لَيتَwould that الخَليطَthe companions الَّذيwho قَدalready بانَdeparted لَمnot يَبِنِdepart
لَيتَ الخَليطَ الَّذي قَد بانَ لَم يَبِنِ
بَلrather لَيتَwould that ماwhat كانَwas مِنof حُبّيكِlove for you لَمnot يَكُنِexist
بَل لَيتَ ما كانَ مِن حُبّيكِ لَم يَكُنِ
Would that the companions who departed had not departed.
I wish the mixture that has appeared had not appeared
Rather, would that my love for you had never been.
Rather I wish what was of your love had not been
أَحرىmost deserving among العُيونِthe eyes بِأَنof having تَدمىbleed مَدامِعُهاits tear ducts
أَحرى العُيونِ بِأَن تَدمى مَدامِعُها
عَينٌan eye بَكَتwept شَجوَهاits sorrow مِنfrom مَنظَرٍa sight حَسَنِbeautiful
عَينٌ بَكَت شَجوَها مِن مَنظَرٍ حَسَنِ
The eye whose tear ducts most deserve to bleed
It is more fitting for the eyes that their tears should flow
Is one that wept its grief at a beautiful sight.
An eye cried its passion at a beautiful sight
ماhow أَحسَنَfine الصَبرَpatience إِلّاexcept عِندَat فُرقَةِparting from مَنone who
ما أَحسَنَ الصَبرَ إِلّا عِندَ فُرقَةِ مَن
بِبَينِهِthrough his departure صِرتُI became بَينَbetween البَثِّanguish وَالحَزَنِand sorrow
بِبَينِهِ صِرتُ بَينَ البَثِّ وَالحَزَنِ
How fine patience is—except at parting from one
Patience is best at the separation of a beloved
Whose departure left me between anguish and sorrow.
Between remoteness I am between misery and grief
ياoh فَرحَةًa joy ليfor me مِنَfrom الشَمسِthe sun الَّتيthat طَلَعَتrose
يا فَرحَةً لي مِنَ الشَمسِ الَّتي طَلَعَت
فيamong الرائِحينَthose departing بِسِربِwith a herd of الرَبرَبِwild antelopes القَطِنِresident
في الرائِحينَ بِسِربِ الرَبرَبِ القَطِنِ
Oh, what joy was mine from the sun that rose
O joy for me from the sun that rose
Among those departing, with the herd of resident antelopes.
In the meadows amidst a flock of fluttering moths
كَثيبُa dune of رَملٍsand عَلىupon عَليائِهِits summit فَنَنٌa bough
كَثيبُ رَملٍ عَلى عَليائِهِ فَنَنٌ
وَشَمسُand a sun دَجنٍcloudy weather بِأَعلىat the top of ذَلِكَthat الفَنَنِthe bough
وَشَمسُ دَجنٍ بِأَعلى ذَلِكَ الفَنَنِ
A mound of sand, upon whose summit stands a bough,
A sandy dune in its loftiness, so alluring
And a sun amid clouds at the top of that bough.
With a morning sun at the top of that allure
ماnot تَقَعُalights العَينُthe eye مِنهاof her حينَwhen تَلحَظُهاit gazes at her
ما تَقَعُ العَينُ مِنها حينَ تَلحَظُها
إِلّاexcept عَلىupon فِتنَةٍan allure مِنamong أَقتَلِthe deadliest of الفِتَنِallures
إِلّا عَلى فِتنَةٍ مِن أَقتَلِ الفِتَنِ
The eye, when it gazes at her, finds nothing in her
When the eye falls upon it, it falls
But an allure among the deadliest allures.
Only on a seduction among the most fatal seductions
قامَتshe rose تَثَنّىswaying فَلانَتthen she grew supple فيin مَجاسِدِهاher robes
قامَت تَثَنّى فَلانَت في مَجاسِدِها
حَتّىso that كَأَنَّas though قَضيبَthe slender branch of البانِthe bān tree لَمnot يَلِنِbend
حَتّى كَأَنَّ قَضيبَ البانِ لَم يَلِنِ
She rose, swaying, and grew so supple within her robes
She stood, bending in her stature
That the bān-tree's slender branch seemed never to have bent.
As if the staff of the myrtle had not bent
ليI shall have عَنafter قَليلٍa short while ضَميرٌan inner self لاnot يُلِمُّalights بِهِupon it
لي عَن قَليلٍ ضَميرٌ لا يُلِمُّ بِهِ
وَجدٌyearning عَلَيكِfor you وَقَلبٌand a heart غَيرُnot مُرتَهَنِheld in pledge
وَجدٌ عَلَيكِ وَقَلبٌ غَيرُ مُرتَهَنِ
Soon I shall have a mind unvisited
In a little while, I will have a conscience that does not blame me
By yearning for you, and a heart not held in pledge.
And a heart that is not hostage to passion for you
إِنَّindeed الهُمومَcares إِذاwhen أَوطَنَّmake their home فيin خَلَدٍa mind
إِنَّ الهُمومَ إِذا أَوطَنَّ في خَلَدٍ
لِلمَرءِof a man سارَhe journeys وَلَمand does not يَربَعsettle عَلىin وَطَنِa homeland
لِلمَرءِ سارَ وَلَم يَربَع عَلى وَطَنِ
Indeed, when cares make their home in the mind
When worries take residence in a person's mind
Of a man, he journeys on and settles in no homeland.
Misery travels but does not settle in a home
إِلَيكَto you بَعدَafter وِصالِtraversing البيدِthe deserts أَوصَلَناbrought us
إِلَيكَ بَعدَ وِصالِ البيدِ أَوصَلَنا
آذِيُّthe surging waves of دِجلَةَthe Tigris فيin عيرٍa caravan مِنَof السُفُنِships
آذِيُّ دِجلَةَ في عيرٍ مِنَ السُفُنِ
To you, after crossing the deserts, we were brought
After joining the ruins, the marshes of Dijlah brought us to you
By the Tigris's surge, in a caravan of ships.
Pushed by a caravan of boats
غَرائِبُstrange gusts of الريحِwind تَحدوهاdrive them onward وَيُجنِبُهاand leads them alongside
غَرائِبُ الريحِ تَحدوها وَيُجنِبُها
هادٍa guide مِنَof الماءِwater مُنقادٌbeing led بِلاwithout رَسَنِa rein
هادٍ مِنَ الماءِ مُنقادٌ بِلا رَسَنِ
Strange gusts of wind drive them on, and alongside them moves
The winds' quirks, it defies and avoids them
A guide of water, itself led without a rein.
Guided calmly by a piece of wood without oars
جِئناكَwe came to you نَحمِلُbearing أَلفاظاًwords مُدَبَّجَةًembroidered
جِئناكَ نَحمِلُ أَلفاظاً مُدَبَّجَةً
كَأَنَّماas though وَشيُهاtheir embroidery مِنfrom يُمنَةِstriped cloth of اليَمَنِYemen
كَأَنَّما وَشيُها مِن يُمنَةِ اليَمَنِ
We came to you bearing richly embroidered words,
We came to you bearing words adorned
As though their embroidery were of Yemen's striped cloth.
As if they were scented with the blessings of Yemen
كَأَنَّهاas though they وَهيَwhile they تَمشيwalk البُحتُرِيَّةَal-Buhturi's gait فيin
كَأَنَّها وَهيَ تَمشي البُحتُرِيَّةَ في
يَديthe two hands of أَبيAbu (father of) الفَضلِal-Fadl أَوor فيin نائِلِthe bounty of الحَسَنِal-Hasan
يَدي أَبي الفَضلِ أَو في نائِلِ الحَسَنِ
As though, while walking with al-Buhturi's gait, they were in
As if while walking the sand dunes
Abu al-Fadl's hands or among al-Hasan's gifts.
In the hands of Imru’ al-Qais or Nāil al-Hasan
نُهديwe offer as a gift القَريضَverse إِلىto رَبِّthe master of القَريضِverse مَعاًtogether
نُهدي القَريضَ إِلى رَبِّ القَريضِ مَعاً
كَحامِلِlike a bearer of العَصبِstriped cloth يُهديهِhe gifts it إِلىto عَدَنِAden
كَحامِلِ العَصبِ يُهديهِ إِلى عَدَنِ
Together we offer verse to the master of verse,
We send rhymed poetry together to the Lord of poetry
Like a bearer of striped cloth offering it to Aden.
Like one carrying allies sends them to Aden
مِنof كُلِّeach زَهراءَa radiant ode كَالنُوّارِlike blossoms مُشرِقَةٍshining
مِن كُلِّ زَهراءَ كَالنُوّارِ مُشرِقَةٍ
أَبقىmore enduring عَلىthrough الزَمَنِtime الباقيremaining مِنَthan الزَمَنِtime
أَبقى عَلى الزَمَنِ الباقي مِنَ الزَمَنِ
Of radiant odes, each shining like blossoms,
The most radiant of all flowers
More lasting through time to come than time itself.
Remaining through time and the rest of time
شُكرَthe gratitude of اِمرِئٍa man ظَلَّremained مَشغولاًoccupied بِشُكرِكَwith thanking you عَنaway from
شُكرَ اِمرِئٍ ظَلَّ مَشغولاً بِشُكرِكَ عَن
فَرطِexcessive البُكاءِweeping عَلىover الأَطلالِthe ruins وَالدِمَنِand old camp traces
فَرطِ البُكاءِ عَلى الأَطلالِ وَالدِمَنِ
The thanks of a man who stayed absorbed in thanking you rather than
The gratitude of one who remained busy thanking you instead
Weeping excessively over ruins and the traces of old camps.
Of excessive crying over ruins and remains
قَدindeed قُلتُI said إِذwhen بَسَطَتexpanded كَفّاكَyour two hands مِنof أَمَليmy hope
قَد قُلتُ إِذ بَسَطَت كَفّاكَ مِن أَمَلي
ماشاءَwhatever may happen مِنof نائِباتِthe calamities of الدَهرِtime فَليَكُنِthen let it be
ماشاءَ مِن نائِباتِ الدَهرِ فَليَكُنِ
I said, when your two hands had broadened my hopes:
I said, when you extended your palms from my hopes
Whatever calamities time may bring, let them come.
Whatever fate wills, so let it be
رَضيتُI was pleased مِنكَfrom you بِأَخلاقٍwith qualities قَدِalready اِمتَزَجَتhave mingled
رَضيتُ مِنكَ بِأَخلاقٍ قَدِ اِمتَزَجَت
بِالمَكرُماتِwith noble deeds اِمتِزاجَthe mingling of الروحِthe soul بِالبَدَنِwith the body
بِالمَكرُماتِ اِمتِزاجَ الروحِ بِالبَدَنِ
I was pleased with your qualities, which have mingled
I was satisfied with morals from you that have mixed
With noble deeds as the soul mingles with the body.
With virtues, the mixing of spirit with body
وَزِدتَنيand you increased in me رَغبَةًdesire فيfor عَقدِa bond of وُدِّكَyour friendship إِذwhen
وَزِدتَني رَغبَةً في عَقدِ وُدِّكَ إِذ
شَفَعتَyou coupled ذاكَthat النَدىgenerosity بِالفَهمِwith understanding وَالفِطَنِand discernment
شَفَعتَ ذاكَ النَدى بِالفَهمِ وَالفِطَنِ
And you increased my desire for a bond of friendship with you when
And you increased my desire to tie the knot of your love
You coupled that generosity with understanding and discernment.
When you combined that dew with discernment and wisdom
تُدنيyou bring near إِلىto المَجدِglory كَفّاًa hand مِنكَof yours قَدalready أَنِسَتhas grown familiar
تُدني إِلى المَجدِ كَفّاً مِنكَ قَد أَنِسَت
بِالبَذلِwith giving وَالجودِand generosity أُنسَthe familiarity of العَينِthe eye بِالوَسَنِwith drowsiness
بِالبَذلِ وَالجودِ أُنسَ العَينِ بِالوَسَنِ
You draw toward glory a hand of yours that has grown familiar
A palm of yours draws near to glory, having become
With giving and generosity, as the eye is with drowsiness.
Familiar with giving and generosity, like an eye to kohl
مَنwhoever يُصبِهِmay reach him سَكَنٌa beloved companion مِمَّنfrom those whom يُحِبُّhe loves وَمَنand whom
مَن يُصبِهِ سَكَنٌ مِمَّن يُحِبُّ وَمَن
يَهوىhe desires فَماyet there is no لَكَfor you غَيرُother than المَجدِglory مِنany سَكَنِbeloved companion
يَهوى فَما لَكَ غَيرُ المَجدِ مِن سَكَنِ
Others may find a beloved among those they love and
Whoever passion settles in from one he loves, and whoever
Desire; but you have no beloved except glory.
Yearns, you have no home but glory as a settle
Sol 6.1