صَبَاyearned وَهَزَّتهُand shook him أَيْدِيhands شَوْقِهhis longing طَرَباwith rapture
صَبَا وَهَزَّتهُ أَيْدِي شَوْقِه طَرَبا
وَجَدَّand grew earnest مِنْfrom بَعْدِماafter كانَhad been الهَوىlove لَعِبَاa game
وَجَدَّ مِنْ بَعْدِما كانَ الهَوى لَعِبَا
He yearned, and the hands of his longing shook him with rapture.
And grew earnest after love had been a game.
لاdo not تَعْتِبوهُreproach him فَمَاfor ... not أَبْقَىleft الغَرامُpassion لَهُfor him
لا تَعْتِبوهُ فَمَا أَبْقَى الغَرامُ لَهُ
مِنْof سَمْعِهhis hearing ماanything that بِهِwith it يُصْغيlistens لِمنْto whoever عَتِباreproached
مِنْ سَمْعِه ما بِهِ يُصْغي لِمنْ عَتِبا
Do not reproach him, for passion has left him
Nothing of his hearing with which to heed anyone who reproaches.
وَلاnor ثَناهُturned him back وَأَمْرُwhile the affair الحبِّof love فيin يَدِهِhis hand
وَلا ثَناهُ وَأَمْرُ الحبِّ في يَدِهِ
عَذْلٌreproach فَكَيْفَso how وأَمْرُwhile the affair الحُبّof love قَدْalready غَلَبَاprevailed
عَذْلٌ فَكَيْفَ وأَمْرُ الحُبّ قَدْ غَلَبَا
Nor, while love's course was in his hand, was he turned back
By reproach—so how could he be, now that love has prevailed?
يَهْوَىloves بُروقَlightning flashes الحِمىَthe sanctuary لَكِنْbut يُخَالِفُهاacts unlike them
يَهْوَى بُروقَ الحِمىَ لَكِنْ يُخَالِفُها
فَكُلَّمَاfor whenever ابْتَسَمَتthey smiled مِنْfrom جَوِّهَاtheir sky انْتَحَباhe sobbed
فَكُلَّمَا ابْتَسَمَت مِنْ جَوِّهَا انْتَحَبا
He loves the sanctuary's lightning flashes, yet acts unlike them:
For whenever they smile from their sky, he sobs.
ياO قلبُheart حَتَّامuntil when تَهْوَىyou love مَنْone who سَلاكَhas forgotten you وَياand O
يا قلبُ حَتَّام تَهْوَى مَنْ سَلاكَ وَيا
جَفْنَيَّmy two eyelids كَمْhow much تَبْكِيانِyou two weep for الجيرةَthe neighbors الغَيَباabsent
جَفْنَيَّ كَمْ تَبْكِيانِ الجيرةَ الغَيَبا
O heart, how long will you love one who has forgotten you? And O
My two eyelids, how much you weep for the absent neighbors!
أعيذُI seek protection for قَلْباًa heart ثَوَىdwelt حُبُّlove الأَميرِfor the prince بِهِwithin it
أعيذُ قَلْباً ثَوَى حُبُّ الأَميرِ بِهِ
مِنْfrom أنْthat يَرَىbe seen بِسَوىwith anything but حُبَّيْهِits two loves مُلْتَهباaflame
مِنْ أنْ يَرَى بِسَوى حُبَّيْهِ مُلْتَهبا
I seek protection for a heart in which love for the prince has dwelt,
From being seen aflame with anything but its two loves.
لاnot تَنْظُرbeholds العَيْنُthe eye مِنْهُfrom him السَّيْفَthe sword مُنْصَلِتاًunsheathed
لا تَنْظُر العَيْنُ مِنْهُ السَّيْفَ مُنْصَلِتاً
إنْif فارَقَleaves الغِمْدَthe sheath حَلَّlodges in الهامَheads فاحْتَجَبَاand so vanishes
إنْ فارَقَ الغِمْدَ حَلَّ الهامَ فاحْتَجَبَا
The eye never sees his sword unsheathed:
If it leaves the sheath, it lodges in heads and vanishes.
لَوْif أَقْسَمswore المُدْلِجُthe night traveler السَّارِيjourneying by night علىupon قَمَرٍa moon
لَوْ أَقْسَم المُدْلِجُ السَّارِي على قَمَرٍ
باسْمِin the name الأميرِof the prince دَعاهُcalled upon it قَطُّever ماnot غَرَباset
باسْمِ الأميرِ دَعاهُ قَطُّ ما غَرَبا
Were the traveler journeying by night to adjure a moon
In the prince's name, calling upon it, it would never set.
وَلَوْand if وَضَعْتَyou placed علىupon الهِنْدِيِّthe Indian blade سَطْوَتَهُhis might
وَلَوْ وَضَعْتَ على الهِنْدِيِّ سَطْوَتَهُ
طاحَتْfell رُؤوسُheads الأَعاديof the enemies وَهْوَwhile it ماhad not ضَرَباstruck
طاحَتْ رُؤوسُ الأَعادي وَهْوَ ما ضَرَبا
And if you laid his might upon an Indian blade,
The enemies' heads would fall though it had struck no blow.
وَلوْand if وَضَعْتَyou placed الَّذيwhat تُبْديreveals فُكَاهَتهُhis good humor
وَلوْ وَضَعْتَ الَّذي تُبْدي فُكَاهَتهُ
لِلعَلْقَمِto colocynth المُرِّbitter أضْحَىbecame طَعْمُهits taste ضَرِباthick white honey
لِلعَلْقَمِ المُرِّ أضْحَى طَعْمُه ضَرِبا
And if you imparted what his good humor reveals
To bitter colocynth, its taste would turn to honey.
وَلَوْand if تَلوْتَyou recited علىover مَيْتٍa dead person مَناقِبَهُhis virtues
وَلَوْ تَلوْتَ على مَيْتٍ مَناقِبَهُ
رَدّrestored الإلهُGod لَهُto him الرُّوحَthe soul الَّتيthat سَلَباHe took away
رَدّ الإلهُ لَهُ الرُّوحَ الَّتي سَلَبا
And if you recited his virtues over a dead man,
God would restore to him the soul He had taken away.
وَلوْand if مَزجْتَyou mixed بِماءِwith the water المُزْنِof rainclouds ماwhat اكْتَسَبتْgained
وَلوْ مَزجْتَ بِماءِ المُزْنِ ما اكْتَسَبتْ
مِنْfrom لُطْفِهِhis gentleness شِيَميmy character ماnot غَصَّchoked مَنْwhoever شَرِبَاdrank
مِنْ لُطْفِهِ شِيَمي ما غَصَّ مَنْ شَرِبَا
And if you mixed with raincloud water what was gained
From his gentleness by my character, no drinker would choke.
مِنَamong الأَكارِمthe noble أَبْناءِsons الأَكَارمِof the noble آbeginning of 'fathers'
مِنَ الأَكارِم أَبْناءِ الأَكَارمِ آ
باءِcompletion of 'fathers' الأكارِمof the noble لاnot زُوراًfalsehood ولاnor كَذِبَاa lie
باءِ الأكارِم لا زُوراً ولا كَذِبَا
Among the noble, sons of the noble, fa-
-thers of the noble—no falsehood and no lie.
يَسْعىhe strives لِنَيْلِto attain العُلَىthe heights مِنْfrom مَعْشَرٍa people وَهُمُwhile they
يَسْعى لِنَيْلِ العُلَى مِنْ مَعْشَرٍ وَهُمُ
تَسْعَىhasten المعاليlofty honors إِلىto أبْوابِهِمْtheir gates أدباout of courtesy
تَسْعَى المعالي إِلى أبْوابِهِمْ أدبا
He strives to attain the heights, one of a people to whose
Gates lofty honors hasten out of courtesy.
يُعلّمُونَthey teach الوَرىmankind آدابَهُمtheir manners وَلَهُمْand they have
يُعلّمُونَ الوَرى آدابَهُم وَلَهُمْ
بِيضٌwhite blades إِذَاwhen غَضِبُواthey grow angry لاnot تَعْرِفُknow الأَدَباmanners
بِيضٌ إِذَا غَضِبُوا لا تَعْرِفُ الأَدَبا
They teach mankind their manners, and theirs are
White blades that, when these men rage, know no manners.
لَوْif لُقّبُواthey were called بِالغُصونِas boughs السُّمْرِdusky صَدَّقهُمْwould confirm them
لَوْ لُقّبُوا بِالغُصونِ السُّمْرِ صَدَّقهُمْ
جَعْلُmaking الرُّؤوسheads لهاfor them يَوْمَon the day الوَغىof battle كُثَباdunes
جَعْلُ الرُّؤوس لها يَوْمَ الوَغى كُثَبا
Were they called dusky boughs, they would be borne out
By making heads their dunes on the day of battle.
المُنْجدِينَthose who aid أَخاa brother المُوجِدينَthose who enrich سَخاًgenerosity
المُنْجدِينَ أَخا المُوجِدينَ سَخاً
وَالماجِدينand the noble أباًin paternal ancestry والوَاجِدينand those possessing إِباproud refusal
وَالماجِدين أباً والوَاجِدين إِبا
Who aid a brother and enrich through generosity,
And are noble in ancestry and endowed with unbending pride.
لَمّاwhen انْتَسَبتُI affiliated myself إِلىto أَبْوابِهِhis gates كَبُرَتْgrew
لَمّا انْتَسَبتُ إِلى أَبْوابِهِ كَبُرَتْ
بِيin me هِمَّةٌan ambition صَغُرتْmade small فيin عَيْنِيmy sight الرُّتَباranks
بِي هِمَّةٌ صَغُرتْ في عَيْنِي الرُّتَبا
When I attached myself to his gates, there grew
In me an ambition that made ranks small in my eyes.
لَوْif رُمْتُI wished أَسْحَبُto trail أَذْياليmy skirts علىover فَلَكٍa celestial sphere
لَوْ رُمْتُ أَسْحَبُ أَذْيالي على فَلَكٍ
لَمدَّwould stretch ليfor me سَببٌa means مِنْfrom جُودهِhis bounty سَبَباa rope
لَمدَّ لي سَببٌ مِنْ جُودهِ سَبَبا
If I wished to trail my skirts over a celestial sphere,
A means from his bounty would stretch a rope for me.
Sol 6.1