اِفتَرىhe fabricated فيin عَذلِهِhis reproach كَذِباa lie
اِفتَرى في عَذلِهِ كَذِبا
صَبَّهُhe poured it فيinto سَمعِهِhis ear فَنَباthen it glanced off
صَبَّهُ في سَمعِهِ فَنَبا
He fabricated a lie in his reproach.
Does he falsely accuse me in his disdain
He poured it into his ear, but it glanced off.
And pour it into my hearing as news?
فَأَبىso he refused مِنfrom أَنto يُقابِلَهُreceive it
فَأَبى مِن أَن يُقابِلَهُ
بِقَبولٍwith acceptance لَوeven if يَكونُhe were أَبىmy father
بِقَبولٍ لَو يَكونُ أَبى
So he refused to receive it
Yet he refuses to reciprocate
with acceptance, even if he were my father.
With acceptance, even if he were to consent.
رُدَّreject أَنباءًreports أَتاكَhe came to you بِهاwith them
رُدَّ أَنباءً أَتاكَ بِها
كَمmany a عَذولٍreprover رُدَّwas rejected مِنهُfrom him نَباa report
كَم عَذولٍ رُدَّ مِنهُ نَبا
Reject the reports he brought you;
He rejects the news you brought to him,
many a reprover has had his report rejected.
Like the rejection of many blamers.
تَتَّقيyou guard against الأَقوالَthe words تَكرَهُهاyou hate them
تَتَّقي الأَقوالَ تَكرَهُها
فَهيَfor they are سَيفٌa sword أَوor أَحَدُّsharper شَباedges
فَهيَ سَيفٌ أَو أَحَدُّ شَبا
You guard against the words you hate,
You avoid words, disliking them,
for they are a sword—or sharper-edged still.
As they are a sword or sharper than a blade.
وَلذاand for this reason قالواthey said لِمُمتَعِضٍof one incensed
وَلذا قالوا لِمُمتَعِضٍ
إِنَّهُthat he فيon بارِدٍcold ضَرَباhe struck
إِنَّهُ في بارِدٍ ضَرَبا
And so they said of one incensed
And so they said to the disgusted one,
that he had struck cold iron.
“He has struck in the cold.”
قالَhe said جِدّاًin earnest ماwhat أَتَيتُI brought بِهِwith it
قالَ جِدّاً ما أَتَيتُ بِهِ
قُلتُI said بَلrather لَهواًidle amusement وَبَلand rather لَعِباplay
قُلتُ بَل لَهواً وَبَل لَعِبا
He said, 'What I brought was in earnest.'
He said seriously, “I did not do
I said, 'Rather, idle diversion—and rather, play.'
What I said, but was joking and playing.”
إِنif رَضواthey are pleased عَنّيwith me فَأَهونُthen least important ماwhat
إِن رَضوا عَنّي فَأَهونُ ما
كانَwas مَنwhoever يَلحىreproaches إِذاwhen غَضِباhe grows angry
كانَ مَن يَلحى إِذا غَضِبا
If they are pleased with me, nothing matters less
If they are pleased with me, then the least
than a reprover when he grows angry.
Of what he who became angry did,
قَلَبَhe overturned الدُنياthe world عَلَيَّagainst me وَماyet did not
قَلَبَ الدُنيا عَلَيَّ وَما
رَدَّنيturned me back عَنهُمfrom them وَلاnor قَلَباchanged
رَدَّني عَنهُم وَلا قَلَبا
He turned the world against me, yet
Was to turn the world against me, and he
he neither turned me from them nor swayed me.
Did not turn me away from them at all.
مَرَّpassed مَكدودُweary النَسيمِthe breeze وَلَمand did not
مَرَّ مَكدودُ النَسيمِ وَلَم
يَلتَفِتturn ثَهلانُThahlan وَالهِضَباand the hills
يَلتَفِت ثَهلانُ وَالهِضَبا
The weary breeze passed, yet
The soft blowing breeze passed by,
Thahlan and the hills did not turn.
And neither the does nor the meadows turned.
قالَhe said مَحجوبٌveiled فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him
قالَ مَحجوبٌ فَقُلتُ لَهُ
رُبَّmany a بَختٍstroke of luck يَخرِقُpierces الحُجُباthe veils
رُبَّ بَختٍ يَخرِقُ الحُجُبا
He said, 'Veiled'; I answered him,
The veiled one spoke, so I said to him,
'Many a stroke of luck pierces the veils.'
“Maybe fate tears through the veils.”
وَلَجاجيand my persistence فَهوَso it يغلِبُهُovercomes him
وَلَجاجي فَهوَ يغلِبُهُ
وَهوَand he كَالدُنياlike the world لِمَنfor whoever غَلَباprevails
وَهوَ كَالدُنيا لِمَن غَلَبا
And my persistence—it overcomes him;
My stubbornness defeats him,
and he, like the world, belongs to whoever prevails.
And it is like the world, for those who conquer.
لاmay not عَلاrise كَعبُthe heel العَذولِthe reprover عَلىabove
لا عَلا كَعبُ العَذولِ عَلى
حُبِّهِlove for him إِلّاexcept إِذاwhen صُلِباhe is crucified
حُبِّهِ إِلّا إِذا صُلِبا
May the reprover's heel never rise above
No glory rises above the pride
love for him—unless the reprover is crucified.
Of his love, unless crucified.
بِأَبيmy father as ransom بَدرٌa full moon يُضيءُshines بِهِby him
بِأَبي بَدرٌ يُضيءُ بِهِ
خاطِريmy mind إِنif لاحَhe appears أَوor غَرَباhe sets
خاطِري إِن لاحَ أَو غَرَبا
My father be ransom for a full moon that lights
By my father Badr, shining through
my mind, whether he appears or sets.
My thoughts, whether rising or setting.
وَنُجومُand the stars الأَفقِthe horizon إِنif كَثُرَتthey are many
وَنُجومُ الأَفقِ إِن كَثُرَت
لَمdid not تُكاثِرvie in number عِدَّةَnumber الرُقَباthe watchers
لَم تُكاثِر عِدَّةَ الرُقَبا
And the stars of the horizon, however many,
And the horizon stars, if numerous,
do not rival the watchers in number.
Do not multiply the number of necks.
رُبَّماsometimes حاشاهُfar be it from him يَكسِفُنيeclipses me
رُبَّما حاشاهُ يَكسِفُني
فيهِconcerning him واشٍa slanderer يُشبِهُresembles الذَنَباthe tail
فيهِ واشٍ يُشبِهُ الذَنَبا
Sometimes—far be it from him!—I am eclipsed
Sometimes, far from him, an eclipse darkens me,
in his eyes by a slanderer resembling a tail.
Resembling a tail.
مُقبِلٌapproaching نَحويtoward me فَواطَرَباthen oh, my joy!
مُقبِلٌ نَحوي فَواطَرَبا
مُعرِضٌturning away عَنّيfrom me فَواحَرَباthen alas, my anguish!
مُعرِضٌ عَنّي فَواحَرَبا
He approaches me—oh, what rapture!
Coming towards me, so we were disturbed,
He turns away from me—oh, what anguish!
Turning away from me, so we fought.
ياoh لَهُfor him بَرداًcoolness عَلىupon كَبِديmy liver
يا لَهُ بَرداً عَلى كَبِدي
وَمَعَand with الأَخرىthe other state فَياthen oh لَهَباa flame
وَمَعَ الأَخرى فَيا لَهَبا
Oh, what coolness he brings to my liver!
Oh, how coolly he treats my liver,
And in the other state—oh, what a flame!
And with the other, oh how aflame!
أَناI بِالأَعطافِby the flanks مُمتَحَنٌsorely tried
أَنا بِالأَعطافِ مُمتَحَنٌ
وَأُسَمّيهاand I call them لَهُمfor them قُضباslender boughs
وَأُسَمّيها لَهُم قُضبا
I am sorely tried by their curving bodies,
I am tested by glances,
and call them slender boughs for their sake.
And I call them to them, frowns.
غُصنُa bough بانٍof a ban tree لَوif أَقولُI say لَهُto him
غُصنُ بانٍ لَو أَقولُ لَهُ
غُصنَO bough بانٍof a ban tree لاdo not تَتِهbe proud لَنَباhe would surely recoil
غُصنَ بانٍ لا تَتِه لَنَبا
A ban-tree bough—if I were to say to him,
If I were to say to the bending branch,
'Ban-tree bough, do not be proud,' he would recoil.
“Bending branch, do not bend,” it would not straighten.
شَرُفَتwere exalted آياتُthe signs خالِقِهِhis Creator
شَرُفَت آياتُ خالِقِهِ
وَإِلىand to تَمييزِهاdiscerning them نَدَباHe called
وَإِلى تَمييزِها نَدَبا
Exalted are the signs of his Creator,
The signs of its Creator have noble roots,
and He has called for their discernment.
And He urged us to distinguish them.
آيَةٌa sign فيin الحُسنِbeauty تَشهَدُbears witness ليfor me
آيَةٌ في الحُسنِ تَشهَدُ لي
كانَhe was مِنamong آياتِهِHis signs عَجَباa marvel
كانَ مِن آياتِهِ عَجَبا
A sign of beauty bears witness for me:
A sign in beauty that testifies for me -
he was a wonder among His signs.
Among His signs it was a wonder.
Sol 6.1