كَمhow often قُلتَyou said لِلعانيto the captive المُنىhopes بِلَحاقهِof catching up with him
كَم قُلتَ لِلعاني المُنى بِلَحاقهِ
خَفِّضease up عَلَيكَon yourself فَلَستَfor you are not مِنamong أَشكالِهِhis equals
خَفِّض عَلَيكَ فَلَستَ مِن أَشكالِهِ
How often you told one captive to hopes of matching him:
Ease up on yourself, for you are not his equal.
إِنif تَلتَمِسyou seek دَرَكَthe depths of الجَحيمِHell فَعادِهِthen oppose him
إِن تَلتَمِس دَرَكَ الجَحيمِ فَعادِهِ
أَوor تَلتَمِسyou seek دَرَكَattainment of النَسيمِthe breeze فَوالِهِthen befriend him
أَو تَلتَمِس دَرَكَ النَسيمِ فَوالِهِ
If you seek the depths of Hell, oppose him;
Or seek to reach the breeze, befriend him.
مَنwhoever كانَis يُعدِمُin need أَوor يَخافُfears زَمانَهُhis times
مَن كانَ يُعدِمُ أَو يَخافُ زَمانَهُ
فَليَستَذِمَّthen let him seek protection بِمالِهِfor his wealth وَمَآلِهِand his fate
فَليَستَذِمَّ بِمالِهِ وَمَآلِهِ
Whoever is in need, or fears his times,
Let him seek protection for his wealth and his fate.
لاlet not يَخدَعَنّيdeceive me مُنعِمٌa benefactor مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him
لا يَخدَعَنّي مُنعِمٌ مِن بَعدِهِ
أَغنىhas removed the need نَداهُhis bounty البَحرُthe sea عَنfor أَوشالِهِits trickles
أَغنى نَداهُ البَحرُ عَن أَوشالِهِ
Let no benefactor beguile me after him:
His bounty, an ocean, has spared me the need for trickles.
خَفَّفتَyou lightened بَلrather ثَقَّلتَyou burdened ظَهريmy back بِالنَدىwith bounty
خَفَّفتَ بَل ثَقَّلتَ ظَهري بِالنَدى
فَعَسىso perhaps الثَناءُpraise يَحُطُّwill lighten مِنsome of أَثقالِهِits burdens
فَعَسى الثَناءُ يَحُطُّ مِن أَثقالِهِ
You lightened—no, you burdened—my back with bounty;
So may praise lighten some of its burdens.
فَلتَجهَدِso let them strive الأَيّامُthe days فِيَّagainst me بِجَهدِهاwith all their might
فَلتَجهَدِ الأَيّامُ فِيَّ بِجَهدِها
إِنّيindeed I سَلَكتُhave made my way بِرَغمِهاdespite them بِظِلالِهِin his shade
إِنّي سَلَكتُ بِرَغمِها بِظِلالِهِ
Let the days strive against me with all their might:
Indeed, despite them, I have made my way beneath his shade.
يَاO أَيُّهاyou السَيفُsword المُقيمُresting بِغِمدِهِin its sheath
يَا أَيُّها السَيفُ المُقيمُ بِغِمدِهِ
وَالمُلكُand the realm يَذخَرُهُkeeps it in reserve لِيَومِfor the day of نِزالِهِits combat
وَالمُلكُ يَذخَرُهُ لِيَومِ نِزالِهِ
O sword resting in its sheath,
Which the realm keeps in reserve for its day of combat:
لَقَعَدتَyou have indeed held back عَنfrom رُتَبِthe ranks of الكَمالِperfection بِرِفعَةٍin loftiness
لَقَعَدتَ عَن رُتَبِ الكَمالِ بِرِفعَةٍ
عِلماًaware بِحالِof the state of البَدرِthe full moon عِندَat كَمالِهِits fullness
عِلماً بِحالِ البَدرِ عِندَ كَمالِهِ
In your loftiness, you have held back from perfection's ranks,
Knowing the full moon's state when it reaches fullness.
ماnot خادِمُthe servant of السُلطانِthe sultan إِلّاexcept عُرضَةٌa target
ما خادِمُ السُلطانِ إِلّا عُرضَةٌ
مِنfrom فَيضِthe flood of وابِلِهِhis downpour وَلفظِand the spewing of وَبالِهِhis calamity
مِن فَيضِ وابِلِهِ وَلفظِ وَبالِهِ
The sultan's servant is nothing but a target
For his downpour's flood and the calamity he spews.
عَجِلَتcame early عُقوبَةُthe punishment of كُلِّevery جارِحَةٍlimb بِهِin him
عَجِلَت عُقوبَةُ كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ بِهِ
مِنfrom قَبلِbefore يَومٍa day موقَفٍappointed لِنكالِهِfor his chastisement
مِن قَبلِ يَومٍ موقَفٍ لِنكالِهِ
Every limb of his has been punished in advance,
Before a day appointed for his chastisement.
فَجَنانُهُso his heart بِجُمودِهِwith its numbness وَرواؤُهُand his beauty
فَجَنانُهُ بِجُمودِهِ وَرواؤُهُ
بِخُمودِهِwith its fading وَلِحاظُهُand his gaze بِكَلالِهِwith its weariness
بِخُمودِهِ وَلِحاظُهُ بِكَلالِهِ
So his heart is punished with numbness, his beauty
With fading, and his gaze with weariness.
وَالهَمُّand worry يَطرُقُهُvisits him لَدىat غُدُواتِهِhis mornings
وَالهَمُّ يَطرُقُهُ لَدى غُدُواتِهِ
وَالهَمُّand worry يُصليهِscorches him لَدىat آصالِهِhis evenings
وَالهَمُّ يُصليهِ لَدى آصالِهِ
And worry visits him in his mornings,
And worry scorches him in his evenings.
يُعزىis attributed إِلىto التَزويقِembellishment فيin إِكثارِهِhis saying much
يُعزى إِلى التَزويقِ في إِكثارِهِ
وَيُزَنُّand is suspected بِالتَكذيبِof denial فيin إِقلالِهِhis saying little
وَيُزَنُّ بِالتَكذيبِ في إِقلالِهِ
When he speaks at length, he is charged with embellishment;
And when he says little, he is suspected of denial.
مَنwho ليfor me بِرِزقٍwith a livelihood لَيسَnot مِنfrom أَرزاقِهِhis provisions
مَن لي بِرِزقٍ لَيسَ مِن أَرزاقِهِ
مَنwho ليfor me بِشُغلٍwith work لَيسَnot مِنamong أَشغالِهِhis affairs
مَن لي بِشُغلٍ لَيسَ مِن أَشغالِهِ
Who will find me a livelihood not drawn from his provisions?
Who will find me work that is not among his affairs?
وَلَقَدand indeed شَقيتُI have suffered بِخَوفِهِfrom fear of him وَحَرامِهِand his unlawful bounty
وَلَقَد شَقيتُ بِخَوفِهِ وَحَرامِهِ
فَمَتىso when أَلَذُّshall I delight بِأَمنِهِin his security وَحَلالِهِand his lawful bounty
فَمَتى أَلَذُّ بِأَمنِهِ وَحَلالِهِ
And I have suffered from fear of him and his unlawful bounty;
So when shall I enjoy his protection and his lawful bounty?
مُتَرَجِّياًhoping لِلعَيشِfor life فيin إِعزازِهِhis bestowal of honor
مُتَرَجِّياً لِلعَيشِ في إِعزازِهِ
مُتَخَوِّفاًfearful لِلمَوتِof death فيin إِذلالِهِhis infliction of humiliation
مُتَخَوِّفاً لِلمَوتِ في إِذلالِهِ
Hoping for life in the honor he grants,
Fearing death in the abasement he inflicts.
وَمَعَand with البِعادِdistance بَقاءُthe endurance of صِدقِthe sincerity of وِدادِهِhis affection
وَمَعَ البِعادِ بَقاءُ صِدقِ وِدادِهِ
وَبِحُبِّهِand by loving him قَدindeed عَقَّhe betrayed راحَةَthe peace of بالِهِhis mind
وَبِحُبِّهِ قَد عَقَّ راحَةَ بالِهِ
Even at a distance, his true affection endures;
Yet in loving him he has betrayed his peace of mind.
كَالنارِlike fire يَحتَرِقُburns القَريبُone nearby بِجَمرِهاin its embers
كَالنارِ يَحتَرِقُ القَريبُ بِجَمرِها
وَالضَوءِand light يُجليmakes clear القَصدَthe intended path مِنfrom أَشكالِهِits likenesses
وَالضَوءِ يُجلي القَصدَ مِن أَشكالِهِ
Like fire: whoever is near burns in its embers,
And light, which distinguishes the intended path from similar ones;
وَالبَحرِand the sea يَغرَقُdrowns سابِحٌa swimmer فيin لُجِّهِits depths
وَالبَحرِ يَغرَقُ سابِحٌ في لُجِّهِ
وَيَنالُand gains طيبَthe sweetness of الرِيِّquenched thirst مِنfrom أَوشالِهِits trickles
وَيَنالُ طيبَ الرِيِّ مِن أَوشالِهِ
And the sea: a swimmer drowns in its depths,
Yet gains sweet refreshment from its trickles.
وَالشِعرُand poetry ثَوبٌa robe طُلتَyou have grown taller عَنهُthan it وَرُبَّماand sometimes
وَالشِعرُ ثَوبٌ طُلتَ عَنهُ وَرُبَّما
يَتَعَثَّرُstumble الكُرَماءُthe generous فيin أَذيالِهِits hems
يَتَعَثَّرُ الكُرَماءُ في أَذيالِهِ
And poetry is a robe you have outgrown, though sometimes
The generous stumble over its hems.
سَهلٌeasy عَلىon الأَسماعِears لاnot الأطماعِdesires فيin
سَهلٌ عَلى الأَسماعِ لا الأطماعِ في
تَقريبِbringing near مُطمِعِهِits lure وَبُعدِand the remoteness of مَنالِهِits attainment
تَقريبِ مُطمِعِهِ وَبُعدِ مَنالِهِ
Easy on the ears, not on desires, with
Its lure brought near, its attainment far away.
كَالروحِlike the soul تُدرِكُهاperceive it العُقولُminds بِفِعلِهاthrough its action
كَالروحِ تُدرِكُها العُقولُ بِفِعلِها
وَيَضِلُّand strays عَنهاfrom it الفِكرُthought فيin تَجوالِهِits wanderings
وَيَضِلُّ عَنها الفِكرُ في تَجوالِهِ
Like the soul, which minds perceive through its workings,
While thought strays from it in its wanderings.
وَنَوَيتُand I intended فيهاin it أَنto أُقَصِّرَshorten خَطوَهاits stride
وَنَوَيتُ فيها أَن أُقَصِّرَ خَطوَها
وَأَخَفتُand I made fear بَحرَthe sea of القَولِspeech وَقعَthe impact of نَوالِهِhis bounty
وَأَخَفتُ بَحرَ القَولِ وَقعَ نَوالِهِ
And in this poem I meant to shorten its stride,
And made the sea of speech fear the impact of his bounty.
فَأَتىthen came الأَتِيُّthe torrent فَمَنso who يُطيقُcan manage دِفاعَهُrepelling it
فَأَتى الأَتِيُّ فَمَن يُطيقُ دِفاعَهُ
أَوor مَنwho يَرُدُّcan keep back الغَيثَthe rain عَنfrom تَهطالِهِits downpour
أَو مَن يَرُدُّ الغَيثَ عَن تَهطالِهِ
Then came the torrent—who can repel it?
Or who can stop the rain from pouring down?
ليI have حالَتانِtwo states إِلىbefore عُلاهُhis highness تَخاصَماthey disputed
لي حالَتانِ إِلى عُلاهُ تَخاصَما
وَتَراضَياand they agreed فيon فَصلِهاsettling it بِمَقالِهِby his word
وَتَراضَيا في فَصلِها بِمَقالِهِ
I have two states that brought their dispute before his highness,
And agreed that his word should settle it:
أَمَلٌhope يُخَوِّفُهُfrightens it الإِياسُdespair فَيَنثَنيso it turns back
أَمَلٌ يُخَوِّفُهُ الإِياسُ فَيَنثَني
وَضَرورَةٌand necessity بَعَثَتimpelled عَلىto تَرحالِهِits departure
وَضَرورَةٌ بَعَثَت عَلى تَرحالِهِ
Hope, which despair frightens into retreat,
And necessity, which drove it to depart.
Sol 6.1