أَرَسماًa trace? ترىyou see أمor ذاكthat رجعthe remnant وشامِof tattoos
أَرَسماً ترى أم ذاك رجع وشامِ
ترىyou see أمor وحياwriting فيon متونthe surfaces سلامِof smooth stones
ترى أم وحيا في متون سلامِ
Is it a trace you see, or is that the remnant of tattoos
Is it a drawing I see, or is that his image returning at dusk?
You see, or writing on the surfaces of smooth stones?
Or is it a revelation in the heart's depths of peace?
عَفاhas faded غيرexcept سفحa slope كالحمايمlike doves ركّدٌat rest
عَفا غير سفح كالحمايم ركّدٌ
وَأشعثand a ragged remnant مشجوجsplit الذُرىthe crests ورخامِand marble
وَأشعث مشجوج الذُرى ورخامِ
It has faded, save a slope like doves at rest,
His cheek smooth like the rim of a basin,
And a ragged remnant with split crests, and marble.
Disheveled, dusty, gray hair and wrinkled face.
بِنفسيَwith my soul مَنthe one who أوحتshe hinted لناto us بوداعهاof her farewell
بِنفسيَ مَن أوحت لنا بوداعها
وَأدمُعهاand her tears فوقَover الخدودthe cheeks هوامِstreaming
وَأدمُعها فوقَ الخدود هوامِ
With my soul I would ransom her who signaled her farewell to us,
It was my own soul that bid farewell,
And her tears streaming over her cheeks,
Tears flowing down her cheeks ceaselessly.
غَداةthat morning تجلّتshe appeared فيin البرودِstriped robes وأقبَلتand she approached
غَداة تجلّت في البرودِ وأقبَلت
كَشمسِlike the sun نهارٍof day أوor كبدرlike a full moon تمامِat its fullness
كَشمسِ نهارٍ أو كبدر تمامِ
On the morning she appeared in striped robes and came forward,
At dawn she appeared in the cold and came
Like the sun of day or the moon at its fullest.
Like the sun of a day or the full moon.
وَقدand already بلّmoistened فيضُthe flood الدمعِof tears حمرةthe blush خدّهاof her cheek
وَقد بلّ فيضُ الدمعِ حمرة خدّها
كَماjust as بلّmoistened زهرُthe blossoms الوردof roses طشُّa sprinkling رهامِof light rain
كَما بلّ زهرُ الورد طشُّ رهامِ
And the flood of tears had moistened the blush of her cheek,
The flood of tears reddened her cheek
Just as a sprinkling of light rain wets rose blossoms.
As rose petals are moistened with dew.
تحاولُshe tries تَوديعيto bid me farewell وتخشىand fears مراقباًa watcher
تحاولُ تَوديعي وتخشى مراقباً
يُدافعhe defends عنهاon her behalf بالقناwith spears ويحامِand shields
يُدافع عنها بالقنا ويحامِ
She tries to bid me farewell, fearing a watcher
She tried to bid me farewell but feared a watcher
Who defends her with spears and guards her.
Defending her with spear and zeal.
فَتلكَso that is she الّتيwho قدindeed همتI was love-maddened فيهاfor her صبابةًwith longing
فَتلكَ الّتي قد همت فيها صبابةً
وَلَمand did not ألتفتI heed فيin حبّهاlove for her لملامِto reproach
وَلَم ألتفت في حبّها لملامِ
So she is the one for whom I have been mad with longing,
She whose youth enchanted me,
And in loving her I heeded no reproach.
And whose love made me heedless of blame.
وَقَدand already حازهاcarried her away البينُparting المفرّقthat separates بينناbetween us
وَقَد حازها البينُ المفرّق بيننا
لبستI donned بروداًstriped robes منof ضنىًlanguor وسقامِand sickness
لبست بروداً من ضنىً وسقامِ
And once parting, which divides us, had carried her off,
Separation's absence came between us.
I donned robes of languor and sickness.
She wore the garb of estrangement and sickness.
حَوتهاengulfed her النوىdistance حتّىuntil علاgrew great طايلthe extent النوىof distance
حَوتها النوى حتّى علا طايل النوى
تناءَتshe grew distant ولمand did not تبعثsend بطيفwith a dream-vision لمامِbriefly visiting
تناءَت ولم تبعث بطيف لمامِ
Distance engulfed her, until the reach of distance grew vast;
The stars of Al Nawa contained her until the Pleiades set.
She grew distant and sent no fleeting dream-vision.
She weakened and sent no phantom or specter.
بَعثناwe sent إِليهاto her بِالسلامwith greetings فأَمسكتbut she held back
بَعثنا إِليها بِالسلام فأَمسكت
وَماand did not سمحتoffer منهاfrom her بردّwith a reply سلامِof greeting
وَما سمحت منها بردّ سلامِ
We sent her greetings, but she held back,
We sent greetings but she held back,
And she would not offer a greeting in return.
And did not allow a single greeting in return.
فَياso, oh عجباًwonder منّيfrom me لهاat her كيفَhow أصبَحتshe has become
فَيا عجباً منّي لها كيفَ أصبَحت
تحرّمshe forbids شيئاًsomething وهوand it is غيرnot حرامِforbidden
تحرّم شيئاً وهو غير حرامِ
So how I marvel at her—how has she come
How strange that she has now forbidden
To forbid something that is not forbidden?
What was never forbidden or unlawful!
جَوىburning anguish الحبّof love منهاfrom her فيin جميعall مَفاصليmy joints
جَوى الحبّ منها في جميع مَفاصلي
وَلَحميand my flesh جميعاًall of it بلindeed دميmy blood وعظاميand my bones
وَلَحمي جميعاً بل دمي وعظامي
The burning anguish of love for her fills all my joints,
The ardour of love for her is in all my joints,
And all my flesh—indeed, my blood and bones.
My flesh, blood, even bones.
أَغارُI feel jealous إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle صافحتshe brushes كشرthe bared teeth ثغرهاof her mouth
أَغارُ إِذا ما صافحت كشر ثغرها
بحوطwith a twig أراكٍof arak أوor بخوطwith a twig بشامِof basham
بحوط أراكٍ أو بخوط بشامِ
I grow jealous whenever she brushes her bared teeth
I grow jealous when her rosy lips
With an arak twig, or a basham twig.
Kiss the mouth of some fool from Iraq or Damascus.
تُحاكيshe resembles قضيبَa shoot الخيزرانof bamboo تهزّعاًin swaying
تُحاكي قضيبَ الخيزران تهزّعاً
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle تثنّتshe sways بالخطاwith her steps بقوامِwith her figure
إِذا ما تثنّت بالخطا بقوامِ
She resembles a bamboo shoot in her swaying,
They waver like a sapling rod,
Whenever she sways her figure as she walks.
When she sways with coquettish gait.
وَعوجاءand a crooked-legged she-camel حرفlean and hardy قدindeed قطعتI crossed بذرعهاwith her stride
وَعوجاء حرف قد قطعت بذرعها
مسافاتstretches بيدٍof desert فيduring السرىnight travel وموامِand trackless wastes
مسافات بيدٍ في السرى وموامِ
And with a lean, crooked-legged she-camel's stride I crossed
Crooked as the letter 'ain, she strides
Stretches of desert and trackless wastes by night.
Distances with her hand on hips, flirting and teasing.
طَواهاwore her thin السرىnight travel لمّاas اِنطوَتshe grew gaunt وتأكّلتand were worn away
طَواها السرى لمّا اِنطوَت وتأكّلت
مباسمُهاher lips منهاof her فهنّso they are دوامِbleeding
مباسمُها منها فهنّ دوامِ
Night travel wore her thin as she grew gaunt; worn away
The flirtations made her melt away until
Were her lips, leaving them bloodied.
Her smiles from her weakened and vanished.
تشيمُshe watches بروقاًlightning flashes منfrom أبيAbu الطيبal-Tayyib غيثهاtheir rain
تشيمُ بروقاً من أبي الطيب غيثها
لشايمهِfor its watcher فيin الجوّthe sky غيرnot مشامِwatched for
لشايمهِ في الجوّ غير مشامِ
She watches lightning from Abu al-Tayyib, whose rain
She casts lightning bolts from her charm’s clouds
Is not to be sought in the sky by its watcher.
Without clouds or rain.
جوادa generous man متىwhenever تَنزلِyou alight بهwith him تحظَyou are favored عندهُin his presence
جواد متى تَنزلِ به تحظَ عندهُ
بِأرحبwith the most spacious ربعٍabode مخصبٍbountiful ومقامِand lodging
بِأرحب ربعٍ مخصبٍ ومقامِ
A generous man—whenever you alight with him, you are favored
When you descend on your steed, you gain
With the most spacious, bountiful abode and lodging.
The widest quarter, fertile and pleasant.
عطاءa lavish giver نوالٍof bounty طودa mountain حلمٍof forbearance ونهيهand his refusal
عطاء نوالٍ طود حلمٍ ونهيه
علىto المجتديthe suppliant أزرىputs to shame بكلِّevery غمامِraincloud
على المجتدي أزرى بكلِّ غمامِ
A giver of bounty, a mountain of forbearance; even his refusal
Giving, bestowing, towering dignity and restraint
To a suppliant puts every raincloud to shame.
Against the foolhardy beneath every cloud.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنقضىis spent نصلُthe blade الحسامِof the sword رأيتهyou see him
إِذا ما اِنقضى نصلُ الحسامِ رأيته
هناكَthere حُساماًa sword صائلاًcharging بحسامِwith a sword
هناكَ حُساماً صائلاً بحسامِ
When the sword's blade is spent, you see him
When the sword blades clash and break
There, himself a sword, charging with a sword.
You see them there, slashing with swords again.
همامa noble hero تَتالتfollowed one another فيin المعاليlofty deeds جدودهhis forefathers
همام تَتالت في المعالي جدوده
هماماًa hero هماماًa hero تابعاfollowing لهمامِafter a hero
هماماً هماماً تابعا لهمامِ
A noble hero whose forefathers succeeded one another in greatness,
Zeal followed zeal in glory among his ancestors,
Hero after hero, each following a hero.
Courage after courage, zeal upon zeal.
لهto him اِنقادتِyielded الدنياthe world وذلّتand humbled itself كأنّهas though he
له اِنقادتِ الدنيا وذلّت كأنّه
لماtoward what يَنبغيis fitting قدindeed قادهاhe led it بزمامِwith a rein
لما يَنبغي قد قادها بزمامِ
The world yielded to him and humbled itself, as though he
The world submitted to him in obedience, as if
Had led it by a rein toward what is fitting.
He rightly drove it with its bridle.
يريكَhe shows you حجاwisdom كهلٍof a mature man أريبٍdiscerning إذاwhen اِنتداhe joins the assembly
يريكَ حجا كهلٍ أريبٍ إذا اِنتدا
لَدىat سنّthe age طلقsmooth الطرّتينthe two temples غلامِof a youth
لَدى سنّ طلق الطرّتين غلامِ
He shows you a shrewd, mature man's wisdom when he joins the assembly,
You see an old nobleman, when white hair appears,
Though still at the age of a smooth-templed youth.
Become beside flowing hair, a youth.
وَيصبوand he yearns إِلىfor العلياthe heights إِذاwhen غيرهothers besides him صباyearn
وَيصبو إِلى العليا إِذا غيره صبا
إِلىfor زينبZaynab أوor فرتنFartan وحذامِand Hadham
إِلى زينب أو فرتن وحذامِ
And he yearns for the heights when others yearn
He aspires to lofty heights, while others his age
For Zaynab, or Fartan and Hadham.
Decline into Zainab, Fartana, and Hutham.
أأفخرO most glorious مَنof those who للضيفِfor the guest سنّestablished القِرىhospitality ومنand of those who
أأفخر مَن للضيفِ سنّ القِرى ومن
تلثّمveiled his face مِنfrom نسجِthe fabric الوغاof battle بلثامِwith a veil
تلثّم مِن نسجِ الوغا بلثامِ
O most glorious of those who established hospitality for guests, and who
Shall I take pride in one who is hospitable to guests
Veiled their faces with a veil woven from battle.
And wraps himself in striped cloak and turban?
بكَthrough you اِبتسمsmiled الدهرُTime العبوسُscowling فوجههُso its face
بكَ اِبتسم الدهرُ العبوسُ فوجههُ
حَكىresembles روضةa garden قدindeed زيّنبwas adorned بكمامِwith flower buds
حَكى روضة قد زيّنب بكمامِ
Through you, scowling Time has smiled; its face
The frowning fortunes smiled at you, so its face
Resembles a garden adorned with flower buds.
Told of a garden adorned with double kerchief.
شَنأتyou hated ملوكَthe kings الأرضِof the earth فيin حلبةِthe arena العلاof glory
شَنأت ملوكَ الأرضِ في حلبةِ العلا
فكنتَso you were إِماماًa leader قبلahead of كلّevery إمامِleader
فكنتَ إِماماً قبل كلّ إمامِ
You scorned the kings of the earth in glory's arena,
You surpassed the kings of earth in the arena of glory,
So you were a leader ahead of every leader.
So you were the Imam before every Imam.
وَلاand may you never زلتَcease فيin عيشٍa life هنيٍّpleasant وعزَةٍand honor
وَلا زلتَ في عيشٍ هنيٍّ وعزَةٍ
وَفيand in نعمةٍblessing موصولةٍjoined بدوامِto permanence
وَفي نعمةٍ موصولةٍ بدوامِ
And may you ever live in ease and honor,
Still you live in comfort and honor
And in blessings that endure forever.
And in unbroken blessing and permanence.
Sol 6.1