يقْظانُwakeful قلبٍof heart وطرفٍand of eye لاnot يُغالِبُهُovercomes him
يقْظانُ قلبٍ وطرفٍ لا يُغالِبُهُ
إِشكالcomplexity خطبٍof a grave affair ولاnor إدمانُpersistence in تَسْهارِkeeping vigil
إِشكال خطبٍ ولا إدمانُ تَسْهارِ
Wakeful in heart and eye, he is never overcome
The wakefulness of an attentive heart and eyelid unconquerable
by a grave affair's complexity or by unceasing vigils.
By entanglements of speech or addiction to late nights,
فنوْمُهso his sleep عازِبٌfar away والرأيُand judgment مُقتربٌclose at hand
فنوْمُه عازِبٌ والرأيُ مُقتربٌ
مُصَرَّفٌdirected بينbetween إِيرادٍbringing in وإصْدارِand sending out
مُصَرَّفٌ بين إِيرادٍ وإصْدارِ
So his sleep is far off, while his judgment is close at hand,
Its sleep aloof, its reason drawing near,
turned between bringing in and sending out.
Turning between revenue and expenditure.
يتْلوhe recites ويقْريand feeds guests لحامَthe flesh of المُتلياتِshe-camels with young دُجىًat night
يتْلو ويقْري لحامَ المُتلياتِ دُجىً
للطَّارقينَfor night visitors فنِعْمَso excellent is القارىءُthe reciter القاريthe host
للطَّارقينَ فنِعْمَ القارىءُ القاري
He recites, and by night serves the flesh of she-camels with young
It recites and intones the darkness of sublime verses
to night visitors—what an excellent reciter and host!
For the night visitors - what an excellent reciter!
فسوْرةٌso a surge لسنَىfor the radiance of النِّيرانِthe fires رافِعَةٌraising
فسوْرةٌ لسنَى النِّيرانِ رافِعَةٌ
وسورةٌand a surah ذكْرُهاits recitation يُنجيsaves منfrom النارِthe Fire
وسورةٌ ذكْرُها يُنجي من النارِ
So a surge raises the radiance of the fires,
A chapter to kindle the fires of years gone by
and a surah's recitation saves from the Fire.
And a chapter whose mention rescues from hellfire.
يحلُّalight ضيفانُهhis guests منهwith him بخرْقِwith a lavish giver نَدىًin bounty
يحلُّ ضيفانُه منه بخرْقِ نَدىً
لاnot يكْسعُleaves milk unmilked الشَّوْلthe nearly dry she-camels منout of يبُخلٍstinginess بأغْبارwith milk remnants
لا يكْسعُ الشَّوْل من يبُخلٍ بأغْبار
His guests lodge with him, a prodigal in bounty,
His guests take their leave of him with a tear of dew,
who never, from stinginess, leaves the she-camels' last milk unmilked.
Unstinted by one whose palm is barren of dust.
ويمْطرُand he rains upon المحْلparched land والأنواءُwhile the rain-stars مخلِفَةٌfailing their promise
ويمْطرُ المحْل والأنواءُ مخلِفَةٌ
بوابلٍwith a downpour منfrom نَدىthe bounty of كَفَّيْهِhis two palms مِدْرارِcopiously pouring
بوابلٍ من نَدى كَفَّيْهِ مِدْرارِ
And he rains on parched land while the rain-stars fail,
He rains upon the land and the clouds that remain
with a copious downpour of bounty from his two palms.
Are downpours from his overflowing palms.
شمسthe sun الضحىof midmorning ونجومand the stars الليلof night شاكيةٌcomplaining
شمس الضحى ونجوم الليل شاكيةٌ
منof النَّدىbounty والرَّدىand death فيin الحربwar والدارand the home
من النَّدى والرَّدى في الحرب والدار
The midmorning sun and the stars of night complain
The sun of morning and stars of night complaining
of bounty and death, in war and at home.
Of the dew and grace in war and home.
فصاعِدٌso rising منfrom صليبٍa hard hoof غيرnot ذيhaving نَقَدٍcracks
فصاعِدٌ من صليبٍ غير ذي نَقَدٍ
وساطِعٌand billowing منfrom قُدورٍcauldrons غيرِnot أعْشارِin broken pieces
وساطِعٌ من قُدورٍ غيرِ أعْشارِ
So dust rises from a hard hoof without cracks,
So a donor with no money ascends the cross
and smoke billows from unbroken cauldrons.
And a giver whose pots are no tithes shines forth.
فللْقَناso for the spears والغَضاand ghada-wood جودانِtwo acts of generosity منfrom يَدهِhis hand
فللْقَنا والغَضا جودانِ من يَدهِ
علىupon فقيريْنِtwo needy beings مَشَّاءٍone that walks وطَيَّارِand one that flies
على فقيريْنِ مَشَّاءٍ وطَيَّارِ
Thus through spears and ghada-wood come two bounties from his hand
To the beggar and monk from his hand flow generosity -
to two needy beings: one walking, one flying.
On two wretched wandering monks.
تلْقىyou find أباAbu جعفرٍJaʿfar والبأسand valor شيمتهُhis nature
تلْقى أبا جعفرٍ والبأس شيمتهُ
سَمْحَgenerous الخلائقin disposition سَهْلاًgentle غيرnot جبَّارdomineering
سَمْحَ الخلائق سَهْلاً غير جبَّار
You find Abu Jaʿfar, whose nature is valor,
Father Ja'far is met whose valour is his nature -
generous in disposition, gentle, not domineering.
Gentle to all creatures, without tyranny.
كأنَّهُas though he were زهْرةُthe blossom of العامthe year الخصيبِfruitful إذاwhen
كأنَّهُ زهْرةُ العام الخصيبِ إذا
زهَتْgrew radiant مَنابتُهاits growing places القُصْوىthe remotest بنُوَّارِwith blossoms
زهَتْ مَنابتُها القُصْوى بنُوَّارِ
He is like the blossom of a fruitful year, when
As if he were the flower of a fertile year
its remotest growing places are bright with blossoms,
When its furthest buds blossom with blazing light.
تُهديit offers لناظرِهاto its beholder حُسْناًbeauty وناشِقِهاand one who smells it
تُهدي لناظرِها حُسْناً وناشِقِها
طيباًfragrance بأوْقاتِat times of آصالٍlate afternoons وأسْحارِand predawn hours
طيباً بأوْقاتِ آصالٍ وأسْحارِ
offering beauty to its beholder, and to whoever inhales it
Bestowing upon its viewer beauty and upon its smeller
fragrance in the late afternoons and the hours before dawn.
Fragrance during times of intimacy and dawn.
وزيرُa minister مجدٍof glory ضَفَتْgrew ample منهfrom it ملابسُهُhis robes
وزيرُ مجدٍ ضَفَتْ منه ملابسُهُ
وعِرْضُهُand his honor أبَداًforever عارٍbare مِنof العارِshame
وعِرْضُهُ أبَداً عارٍ مِن العارِ
A minister of glory, draped in its ample robes,
Minister of glory whose clothes were perfumed by him
and his honor forever bare of shame.
While his honour is ever free of disgrace.
كسوتُI clothed ريحَthe wind الصَّباthe east wind رَيَّاin the fragrance of مدائحهِpraises of him
كسوتُ ريحَ الصَّبا رَيَّا مدائحهِ
فكُلُّso every جَوٍّexpanse of air عليهupon it نَشْرُthe scent of عَطَّارِa perfumer
فكُلُّ جَوٍّ عليه نَشْرُ عَطَّارِ
I clothed the east wind in the fragrance of his praises,
I clothed the breeze of the morning wind with his praises
so every expanse of air bears a perfumer's scent.
So every atmosphere spreads his perfume.
Sol 6.1