شَوقٌlonging لَهُit has بَينَbetween الأَضالِعُthe ribs هاجِسُa whisper
شَوقٌ لَهُ بَينَ الأَضالِعُ هاجِسُ
وَتَذَكُّرٌand remembrance لِلصَدرِto the breast مِنهُfrom it وَساوِسُtroubling whispers
وَتَذَكُّرٌ لِلصَدرِ مِنهُ وَساوِسُ
Longing has a whisper between the ribs,
Longing resides in his ribs, ever restless,
And remembrance brings troubling whispers to the breast.
And memories stir in his heart, ever wistful.
وَلَرُبَّماand often نَجّىdelivered الفَتىthe young man مِنfrom هَمِّهِhis cares
وَلَرُبَّما نَجّى الفَتى مِن هَمِّهِ
وَخدُswift gait القِلاصِthe young she-camels وَلَيلُهُنَّand their night الدامِسُpitch-dark
وَخدُ القِلاصِ وَلَيلُهُنَّ الدامِسُ
And often a young man is delivered from his cares
At times the youth's cheek would save him from sorrow,
By the young she-camels’ swift gait and their pitch-dark night.
And the soft curls of night, ever wakeful.
ماnot أَنصَفَتacted fairly بَغدادُBaghdad حينَwhen تَوَحَّشَتbecame inhospitable
ما أَنصَفَت بَغدادُ حينَ تَوَحَّشَت
لِنَزيلِهاto its guest وَهيَthough it is المَحَلُّthe abode الآنِسُwelcoming
لِنَزيلِها وَهيَ المَحَلُّ الآنِسُ
Baghdad was unfair when it grew inhospitable
Baghdad was unfair when it shunned
To its guest, though it is a welcoming abode.
Its dweller, though once a congenial abode.
لَمnot يَرعَhonor لَيfor me حَقَّthe claim القَرابَةِof kinship طَيِّئٌTayyiʾ
لَم يَرعَ لَي حَقَّ القَرابَةِ طَيِّئٌ
فيهاin it وَلاnor حَقَّthe claim الصَداقَةِof friendship فارِسُFāris
فيها وَلا حَقَّ الصَداقَةِ فارِسُ
Tayyiʾ did not honor my claim of kinship
Neither Tayyi nor the Persian held sacred
There; nor did Fāris honor the claim of friendship.
Our kinship or friendship, as custom bestowed.
أَعَلِيُّO ʿAlī مَنwho يَأمُلكَhopes in you بَعدَafter مَوَدَّةٍaffection
أَعَلِيُّ مَن يَأمُلكَ بَعدَ مَوَدَّةٍ
ضَيَّعتَهاyou squandered it مِنّيfrom me فَإِنّيfor I am آيِسُhopeless
ضَيَّعتَها مِنّي فَإِنّي آيِسُ
O ʿAlī, who can hope in you after a friendship
High hopes, who pins on you after affection
Of mine you squandered? For I have lost hope.
You've severed from me? I'm filled with despair.
واعَدتَنيyou promised to meet me يَومَon the day of الخَميسِThursday وَقَدand already مَضىhas passed
واعَدتَني يَومَ الخَميسِ وَقَد مَضى
مِنfrom بَعدِafter مَوعِدِكَyour appointed date الخَميسُThursday الخامِسُthe fifth
مِن بَعدِ مَوعِدِكَ الخَميسُ الخامِسُ
You promised to meet me on Thursday; already there has passed
You promised we'd meet on Thursday, but passed
The fifth Thursday since your appointed date.
Were five Thursdays since the day you picked there.
قُلsay لِلأَميرِto the emir فَإِنَّهُfor he is القَمَرُthe moon الَّذيthat
قُل لِلأَميرِ فَإِنَّهُ القَمَرُ الَّذي
ضَحِكَتsmiled بِهِthrough him الأَيّامُthe days وَهيَthough they were عَوابِسُfrowning
ضَحِكَت بِهِ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ عَوابِسُ
Tell the emir—for he is the moon that
Tell the Prince, for he is the moon that
Made the days smile, though they were frowning:
Lit up gloomy days with his smile so rare.
قَدَّمتَyou advanced قُدّاميahead of me رِجالاًmen كُلُّهُمall of them
قَدَّمتَ قُدّامي رِجالاً كُلُّهُم
مُتَخَلِّفٌlagging behind عَنshort of غايَتيmy goal مُتَقاعِسُhanging back
مُتَخَلِّفٌ عَن غايَتي مُتَقاعِسُ
You placed ahead of me men, every one of whom
You've paraded before me men, each of whom
Falls short of my goal, hanging back.
Falls short of my goal, lazy and careless.
وَأَذَلتَنيand you abased me حَتّىuntil لَقَدindeed أَشمَتَّyou made others gloat بيover me
وَأَذَلتَني حَتّى لَقَد أَشمَتَّ بي
مَنthose who كانَused to يَحسُدُenvy مِنهُمُamong them وَيُنافِسُand compete
مَن كانَ يَحسُدُ مِنهُمُ وَيُنافِسُ
And you abased me, till you made others gloat over me—
You've humbled me until those envious
Those among them who used to envy and rival me.
Of me rejoiced and gloated at my fall.
وَأَناand I الَّذيthe one who أَوضَحتَyou made clear (context suggests 'I made clear') غَيرَnot مُدافَعٍchallenged
وَأَنا الَّذي أَوضَحتَ غَيرَ مُدافَعٍ
نَهجَthe path القَوافيof rhymes وَهيَwhile they were رَسمٌa trace دارِسُfaded
نَهجَ القَوافي وَهيَ رَسمٌ دارِسُ
And I am the one who made clear, unchallenged,
Yet I, though unguarded, elucidated
The path of rhymes, when they were a faded trace.
The path of verse, a perilous scrawl.
وَشُهِرتُand I became famed فيin شَرقِthe east البِلادِof the lands وَغَربِهاand their west
وَشُهِرتُ في شَرقِ البِلادِ وَغَربِها
فَكَأَنَّنيso it is as though I فيin كُلِّevery نادٍgathering جالِسُseated
فَكَأَنَّني في كُلِّ نادٍ جالِسُ
And I became famed in the lands’ east and west,
Known am I in East and West together,
So it is as though I sit in every gathering.
Like one seated in every council and hall.
هَذيthese القَوافيrhymes قَدalready زَفَفتُI led in bridal procession صِباحَهاtheir lovely ones
هَذي القَوافي قَد زَفَفتُ صِباحَها
تُهدىare presented إِلَيكَto you كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were عَرائِسُbrides
تُهدى إِلَيكَ كَأَنَّهُنَّ عَرائِسُ
These rhymes—I have led their lovely ones in bridal procession,
These lines at dawn I have neatly marshalled,
Presented to you as though they were brides.
To be gifted to you, like brides for a ball.
وَلَكَand for you السَلامَةُsafety وَالسَلامُand peace فَإِنَّنيfor I am
وَلَكَ السَلامَةُ وَالسَلامُ فَإِنَّني
غادٍdeparting in the morning وَهُنَّwhile they are عَلىfor عُلاكَyour glory حَبائِسُheld in pledge
غادٍ وَهُنَّ عَلى عُلاكَ حَبائِسُ
May you have safety and peace, for I
With you is wellness and peace. As for me,
Am departing in the morning, while they remain pledged to your glory.
I take leave while they remain in your thrall.
Sol 6.1