سَرَىjourneyed by night لأَرْضِto the land of الكَرَىslumber فَمَاbut did not وَصَلاarrive
سَرَى لأَرْضِ الكَرَى فَمَا وَصَلا
وَرامand sought كَتْمَconcealment of الهَوَىlove فَمَاbut did not حَصَلاsucceed
وَرام كَتْمَ الهَوَى فَمَا حَصَلا
He journeyed by night toward the land of slumber, but never arrived.
He journeyed by night toward the land of slumber, but never arrived.
He tried to conceal his love, but did not succeed.
And sought to conceal his love, but did not succeed.
مُسْتَغْرِقُwholly absorbed الحالِthe state بالصَّبابةِin ardent longing لَوْif
مُسْتَغْرِقُ الحالِ بالصَّبابةِ لَوْ
أَرادhe wished نُطْقاًspeech بِغَيْرهاof anything other than it جَهِلاknew not how
أَراد نُطْقاً بِغَيْرها جَهِلا
His whole being is so immersed in lovesick longing that, were he
His whole being is absorbed in ardent longing; if
to try to speak of anything else, he would not know how.
He wished to speak of anything else, he would not know how.
الناسُpeople فِيماconcerning what تُحبُّهyou love it فِرَقٌfactions
الناسُ فِيما تُحبُّه فِرَقٌ
مَاnot مِنْهُمamong them مَنْanyone لِشأْنِهِconcerning his plight عَقَلاunderstood
مَا مِنْهُم مَنْ لِشأْنِهِ عَقَلا
People divide into factions over what you love;
People are divided over what you love;
among them is no one who has understood its nature.
None among them has understood his plight.
فَكَمْso how often يُراعيhe watches وَكَمْand how often يُرَاعُhe is frightened لَقَدْindeed
فَكَمْ يُراعي وَكَمْ يُرَاعُ لَقَدْ
جَارَwronged عليهِagainst him الغَرامُlove مُذْsince عَدَلاacted justly
جَارَ عليهِ الغَرامُ مُذْ عَدَلا
How often he takes heed, and how often he is alarmed! Indeed,
How often he watches, and how often he is frightened! Indeed,
love has wronged him ever since he acted justly.
Love has wronged him ever since it acted justly.
طَالَlasted long نِزاعُcontention العَذولِthe reproacher فيهِover him كَماjust as
طَالَ نِزاعُ العَذولِ فيهِ كَما
طالَlasted long نِزاعُyearning الفُؤَادِthe heart فَاعْتَدَلاso the two were equal
طالَ نِزاعُ الفُؤَادِ فَاعْتَدَلا
Long has the censor's quarrel over him endured, just as
The reproacher's contention over him has lasted, just as
the heart's own struggle has endured; the two are evenly matched.
The heart's yearning has lasted; the two are equal.
ماwhat بالُthe matter with قَلْبِيmy heart وَشأْنُهُand its state عَجَبٌa wonder
ما بالُ قَلْبِي وَشأْنُهُ عَجَبٌ
أَمَالَهُswayed it الوَجْدُpassionate longing حِينَwhen قُلْتُI said سَلاit forgot love
أَمَالَهُ الوَجْدُ حِينَ قُلْتُ سَلا
What ails my heart? Its condition is a wonder:
What ails my heart? Its state is strange:
longing swayed it just when I said, “It has forgotten.”
Longing swayed it when I said it had forgotten love.
إِنَّindeed مِنَfrom العَذْلِreproach دَائِماًalways جَدلاًan argument
إِنَّ مِنَ العَذْلِ دَائِماً جَدلاً
لَيْسَis not يُرَىseen فيin الهَوىlove بِهِbecause of it جَذِلاjoyful
لَيْسَ يُرَى في الهَوى بِهِ جَذِلا
Indeed, I am forever contending against reproach;
Indeed, reproach always gives rise to argument;
through it no joy is ever found in love.
No lover is seen rejoicing because of it.
ياO صاحِبَcompanion of الصّدْقِtruthfulness نَهْضَةٌan act of resolve عُرِفَتْwas known
يا صاحِبَ الصّدْقِ نَهْضَةٌ عُرِفَتْ
مِنْكَfrom you فَقَدْfor indeed رُمْتَyou sought حَادِثاًan undertaking جَللاmomentous
مِنْكَ فَقَدْ رُمْتَ حَادِثاً جَللا
O man of true loyalty, an act of succor is known
O friend of truth, an act of resolve has been known
from you; I seek it, for I have undertaken a momentous affair.
From you, for you have sought a momentous undertaking.
ياO ابنson of عُبَيْدٍUbayd عُبَيْدُكَyour little servant الدَّنْفُthe love-sick one الthe
يا ابن عُبَيْدٍ عُبَيْدُكَ الدَّنْفُ ال
مُشْتاقُyearning one حَقِّقْfulfill لَهُfor him بِكَin you الأَمَلاthe hope
مُشْتاقُ حَقِّقْ لَهُ بِكَ الأَمَلا
O Ibn ʿUbayd, your love-sick servant, the—
O son of Ubayd, your humble, love-sick servant, the
yearning one—through yourself fulfill his hope.
Yearning one—fulfill his hope in you.
ماno ليَfor me عِزٌّhonor إِلَّاexcept بِجُودِthrough the bounty of يَدٍa hand
ما ليَ عِزٌّ إِلَّا بِجُودِ يَدٍ
مِنْكَfrom you كحالِlike the state of السَّحَابِthe clouds إِنْif هَطَلاit pours down
مِنْكَ كحالِ السَّحَابِ إِنْ هَطَلا
I have no glory save through the bounty of a hand
I have no honor except through the bounty of a hand
of yours, like the raincloud when it pours.
Of yours, like a cloud when it pours down.
ياO مَنْone who غَداbecame باهْتمامِهِthrough his concern بَطَلاa hero
يا مَنْ غَدا باهْتمامِهِ بَطَلا
بِغَيْرِwithout ماany حَقٍّa rightful claim مِنْهُfrom him أوor بَطَلاproved void
بِغَيْرِ ما حَقٍّ مِنْهُ أو بَطَلا
O you whom your high resolve has made a champion,
O one whose concern has made him a hero,
regardless of what in it proves true or comes to nothing.
Without any claim from him, valid or void.
مُذْsince عُدِمَتْwas deprived of عَيْنِيmy eye لَهُto him مَثَلاًan equal
مُذْ عُدِمَتْ عَيْنِي لَهُ مَثَلاً
أَرْسَلْتُI sent forth مَدْحِيmy praise بِجُودِهِof his bounty مَثَلاa proverb
أَرْسَلْتُ مَدْحِي بِجُودِهِ مَثَلا
Ever since my eye could find no equal for him,
Since my eye has found no equal to him,
I have sent forth my praise of his generosity as a byword.
I sent forth my praise of his bounty as a proverb.
لأَنْظِمَنَّI shall surely compose المَدِيحَthe praise مِنْfrom دُرَرٍpearls
لأَنْظِمَنَّ المَدِيحَ مِنْ دُرَرٍ
لَمْdid not تَدْرِknow عَلْياكَyour eminence بَعْدَهُafter it عَطَلاlack of adornment
لَمْ تَدْرِ عَلْياكَ بَعْدَهُ عَطَلا
Surely I shall string a panegyric out of pearls,
I shall surely string a panegyric from pearls;
after which your eminence shall never know itself unadorned.
Your eminence will know no lack of adornment thereafter.
اليَوْمَtoday يَقْضِيfulfills الكَرِيمُthe generous man مَوْعِدَهُhis promise
اليَوْمَ يَقْضِي الكَرِيمُ مَوْعِدَهُ
وَالحرّand the noble man لَوْif قَالَsaid ماwhat عَسَىhe might فَعَلاacted
وَالحرّ لَوْ قَالَ ما عَسَى فَعَلا
Today the noble man fulfills his promise;
Today the generous man fulfills his promise;
and the freeborn man, if he says what he may do, does it.
And a noble man, if he says what he might do, does it.
Sol 6.1