طرقcame by night الطَّيفthe phantom وقدand already زارvisited وسادpillow
طرق الطَّيف وقد زار وساد
ونفىand banished عنfrom مقلتيmy eyes طيبthe sweetness الرقادِof sleep
ونفى عن مقلتي طيب الرقادِ
The phantom came by night, visiting my pillow,
The specter came by at night and robbed me of sweet sleep.
And banished sweet sleep from my eyes.
The stars flickered like fires seen from afar.
طافَwandered وَالنجمand the star لهhad تجثجةglow (unclear reading)
طافَ وَالنجم له تجثجة
مثلlike نارٍa fire تتراءىappearing منfrom بعادِafar
مثل نارٍ تتراءى من بعادِ
It wandered; the star had a glow [reading unclear],
Darkness spread, turning the night white amid the blackness.
Like a fire appearing from afar.
My passion made me heedless in love and pliant in affection,
وَالدجىand the darkness قدhad عاثravaged فيهin it الشيبgray hair واِخand [start of 'mingled']
وَالدجى قد عاث فيه الشيب واِخ
تلَطَ[end of 'mingled'] الليلthe night بياضاًwhiteness فيamid سوادِblackness
تلَطَ الليل بياضاً في سوادِ
And gray hair had ravaged the darkness, and
So how long will you reproach me, when the fires of passion
The night mingled whiteness with blackness.
Rage in my liver, ever stoked?
ياO عَذوليmy reproacher فيfor اِتّباعيmy following للهوىof passion
يا عَذولي في اِتّباعي للهوى
وَخُضوعيand my submission واِنقِياديand my surrender فيin الودادِlove
وَخُضوعي واِنقِيادي في الودادِ
O you who reproach me for following passion,
Leave me to my misguidance - no one but me
And for my submission and surrender in love,
Is responsible for my rectitude or corruption.
فَلكمfor how often تلحىyou reproach ونارand the fire الوجدof longing فيin
فَلكم تلحى ونار الوجد في
كبديmy liver مسعرةkindled ذاتpossessing اِتّقادِa blaze
كبدي مسعرة ذات اِتّقادِ
How often you reproach me, while longing's fire in
I accept the torments of love and the agony
My liver burns fiercely, all ablaze!
Of passion among all people.
خلّنيleave me فيin ضلّتيmy error ليسis not علىupon
خلّني في ضلّتي ليس على
غيرother than نفسيmy own self فيin صلاحٍrighteousness وفسادِand corruption
غير نفسي في صلاحٍ وفسادِ
Leave me in my error; no one is answerable
Do you see anyone who could replace
But myself, in righteousness and corruption.
My heart with another heart?
أَناI راضٍam content بمقاساتِwith enduring الهوىpassion
أَنا راضٍ بمقاساتِ الهوى
وَعذابand the torment الحبِّof love منfrom بينamong العبادِhumankind
وَعذاب الحبِّ من بين العبادِ
I am content to endure passion
I regret a life now gone,
And the torment of love, among humankind.
A vanished youth never to return,
هلdo تَرىyou see مِنany أَحدٍperson يبدلنيwho would exchange for me
هل تَرى مِن أَحدٍ يبدلني
مِنfrom لدنهhimself بفؤادٍwith a heart منin place of فؤادِa heart
مِن لدنه بفؤادٍ من فؤادِ
Do you see anyone who would exchange for me
And nights of joy whose pleasures
A heart of his own in place of mine?
Are over, ended with the bliss of union.
أَسفاًalas منّيfrom me عَلىfor عيشٍa life مضىthat passed
أَسفاً منّي عَلى عيشٍ مضى
بشبابٍwith youth فائتٍdeparted غيرnot مُعادِrestored
بشبابٍ فائتٍ غير مُعادِ
I grieve for a life that has passed,
Passion guides me to her, and yearning and longing drive me.
With youth departed, never to return,
Her soft body complains of being chafed by her shift.
وَلئيلاتٍand little nights مَضتpassed بَهجتهاtheir joy
وَلئيلاتٍ مَضت بَهجتها
وتقضّتand passed away بوصالٍin union منfrom سعادِSu‘ad
وتقضّت بوصالٍ من سعادِ
And for little nights whose joy has passed,
She is my malady and remedy, my best fortune
And which slipped away in union with Su‘ad.
Derived from my time.
ليfor me منَof الوجدِlonging إِليهاtoward her قائدٌa guide
لي منَ الوجدِ إِليها قائدٌ
وَمنَand of اللوعةِburning anguish وَالأشواقِand yearnings حادِa camel-driver
وَمنَ اللوعةِ وَالأشواقِ حادِ
Longing for her is my guide,
She is my spirit, my life's purpose,
And anguish and yearnings my camel-driver.
My eternity, my question and desire.
بضّةsoft-fleshed الجسمِof body شموعplayful يشتكيcomplains
بضّة الجسمِ شموع يشتكي
جسمُهاher body الناعمُtender مِنof درزِthe seam النجادِof the upholsterer
جسمُها الناعمُ مِن درزِ النجادِ
Soft-bodied, playful—it complains,
You fool, beware the plots of a companion and her appointed time!
Her tender body, of the upholsterer's seam.
How many, whose surface shows consent, within are serpents in the grass!
فهيَso she دائيmy illness ودوائيand my cure وهيand she ليfor me
فهيَ دائي ودوائي وهي لي
مِنfrom زمانيmy days خيرُthe best حظٍّfortune مستفادِgained
مِن زماني خيرُ حظٍّ مستفادِ
She is my illness and my cure; she is for me
The deadly venom may be hidden in limpid water,
The best fortune gained from my days.
And embers can lie concealed under ashes.
وَهيَand she روحيmy soul وهيَand she غاياتthe utmost aims المنىof hopes
وَهيَ روحي وهيَ غايات المنى
وَهيَand she خلديmy eternal bliss وهيand she سؤليmy wish ومرادِand my desire
وَهيَ خلدي وهي سؤلي ومرادِ
She is my soul and the summit of my hopes;
I swear by poetry - after her I will not sell
She is my eternal bliss, my wish and my desire.
My verse in a down market.
أيّهاO you المغترّthe deluded one جهلاًthrough ignorance فحذاso beware (continued)
أيّها المغترّ جهلاً فحذا
ركyou (completes 'beware') مِنof كيدthe guile موالof an ally ومعادِand a foe
رك مِن كيد موال ومعادِ
O you deluded through ignorance, beware
If she spurns me, I will renounce her purity,
Of the guile of ally and foe.
Or if she displays a defect in her pillar-like form.
كَمhow many فتىًa young man ظاهرهhis outward appearance يبديshows الرضاcontentment
كَم فتىً ظاهره يبدي الرضا
وَهوَwhile he فيin باطنهِhis inner self حيّةa serpent وادِof a valley
وَهوَ في باطنهِ حيّة وادِ
How many a young man outwardly displays contentment,
And if she makes white equal black in her sale,
While inwardly he is a serpent of the valley.
I will commit suicide by cutting pieces.
وَنميرand sweet الماءِwater فيهin it السمّpoison قدmay
وَنمير الماءِ فيه السمّ قد
يَختفيlie hidden والجمرُand embers يخفىhide فيin الرمادِthe ashes
يَختفي والجمرُ يخفى في الرمادِ
And in sweet water poison may
How desolate are places from which I took
Lie hidden, and embers hide in the ashes.
Refuge in the safety of travel and the shelter of a comrade!
قَسماًI swear بالشِعرby poetry إنّيindeed I بعدهاafter it
قَسماً بالشِعر إنّي بعدها
لاnot أبيعُI sell الشعرpoetry فيin سوقthe market الكسادِof stagnation
لا أبيعُ الشعر في سوق الكسادِ
I swear by poetry: after this,
The wisdom of poetry guides me; beyond it
I will not sell poetry in a stagnant market.
All other guidance approaches that of every guide.
وَإِذاand if أَرضيmy land جَفتنيshuns me عفتهاI spurn it
وَإِذا أَرضي جَفتني عفتها
أَوor تراءَتappears إرمٌIram ذاتpossessor of العمادِthe pillars
أَو تراءَت إرمٌ ذات العمادِ
And if my land shuns me, I will spurn it,
The finest praise befits Abu Sultan Mahmud the Open-Handed,
Or if Iram of the Pillars comes into view.
Who gives thousands daily in time of bounty,
وَإِذاand if البيضُthe fair women تعامتfeign blindness بِعتُهاI sell them
وَإِذا البيضُ تعامت بِعتُها
بيعةَa sale القطعِof final severance اِنتحاراًsacrificing بالتلادِinherited wealth
بيعةَ القطعِ اِنتحاراً بالتلادِ
And if fair women turn a blind eye, I sell them,
Depriving lives in time of the sword.
In an outright sale, sacrificing inherited wealth.
No delegation can count the thousands,
وَقفارٌand wastes موحشاتٌdesolate جبتهاI crossed them
وَقفارٌ موحشاتٌ جبتها
بِأمونon a reliable she-camel السيرِin gait وجناءbroad-cheeked سنادِtall and sturdy
بِأمون السيرِ وجناء سنادِ
And desolate wastes I have crossed
Hundreds and individuals he gives.
On a sure-going, broad-cheeked, sturdy she-camel.
He subdues every dissenter, vanquishing
هادياًoffering منfrom حكمِthe wisdom الأشعارِof poetry ماthat which
هادياً من حكمِ الأشعارِ ما
دونهbeneath it تَدنوfall هداياthe gifts كلّof every هادِgiver
دونه تَدنو هدايا كلّ هادِ
Offering such wisdom in poetry
All rebels with the sword and returns them to propriety.
That every giver's gifts fall beneath it.
To him Zuhair among the Banu Abs merits no mention,
حكمٌwise sayings فيin المدحِpraise ماhow أَليَقهاapt they are
حكمٌ في المدحِ ما أَليَقها
بِأبيfor Abu سلطانSultan محمودpraised الأياديfor his favors
بِأبي سلطان محمود الأيادي
Wise sayings in praise—how well they suit
Nor does Ka'b among the Banu Iyad.
Abu Sultan, praised for his favors,
No neighbor consults Abu Hanifa, who protected
واهبgiver الآلافof thousands فيon يومِthe day النداof generosity
واهب الآلاف في يومِ الندا
سالبُtaker الأعمارِof lives فيon يومthe day الجلادِof combat
سالبُ الأعمارِ في يوم الجلادِ
Giver of thousands on the day of generosity,
A man's foot from locusts.
Taker of lives on the day of battle.
The noble youth is Hatem, and he is the Excellent One
لَيسnot يحصيcan count الوفدُthe delegation منهfrom him عدداa number
لَيس يحصي الوفدُ منه عددا
مِنof ألوفٍthousands ومئينٍand hundreds وأحادِand ones
مِن ألوفٍ ومئينٍ وأحادِ
The delegation cannot tally what he gives,
Among all people, settled and nomadic.
In thousands, hundreds, and ones.
The illustrious, eloquent, gallant, of pure descent,
جائرprotector كلّof every طريدٍfugitive ماصعstriker
جائر كلّ طريدٍ ماصع
كلّof every باغٍaggressor بشباwith the points السيفِof the sword وعادِand foe
كلّ باغٍ بشبا السيفِ وعادِ
Protector of every fugitive, striker
With lofty chambers and in rugged highlands.
Of every aggressor and foe with the sword's points.
O you who strikes the necks of foes
لاnot زهيرZuhayr فيamong بنيthe sons of عبس‘Abs ولاnor
لا زهير في بني عبس ولا
عندهbeside him يُذكرis mentioned كعبKa‘b فيamong إِيادِIyad
عنده يُذكر كعب في إِيادِ
Neither Zuhayr among Banu ‘Abs, nor
In Arab fashion with quick-slaying swords!
Ka‘b in Iyad, can be mentioned beside him.
Only the reddest steeds envy you,
لاno ولاnor للجارِfor the neighbor يحكيهmatches him أبوAbu
لا ولا للجارِ يحكيه أبو
حَنبلٍHanbal حيثُwhen حمىprotected رجلَa swarm الجرادِof locusts
حَنبلٍ حيثُ حمى رجلَ الجرادِ
No, nor in protecting a neighbor can Abu
Outshining the torches of thoroughbreds.
Hanbal match him when sheltering a swarm of locusts.
By you verdure is prolonged over this greenery
وَالفتىand the gallant youth حاتمHatim وَهوand he المرتضىthe esteemed one
وَالفتى حاتم وَهو المرتضى
فيamong جَميعall الناسِpeople منof حضرsettled folk وبادِand nomads
في جَميع الناسِ من حضر وبادِ
And the gallant Hatim, esteemed
Until the day of mustering.
Among all people, settled and nomadic,
والهمامand the valiant one المالكthe possessor الأبلقal-Ablaq بالwith the
والهمام المالك الأبلق بال
مشرفيّاتMashrafi swords وَباللدنِand with supple الصعادِupright spear-shafts
مشرفيّات وَباللدنِ الصعادِ
And the valiant possessor of al-Ablaq, with
Mashrafi swords and supple, upright spears.
أيّهاO you الضاربthe striker هاماتof the heads العداof foes
أيّها الضارب هامات العدا
بمواضٍwith keen blades عربيّاتٍArabian حدادِsharp
بمواضٍ عربيّاتٍ حدادِ
O striker of the heads of foes
With keen, sharp Arabian blades,
إنّماit is only الأكوارthe camel-saddles منof حمرred الذرىhumps
إنّما الأكوار من حمر الذرى
فيكَfor your sake قدhave تحسدenvied أسراجthe saddles الجيادِof noble steeds
فيكَ قد تحسد أسراج الجيادِ
It is only the camel-saddles on red humps
That, for your sake, envy the saddles of noble steeds.
وَبكَand through you الغبراءُthe dust-colored earth قدhas طالتrisen above علىover
وَبكَ الغبراءُ قد طالت على
هذهِthese الخضرgreen heavens إِلىuntil يومِthe Day التنادِof Calling
هذهِ الخضر إِلى يومِ التنادِ
And through you the dust-colored earth has risen above
These green heavens, until the Day of Calling.
Partial English translation: 57 of 66 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1