أَحَرامٌis it forbidden أَنthat يُنجَزَbe fulfilled المَوعودُwhat is promised
أَحَرامٌ أَن يُنجَزَ المَوعودُ
مِنكِfrom you أَوor يَقرُبَdraw near النَوالُthe bounty البَعيدُdistant
مِنكِ أَو يَقرُبَ النَوالُ البَعيدُ
Is it forbidden for the promise to be fulfilled
It is forbidden that the promise be fulfilled
By you, or for distant bounty to draw near?
Or the distant gifts draw near from you
وَوَراءَand behind الضُلوعِthe ribs مِنfrom فَرطِthe excess of حُبَّيmy love
وَوَراءَ الضُلوعِ مِن فَرطِ حُبَّي
كِyou (feminine suffix) غَرامٌardent passion يُبليwears away الحَشاthe innermost heart وَيَزيدُand grows
كِ غَرامٌ يُبلي الحَشا وَيَزيدُ
And behind the ribs, from the excess of my love
And behind the ribs, out of abundant love for you
For you, a passion wears away the innermost heart and grows.
Is a passion that wears out the beloved and increases
إِنَّماonly يَستَميحُbegs for نائِلَكِyour bounty الصَبُّthe lovesick one
إِنَّما يَستَميحُ نائِلَكِ الصَبُّ
وَيَشكوand complains of الهَوىpassion إِلَيكِto you العَميدُthe love-stricken one
وَيَشكو الهَوى إِلَيكِ العَميدُ
The lovesick one seeks only your bounty,
For only your youth entreats and complains of love to you
And the love-stricken one complains to you of passion.
The resolute one deceived by your mirage promises
غَرَّهُdeceived him وَعدُكِyour promise السَرابُthe mirage وَعادىand kept apart
غَرَّهُ وَعدُكِ السَرابُ وَعادى
بَينَbetween جَفنَيهِhis two eyelids قَلبُكِyour heart الجُلمودُstone-hard
بَينَ جَفنَيهِ قَلبُكِ الجُلمودُ
Your promise, a mirage, deceived him; and held apart were
Between his eyelids lies your stone cold heart
His two eyelids by your heart of stone.
Who will dissipate my excuse for her
مَنwho عَذيريmy defender مِنهاagainst her تُبَدِّدُshe scatters لُبّيmy wits
مَن عَذيري مِنها تُبَدِّدُ لُبّي
بَينَamong عاداتِهاher habits الَّتيwhich تَستَعيدُshe repeats
بَينَ عاداتِها الَّتي تَستَعيدُ
Who will defend me against her? She scatters my wits
Among her restored habits
Among the habits of hers that she repeats.
She mixed estrangement with union, so in remoteness is estrangement, and in union are rejections
خَلَطَتshe mixed هِجرَةًestrangement بِوَصلٍwith union فَفيso in القُرthe nearness (word begins)
خَلَطَت هِجرَةً بِوَصلٍ فَفي القُر
بِcompletion of 'nearness' بِعادٌdistance وَفيand in الوِصالِunion صُدودُrejection
بِ بِعادٌ وَفي الوِصالِ صُدودُ
She mixed estrangement with union, so in nearness
And if the way of separation turned aside
There is distance, and in union, rejection.
I sent to it an eye that bestows upon it generously
وَاِنثَنَتand she turned وِجهَةَtoward الفِراقِparting فَأَرسَلso sent (verb begins)
وَاِنثَنَت وِجهَةَ الفِراقِ فَأَرسَل
تُI (verb ending) إِلَيهاto her عَيناًan eye عَلَيهاfor her تَجودُpours out tears
تُ إِلَيها عَيناً عَلَيها تَجودُ
And she turned toward parting, so I sent
A glance behind which tears quickly followed
Toward her an eye that pours out tears for her.
Successively flowing, and beneath it are trails
نَظرَةٌa glance خَلفَهاbehind it الدُموعُthe tears عِجالاًin haste
نَظرَةٌ خَلفَها الدُموعُ عِجالاً
تَتَمادىlingers on وَدونَهاand before it التَسهيدُsleeplessness
تَتَمادى وَدونَها التَسهيدُ
A glance, trailed by hurrying tears,
Do you see one departed hoped for, and a day
Lingers on, with sleeplessness before it.
Like my day returning with two shots
أَتَرىdo you think فائِتاًwhat has passed يُرَجّىcan be hoped for وَيَوماًand a day
أَتَرى فائِتاً يُرَجّى وَيَوماً
مِثلَlike يَوميmy day بِرامَتَينِat Ramatayn يَعودُreturns
مِثلَ يَومي بِرامَتَينِ يَعودُ
Do you think what has passed may be hoped for, and a day
And our union in the opening of the opening of Ibn Khaqan
Like my day at Ramatayn may return?
Leaks from it freshness and generosity
وَصَلَتناjoined us بِالفَتحِto al-Fath فَتحِFath اِبنِson of خاقاKhaqa- (name begins)
وَصَلَتنا بِالفَتحِ فَتحِ اِبنِ خاقا
نِ-n (name ending) خِلالٌqualities مِنهاamong them النَدىbounty وَالجودُand generosity
نِ خِلالٌ مِنها النَدى وَالجودُ
We were joined to al-Fath, Fath ibn Khaqan,
Ariha'i, when morning comes, his nature of noble deeds takes him
By qualities, among them bounty and generosity.
Wherever he wishes
أَريَحِيٌّopenhanded إِذاwhen غَداhe goes forth صَرَّفَتهُguided him
أَريَحِيٌّ إِذا غَدا صَرَّفَتهُ
شِيَمُtraits المَكرُماتِof noble deeds حَيثَwherever يُريدُhe wishes
شِيَمُ المَكرُماتِ حَيثَ يُريدُ
Openhanded: when he goes forth, he is guided
Every day overflows upon its beneficiaries
By the traits of noble deeds wherever he wishes.
An exalted ambition and inherited wealth
كُلَّevery يَومٍday يَفيضُflows abundantly فيamong مُجتَديهِthose seeking his bounty
كُلَّ يَومٍ يَفيضُ في مُجتَديهِ
نَشَبٌpossessions طارِفٌnewly acquired وَمالٌand wealth تَليدُinherited
نَشَبٌ طارِفٌ وَمالٌ تَليدُ
Every day, among those who seek his bounty, flow
And the rest, he dispraised men when men
Newly acquired possessions and ancestral wealth.
Turn away from noble deeds, sitting lazily
وَبَقيهِand protects him (probable reading) ذَمَّcensure الرِجالِof men إِذاwhen شاwish (verb begins)
وَبَقيهِ ذَمَّ الرِجالِ إِذا شا
ءَcompletion of 'wish' رِجالٌmen عَنِaway from المَعاليlofty deeds قُعودُsitting idle
ءَ رِجالٌ عَنِ المَعالي قُعودُ
And shielding him from men's censure, should they wish it—
A nature, O Abi Muhammad, which refined itself
Men who sit idle, far from lofty deeds—
From noble deeds that do not diminish
خُلُقٌa character ياO أَباAbu (father of) مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad اِستَأrenewed (verb begins)
خُلُقٌ يا أَبا مُحَمَّدٍ اِستَأ
نَفتَyou (completes 'renewed') مِنهُfrom it مَكارِماًnoble deeds ماnot تَبيدُperish
نَفتَ مِنهُ مَكارِماً ما تَبيدُ
Is a character, O Abu Muhammad, from which you have
Deviating from your towering glory, you became arrogant
Renewed noble deeds that never perish.
So the envious were barred from you
حادَturned aside عَنfrom مَجدِكَyour glory المَساميthe would-be rival وَأَمعَنand pressed on (verb begins)
حادَ عَن مَجدِكَ المَسامي وَأَمعَن
تَyou (verb ending) عُلُوّاًin loftiness فَصَدَّso turned away عَنكَfrom you الحَسودُthe envious one
تَ عُلُوّاً فَصَدَّ عَنكَ الحَسودُ
The would-be rival turned aside from your glory; you pressed on
Live praiseworthy, for we do not blame a time
Ever higher, so the envious turned away from you.
In which your commendable deed dwelled with us
عِشlive حَميداًpraised فَماfor not نَذُمُّwe blame زَماناًan age
عِش حَميداً فَما نَذُمُّ زَماناً
جارَناwas our neighbor فيهِin it فِعلُكَyour conduct المَحمودُpraiseworthy
جارَنا فيهِ فِعلُكَ المَحمودُ
Live praised, for we do not blame an age
A land took its security from misery
In which your praiseworthy conduct has been our neighbor.
Above it the shade of your outstretched sword
أَخَذَتgained أَمنَهاits safety مِنَfrom البُؤسِmisery أَرضٌa land
أَخَذَت أَمنَها مِنَ البُؤسِ أَرضٌ
فَوقَهاabove it ظِلُّthe shade سَيبِكَof your bounty المَمدودُoutstretched
فَوقَها ظِلُّ سَيبِكَ المَمدودُ
A land has gained its safety from misery,
The intense cold of winter has passed
With the outstretched shade of your bounty above it.
And springtime resembling you has come to us anew
ذَهَبَتhas passed جِدَّةُfreshness الشِتاءِof winter وَوافاand reached (verb begins)
ذَهَبَت جِدَّةُ الشِتاءِ وَوافا
ناus (verb suffix) شَبيهاًsimilar بِكَto you الرَبيعُthe spring الجَديداnew
نا شَبيهاً بِكَ الرَبيعُ الجَديدا
Winter's freshness has passed, and there has come
A shining horizon, and air in whose brightness
To us, resembling you, the new spring.
The dark nights shone with its light
أُفُقٌa horizon مُشرِقٌradiant وَجَوٌّand a sky أَضاءَتshone
أُفُقٌ مُشرِقٌ وَجَوٌّ أَضاءَت
فيin سَناthe radiance نورِهِof its light اللَياليthe nights السودُblack
في سَنا نورِهِ اللَيالي السودُ
A radiant horizon, and a sky where shone
As if the rose and primrose, the untwining of the two
In the brilliance of its light the black nights.
Were composed of unique and unmatched pearls
وَكَأَنَّand as though الحَوذانَthe buttercups وَالأُقحُوانَand the daisies الthe (attaches to next word)
وَكَأَنَّ الحَوذانَ وَالأُقحُوانَ ال
غَضَّfresh and tender نَظمانِtwo strands لُؤلُؤٌpearls وَفَريدُand precious gems
غَضَّ نَظمانِ لُؤلُؤٌ وَفَريدُ
And it is as though the buttercups and the daisies—
Drops from the clouds and a meadow
Fresh and tender—were two strands of pearls and precious gems.
Which scattered its roses upon it flushing red
قَطَراتٌdrops مِنَfrom السَحابِthe clouds وَرَوضٌand a meadow
قَطَراتٌ مِنَ السَحابِ وَرَوضٌ
نَثَرَتscattered وَردُهاtheir roses عَلَيهِupon it الخُدودُthe cheeks
نَثَرَت وَردُها عَلَيهِ الخُدودُ
Drops from the clouds, and a meadow
And nights dressed in the delicacy of autumn
Over which cheeks have scattered their roses.
Making it seem as if they are cold
وَلَيالٍand nights كُسينَwere clothed مِنfrom رِقَّةِthe softness الصَيsummer (word begins)
وَلَيالٍ كُسينَ مِن رِقَّةِ الصَي
فِcompletion of 'summer' فَخَيَّلنَso they made one imagine أَنَّهُنَّthat they بُرودُstriped cloaks
فِ فَخَيَّلنَ أَنَّهُنَّ بُرودُ
And nights were clothed in summer's softness,
The winds that blow are a gentle breeze
So they seemed to be striped cloaks.
And the stars that appear are auspicious
الرِياحُthe winds الَّتيthat تَهُبُّblow نَسيمٌa gentle breeze
الرِياحُ الَّتي تَهُبُّ نَسيمٌ
وَالنُجومُand the stars الَّتيthat تُطِلُّpeer out سُعودُauspicious
وَالنُجومُ الَّتي تُطِلُّ سُعودُ
The winds that blow are gentle breezes,
The feast has drawn near, and it is for people until
And the stars that peer out are auspicious.
It ends, while you are the feast of feasts
وَدَناand drew near العيدُthe festival وَهُوَand it لِلناسِfor the people حَتّىuntil
وَدَنا العيدُ وَهُوَ لِلناسِ حَتّى
بَتَقَضّىcomes to an end (probable reading) وَأَنتَwhile you لِلعيدِfor the festival عيدُa festival
بَتَقَضّى وَأَنتَ لِلعيدِ عيدُ
And the festival has drawn near; it is for the people until
It passes, while you are a festival for the festival itself.
Partial English translation: 46 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1