قِفstop واِسألِand ask السفحَthe slope سفحَslope الرملِthe sand والباناand the bān trees
قِف واِسألِ السفحَ سفحَ الرملِ والبانا
عنِabout الفريقِthe company الّذيthat مِنfrom سوحهِits grounds باناdeparted
عنِ الفريقِ الّذي مِن سوحهِ بانا
Stop and ask the slope—the sandy slope—and the bān trees
Stop and ask the slope, the slope of sand and shrubs,
about the company that departed from its grounds.
About the group that left its plains,
وَاِستخبرand inquire of الربعَthe dwelling عنabout سكّانِinhabitants عرصتِهِits courtyard
وَاِستخبر الربعَ عن سكّانِ عرصتِهِ
وعنand about سعادSuʿād وماand what كانواthey were وماand what كاناhad been
وعن سعاد وما كانوا وما كانا
And question the dwelling about the inhabitants of its courtyard,
And ask the land about the inhabitants of its valley,
and about Suʿād, what they had been, and what had come to pass.
And about Saad and how they were and what they were.
بانتshe departed معwith الظاعنِthe departing traveler الغاديsetting out at dawn غداةthe morning غداhe set out early
بانت مع الظاعنِ الغادي غداة غدا
حاديهمُtheir camel-driver يتبعُmakes follow الأظعانthe caravans أظعاناcaravans
حاديهمُ يتبعُ الأظعان أظعانا
She departed with the dawn-bound traveler on the morning when
She appeared with the departing travelers at dawn,
their camel-driver set out, sending caravan after caravan onward.
Leading them, following the caravans.
غيداءa supple maiden واضحةradiant الخدّينthe two cheeks قدalready كُسيتshe was clothed
غيداء واضحة الخدّين قد كُسيت
منَfrom الشبابِyouth غضاراتٍfreshness وريعاناand youthful bloom
منَ الشبابِ غضاراتٍ وريعانا
A supple maiden, radiant of cheek, she had been clothed
Radiant, with prominent cheeks, dressed
in youth’s freshness and flourishing bloom.
In the garb of youth, fresh and lively.
تُبديreveals محاسنهاher charms منهاfrom her إذاwhen سفرتْshe unveils
تُبدي محاسنها منها إذا سفرتْ
حسناًbeauty لأفئدةfor hearts الرائينَthe beholders فتّاناbewitching
حسناً لأفئدة الرائينَ فتّانا
Her charms, when she unveils, reveal
Displaying her beauty, so that if she travels,
a beauty that bewitches the hearts of beholders.
She shows beauty that captivates the hearts of onlookers.
درمٌsmoothly rounded مرافقهاher elbows كمhow often ظلَّremained دملجهاher armlet
درمٌ مرافقها كم ظلَّ دملجها
منfrom فعمِplumpness ساعِدهاher forearm الملآنfull ملآناfilled
من فعمِ ساعِدها الملآن ملآنا
Her elbows are smoothly rounded; how often her armlet remained
A lively camel carrying her, how much it protected her
filled by the plumpness of her full forearm.
With its strong, full arms.
ياO حبَّهاhow dear she is حبَّهاhow dear she is منof غادةٍa tender maiden سلبتshe stole
يا حبَّها حبَّها من غادةٍ سلبت
منّاfrom us قلوباًhearts وألباباًand intellects وأذهاناand minds
منّا قلوباً وألباباً وأذهانا
O, how dear she is, how dear—a tender maiden who stole
Oh, how I love her! Her love has stolen
from us hearts, intellects, and minds.
Our hearts, minds and thoughts from us.
ترميshe shoots at القلوبَthe hearts بسهمٍwith an arrow كلَّماwhenever نظرتshe looks
ترمي القلوبَ بسهمٍ كلَّما نظرت
بالطَّرفِwith the eyes أوor رقرقتshe made shimmer لحظاًa glance وأجفاناand eyelids
بالطَّرفِ أو رقرقت لحظاً وأجفانا
She shoots an arrow into hearts whenever she looks
She shoots hearts with an arrow whenever she glances
with her eyes, or makes her gaze and eyelids shimmer.
With her eyes or blinks her eyelids.
ماnot إنat all (emphatic) رنتshe gazed قِبَليtoward me إِلّاexcept وقدand already تركتshe left
ما إن رنت قِبَلي إِلّا وقد تركت
قلبيmy heart لجيشِfor the army الهوىpassion والوجدِand yearning ميداناa battlefield
قلبي لجيشِ الهوى والوجدِ ميدانا
Never did she gaze toward me without leaving
As soon as she called out to me, she left
my heart a battlefield for the army of passion and yearning.
My heart to the army of passion and fervor.
وهاتفand a caller ساجعٌcooing باللَّحنِwith melody أرَّقنيkept me awake
وهاتف ساجعٌ باللَّحنِ أرَّقني
لمَّاwhen سمعتُI heard لهfrom it سجعاًcooing وألحاناand melodies
لمَّا سمعتُ له سجعاً وألحانا
And a caller, cooing melodiously, kept me awake
A longing voice kept me awake at night
when I heard its cooing and melodies,
When I heard its melody and tunes.
شدواin song ومرّand passed النسيمthe breeze الذارياتِthe scattering winds بهby it
شدوا ومرّ النسيم الذارياتِ به
يميلbends منamong مائسِswaying الأغصانِthe branches أغصاناbranches
يميل من مائسِ الأغصانِ أغصانا
in song, while the breeze swept by it in scattering gusts,
They marched on, and the passing breeze carried them,
bending branches among the swaying boughs.
Swaying the branches of the trees.
ليتwould that الرِّياحَthe winds السَّواريroaming by night أنشدتrecounted خبراًnews
ليت الرِّياحَ السَّواري أنشدت خبراً
عنabout أهلِthe people of نعمٍNuʿm وعنand about نعمٍNuʿm ونعماناand Nuʿmān
عن أهلِ نعمٍ وعن نعمٍ ونعمانا
Would that the night-roaming winds recounted news
I wish the gentle winds would bring news
of Nuʿm’s people, and of Nuʿm and Nuʿmān,
Of the people of bliss, and of bliss and blissful ones,
وعنand about ديارٍdwellings بهاin them كنَّاwe used to نغازلwoo مِنamong
وعن ديارٍ بها كنَّا نغازل مِن
غزلانِهاtheir gazelles البيضِthe fair ones كالغزلانِlike gazelles غزلاناgazelles
غزلانِها البيضِ كالغزلانِ غزلانا
and of dwellings where we used to woo, among
And of the homes where we used to flirt with
their fair gazelles, maidens like gazelles.
Their beautiful gazelles, like gazelles.
ياO نفسsoul لاdo not ترغبيdesire فيfor كلِّevery ذيpossessor of سندٍbacking
يا نفس لا ترغبي في كلِّ ذي سندٍ
يصيرُbecomes منهfrom him جزيلُample الربحِthe profit خسراناloss
يصيرُ منه جزيلُ الربحِ خسرانا
O my soul, do not seek out every man with backing
Oh soul, do not long for one with power,
from whom ample profit turns into loss.
Lest great profit becomes a loss.
ماnot كلُّevery نارٍfire كنارlike a fire كانَhad آنَسهاhe sighted it
ما كلُّ نارٍ كنار كانَ آنَسها
منfrom جانبِthe side of الطُّورِMount Ṭūr موسىMoses بنson of عمراناʿImrān
من جانبِ الطُّورِ موسى بن عمرانا
Not every fire is like the fire once sighted
Not every fire is like the fire whose warmth
beside Mount Ṭūr by Moses, son of ʿImrān.
Moses felt from the side of the Mount.
ولاnor نباهةeminence فيin الدُّنياthe world منبهةbringing renown
ولا نباهة في الدُّنيا منبهة
إلّاexcept نباهةthe eminence of نبهانNabhān بنson of قحطاناQaḥṭān
إلّا نباهة نبهان بن قحطانا
Nor does any worldly eminence bring renown
Nor is there insight in this world except the insight
except the eminence of Nabhān, son of Qaḥṭān.
Of Nuhan son of Qahtan.
بحرٌa sea ولوand if شابmixed بحرthe sea النيلthe Nile نائلهhis bounty
بحرٌ ولو شاب بحر النيل نائله
لكانit would surely be فيon البرِّdry land كالطُّوفانِlike the deluge طوفاناa flood
لكان في البرِّ كالطُّوفانِ طوفانا
He is a sea; were his bounty to mingle with the sea of the Nile,
A sea, even if it rivals the Nile at its flood,
it would be a flood on land, like the deluge.
Would be a deluge on land.
ترىyou see السماحةَgenerosity للوفَّادfor the visiting guests إنif نزلواthey alight
ترى السماحةَ للوفَّاد إن نزلوا
كالفرضِlike ordained duty فرضاًa duty وكالأديانِand like creeds أدياناcreeds
كالفرضِ فرضاً وكالأديانِ أديانا
You see generosity to visiting guests, when they alight,
You see them being generous when they descend,
as a duty like ordained duty, and a creed like other creeds.
Like a duty, like faiths.
غيثٌrain ولكنَّهbut he لمdid not يهمِpour وابلُهhis downpour
غيثٌ ولكنَّه لم يهمِ وابلُه
إلّاexcept لجيناًsilver لعافيهfor his petitioner وعقياناand pure gold
إلّا لجيناً لعافيه وعقيانا
He is rain, yet his downpour never falls
A rain, but its downpour
except as silver and pure gold for those who seek his bounty.
Only benefits the fertile pastures.
وجازرand a slayer لمnot يكنwas يوماًon any day فرائسهُhis prey
وجازر لم يكن يوماً فرائسهُ
إلّاexcept كماةarmored champions لدىamid الهيجاءِbattle فرساناhorsemen
إلّا كماة لدى الهيجاءِ فرسانا
And a slayer whose prey has never, on any day, been
And a warrior whose prey was never
anything but armored champions, horsemen amid battle.
Anything but the horsemen by the valley.
أحيتrevived رياستُهhis leadership فيin الملكِthe realm عدلَthe justice of أبيAbū (father of)
أحيت رياستُه في الملكِ عدلَ أبي
حفصٍḤafṣ فكانتand so it became لناfor us أمناًsecurity وإيماناand faith
حفصٍ فكانت لنا أمناً وإيمانا
His leadership revived within the realm the justice of Abū
His leadership revived justice in the kingdom,
Ḥafṣ, and became for us security and faith.
Giving us security and faith.
ياO أفصحَmost eloquent الناسِof people ألفاظاًin words وأسمحهمand most generous of them
يا أفصحَ الناسِ ألفاظاً وأسمحهم
كَفّاًin hand وأعظمهمand greatest of them فيin قدرِهِhis rank شاناstature
كَفّاً وأعظمهم في قدرِهِ شانا
O most eloquent of men in speech, and most generous of them
O most eloquent of people in speech and most
of hand, and greatest of them in rank and stature,
Generous by nature and greatest in rank!
خُذtake منfrom مقالِthe speech of فصيحٍan eloquent man قدalready أتاكhe came to you بماwith that which
خُذ من مقالِ فصيحٍ قد أتاك بما
تنسيكَmake you forget ألفاظهُhis words ألفاظَthe words of سحباناSaḥbān
تنسيكَ ألفاظهُ ألفاظَ سحبانا
Accept the speech of an eloquent man, who has brought you verse
Take from the speech of an eloquent man who
whose words make you forget the words of Saḥbān.
Came to you with words that make you forget the words of lightning.
إنّيindeed I اِمرؤٌa man لستI am not أهديI offer الذرَّthe fine dust فيin طمعٍhope of gain
إنّي اِمرؤٌ لست أهدي الذرَّ في طمعٍ
إلّاexcept لأربابهِto its masters إنwhether عزَّit is precious أوor هاناit is cheap
إلّا لأربابهِ إن عزَّ أو هانا
I am a man who does not offer fine dust in hope of gain,
I am a man who only hopes to attain scattered pearls
except to its rightful masters, whether it be precious or cheap.
For their owners, whether mighty or weak.
لولاكbut for you ماnot جئتI came أطويI traverse المجهلاتِthe trackless wastes ولاnor
لولاك ما جئت أطوي المجهلاتِ ولا
فارقتُI left أهلاًfamily وأولاداًand children وأوطاناand homelands
فارقتُ أهلاً وأولاداً وأوطانا
But for you, I would not have come, crossing trackless wastes, nor
Were it not for you I would not come covering long distances,
left family, children, and homelands.
Nor would I leave family, children and homeland.
واِلبسand wear برودَstriped cloaks الثناpraise فيin كلِّevery مرتبةٍrank
واِلبس برودَ الثنا في كلِّ مرتبةٍ
واِسحبand trail منَof الحمدِpraise أذيالاًhems وأرداناand sleeves
واِسحب منَ الحمدِ أذيالاً وأردانا
And wear the striped cloaks of praise at every rank,
So wear the cloak of praise in every stance,
and trail the hems and sleeves of acclaim.
And drag the train of glory behind you.
Sol 6.1