عَجَبيmy wonder لِلطَبيبِat the physician يُلحِدُdisbelieves فيin الخاthe Creator (first part)
عَجَبي لِلطَبيبِ يُلحِدُ في الخا
لِقِCreator (continuation) مِنfrom بَعدِafter دَرسِهِhis study التَشريحاanatomy
لِقِ مِن بَعدِ دَرسِهِ التَشريحا
I marvel at the physician who disbelieves in the
My wonder at the physician who profanes the Creature after studying anatomy,
Creator, after his study of anatomy.
And the astrologer was taught what religion must explicitly state,
وَلَقَدand indeed عُلِّمَhas been taught المُنَجِّمُthe astrologer ماwhat يوis required (first part)
وَلَقَد عُلِّمَ المُنَجِّمُ ما يو
جَبُis required (continuation) لِلدينِfor religion أَنthat يَكونَit be صَريحاclear; unequivocal
جَبُ لِلدينِ أَن يَكونَ صَريحا
And the astrologer has indeed been taught what is required
Of fiery stars and stars that suited soil, water and wind,
for religion to be clear and unequivocal,
The intelligent realize who understands interpretation until they think it explicit.
مِنfrom نُجومٍstars نارِيَّةٍfiery وَنُجومٍand stars
مِن نُجومٍ نارِيَّةٍ وَنُجومٍ
ناسَبَتwere akin to تُربَةًearth وَماءًand water وَريحاand wind
ناسَبَت تُربَةً وَماءً وَريحا
from fiery stars and stars
The soul of a bird in a cage hoping for relief in its death,
akin to earth, water, and wind.
They gave you false comfort, the habit of wine, so wait, I do not prefer merriment,
فَطِنُthe perceptive one الحاضِرينَthose present مَنone who يَفهَمُunderstands التَعthe allusion (first part)
فَطِنُ الحاضِرينَ مَن يَفهَمُ التَع
ريضَallusion (continuation) حَتّىto the point that يَظُنُّهُhe thinks it تَصريحاan explicit statement
ريضَ حَتّى يَظُنُّهُ تَصريحا
The perceptive one among those present is he who understands indirect
How can I be safe from misery, at ease, in my other house,
allusion so well that he takes it for an explicit statement.
With conviction as I am today in it, or empty so I do not intend the grave?
رَبُّmany a رَوحٍsoul كَطائِرِlike the bird of القَفَصِthe cage المَسthe imprisoned (first part)
رَبُّ رَوحٍ كَطائِرِ القَفَصِ المَس
جونِimprisoned (continuation) تَرجوhopes بِمَوتِهاthrough its death التَسريحاrelease
جونِ تَرجو بِمَوتِها التَسريحا
Many a soul, like a caged bird held
Wondrously I disobey my reason out of ignorance, and the healthy remains wounded to me,
prisoner, hopes through its death for release.
Like Qays the morning he left Lubna returned complaining of what he suffered,
فَرَّحوكُمthey cheered you all بِباطِلٍwith falsehood شيمَةُthe habit of الخَمthe wine (first part)
فَرَّحوكُم بِباطِلٍ شيمَةُ الخَم
رِwine (continuation) فَمَهلاًso gently لاnot أوثِرُI favor التَفريحاcheering
رِ فَمَهلاً لا أوثِرُ التَفريحا
They cheered you with falsehood—the habit of
He laments the man of loyalty, we have not found loyalty but fallen,
wine; so gently now: I do not favor such cheering.
And Abū Ja‘dah, the relationship of Ja‘dah still bearing loads,
كَيفَhow ليfor me أَنthat أَكونَI be فيin دارِيَmy abode الأُخthe other (first part)
كَيفَ لي أَن أَكونَ في دارِيَ الأُخ
رىother (continuation) مُعافاًspared مِنfrom شَقوَةٍmisery مُستَريحاat rest
رى مُعافاً مِن شَقوَةٍ مُستَريحا
How can I be, in my other abode,
And the son of ‘Irs I knew, and the son of Buraik,
spared misery and at rest,
Then ‘Irs I did not know him, and Buraik.
ذاpossessing اِقتِناعٍcontentment كَماjust as أَناI اليَومُtoday فيهِin it
ذا اِقتِناعٍ كَما أَنا اليَومُ فيهِ
أَوor أَخلّىI be left alone فَلاso not أَريمُI leave الضَريحاthe tomb
أَو أَخلّى فَلا أَريمُ الضَريحا
content, as I am today,
And it is good fortune for the youth to come while death runs to him hastily,
or be left alone, so I never leave the tomb?
He did not suffer illness long and passed, he did not endure wasting away.
عَجَباًwhat a wonder ليat myself أَعصيI disobey مِنَout of الجَهلِignorance عَقليmy reason
عَجَباً لي أَعصي مِنَ الجَهلِ عَقلي
وَيَظَلُّand remains السَليمُthe sound one عِنديwith me جَريحاwounded
وَيَظَلُّ السَليمُ عِندي جَريحا
How strange I am: in ignorance I disobey my reason,
and what is sound remains wounded in my keeping—
مِثلُِlike قيسٍQays غَداةَon the morning فارَقَhe parted from لُبنىLubna
مِثلُِ قيسٍ غَداةَ فارَقَ لُبنى
عادَhe turned again يَشكوhe complains against فيماover what جَناهُhe had done it ذَريحاDharih
عادَ يَشكو فيما جَناهُ ذَريحا
like Qays on the morning he parted from Lubna:
he turned to blaming Dharih for what he himself had done.
يَتَكَنّىtake a byname أَباFather of الوَفاءِFidelity رِجالٌmen
يَتَكَنّى أَبا الوَفاءِ رِجالٌ
ماnot وَجَدناwe found الوَفاءَfidelity إِلّاexcept طَريحاcast aside
ما وَجَدنا الوَفاءَ إِلّا طَريحا
Men take the byname Abu al-Wafa, 'Father of Fidelity';
we have found fidelity only cast aside.
وَأَبوand Father of جَعدَةٍJa'da زُؤالَةُZu'ala (the wolf) مَنwho جَعJa'da (first part)
وَأَبو جَعدَةٍ زُؤالَةُ مَن جَع
دَةُJa'da (continuation) لاmay he not زَالَcease حامِلاًbearing تَتريحاsorrow
دَةُ لا زَالَ حامِلاً تَتريحا
And Abu Ja'da is Zu'ala, the wolf—who is Ja'da?
May he never cease to bear sorrow!
وَاِبنِand son of عِرسٍ'Irs عَرَفتُI knew وَاِبنَand son of بُرَيحٍBurayh
وَاِبنِ عِرسٍ عَرَفتُ وَاِبنَ بُرَيحٍ
ثُمَّthen عِرساً'Irs جَهَلتُهُI did not know him وَبَريحاand Barih
ثُمَّ عِرساً جَهَلتُهُ وَبَريحا
I have known Ibn 'Irs and Ibn Burayh,
but 'Irs I did not know, nor Barih.
وَمِنَand among اليُمنِgood fortune لِلفَتىfor the young man أَنthat يَجيءَcomes الthe
وَمِنَ اليُمنِ لِلفَتى أَن يَجيءَ ال
مَوتُdeath يَسعىruns إِلَيهِtoward him سَعياًa pace سَريحاswift
مَوتُ يَسعى إِلَيهِ سَعياً سَريحا
And it is good fortune for a young man that
death comes running swiftly toward him:
لَمdid not يُمارِسcontend with مِنَof السِقامِillness طَويلاًlong
لَم يُمارِس مِنَ السِقامِ طَويلاً
وَمَضىand he departed لَمdid not يُكابِدِendure التَبريحاagony
وَمَضى لَم يُكابِدِ التَبريحا
he has not struggled long with illness,
and has departed without enduring agony.
Partial English translation: 16 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1