
مُنهِضُ الزَحفِ لِلمُعادينَ يَبدو
حَثُّthe urging of سُرعانِهِits vanguard وَتُبنىand are raised مَنارُهits beacons
حَثُّ سُرعانِهِ وَتُبنى مَنارُه
He rouses the host against enemies; one sees
its vanguard spurred on, and its beacons raised.
زَعزَعَshook الغَربُthe West ذِكرُthe memory of يَومٍa day تَوارَتhid itself
زَعزَعَ الغَربُ ذِكرُ يَومٍ تَوارَت
شَمسُهُits sun وَاِكتَسىand put on سَواداًblackness نَهارُهits daylight
شَمسُهُ وَاِكتَسى سَواداً نَهارُه
The memory of a day shook the West:
its sun was hidden, its daylight clothed in black.
وَعَلىand upon خَيلِهِhis horses أُسودٌlions عَلَيهاupon them
وَعَلى خَيلِهِ أُسودٌ عَلَيها
حَلَقٌrings of mail يَدرَءُrepels السِلاحَweapons مُدارُهits circular weave
حَلَقٌ يَدرَءُ السِلاحَ مُدارُه
On his horses ride lions, wearing
rings of mail whose rounded links ward off weapons.
مُعمِلُone who employs الحَزمِprudence وَهُوَyet he مِنfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of الإِقbold advance (first part)
مُعمِلُ الحَزمِ وَهُوَ مِن شِدَّةِ الإِق
دامِ(completes 'bold advance') يُخشىis feared تَغريرُهُhis risking himself وَخِطارُهand his risk-taking
دامِ يُخشى تَغريرُهُ وَخِطارُه
He employs prudence, yet so fierce is his advance
that his daring and the risks he runs cause fear.
بَذَلَoffered القَومُthe people رَهنَهُمtheir pledge خَوفَfor fear of لَيثٍa lion
بَذَلَ القَومُ رَهنَهُم خَوفَ لَيثٍ
أَثَّرَتleft marks فيon عُداتِهِhis enemies أَظفارُهhis claws
أَثَّرَت في عُداتِهِ أَظفارُه
The people offered their pledge, fearing a lion
whose claws had scarred his foes.
وَهُمُand they الصادِقونَthe genuine ones بَأساًin valor وَلَكِنbut
وَهُمُ الصادِقونَ بَأساً وَلَكِن
أُلقِيَتwere cast فيinto كِبارِthe great trials of أَمرٍan affair كِبارُهtheir great men
أُلقِيَت في كِبارِ أَمرٍ كِبارُه
And they are true in valor—but
their great men were cast into a mighty ordeal.
Sol 6.1