خُذْtake مِنْfrom حَديثيmy words مَاwhat يُغْنِيكَspares you عَنْfrom نَظَرِيseeing me
خُذْ مِنْ حَديثي مَا يُغْنِيكَ عَنْ نَظَرِي
فَإِنَّهfor indeed it is سَمَرٌevening talk نَاهِيكَample for you مِنْof سَمَرِevening talk
فَإِنَّه سَمَرٌ نَاهِيكَ مِنْ سَمَرِ
Take from my words what will spare you looking at me;
Take from my words what suffices you from my sight
For it is evening talk—and what evening talk!
For it is a night-talk that distracts you from night-talk
كَمْhow many مِنْof أَبٍa father قَدْindeed غَداbecame أُمّاًa mother لِمَعْشَرِهِto his people
كَمْ مِنْ أَبٍ قَدْ غَدا أُمّاً لِمَعْشَرِهِ
فَأَعْجَبْso marvel لإِعْطَاءِat bestowing لَفْظِthe word الأُّمّmother للذَّكَرِon the male
فَأَعْجَبْ لإِعْطَاءِ لَفْظِ الأُّمّ للذَّكَرِ
How many a father has become a mother to his people!
How many fathers have become mothers to their groups
So marvel at bestowing the word 'mother' on a male.
So strange is attributing the word "mother" to males
وَنَاطِحٍand one who butts بِقُرُونٍwith horns لَاno قُرُونَhorns لَهُhe has
وَنَاطِحٍ بِقُرُونٍ لَا قُرُونَ لَهُ
وَكَبْشِand a ram قَوْمٍa people بِنَقْلِfor transmitting العِلْمِknowledge مُشْتَهَرِrenowned
وَكَبْشِ قَوْمٍ بِنَقْلِ العِلْمِ مُشْتَهَرِ
And one who butts with horns, though he has no horns,
And those who butt with horns though hornless are they
And a people's ram, renowned for transmitting knowledge.
And rams of a people famous for carrying knowledge
وَرُبّand many a حَامِلِbearer of وِزْرٍa burden of sin غَيْرnot مُجْتَرِمٍan offender
وَرُبّ حَامِلِ وِزْرٍ غَيْر مُجْتَرِمٍ
وَلائطٍand a sodomite وَهُوَwhile he is عَفُّchaste الذَّيْلِthe hem والنَّظَرِand the gaze
وَلائطٍ وَهُوَ عَفُّ الذَّيْلِ والنَّظَرِ
And many a bearer of sin's burden, guilty of no crime,
And many a bearer of others’ burdens without being upright
And a sodomite, yet chaste of hem and gaze,
And many a debauched and loose in morals and sight
يَدبُّhe creeps لِلْفَرْجِtoward the private parts أَحْياناًsometimes وآونةًand at other times
يَدبُّ لِلْفَرْجِ أَحْياناً وآونةً
مِنَfrom التَّخلُّفِlagging behind يَأْتِيhe approaches المُرْدَbeardless youths فيin الدُّبرِthe rear
مِنَ التَّخلُّفِ يَأْتِي المُرْدَ في الدُّبرِ
He creeps toward the private parts at times, and at others,
Creeping to the genitals sometimes and at times
Lagging behind, he approaches beardless youths from the rear.
From being left behind comes the returning at the rear
وضارِبٍand one who strikes ليfor me أَهْواهُI love him وأُكْرمُهُand I honor him
وضارِبٍ لي أَهْواهُ وأُكْرمُهُ
أَراهُI see him يَحْضُرُhe is present عِنْدِيwith me وَهْوَwhile he is فيin السَّفَرِtravel
أَراهُ يَحْضُرُ عِنْدِي وَهْوَ في السَّفَرِ
And one who strikes for me, whom I love and honor,
And one who beats me his passions while I honor him
I see him present with me, though he is traveling.
I see him attend while he is travelling afar
وَكَمْand how many بَليدٍa dullard بِظَهْرِfrom behind الغَيْبِthe unseen حَدَّثناhas spoken to us
وَكَمْ بَليدٍ بِظَهْرِ الغَيْبِ حَدَّثنا
وَذِيand one possessing ذَكاءٍintelligence رَأَيْناهُwe have seen him مِنَamong الحُمُرِthe asses
وَذِي ذَكاءٍ رَأَيْناهُ مِنَ الحُمُرِ
And many a dullard has spoken to us from out of sight,
And many a dull have we talked with behind the unseen
And one endowed with intelligence whom we have seen among asses.
And many a bright have we seen among the donkeys
وَكَمْand how many بَداappeared عاقِلٌa rational being يَوْماًone day وَليْسَand not لَهُhe has
وَكَمْ بَدا عاقِلٌ يَوْماً وَليْسَ لَهُ
فِكْرٌthought وَلَيْسَand is not بِمَنْسُوبٍcounted as belonging إلىto البَشَرِhumankind
فِكْرٌ وَلَيْسَ بِمَنْسُوبٍ إلى البَشَرِ
And many a rational being has appeared one day, though he has
And many a wise has appeared one day with no intellect
No thought, nor does he belong to humankind.
And is not attributed to humans in his lineage
وَكَمْand how often نَظرْتُI looked لِوَجْهٍat a face لَيْسَis not فيin بَدنٍa body
وَكَمْ نَظرْتُ لِوَجْهٍ لَيْسَ في بَدنٍ
وَكَمْand how often سَمِعْتُI heard بِصَخْرٍof Sakhr لَيْسَis not مِنْof حَجَرِstone
وَكَمْ سَمِعْتُ بِصَخْرٍ لَيْسَ مِنْ حَجَرِ
And how often I have looked at a face that is not part of a body,
And I have seen many a face without a body
And how often I have heard of Sakhr, who is not made of stone.
And I have heard of many a rock not of stone
وَرُبَّand many a ناظِمِcomposer of أَشْعارٍpoems وَلَيْسَand not لَهُhe has
وَرُبَّ ناظِمِ أَشْعارٍ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ
شِعْرٌpoetry فَهلْso has مِثْلُthe like of هذاthis سارَcirculated فيin السِّيرِthe chronicles
شِعْرٌ فَهلْ مِثْلُ هذا سارَ في السِّيرِ
And many a composer of poems who has
And many a versifier of poetry yet no poetry has he
No poetry—has the like of this ever circulated in chronicles?
Has the like of this walked well in conduct?
وَمُمْسِكٍand one grasping بِيَدَيْهِwith his two hands النَّجْمَthe star يَقْلَعُهُhe uproots it
وَمُمْسِكٍ بِيَدَيْهِ النَّجْمَ يَقْلَعُهُ
وَلَيْسَyet it is not لِلْمَرْءِfor a person نَيْلattainment of الأَنْجُمِthe stars الزُّهُرِshining
وَلَيْسَ لِلْمَرْءِ نَيْل الأَنْجُمِ الزُّهُرِ
And one who grasps the star with his two hands and uproots it,
And one who holds the stars with his hands uprooting them
Yet a person cannot attain the shining stars.
Yet no man can obtain the bright stars
وَلابسٍand one clothed وَهوَwhile he is عَارٍnaked لاno رِدَاءcloak لَهُhe has
وَلابسٍ وَهوَ عَارٍ لا رِدَاء لَهُ
كِسْوَتُهhis clothing أَطْلساًsatin مِنْfrom أَخْشَنِthe coarsest الشَّعَرِhair
كِسْوَتُه أَطْلساً مِنْ أَخْشَنِ الشَّعَرِ
And one clothed, yet naked, with no cloak,
And one who wears clothes while naked, no garb has he
His clothing is satin made from the coarsest hair.
His clothes coarse haircloth of the harshest hair
وَعابِدينَand worshippers مِنَfrom المِحْرابِthe prayer niche قَدْhave هَربُواthey fled
وَعابِدينَ مِنَ المِحْرابِ قَدْ هَربُوا
تُرَىone wonders المَسيحُthe Messiah يُوافِيهمْcomes to them علىaccording to قَدَرِfate
تُرَى المَسيحُ يُوافِيهمْ على قَدَرِ
And worshippers who have fled the prayer niche,
And worshippers in the niche who have fled
I wonder—does the Messiah come to them as fate decrees?
Would Christ find them according to their worth?
وَمُدْبِرينَand those retreating وماand not وَلُّواthey turned away ولاnor اجْتَرمُواthey committed a crime
وَمُدْبِرينَ وما وَلُّوا ولا اجْتَرمُوا
وَيُنْسَبُونَand they are ascribed بِلاwithout شكٍّdoubt إِلىto دبَرِback sores
وَيُنْسَبُونَ بِلا شكٍّ إِلى دبَرِ
And those retreating, though they have neither turned away nor committed a crime,
And those who turn their backs yet committed no sins
And are linked, beyond doubt, to sores on the back.
And are attributed undoubtedly to turning their backs
وَصالِحينand righteous people رأيتُI saw الخَمْرَwine عِنْدَهُمُwith them
وَصالِحين رأيتُ الخَمْرَ عِنْدَهُمُ
قَدْindeed حَلَّلوُهُthey made it lawful بِلاwithout خَوْفٍfear ولاnor حَذَرِcaution
قَدْ حَلَّلوُهُ بِلا خَوْفٍ ولا حَذَرِ
And righteous people with whom I have seen wine,
And pious ones I have seen wine with them
Which they have made lawful, without fear or caution.
They made it lawful without fear or caution
وسَالِحينَand those defecating وماand not زالتْceased طَهارَتُهُمtheir ritual purity
وسَالِحينَ وما زالتْ طَهارَتُهُم
وَآمِنينَand those secure وَقْدand indeed أَمْسُواthey have become ذويpossessors of خَطَرِdanger
وَآمِنينَ وَقْد أَمْسُوا ذوي خَطَرِ
And those defecating, whose ritual purity has not been lost,
And armed ones whose purity still remains
And those in safety, though they have come to be in peril.
And safe ones who have become exposed to danger
وتَاركٍand one leaving كَرْشاًa paunch فيin البَيْتِthe house مُنْفَرِداًseparated
وتَاركٍ كَرْشاً في البَيْتِ مُنْفَرِداً
مِنْfrom بَطْنِهِhis belly وهُوَwhile he لاnot يَخْشَىfears مِنَfrom الضَّرَرِharm
مِنْ بَطْنِهِ وهُوَ لا يَخْشَى مِنَ الضَّرَرِ
And one who leaves a paunch in the house, separated
And one who leaves a pot in the house alone
From his belly, while he fears no harm.
From his belly and he fears no harm
وَجَالِسينَand those sitting علىon ظَهْرِthe back of الهَريسَةِthe harisa porridge قَدْhave
وَجَالِسينَ على ظَهْرِ الهَريسَةِ قَدْ
وَافَاهُمُhas come to them السّمْنُthe ghee ماwhat فيهاis in it مِنَof الشَّجَرِtrees
وَافَاهُمُ السّمْنُ ما فيها مِنَ الشَّجَرِ
And those seated on the back of harisa porridge have
And those who sit atop an empty water skin as though
Had ghee come to them—the trees it contains.
Fat has reached them from what trees were in it
وَنَازِلينَand those lodging بِأَرْضٍin a land قَدْhas أَصَابهُمُbefallen them
وَنَازِلينَ بِأَرْضٍ قَدْ أَصَابهُمُ
غَيْمٌa cloud بِلاwithout بَلَلٍwetness والقَومْwhile the people فيin مَطَرِrain
غَيْمٌ بِلا بَلَلٍ والقَومْ في مَطَرِ
And those lodging in a land have been overtaken
And those descending upon a land befallen by a cloud
By a cloud, without wetness, though the people are in rain.
Without wetness while the people are in rain
وَتابِعينَand followers of إِماماًa leader وهُوَwhile he is مِنْof خَشَبٍwood
وَتابِعينَ إِماماً وهُوَ مِنْ خَشَبٍ
وَقَدْand may يُؤَنَّثُbe treated as feminine فيin وَصْفٍdescription وفيand in خَبَرِpredication
وَقَدْ يُؤَنَّثُ في وَصْفٍ وفي خَبَرِ
And those following a leader, though he is made of wood,
And followers of an Imam who is made of wood
And may take feminine forms in description and predication.
And he may be feminized in an attribute or in news
عَجائبٌwonders ماnot لهاthey have حَدٌّa limit فَقُلْso speak وَأَطِلْand speak at length
عَجائبٌ ما لها حَدٌّ فَقُلْ وَأَطِلْ
إِنْif شِئْتَyou wish أوor فاقْتَصِدْthen be moderate فيin القَوْلِspeech واقْتَصِرِand be brief
إِنْ شِئْتَ أو فاقْتَصِدْ في القَوْلِ واقْتَصِرِ
Wonders without limit—so speak, and speak at length,
Wonders without limit, so say and prolong
If you wish; or be measured in speech and keep it brief.
Or economize in speech and be brief
كَأَنَّهاas though they were لاِبْنِfor the son of يَعْقُوبٍYaqub صِفَاتattributes عُلاloftiness
كَأَنَّها لاِبْنِ يَعْقُوبٍ صِفَات عُلا
لِذَاكَfor that reason إحصاؤُهاcounting them أَعْياhas proved too difficult علىfor البَشَرِhumankind
لِذَاكَ إحصاؤُها أَعْيا على البَشَرِ
As though they were lofty attributes of Ibn Yaqub,
As if they are for Jacob’s son traits of elevation
Thus counting them has proved beyond human power.
So enumerating them made the humans weary
Sol 6.1