طَلّاin vain سَأَلتَyou questioned بِجَوِّin the valley of ثَهمَدThahmad
طَلّا سَأَلتَ بِجَوِّ ثَهمَد
طَلَلاًa ruined campsite لِمَيَّةَbelonging to Mayya قَدalready تَأَبَّدbecame desolate
طَلَلاً لِمَيَّةَ قَد تَأَبَّد
In vain you questioned, in the valley of Thahmad,
Longing, I asked for the coolness of faded twilight,
a ruined campsite of Mayya's, long deserted.
Longing for a lingering evening that lingered on.
دَرَسَتwore away عِهادُsuccessive showers الغَيثِof rain مِنfrom; of
دَرَسَت عِهادُ الغَيثِ مِن
هُit فَحالَand so it changed عَمّاfrom what كُنتَyou used to تَعهَدknow
هُ فَحالَ عَمّا كُنتَ تَعهَد
Successive rains have worn away parts of
The era of rain has studied
it, and it has changed from what you once knew.
Abstaining from what you used to promise.
وَلَقَدand indeed يُساعِفُit favors ذاthe possessor of الهَوىlove
وَلَقَد يُساعِفُ ذا الهَوى
بِأَوانِسٍwith companionable maidens كَالوَحشِlike wild creatures خُرَّدbashful virgins
بِأَوانِسٍ كَالوَحشِ خُرَّد
And indeed it would favor the lover
And indeed, this passion redoubles
with bashful, companionable maidens, like wild creatures,
With companions like the timid gazelle.
يُلقِنَthey instill أَشجانَthe sorrows of الصَباpassionate love (continued)
يُلقِنَ أَشجانَ الصَبا
بَةِcompletes 'passionate love' فيin قُلوبِthe hearts of ذَويthose possessing التَجَلُّدfortitude; self-control
بَةِ في قُلوبِ ذَوي التَجَلُّد
who instill the sorrows of passionate
It dictates the passions of youth
love in the hearts of the self-controlled.
To the hearts of those with endurance.
مِنamong; of كُلِّevery أَهيَفَslender-waisted مُرهَفٍdelicately formed
مِن كُلِّ أَهيَفَ مُرهَفٍ
أَوor أَجيَدِlong and graceful of neck الليتَينِthe two sides of the neck أَغيَدsupple; gracefully swaying
أَو أَجيَدِ الليتَينِ أَغيَد
Each slender-waisted and delicately formed,
From every weak, trembling branch,
or long-necked and gracefully supple—
Or the supple branches of the lote trees, more supple,
غُصنٌa bough يَشُفُّكَit wastes you away إِنif; when تَعَطbends (continued)
غُصنٌ يَشُفُّكَ إِن تَعَط
طَفَcompletes 'bends' لِلتَثَنّيto sway gracefully أَوor تَأَوَّدbends; bows
طَفَ لِلتَثَنّي أَو تَأَوَّد
a bough that wastes you away when it
A branch that heals you if it should lean
bends in a graceful sway or bows,
Towards you, incline or be affectionate;
بِتَصَرُّفِwith the changing play of التَرفِluxurious softness العَليlanguid (continued)
بِتَصَرُّفِ التَرفِ العَلي
لِcompletes 'languid' وَحُمرَةِand the redness of الخَدِّthe cheek المُوَرَّدrose-tinted
لِ وَحُمرَةِ الخَدِّ المُوَرَّد
with the changing play of languid softness
With the gestures of the gentle wind
and the blush of a rose-tinted cheek.
And the rose-red blush of the tinted cheek;
قَدindeed قُلتُI have said لِلرَكبِto the riders العُفاseekers of bounty (continued)
قَد قُلتُ لِلرَكبِ العُفا
ةِcompletes 'seekers of bounty' يَجورُhe strays هاديهِمtheir guide وَيَقصِدand goes straight
ةِ يَجورُ هاديهِم وَيَقصِد
I have said to the riders seeking bounty,
I said to the pure-hearted travelers, their guide wrongs and intends;
as their guide veers aside and goes straight:
The most deluded - father of Muhammad!
ماno لِلمَحامِدِfor praiseworthy deeds مُبتَغٍseeker
ما لِلمَحامِدِ مُبتَغٍ
إِلّاexcept الأَغَرُّthe illustrious أَبوAbu; father of مُحَمَّدMuhammad
إِلّا الأَغَرُّ أَبو مُحَمَّد
No one seeks deeds worthy of praise
And when the beauties turn away
save the illustrious Abu Muhammad.
Their systems of beauty are ephemeral.
وَإِذاand when المَحاسِنُfine qualities; virtues أَعرَضَتappear; present themselves
وَإِذا المَحاسِنُ أَعرَضَت
فَنِظامُهاthen their binding thread الحَسَنُal-Hasan بنُibn; son of مَخلَدMakhlad
فَنِظامُها الحَسَنُ بنُ مَخلَد
And when fine qualities appear,
Whatever length and excellence you desire,
their binding thread is al-Hasan ibn Makhlad.
And of generosity and favor,
ماwhatever شِئتَyou wish مِنof طَولٍbounty وَإِحساand beneficence (continued)
ما شِئتَ مِن طَولٍ وَإِحسا
نٍcompletes 'beneficence' وَمِنand of كَرَمٍgenerosity وَسُؤدُدand lordly eminence
نٍ وَمِن كَرَمٍ وَسُؤدُد
All you could wish of bounty and beneficence,
That hoped-for one, revered and envied,
and of generosity and lordly eminence.
Brother of generosity, excellence, forbearance and praise,
ذاكَthat one المُرَجّىthe one looked to with hope وَالمُؤَمand the one counted on (continued)
ذاكَ المُرَجّى وَالمُؤَم
مَلُcompletes 'the one counted on' وَالمُبَجَّلُand the revered وَالمُحَسَّدand the envied
مَلُ وَالمُبَجَّلُ وَالمُحَسَّد
That is the one looked to and counted on,
One whom none blames for loyalty
the revered and the envied,
Nor reproaches nor seeks to destroy.
وَأَخوand a man of التَكَرُّمِmagnanimity وَالتَفَضand gracious giving (continued)
وَأَخو التَكَرُّمِ وَالتَفَض
ضُلِcompletes 'gracious giving' وَالتَحَلُّمِand forbearance وَالتَحَمُّدand earning praise
ضُلِ وَالتَحَلُّمِ وَالتَحَمُّد
and a man of magnanimity and gracious giving,
He counseled the Caliphs, gathering
of forbearance and the earning of praise;
The parts of the scattered union,
مَنone who لاnot يُعاتَبُis reproached فيfor; concerning الوَفاfidelity (continued)
مَن لا يُعاتَبُ في الوَفا
ءِcompletes 'fidelity' وَلاnor يُلامُis blamed وَلاnor يُفَنَّدis accused of folly
ءِ وَلا يُلامُ وَلا يُفَنَّد
one never reproached for his fidelity,
And established amidst the severity of affairs
nor blamed, nor accused of folly.
That insisted on discord,
نَصَحَhe counseled faithfully الخَلائِفَthe caliphs جامِعاًbringing together
نَصَحَ الخَلائِفَ جامِعاً
لِقَرائِنِfor the connected parts of الشَملِthe gathered whole المُبَدَّدscattered
لِقَرائِنِ الشَملِ المُبَدَّد
He gave the caliphs loyal counsel, drawing together
With the soundness of keen opinion
the related parts of a scattered whole,
And purity of detached resolve.
وَأَقامَand straightened مِنof; from صَعَرِcrookedness الأُموaffairs (continued)
وَأَقامَ مِن صَعَرِ الأُمو
رِcompletes 'affairs' وَقَدand indeed أَبَتthey refused إِلّاexcept التَأَوُّدbending; crookedness
رِ وَقَد أَبَت إِلّا التَأَوُّد
and straightened the crookedness of affairs,
For each new matter,
though they refused all but bending awry,
A singular policy or measure.
بِأَصالَةِthrough the solidity of الرَأيِjudgment الزَنيfirm (continued)
بِأَصالَةِ الرَأيِ الزَني
قِcompletes 'firm' وَصِحَّةِand the soundness of العَزمِresolve المُجَرَّدunalloyed
قِ وَصِحَّةِ العَزمِ المُجَرَّد
through the solidity of firm judgment
He does not reiterate hollow words regarding it
and the soundness of unalloyed resolve.
Nor uncertain opinion.
فَلِكُلِّso for every أَمرٍmatter حادِثٍnewly arising
فَلِكُلِّ أَمرٍ حادِثٍ
ضَربٌa kind مِنَof التَدبيرِmanagement; planning أَوحَدunique; matchless
ضَربٌ مِنَ التَدبيرِ أَوحَد
For every matter that arises,
A guess that reveals the unseen
there is a matchless mode of management.
If he ponders it or intends it,
لاnot يُعمِلُhe applies القَولَspeech المُكَرَّrepeated (continued)
لا يُعمِلُ القَولَ المُكَرَّ
رَcompletes 'repeated' فيهِin it وَالرَأيَnor judgment المُرَدَّدrepeatedly reconsidered
رَ فيهِ وَالرَأيَ المُرَدَّد
He brings no repeated talk to bear
Like an unsheathed sword,
upon it, nor judgment turned over again and again.
And a spark when it is lit.
ظَنٌintuition; surmise يُصيبُhe hits accurately بِهِwith it الغُيوunseen things (continued)
ظَنٌ يُصيبُ بِهِ الغُيو
بَcompletes 'unseen things' إِذاwhen تَوَخّىhe takes aim أَوor تَعَمَّدhe intends deliberately
بَ إِذا تَوَخّى أَو تَعَمَّد
An intuition by which he hits upon the unseen,
The politics a means between
when he takes aim or sets his purpose,
Leniency and firmness,
مِثلُlike الحُسامِthe keen sword إِذاwhen تَأَلit gleams (continued)
مِثلُ الحُسامِ إِذا تَأَل
لَقَcompletes 'gleams' وَالشِهابِand the meteor إِذاwhen تَوَقَّدit blazes
لَقَ وَالشِهابِ إِذا تَوَقَّد
like the keen sword when it gleams,
Other than immersion in the base
and the meteor when it blazes.
And emptiness when alone.
وَلِيَhe took charge of السِياسَةَgovernance واسِطاًtaking a middle course
وَلِيَ السِياسَةَ واسِطاً
بَينَbetween التَسَهُّلِleniency وَالتَشَدُّدand severity
بَينَ التَسَهُّلِ وَالتَشَدُّد
He took charge of governance, holding the middle course
Like the sword - it cuts sheathed
between leniency and severity.
And it awes naked.
غَيرُnot المُغَمَّرِthe overshadowed or slighted one فيin النَدِيthe assembly (continued)
غَيرُ المُغَمَّرِ في النَدِي
يِcompletes 'assembly' وَلاnor الخَلِيِّthe idle one إِذاwhen تَفَرَّدhe is alone
يِ وَلا الخَلِيِّ إِذا تَفَرَّد
Not overshadowed in the assembly,
Good fortune is completed for you and
nor idle when alone,
Exaltation and superiority remain yours.
كَالسَيفِlike a sword يَقطَعُit cuts وَهوَwhile it is مَسdrawn (continued)
كَالسَيفِ يَقطَعُ وَهوَ مَس
لولٌcompletes 'drawn' وَيُرهَبُand is feared وَهوَwhile it is مُغمَدsheathed
لولٌ وَيُرهَبُ وَهوَ مُغمَد
like a sword that cuts while drawn,
So you are more truthful than the cloud's
and is feared while sheathed.
Dew, and more generous.
تَمَّتmay it be complete لَكَfor you النُعمىblessing; good fortune وَداand may endure (continued)
تَمَّت لَكَ النُعمى وَدا
مَcompletes 'endure' لَكَfor you التَعَلّيrising eminence وَالتَزَيُّدand increase
مَ لَكَ التَعَلّي وَالتَزَيُّد
May your good fortune be complete, and may
The affliction of Ahmad saddened me
your rise and increase endure.
And when you command, Ahmad obeys.
فَلَأَنتَfor you indeed are أَصدَقُtruer; more dependable مِنthan شَآshowers (continued)
فَلَأَنتَ أَصدَقُ مِن شَآ
بيبِcompletes 'showers' الغَمامِthe clouds نَدىًin bounty وَأَجوَدand more generous
بيبِ الغَمامِ نَدىً وَأَجوَد
For you are more dependable than the showers
I will not deny accelerating what
of the clouds in bounty, and more generous.
You put forth of opinion and promise.
تَعقيدُcomplicating matters; obstruction أَحمَدَAhmad's ضَرَّنيharmed me
تَعقيدُ أَحمَدَ ضَرَّني
وَإِذاand when أَمَرتَyou command أَطاعَhe obeys أَحمَدAhmad
وَإِذا أَمَرتَ أَطاعَ أَحمَد
Ahmad's making things difficult has harmed me;
and when you command, Ahmad obeys.
لاmay ... not أُحرَمَنI be denied تَعجيلَspeedy fulfillment of ماwhat
لا أُحرَمَن تَعجيلَ ما
قَدَّمتَyou put forward مِنof رَأيٍcounsel; proposal وَمَوعِدand a promise
قَدَّمتَ مِن رَأيٍ وَمَوعِد
Let me not be denied the prompt fulfillment of what
you have put forward in counsel and promise.
Partial English translation: 52 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1