غَلَّسَcame before dawn الشَيبُgray hair أَوor تَعَجَّلَhastened وِردَهits arrival
غَلَّسَ الشَيبُ أَو تَعَجَّلَ وِردَه
وَاِستَعارَand borrowed الشَبابَyouth مَنone who لاnot يَرُدُّهُreturns it
وَاِستَعارَ الشَبابَ مَن لا يَرُدُّهُ
Gray hair came before dawn, or hastened its arrival,
Grey streaked or hastened its roses
And youth was borrowed by one who will not return it.
And borrowed youth from one who'll not restore it
لاdo not تَسَلنيask me عَنِabout الصِباyouth بَعدَafter ماthat صَوَّحَwithered
لا تَسَلني عَنِ الصِبا بَعدَ ما صَوَّحَ
رَوضُthe garden of الصِباyouth وَأَنجَزَand reached its end بُردُهits mantle
رَوضُ الصِبا وَأَنجَزَ بُردُه
Do not ask me of youth after the withering of
Ask me not of youth after its morn is past
Youth's garden and the wearing out of its mantle.
The meadows of youth and its cool are over
وَمَغاضُand the ebb of المَشيبِgraying يَغدوgoes forth each morning فَيَستَخand wears out (first part)
وَمَغاضُ المَشيبِ يَغدو فَيَستَخ
لِقُcompletion of 'wears out' مِنof عَيشِناour life الَّذيthat which نَستَجِدُّهُwe deem it new
لِقُ مِن عَيشِنا الَّذي نَستَجِدُّهُ
And the ebb brought by gray hair goes forth each morning to wear out
Though old age pretends morn and dons youthful garb
What we deem new in our life.
It is our new life which we still discover
قاتَلَmay smite اللَهُGod قاتِلاتِthe slayers among الغَوانيbeautiful women
قاتَلَ اللَهُ قاتِلاتِ الغَواني
بِالغَرامِwith passion المُنبيrevealing عَنِof الغَيِّerror رُشدُهits right guidance
بِالغَرامِ المُنبي عَنِ الغَيِّ رُشدُه
May God smite the beauties who slay
God damn the killers of the dreamy heart
With passion whose guidance speaks of error,
Whose guidance from love turned youth astray
وَالعُيونِand the eyes المِراضِlanguid يوقِدُkindles عَنهُنَّfrom them
وَالعُيونِ المِراضِ يوقِدُ عَنهُنَّ
جَوىًburning longing يُمرِضُsickens الجَوانِحَthe ribs وَقدُهits blaze
جَوىً يُمرِضُ الجَوانِحَ وَقدُه
And languid eyes, from which flares up
And the sickly eyes whose flames kindled
A longing whose blaze sickens the breast;
A passion in hearts that fevered and burned them
وَالخُدودِand the cheeks الحِسانِbeautiful يَبهىshines عَلَيهاupon them
وَالخُدودِ الحِسانِ يَبهى عَلَيها
جُلَنّارُpomegranate blossom الرَبيعِof spring طَلقاًradiant وَوَردُهand its roses
جُلَنّارُ الرَبيعِ طَلقاً وَوَردُه
And lovely cheeks, upon which glow
On the lovely cheeks the bloom of Spring
Spring's radiant pomegranate blossoms and its roses.
Scattered freely its roses and perfume
يَتَخَلّىfrees himself الساليthe untroubled man عَنِfrom الحُبِّlove بِالشُغthrough occupation (first part)
يَتَخَلّى السالي عَنِ الحُبِّ بِالشُغ
لِcompletion of 'occupation' وَيَغلوand runs to excess بِصاحِبِwith the possessor of الوَجدِpassion وَجدُهhis passion
لِ وَيَغلو بِصاحِبِ الوَجدِ وَجدُه
The untroubled man frees himself from love by keeping
The careless turns from love to friends
Busy, while the lover's passion drives him to excess.
And ardour for the friend fills his soul
وَمِنَand among الضَيمِinjustice فيin هَوىlove of البيضِfair-skinned women عِنديin my view
وَمِنَ الضَيمِ في هَوى البيضِ عِندي
أَنthat يَوَدَّshould love المَتبولُthe love-stricken man مَنone who لاnot يَوَدُّهloves him
أَن يَوَدَّ المَتبولُ مَن لا يَوَدُّه
And to me, an injustice in loving fair-skinned women
'Tis the wrong of the white hands I love
Is for the love-stricken to love one who does not love him.
That the estranged desires one who'll not love him
ليfor me صَديقٌa friend أَعدَدتُهُI have readied him لِصُروفٍfor vicissitudes
لي صَديقٌ أَعدَدتُهُ لِصُروفٍ
مِنof زَمانٍan age يُربيsurpasses عَلىover مَنwhoever يُعِدُّهprepares for it
مِن زَمانٍ يُربي عَلى مَن يُعِدُّه
I have a friend whom I have readied for the vicissitudes
I have a friend I prepared for the days
Of an age that overmatches whoever prepares for it.
When time breeds disfavor for one who'd befriend him
سَيِّدٌa lord مِنof بَنيthe descendants of الحُسَينِal-Husayn بنِson of سَعدٍSa'd
سَيِّدٌ مِن بَني الحُسَينِ بنِ سَعدٍ
شادَraised بُنيانَهُhis edifice الحُسَينُal-Husayn وَسَعدُهand his Sa'd
شادَ بُنيانَهُ الحُسَينُ وَسَعدُه
A lord of the descendants of al-Husayn ibn Sa'd,
A lord of the Huseins, son of Saad
Al-Husayn and Sa'd raised his edifice.
Husein built his house and Saad founded it
وَهُوَand it is المَجدُglory لَيسَnot يَحويهِpossesses it مَنwhoever لَمdid not
وَهُوَ المَجدُ لَيسَ يَحويهِ مَن لَم
يَتَقَدَّمprecede فيهِin it أَبوهُhis father وَجَدُّهand his grandfather
يَتَقَدَّم فيهِ أَبوهُ وَجَدُّه
And that is glory: none can possess it unless
Glory lies not in him who has not first
His father and grandfather preceded him in it.
Father and grandsire to precede and own it
ماnot نُباليwe care أَيَّwhich of الحُظوظِthe good fortunes فَقَدناwe have lost
ما نُبالي أَيَّ الحُظوظِ فَقَدنا
ماso long as تَراخىstays remote عَنّاfrom us فَأُمهِلَand is deferred فَقدُهlosing him
ما تَراخى عَنّا فَأُمهِلَ فَقدُه
We care not which blessings we have lost,
What's lost we'll not regret but what's left of
So long as losing him stays far from us and is deferred.
Chances we hold, though their loss we may suffer
لاdo not تَقيسَنَّever compare حاتِمَHatim الجودِgenerosity فيin الجوgenerosity (first part)
لا تَقيسَنَّ حاتِمَ الجودِ في الجو
دِcompletion of 'generosity' إِلَيهِto him فَحاتِمٌfor Hatim فيهِin it عَبدُهhis slave
دِ إِلَيهِ فَحاتِمٌ فيهِ عَبدُه
Never compare Hatim the generous, in generosity,
Compare not Hatim's generosity
With him: for in that, Hatim is his slave.
For Hatim's slave serves in Hatim's footsteps
هَزلُهُhis playfulness لِلسَماحِtoward generosity شيمَتُهُhis disposition وَالand the
هَزلُهُ لِلسَماحِ شيمَتُهُ وَال
بَذلُgiving وَالحَزمُand resolve وَالكِفايَةُand competence جِدُّهhis earnestness
بَذلُ وَالحَزمُ وَالكِفايَةُ جِدُّه
His playful disposition is toward generosity; and
Mirth is his manner, liberality, wisdom,
Giving, resolve, and competence are his earnest work.
Sufficiency, earnest his aims ever
تَتَكافاare equal الحالانِthe two states مِنهُof him وَمَتنُand the back of الthe
تَتَكافا الحالانِ مِنهُ وَمَتنُ ال
سَيفِsword سَيّانِalike فيin الغِناءِusefulness وَحَدُّهand its edge
سَيفِ سَيّانِ في الغِناءِ وَحَدُّه
His two states are equal, and the back of the
War and peace find him alike, the sword's edge
Sword and its edge are alike in usefulness.
In melody and in firmness rival him
لاmay never يَزَلcease يُفتَدىbe ransomed بِقَومٍwith men أَراهُمI see them
لا يَزَل يُفتَدى بِقَومٍ أَراهُم
غاضَhas ebbed مَعروفُهُمtheir kindness وَأُترِعَand was filled to the brim رِفدُهhis bounty
غاضَ مَعروفُهُم وَأُترِعَ رِفدُه
May he ever be ransomed with men whom I see
Still he redeems a people whose worth
With their kindness drained away, while his bounty is brimful.
Though diminished remains a plenteous river
ماnever تَجارىraced one another الأَجوادُthe generous إِلّاexcept that شَآهُمhe outstripped them
ما تَجارى الأَجوادُ إِلّا شَآهُم
سابِقاًleading واحِدَunique in التَطَوُّلِmunificence فَردُهits peerless one
سابِقاً واحِدَ التَطَوُّلِ فَردُه
Whenever the generous race, he outstrips them,
The generous vie but their zeal furthers
Leading, unrivalled and alone in munificence.
One who excels them in lengthened endeavor
خَيرُthe best ماwhat لِلمُطالِبينَfor petitioners لَدَيهِwith him
خَيرُ ما لِلمُطالِبينَ لَدَيهِ
راحَةُthe relief of اليَأسِdespair مِنof جَداهُمtheir bounty وَبَردُهand its coolness
راحَةُ اليَأسِ مِن جَداهُم وَبَردُه
The best that petitioners can find with him
Better the hopeless from urgency turn
Is the relief and coolness of despairing of their bounty.
For peace of despair than his deafness trouble
مَنwhoever يُشِنtarnishes وَعدَهُhis promise المِطالُprocrastination يُناجِزsettles promptly
مَن يُشِن وَعدَهُ المِطالُ يُناجِز
مُنجِحاًgranting success أَوor يُزانُis adorned بِالنُجحِwith fulfillment وَعدُهhis promise
مُنجِحاً أَو يُزانُ بِالنُجحِ وَعدُه
He whose promise delay would tarnish acts at once,
Whose promises hope an equal favors
Granting success, or his promise is graced with fulfillment.
Or can hope overtake his favors' measure?
وَمِنَand among الناسِpeople مَنone who يُناكِدُis vexatious حَتّىto the point that
وَمِنَ الناسِ مَن يُناكِدُ حَتّى
إِنَّindeed فَنّاًa kind مِنَof النَسيئَةِdeferred payment نَقدُهhis ready payment
إِنَّ فَنّاً مِنَ النَسيئَةِ نَقدُه
And among men is one so vexatious
Yet men will persist though art perish
That even his ready payment is a kind of deferment.
And slowness to pay be their only treasure
حادَturned aside عَنهُfrom him المُساجِلونَthe rivals in generosity وَهابواand feared
حادَ عَنهُ المُساجِلونَ وَهابوا
حَفلَةَthe swelling fullness of البَحرِthe sea وَالبِحارُand the seas تَمُدُّهreplenish it
حَفلَةَ البَحرِ وَالبِحارُ تَمُدُّه
His rivals in generosity turned aside from him and feared
They turned from him while the envious crept
The sea's swelling fullness, with the seas replenishing it.
From his sea that will aye surge and spread
Sol 6.1