خلِّنيlet me أندبُlament الرسمَthe traces والطللاand the ruins
خلِّني أندبُ الرسمَ والطللا
ودعand leave off اللومَthe blame منّيfrom me والعذَلاand the reproach
ودع اللومَ منّي والعذَلا
Let me lament the traces and the ruins,
Let me lament the abode and its ruins
and spare me blame and reproach.
Spare me from blame and disgrace
واِنظرانيand wait for me, you two بربعat the dwelling of الحبيبthe beloved لكيso that
واِنظراني بربع الحبيب لكي
أقتضيclaim my due الفرضَthe prescribed due منهfrom it وأنتفلاand take an extra share
أقتضي الفرضَ منه وأنتفلا
And wait for me, you two, at the beloved's dwelling, that I may
And look at me in the dwelling of the beloved
claim my prescribed due from it, and take an extra share.
That I may fulfill my duty and pluck flowers
مربعa dwelling طالwas long ماthe time that قدindeed صحبتُI kept company بهthere الthe
مربع طال ما قد صحبتُ به ال
عيشَlife فيin غفلاتِheedlessness الصِّباyouth خضلاlush
عيشَ في غفلاتِ الصِّبا خضلا
A dwelling where I long kept company with
An abode whose company I have long kept
life, lush amid youth's heedless hours.
Living in the heedlessness of youth confusedly
ولكمand how often فيin ملاعبthe playgrounds of عرصتهits courtyard
ولكم في ملاعب عرصته
كنتُI was ناشدتI recited عزلتهits solitude غزلاlove-verse
كنتُ ناشدت عزلته غزلا
How often in the playgrounds of its courtyard
And how often in its playgrounds
I recited love-verse to its solitude,
I sought its solitude amorously
حيثwhere ترمقنيgaze at me البيضthe fair women محتكماًholding sway
حيث ترمقني البيض محتكماً
فيin برودِthe robes of الشَبابyouth ومقتبلاand in life's prime
في برودِ الشَباب ومقتبلا
where fair women gazed at me as I held sway
Where the white doves judge me
in the robes of youth, in its fresh prime.
In the coolness of youth and at its prime
ياah لذاكfor that الزمانtime وزهرتهand its bloom
يا لذاك الزمان وزهرته
ولعصرٍand for an age تصرَّمended واِنتقلاand passed away
ولعصرٍ تصرَّم واِنتقلا
Ah, for that time and its bloom,
Oh that time and its blossoming
and for an age that ended and passed away!
And an epoch that has passed and gone
زمنٌan age ماhow ألذَّdelicious مشاربهits draughts
زمنٌ ما ألذَّ مشاربه
كمhow ألذّdelicious مشاربهits draughts وحلاand it was sweet
كم ألذّ مشاربه وحلا
An age—how delicious its draughts!
A time whose drinks were most delicious
How delicious its draughts, and how sweet it was!
How delicious were its drinks and joys
ماnot تذكَّرتهI recalled it قطّever إلّاexcept وقدand already
ما تذكَّرته قطّ إلّا وقد
هامgrew love-maddened قلبيmy heart لذكراهat its memory واِشتعلاand blazed
هام قلبي لذكراه واِشتعلا
Never have I recalled it but that
Whenever I remember it
my heart was crazed by its memory and caught fire.
My heart yearns for its memories and is set ablaze
وأغنُّand a soft, nasal-voiced one كأنَّas though مجاجتَهhis saliva
وأغنُّ كأنَّ مجاجتَه
نطفةُa drop of المزنِthe rainclouds مازجَتmingled with عسلاhoney
نطفةُ المزنِ مازجَت عسلا
And a soft, nasal-voiced beloved, whose saliva seemed
And I sing as if the mingling of its wine
a drop from rainclouds mingled with honey.
Were a globule of honey mixed with pure honey
رُمتُI sought تقبيلَkissing وردthe rose of وجنتهِhis cheek
رُمتُ تقبيلَ ورد وجنتهِ
فاِنثنىso he turned away مُطرقاًhead bowed واِنزوىand withdrew خَجلاbashfully
فاِنثنى مُطرقاً واِنزوى خَجلا
I sought to kiss the rose of his cheek;
I went to kiss the rose and its garden
he turned away, head bowed, and withdrew bashfully.
But it bowed its head shyly and drew away bashfully
لاحَappeared ليto me قمرٌa moon تحتbeneath جنحِthe wing of دجىًdarkness
لاحَ لي قمرٌ تحت جنحِ دجىً
وقضيباًand a slender bough علىupon الدّعصِthe sandhill معتدلاupright
وقضيباً على الدّعصِ معتدلا
A moon shone before me beneath darkness's wing,
A moon appeared to me under the wing of night's darkness
and a slender bough stood upright upon the sandhill.
Poised evenly on a staff of beauty
أحورُbright-white and dark-pupilled العينِof eye يحويpossesses لحاظَthe glances of مهاoryxes
أحورُ العينِ يحوي لحاظَ مها
وينصُّand he lifts إذاwhen نصَّhe lifts جيدthe neck of طلاa fawn
وينصُّ إذا نصَّ جيد طلا
Dark-eyed, he held the glances of oryxes,
The gazelle of his eyes contains glances of magic
and when he raised his neck, raised a fawn's neck.
And aims straight when he aims his slender figure
ياoh لهfor him منof غزالa gazelle أموتI die إذاwhen
يا له من غزال أموت إذا
صدَّhe turns away عنّيfrom me وأحياand I live إذاwhen وصلاhe grants union
صدَّ عنّي وأحيا إذا وصلا
What a gazelle he was! I die when
Oh what a gazelle whose death I die when he turns away
he turns from me, and live when he joins me.
And whose life I live when he comes near
يرشقshoots at القلبَthe heart منّيof mine بأسهمهwith his arrows
يرشق القلبَ منّي بأسهمه
كلَّماwhenever رقرقَhe makes shimmer الأعينَthe eyes النجلاthe wide ones
كلَّما رقرقَ الأعينَ النجلا
He pierces this heart of mine with his arrows
He pierces my heart with his arrow-like glances
whenever he sets those wide eyes shimmering.
Whenever his soft eyes wink
يسحرenchants العقلthe mind باللَّحظwith the glance منهfrom him فهلso, was...?
يسحر العقل باللَّحظ منه فهل
لحظهhis glance كانwas بالسِّحرwith sorcery مكتحلاkohl-lined
لحظه كان بالسِّحر مكتحلا
He enchants the mind with his glance; was
He captivates the mind with his gaze, so is not
his gaze lined with sorcery as with kohl?
His glance like magic eyedrops?
غصَّchoked بالسَّاقon the calf خلخالُهhis anklet وشكاand complained
غصَّ بالسَّاق خلخالُه وشكا
فيin الفعومةplumpness مئزرهhis loincloth الكفلاthe buttocks
في الفعومة مئزره الكفلا
His anklet choked around his calf; and
His anklet was buried in his leg and complained
his loincloth complained of his buttocks' fullness.
Of his wide trousers binding it
حبّهhis love حبّهhis love إذas يوادعنيhe bids me farewell
حبّه حبّه إذ يوادعني
حينَwhen أبصرنيhe saw me عنهfrom him مُرتحلاdeparting
حينَ أبصرني عنه مُرتحلا
His love, his love, as he bade me farewell,
His love, his love when he bids me farewell
when he saw me departing from him!
When he sees me leaving him
قامhe stood عندat الوداعِthe farewell وقالand said ألاwill you not
قام عند الوداعِ وقال ألا
تتركyou abandon الآنnow الرحيلَthe departure ألاwill you not
تترك الآن الرحيلَ ألا
He stood at our parting and said: Will you not
He stood at the farewell and said, won't you
give up this departure now—will you not?
Leave now, won't you?
ولأيand for which فتىyoung man أنتyou تطمعُhope فيin
ولأي فتى أنت تطمعُ في
مستجدّfreshly begun السرىthe night journey جددroads أوor فلاwastelands
مستجدّ السرى جدد أو فلا
And in which young man do you place your hopes amid
And for what youth do you hope
fresh night journeys, on roads or wastelands?
To find a new road, renew or waste away?
فأجبتُso I answered وقلتُand I said لهto him لفتىًfor a young man
فأجبتُ وقلتُ له لفتىً
كاملperfect فيin مكارمهِhis noble virtues كملاutterly complete
كامل في مكارمهِ كملا
So I answered and said to him: For a young man
So I replied and said to him, "For a youth
perfect in his noble virtues, perfect indeed.
Perfect in his virtues, complete."
قالَhe said منwho هوhe قلتُI said فلاحFalah هوhe الthe
قالَ من هو قلتُ فلاح هو ال
غيثُrain فيin الجودgenerosity كالغيثِlike the rain إنif هطلاit pours
غيثُ في الجود كالغيثِ إن هطلا
He said: Who is he? I said: Falah—he is the
He said, "Who is he?" I said, "A farmer who is
rain of generosity, like rain when it pours.
Like rain in generosity when it pours forth."
ملكa king منfrom بنيthe sons of الأزدِAzd مفخرهhis renown
ملك من بني الأزدِ مفخره
فيin سماءِthe sky of المعاليhigh distinctions سمَاrose high وعلاand soared
في سماءِ المعالي سمَا وعلا
A king of the sons of Azd, whose renown
A king from the tribe of Azd, its pride
has risen and soared in the sky of noble attainments.
In the sky of glory, ascending and rising high
أيقظتهroused him لماto what نالhe attained منof كرمٍgenerosity
أيقظته لما نال من كرمٍ
هممٌambitions فيfor العُلاglory جاوزتsurpassed زحلاSaturn
هممٌ في العُلا جاوزت زحلا
He was spurred to the generosity he attained
I woke him when he attained the determination of generosity
by ambitions for glory that soared beyond Saturn.
Ambitions that in greatness exceeded Saturn
كمhow often أفادhe bestowed on الوفودَthe delegations ندىًbounty ولكمand how often
كم أفاد الوفودَ ندىً ولكم
كانhe used to منfrom جاههhis standing أمددextend الظّللاthe shadows
كان من جاهه أمدد الظّللا
How often he bestowed bounty on delegations, and how often
How much dew he brought to pilgrims! And how much
he extended the sheltering shadows of his rank!
By his glory he extended shade!
ولكمand how often فيamong جيوشthe armies of البغاةِthe rebels لهfor him
ولكم في جيوش البغاةِ له
وقعةٌa battle أنستmade forgotten النسرthe Eagle والجملاand the Camel
وقعةٌ أنست النسر والجملا
And how often, against the armies of rebels, he fought
And how many times against the rebels
a battle that eclipsed the Eagle and the Camel!
He had a battle that humbled the eagle and camel
ومضىand he proceeded ماwhenever رقىhe climbed فيamong ذرىthe peaks of جبلthe mountain of الthe
ومضى ما رقى في ذرى جبل ال
مجدglory كانwas هوhe himself الحاذقُthe skilled one الوقلاthe sure-footed climber
مجد كان هو الحاذقُ الوقلا
And he pressed on; whenever he climbed the peaks of the mountain of
He ascended, rising to the lofty peaks of
glory, he was the skilled, sure-footed climber.
Glory's mountain, its guide and protector
جايزsurpassing (uncertain) جايزsurpassing (uncertain) فيin تألّدهِhis established standing
جايز جايز في تألّدهِ
عادلjust فيin ممالكهhis realms عدلاwith justice
عادل في ممالكه عدلا
Surpassing, surpassing, in his established standing [wording uncertain],
He is openhanded in his munificence
just in his realms, truly just.
Just in his kingdoms, practicing justice
بالتعفّفin self-restraint تلقاهyou find him ملتحفاًcloaked
بالتعفّف تلقاه ملتحفاً
بالتَّكرمin generosity تلقاهyou find him مُشتملاwrapped
بالتَّكرم تلقاه مُشتملا
You find him cloaked in self-restraint,
You will find him cloaked in chastity
you find him wrapped in generosity.
And encompassed in generosity when you meet him
وترىand you see إنif نظرتَyou look إليهat him علىupon الthe
وترى إن نظرتَ إليه على ال
وجهface منهof his لماءof the water الحَياmodesty بللاmoisture
وجه منه لماء الحَيا بللا
And if you look at him, you see upon his
And if you look upon his face, you see
face a sheen of modesty's water.
The water of life has moistened it
لاdo not تلمblame فيهconcerning him حاسدَهhis envier فلقدfor indeed
لا تلم فيه حاسدَه فلقد
يقتلkills الوردُthe rose فيin شمِّهsmelling it الجعلاthe dung beetle
يقتل الوردُ في شمِّه الجعلا
Do not blame his envier on his account, for indeed
Do not blame his envier, for the rose too
the rose, when smelled, kills the dung beetle.
Is killed by the beetle in its fragrance
صمدٌa lord sought in need فيin السؤالpetitioning محرَّمةforbidden
صمدٌ في السؤال محرَّمة
للعفاةto seekers of bounty عليهto him مقالةُsaying لاno
للعفاة عليه مقالةُ لا
A refuge for requests; forbidden
He is steadfast, safe from asking,
for him is saying 'No' to those who seek his bounty.
And begging from him is forbidden
أَيُّهاO الملكthe king الشيجبيّal-Shayjabi ومنand you who
أَيُّها الملك الشيجبيّ ومن
يهبgives الجردَthe sleek steeds والأينقَand the she-camels الذلَلاthe docile ones
يهب الجردَ والأينقَ الذلَلا
O Shayjabi king, and you who
O Sheyghabi king who gifts horses
give sleek steeds and docile she-camels,
And beautiful decorated houses
عشlive ودمand endure ناعمَat ease البالِin mind لاmay not اِنكسفتbe eclipsed
عش ودم ناعمَ البالِ لا اِنكسفت
شمسُكمyour sun ولاnor بدرُكمyour full moon أفلاset
شمسُكم ولا بدرُكم أفلا
live and endure, tranquil of mind; may no eclipse befall
Live in ease with a serene mind
your sun, nor may your full moon set.
Your sun shall not be eclipsed nor your moon fade
Sol 6.1