إِلىto اللّهGod أَشكوI complain ماwhat لقيتُI suffered منَof الجَوىlove's anguish
إِلى اللّه أَشكو ما لقيتُ منَ الجَوى
غداةَthe morning when اِستقلّتdeparted بِالحدوجِwith the howdahs الأباعرُthe camels
غداةَ اِستقلّت بِالحدوجِ الأباعرُ
To God I complain of the heartache I have suffered,
I complain to God of what I have suffered from love's pain
on the morning when the camels departed with the howdahs.
Since the day she departed, riding her camel litter,
وَإِذand when نحنُwe لَمdid not نُحسِنmanage well وداعاًa farewell منَbecause of البكاweeping
وَإِذ نحنُ لَم نُحسِن وداعاً منَ البكا
سِوىsave نظرٍa glance تَقضيهoffer it عنّاon our behalf النواظرُthe eyes
سِوى نظرٍ تَقضيه عنّا النواظرُ
And when, for weeping, we could manage no farewell
While we could not properly say farewell through tears
save a glance our eyes offered on our behalf.
Except by gazing, which was done for us by eyes.
إِذاwhen اِفترقتparted أَجسادُناour bodies فيat وَداعناour farewell
إِذا اِفترقت أَجسادُنا في وَداعنا
تَلاقتmet قلوبٌhearts بَينناbetween us وخواطرُand thoughts
تَلاقت قلوبٌ بَيننا وخواطرُ
When our bodies parted at our farewell,
When our bodies parted in our farewell
hearts and thoughts met between us.
Our hearts conversed between us, and thoughts.
أَياO مُخبريyou who inform me عَنabout أرسمِthe traces of الحيِّthe tribe هلwhether عفتfaded
أَيا مُخبري عَن أرسمِ الحيِّ هل عفت
وَهَلand whether جادَrained generously هانئٌwelcome منof الغيثrain ماطرُpouring
وَهَل جادَ هانئٌ من الغيث ماطرُ
O you who tell me of the tribe's traces, have they faded?
O you who inform about the traces of my dear one, are her abodes desolate?
And has a welcome shower of rain poured down generously?
Has a downpour of rain come copiously watering?
وَهلand whether ألبستclothed أَطلالهاits ruins حلّةa robe of البلاdecay
وَهل ألبست أَطلالها حلّة البلا
أَصائلهاits late afternoons فيin مرِّهاtheir passing والبواكرُand the early mornings
أَصائلها في مرِّها والبواكرُ
And have its ruins been clothed in the robe of decay
Has it clothed her ruins in a garment of affliction
by its passing late afternoons and early mornings?
With long trailing skirts that cover it?
مَعاهدdwelling places of حيٍّa tribe طالَlasted long ماthat شرقتrose بهاin them
مَعاهد حيٍّ طالَ ما شرقت بها
شموسٌsuns كأمثالِlike the likenesses of الشموسِthe suns سوافرُunveiled
شموسٌ كأمثالِ الشموسِ سوافرُ
Dwellings of a tribe where, for so long, there rose
Dwellings of a beloved, the suns have risen on for long
unveiled suns, like the suns themselves.
Suns like the eyes of antelope.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle حوتهنّheld them الخباياthe secluded chambers كأنّماas though
إِذا ما حوتهنّ الخبايا كأنّما
خلالَamid الخباياthe secluded chambers غزلةgazelles وجآذرُand wild-cow calves
خلالَ الخبايا غزلة وجآذرُ
When the secluded chambers held them, it was as though
When they contain them it is as if,
gazelles and wild-cow calves were amid those chambers.
Among the enclosures, there were does and fawns.
وَإِنand if هنّthey ألبسنwere adorned with الأساورَbracelets أشرقتshone
وَإِن هنّ ألبسن الأساورَ أشرقت
وَزانَتand were lovely علىupon أعطافهنّtheir limbs الأساورُthe bracelets
وَزانَت على أعطافهنّ الأساورُ
And if they were adorned with bracelets, these shone,
And if they don glistening bracelets their arms shine
and the bracelets were lovely upon their limbs.
And gleam upon their upper arms the bracelets.
أَلاah ماwhat لسعدىwith Sa'da ليسَdoes not تَغفرforgive زلَّتيmy lapse
أَلا ما لسعدى ليسَ تَغفر زلَّتي
وَلَوeven if ألقيتwere offered منّيfrom me إليهاto her المعاذرُthe excuses
وَلَو ألقيت منّي إليها المعاذرُ
Ah, what ails Sa'da, that she will not forgive my lapse,
Alas! Why does not Sa'di pardon my sinning since
even if I offer her my excuses?
Even if I advanced excuses, she would show forbearance to me.
وَماand not الذنبُthe fault إلّاexcept أنّنيthat I مولعٌinfatuated بهاwith her
وَما الذنبُ إلّا أنّني مولعٌ بها
أُبالغI go to extremes فيin حبّيmy love لهاfor her وأكابرُand stubbornly persist
أُبالغ في حبّي لها وأكابرُ
And my only fault is that I am enamored of her:
The offence was only loving her excessively,
I go to extremes in my love for her and stubbornly persist.
Exaggerating in my passion for her and being all importunity.
تَملّكنيpossessed me حبّاًwith love هواهاlove of her وَلَمand did not يزلcease
تَملّكني حبّاً هواها وَلَم يزل
أَوائلُهits beginnings تقتادُنيlead me captive والأواخرُand the endings
أَوائلُه تقتادُني والأواخرُ
Love of her possessed me, and still
Love of her, desire for her, took possession of me, and has not ceased;
its beginnings and its endings lead me captive.
Its beginnings lead me on, and its endings.
إِذاwhen أَمَرتنيcommanded me بالتسلّيto seek solace عَزيمتيmy resolve
إِذا أَمَرتني بالتسلّي عَزيمتي
عَصاهاdisobeyed it فؤادٌa heart بالكآبةِto grieve آمرُcommanding
عَصاها فؤادٌ بالكآبةِ آمرُ
Whenever my resolve commands me to seek solace,
When she commands me to show fortitude, my will
a heart commanding sorrow defies it.
Disobeys her, while my heart is given to grief.
وَلَولاand were it not for هَواهاlove of her ماnot عرفتُI knew الهوىlove ولاnor
وَلَولا هَواها ما عرفتُ الهوى ولا
شَجَتنيgrieved me الرسومُthe traces الدارساتfaded الدوائرُvanished
شَجَتني الرسومُ الدارسات الدوائرُ
Were it not for love of her, I would not have known love, nor
Had it not been for love of her, I would not have known love,
would the faded, vanished traces have grieved me.
Nor would the turning wheel of events have kept me turning.
تُريكshows you ضياءَthe light of الصبحِdawn غرّةُthe radiant brow of وجههاher face
تُريك ضياءَ الصبحِ غرّةُ وجهها
وَتشبهُand resemble جنحَthe darkness of الليلِnight منهاof hers الغدائرُthe braids
وَتشبهُ جنحَ الليلِ منها الغدائرُ
Her radiant brow shows you the light of dawn,
The light of dawn shows you the radiance of her face,
and her braids resemble the darkness of night.
And her tresses resemble the wing of night.
تثنّتshe swayed بِغصنٍwith a bough فوقَabove دعصٍa mound منَof النقاfine sand
تثنّت بِغصنٍ فوقَ دعصٍ منَ النقا
يَميلُsways بهِwith it بدرٌa full moon منَof الحسنِbeauty بادرُrising
يَميلُ بهِ بدرٌ منَ الحسنِ بادرُ
She sways—a bough above a mound of fine sand,
She bent supple as a branch above a delicate trunk of spearmint,
a rising full moon of beauty swaying with it.
Over which inclines a full moon of beauty beaming.
إِذاwhen نظرتshe looked سلّتshe drew منَfrom اللَحظِthe glance باتراًa cleaving sword
إِذا نظرت سلّت منَ اللَحظِ باتراً
مَضاربهits cutting edges تعنوbow لهنَّbefore them البواترُthe cleaving swords
مَضاربه تعنو لهنَّ البواترُ
When she looks, she draws a cleaving sword from her glance,
When she glances, she enraptures all hearts with one dart:
before whose cutting edges keen swords bow.
For their sides her glances prepare spear−thrusts.
وَمَجهولةُand a wilderness unknown in الأرحاءِthe interior reaches خبّتcrossed at a trot (uncertain reading) يناطهاits expanse (uncertain reading)
وَمَجهولةُ الأرحاءِ خبّت يناطها
بِحرفon a lean she-camel أمونdependable لوّحتهاscorched her الهواجرُthe midday heats
بِحرف أمون لوّحتها الهواجرُ
And a wilderness of unknown reaches—I crossed its expanse at a trot,
The stranger, whose family are unknown, has veiled her tent−pegs
on a lean, dependable she-camel scorched by midday heat.
With a rope of twisted cowhide the "Banat Nahar" wove.
أَقولُI say لِصَحبيto my companions والمَطاياwhile the mounts رواكعٌbowing
أَقولُ لِصَحبي والمَطايا رواكعٌ
بِناwith us سجّداًprostrate واليومand the day عنهنّfrom them نافرُfleeing
بِنا سجّداً واليوم عنهنّ نافرُ
I say to my companions, while the mounts bow
I said to my companions "Let us kneel in prayer while the camels kneel.
beneath us in prostration, and day flees from them,
Today I abstain with them from departure."
وَإِذand when نحنُwe نَطويwe traverse فيin الدجىnight's darkness كلّevery سملقbarren plain
وَإِذ نحنُ نَطوي في الدجى كلّ سملق
تُسايرناkeep pace with us فيهاin it النجومthe stars الزواهرُshining
تُسايرنا فيها النجوم الزواهرُ
and as we traverse every barren plain in the darkness,
While we turn aside into the gloaming, wrapping ourselves
the shining stars keep pace with us there:
In its folds, the brilliant stars accompany us.
سَلواask ناصراًNasir ياO جملةَthe entirety of الوفدِthe delegation إنّماonly
سَلوا ناصراً يا جملةَ الوفدِ إنّما
لَكمfor you ناصرٌa helper فيماin whatever تريدونyou seek ناصرُNasir
لَكم ناصرٌ فيما تريدون ناصرُ
Ask Nasir, O whole company of delegates, for none but
Ask for help, O people of the deputation! Only for you
Nasir is your helper in whatever you seek.
Is he a helper, in what you desire, a helper.
فَتىًa youth جودهُhis generosity للحادثاتagainst calamities الخطبdire كاسرٌa breaker
فَتىً جودهُ للحادثات الخطب كاسرٌ
وَلِلمعدمand for the destitute العافيseeking bounty منَfrom الكسرbrokenness جابرُa restorer
وَلِلمعدم العافي منَ الكسر جابرُ
A youth whose generosity crushes dire calamities,
A hero whose munificence, when events wax serious, smashes them,
and restores the destitute petitioner from ruin.
And who to the afflicted suppliant gives, repairing his loss.
فَماfor not فيin الحجاintellect والحلمand forbearance يذكرis mentioned أكثمAktham
فَما في الحجا والحلم يذكر أكثم
لَديهِbeside him وَلاnor فيin العلمِlearning يذكرُis mentioned باقرُBaqir
لَديهِ وَلا في العلمِ يذكرُ باقرُ
For in intellect and forbearance Aktham goes unmentioned
None, in intelligence and wisdom, can be mentioned along with him
beside him, nor in learning is Baqir mentioned.
Nor in knowledge can any erudite be coupled.
همامٌa man of high resolve لهُhe has فيin رتبةِthe station of المجدِglory والعلاand eminence
همامٌ لهُ في رتبةِ المجدِ والعلا
منارٌa beacon وفيand in سمكthe height of المعاليhonors منابرُpulpits
منارٌ وفي سمك المعالي منابرُ
A man of high resolve, who has in the station of glory and eminence
He is perfect in the ranks of glory and loftiness;
a beacon, and in the heights of honor, pulpits.
A guiding minaret, on the pillars of nobility firmly established.
إِذاwhen السائلُthe petitioner العافيseeking bounty رَأىsaw حسنَthe beauty of وجههِhis face
إِذا السائلُ العافي رَأى حسنَ وجههِ
تَلقّتهgreeted him منهfrom him بالسرورِwith joy بشائرُglad tidings
تَلقّته منه بالسرورِ بشائرُ
When the petitioner seeking bounty sees the beauty of his face,
When the wretched exile sees his cheerful face
glad tidings from him greet him with joy.
Good news meets him, in welcome, from it.
وَدونكand take ياO فردpeerless one of الزمانthe age غريبةًa rare poem
وَدونك يا فرد الزمان غريبةً
بِهاin it مِنfrom غميراتthe subtle depths of المعانيmeanings جواهرُjewels
بِها مِن غميرات المعاني جواهرُ
And take, O peerless man of the age, a rare poem,
Next to you, O singular one of the age, are marvels
in which are jewels from the subtle depths of meaning.
In them, of meanings, are jewels of literature;
تُشاركjoin together فيin ذاتِthe very essence of البديهةِimprovisation باطنٌan inward self
تُشارك في ذاتِ البديهةِ باطنٌ
لِتسهيلهاto ease it فيin النظمِversification منّيof me وظاهرُand an outward self
لِتسهيلها في النظمِ منّي وظاهرُ
My inward self joins in the very act of improvisation,
An inward part accompanies, in your original disposition,
with my outward self, to ease its shaping into verse.
To facilitate, in poetry, me and my outward part.
فَلَمso did not يهدِهاlead it هادٍa guide إلىto مستحقّهاthe one deserving it
فَلَم يهدِها هادٍ إلى مستحقّها
سِوايexcept me ولمand did not يسبقprecede بهاwith it قطّever شاعرُa poet
سِواي ولم يسبق بها قطّ شاعرُ
So no guide has led it to the one deserving it
None has rightly guided it to its proper objects but I;
save me, and no poet has ever preceded me with it.
No poet has preceded me in treading its courses.
Sol 6.1