تِلكَthose الدِيارُthe dwellings وَدارِساتُand the faded طُلولِهاtheir ruins
تِلكَ الدِيارُ وَدارِساتُ طُلولِها
طَوعُat the mercy of الخُطوبِcalamities دَقيقِهاtheir minor ones وَجَليلِهاand their great ones
طَوعُ الخُطوبِ دَقيقِها وَجَليلِها
Those dwellings and their fading ruins
Those homes and the remains of their heights
Lie at the mercy of calamities, small and great.
Submit to the difficulties, subtle and magnificent,
مَتروكَةٌabandoned لِلريحِto the wind بَينَamid جَنوبِهاits south wind
مَتروكَةٌ لِلريحِ بَينَ جَنوبِها
وَشَمالِهاand its north wind وَدَبورِهاand its west wind وَقَبولِهاand its east wind
وَشَمالِها وَدَبورِها وَقَبولِها
Abandoned to the wind, amid its south wind,
Abandoned to the winds between their south and north,
And its north wind, its west wind, and its east wind.
And their backs and fronts.
وَمِنَand of الجَهالَةِignorance أَنto تُعَنِّفَyou rebuke باكِياًa weeping man
وَمِنَ الجَهالَةِ أَن تُعَنِّفَ باكِياً
وَقَفَhalted الغَرامُpassion بِهِwith him عَلىat مَجهولِهاtheir unrecognizable traces
وَقَفَ الغَرامُ بِهِ عَلى مَجهولِها
And it is ignorance to rebuke a weeping man
And of ignorance that you aggrieve a weeping one,
Whom passion has halted at their unrecognizable traces.
And passion stopped at its unknown.
إِنَّindeed الدُموعَthe tears هِيَthey الصَبابَةُardent longing فَاِطَّرِحso cast off
إِنَّ الدُموعَ هِيَ الصَبابَةُ فَاِطَّرِح
بَعضَsome of الصَبابَةِlonging تَستَرِحyou will find relief بِهُمولِهاthrough their flowing
بَعضَ الصَبابَةِ تَستَرِح بِهُمولِها
Indeed, tears are longing itself; so cast off
Verily tears are the outpouring, so discard
Some of that longing, and find relief in their flow.
Some of the outpouring and it will rest in its abundance.
وَلَقَدand indeed تَعَسَّفتُI forced my way through الأُمورَaffairs وَصاحِبيand my companion
وَلَقَد تَعَسَّفتُ الأُمورَ وَصاحِبي
حَزمٌfirm judgment يَلُفُّenfolds حُزونَهاtheir rough ground بِسُهولِهاwith their level ground
حَزمٌ يَلُفُّ حُزونَها بِسُهولِها
And I have indeed forced my way through affairs, my companion
And I have wronged circumstances and my companion
Firm judgment, folding their rough ground into their smooth.
Is resolve that wraps its sorrow in ease.
وَنَشَرتُand I unfolded أَردِيَةَthe robes of الدُجىdarkness وَطَوَيتُهاand I folded them
وَنَشَرتُ أَردِيَةَ الدُجى وَطَوَيتُها
وَالعيسُand the pale camels بَينَbetween وَجيفِهاtheir swift trot وَذَميلِهاand their easy gait
وَالعيسُ بَينَ وَجيفِها وَذَميلِها
And I unfolded the robes of darkness and folded them,
And I spread the cloak of darkness and folded it,
While the pale camels alternated between their swift trot and easy gait.
While the billy goat is between its corpse and tail.
شامَتthey sighted بُروقَlightning flashes of سَحابَةٍa cloud قُرَشِيَّةٍQurayshi
شامَت بُروقَ سَحابَةٍ قُرَشِيَّةٍ
غَرِقَتdrowned صُروفُvicissitudes of الدَهرِtime بَينَamid سُيولِهاits torrents
غَرِقَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ بَينَ سُيولِها
They sighted the lightning of a Qurayshi cloud,
Lightning of an honorable Qurashi cloud flashed,
Amid whose torrents the vicissitudes of time drowned.
The cycles of fate drowned between its floods.
وَفَتىًand a young man يَمُدُّstretches out يَداًa hand إِلىtoward نَيلِattainment of العُلاthe heights
وَفَتىً يَمُدُّ يَداً إِلى نَيلِ العُلا
فَكَأَنَّso as though مِصرَEgypt تُمِدُّهُsupplies him مِنfrom نيلِهاits Nile
فَكَأَنَّ مِصرَ تُمِدُّهُ مِن نيلِها
And a young man stretches out a hand to attain the heights,
And a young man who reaches out to the Nile of elevation,
As though Egypt were supplying him from its Nile.
So it is as if Egypt extends to him from her Nile.
لاnot تَقرَبُapproaches الفَحشاءُindecency جانِبَهُhis side وَلَnor
لا تَقرَبُ الفَحشاءُ جانِبَهُ وَلَ
يَأتيhe practices مِنَamong الأَخلاقِcharacter traits غَيرَother than جَميلِهاtheir noble ones
يَأتي مِنَ الأَخلاقِ غَيرَ جَميلِها
Indecency never approaches his side, nor
Vice does not come near his side, and he does
Does he display any but noble qualities.
Not come from morals except the beautiful of them.
وَإِذاand when الأُمورُaffairs تَصَعَّبَتgrow intractable شُبُهَتُهاtheir ambiguities
وَإِذا الأُمورُ تَصَعَّبَت شُبُهَتُها
سَبَقَتhastened ahead رِياضَتُهُhis practiced skill إِلىto تَذليلِهاtaming them
سَبَقَت رِياضَتُهُ إِلى تَذليلِها
And when affairs grow intractable in their ambiguity,
And if matters become difficult, their similitude,
His practiced skill hastens ahead to tame them.
His training preceded in facilitating them.
عَرَفَhe knew المَصادِرَthe ways out قَبلَbefore حينِthe time of وُرودِهاtheir arrival
عَرَفَ المَصادِرَ قَبلَ حينِ وُرودِها
وَمَواقِعَand the sites of البَدَهاتِsudden events قَبلَbefore حُلولِهاtheir occurrence
وَمَواقِعَ البَدَهاتِ قَبلَ حُلولِها
He knew the ways out before the hour of arrival,
He knew the sources before the time of their arrival,
And where sudden events would strike before they occurred.
And the places of marvels before their advent.
أَفنىexhausted أَبوAbu (father of) الحَسَنِal-Hasan المَحاسِنَexcellences كُلَّهاall of them
أَفنى أَبو الحَسَنِ المَحاسِنَ كُلَّها
بِخَلائِقٍwith qualities لِلقَطرِrain has بَعضُsome of شُكولِهاtheir likenesses
بِخَلائِقٍ لِلقَطرِ بَعضُ شُكولِها
Abu al-Hasan has exhausted every excellence
Abu Al-Hasan exhausted all the virtues,
With qualities that rain resembles only in part.
With traits for the rain some of its pouring.
إِنَّindeed المَحاسِنَthe virtues ياO اِبنَson of عَمِّthe paternal uncle of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
إِنَّ المَحاسِنَ يا اِبنَ عَمِّ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَجَدَتfound فَعالَكَyour deeds واقِفاًstanding بِسَبيلِهاin their path
وَجَدَت فَعالَكَ واقِفاً بِسَبيلِها
Indeed, the virtues, O cousin of Muhammad,
Verily the virtues, O cousin of Muhammad,
Have found your deeds standing in their path.
Found your actions standing in their way.
وَإِذاand when قُرَيشٌQuraysh فاضَلَتكَvies with you in excellence فَضَلتَهاyou surpass it
وَإِذا قُرَيشٌ فاضَلَتكَ فَضَلتَها
بِأَبيthrough the father of خَلائِفِهاits caliphs وَعَمِّand the paternal uncle of رَسولِهاits Messenger
بِأَبي خَلائِفِها وَعَمِّ رَسولِها
And when Quraysh vies with you in excellence, you surpass it
And when Quraysh ennobled you, you ennobled them,
Through the father of its caliphs and the uncle of its Messenger,
By their intimate friend and uncle of their Messenger.
وَكَواكِبٍand stars أَشرَقنَshone مِنfrom among أَبنائِهِhis sons
وَكَواكِبٍ أَشرَقنَ مِن أَبنائِهِ
لَولاكَbut for you قَدalready أَفَلَset النَدىgenerosity بِأُفولِهاwith their setting
لَولاكَ قَد أَفَلَ النَدى بِأُفولِها
And stars that shone from among his sons—
And stars that shone from his children,
But for you, generosity would have set with their setting.
Were it not for you, the dew would have set in their setting.
عَبدُAbd (servant of) المَليكِal-Malik (the Sovereign) وَصالِحٌand Salih وَعَلِيُّهُand his Ali
عَبدُ المَليكِ وَصالِحٌ وَعَلِيُّهُ
وَأَبوهُand his father خَيرُthe best of شَبابِهاits young men وَكُهولِهاand its mature men
وَأَبوهُ خَيرُ شَبابِها وَكُهولِها
Abd al-Malik and Salih and his Ali,
Abdul Malik, Saleh, and his Ali,
And his father—the best of its young and mature men.
And his father, best of their youth and elders.
رَفَعَتهُمُraised them الآياتُthe verses فيin تَنزيلِهاtheir revelation
رَفَعَتهُمُ الآياتُ في تَنزيلِها
وَقَضَتand decreed لَهُمfor them بِالفَضلِwith preeminence فيin تَأويلِهاtheir interpretation
وَقَضَت لَهُم بِالفَضلِ في تَأويلِها
The verses raised them high in their revelation,
The verses raised them in their revelation,
And decreed preeminence for them in their interpretation.
And judged for them with virtue in their interpretation.
أَخَذواthey gained النُبُوَّةَprophethood وَالخِلافَةَand the caliphate فَاِنثَنواthen they returned
أَخَذوا النُبُوَّةَ وَالخِلافَةَ فَاِنثَنوا
بِالمَكرُماتِwith noble deeds كَثرِهاtheir multitude وَقَليلِهاand their few
بِالمَكرُماتِ كَثرِها وَقَليلِها
They gained prophethood and the caliphate, then returned
They took prophethood and the caliphate so they gathered
With noble deeds, the many and the few.
With the venerations, many and few.
لَوif سارَتِjourneyed الأَيّامُthe days فيalong مَسعاتِهِمtheir striving
لَو سارَتِ الأَيّامُ في مَسعاتِهِم
لِتَنالَهاto attain it لَتَقَطَّعَتthey would fall apart فيalong طولِهاits length
لِتَنالَها لَتَقَطَّعَت في طولِها
If the days journeyed along the course of their striving,
If the days had walked in their lifespans,
To attain it, they would fall apart along its length.
To attain them, they would have been severed in their length.
وَهيَand they are المَآثِرُglorious deeds لَيسَnot يَبنىbuilds مِثلَهاtheir like
وَهيَ المَآثِرُ لَيسَ يَبنى مِثلَها
بانٍa builder وَلاnor يَسموaspires إِلىto تَحويلِهاaltering them
بانٍ وَلا يَسمو إِلى تَحويلِها
And these are glorious deeds whose like cannot be built
And those are the glorious deeds, the like of which
By any builder, nor can he aspire to alter them.
None shall build, nor rise to change.
يَتَحَيَّرُare bewildered الشُعَراءُthe poets فيin تَأليفِهاcomposing them
يَتَحَيَّرُ الشُعَراءُ في تَأليفِها
وَيُقَصِّرُand fall short العُظَماءُgreat men عَنof تَأثيلِهاestablishing them
وَيُقَصِّرُ العُظَماءُ عَن تَأثيلِها
Poets are bewildered in putting them into verse,
The poets become confused in composing them,
And great men fall short of establishing them.
And the eminent fall short of evaluating them.
وَلَأَنتَand surely you غالِبُsurpasser of غالِبٍGhalib يَومَon the day of النَدىgenerosity
وَلَأَنتَ غالِبُ غالِبٍ يَومَ النَدى
كَرَماًin generosity وَواهِبُand giver of رِفدِهاits gifts وَجَزيلِهاand its lavish bounty
كَرَماً وَواهِبُ رِفدِها وَجَزيلِها
And surely you surpass Ghalib on the day of giving,
And you are a victor over every victor on the day of glory,
In generosity, and bestow its gifts and its lavish bounty.
Bountiful in its plenty and abundant.
وَجَوادُهاand its generous man اِبنُson of جَوادِهاits generous man وَشَريفُهاand its noble man اِبfirst part of 'son'
وَجَوادُها اِبنُ جَوادِها وَشَريفُها اِب
نُlast part of 'son' شَريفِهاits noble man وَنَبيلُهاand its eminent man اِبنُson of نَبيلُهاits eminent man
نُ شَريفِها وَنَبيلُها اِبنُ نَبيلُها
And you are its generous man, son of its generous man; its noble man, son
Its generous one, son of its generous one, and its noble one, son
Of its noble man; and its eminent man, son of its eminent man.
Of its noble one, and its eminent one, son of its eminent one.
وَإِذاand when اِنشَعَبتَyou branch out أَخَذتَyou take خَيرَthe best of فُروعِهاits branches
وَإِذا اِنشَعَبتَ أَخَذتَ خَيرَ فُروعِها
وَإِذاand when رَجَعتَyou trace back أَخَذتَyou take خَيرَthe best of أُصولِهاits roots
وَإِذا رَجَعتَ أَخَذتَ خَيرَ أُصولِها
And when you branch out, you take the best of its branches,
And if you diverge, you take the best of its branches,
And when you trace back, you take the best of its roots.
And if you return, you take the best of its roots.
Sol 6.1