ياO راعيَguardian of الوُدّaffection الذيwho أفعالُهُhis deeds
يا راعيَ الوُدّ الذي أفعالُهُ
تُغنيsuffice بظاهرِby the evident aspect of أمرِهاtheir nature عنin place of نَعتِهاtheir description
تُغني بظاهرِ أمرِها عن نَعتِها
O guardian of affection, whose deeds
O shepherd of affection whose deeds
by their evident nature make description unnecessary.
Sing of their essence without description
لوif كنتَyou were حيّاًalive ماnot قَطعتُكI forsook you فاعتذِرْso offer an excuse
لو كنتَ حيّاً ما قَطعتُك فاعتذِرْ
عنيon my behalf إليكَto yourself لخُلّةٍfor friendship بأمَتّهاby its closest bond
عني إليكَ لخُلّةٍ بأمَتّها
Had you been alive, I would not have forsaken you; so offer an excuse
Had you lived I'd not have severed you so apologize
on my behalf to yourself, for friendship's closest bond.
To me for the intimacy with its people
فالأرْضُfor the earth تَعلَمُknows أنّنيthat I مُتَصرّفٌmoving about
فالأرْضُ تَعلَمُ أنّني مُتَصرّفٌ
منfrom فوْقِهاabove it وكأنّنيand as though I منfrom تَحتِهاbeneath it
من فوْقِها وكأنّني من تَحتِها
For the earth knows that I move about
The earth knows I manipulate
above it, yet as though I were beneath it.
Over it as though I were beneath it
غَدَرَتْbetrayed بيَme الدّنياthe world وكلُّand every مصاحبٍcompanion
غَدَرَتْ بيَ الدّنيا وكلُّ مصاحبٍ
صاحبتُهُI befriended him غَدْرَwith the treachery of الشّمالِthe north wind بأُختِهاtoward its sister
صاحبتُهُ غَدْرَ الشّمالِ بأُختِها
The world has betrayed me, and so has every companion
The world betrayed me and every companion
I befriended—as the north wind betrays its sister.
I accompanied betrayed like the north betrays its sister
شُغفتْwas enamored بوامقِهاof her lover الحَريصِthe greedy one وأظهرَتْand she displayed
شُغفتْ بوامقِها الحَريصِ وأظهرَتْ
مَقتيhatred of me لِماbecause of what أظهَرْتُهُI displayed منof مَقتِهاhatred of her
مَقتي لِما أظهَرْتُهُ من مَقتِها
She was enamored of her greedy lover, and displayed
It craved the avarice yet revealed
hatred of me for the hatred I showed her.
My hatred for what it revealed of its hatred
لاno بُدّescape للحَسناءِfor a beautiful woman منfrom ذامٍa detractor ولاand no
لا بُدّ للحَسناءِ من ذامٍ ولا
ذامٌdetractor لنَفسِيof my soul غَيرَexcept سَيّئِill بَخْتِهاits fortune
ذامٌ لنَفسِي غَيرَ سَيّئِ بَخْتِها
A beauty must have a detractor; and none
No beauty lacks a critic, and I have
disparages my soul except its ill fortune.
No critics but the wretchedness of its fate
ولقدand indeed شرِكتُكَI shared with you فيin أساكَyour grief مُشاطِراًtaking an equal share
ولقد شرِكتُكَ في أساكَ مُشاطِراً
وحَللتُand I dwelt فيin واديthe valley of الهمومِsorrows وخَبتِهاand their lowland
وحَللتُ في وادي الهمومِ وخَبتِها
And indeed, I shared in your grief, taking my share,
I made you partner in the most intimate places
and dwelt in the valley of sorrows and their lowland.
And wandered in the valley of sorrows and its pits
وكرِهتُand I disliked منafter بعدِthe passing of الثلاثِthe three تجَشُّميmy struggling along
وكرِهتُ من بعدِ الثلاثِ تجَشُّمي
طُرُقَthe paths of العزاءِconsolation علىwith تغيّرِthe changing of سَمتِهاtheir direction
طُرُقَ العزاءِ على تغيّرِ سَمتِها
And after the three days, I was loath to struggle along
After the third separation I disliked
the paths of consolation, with their changing course.
The ways of condolence for the change in its traits
وعليّand I must أنْto أقضِيmake up صَلاتيmy prayer بَعدماafter
وعليّ أنْ أقضِي صَلاتي بَعدما
فاتَتْit was missed إذاif لمnot آتِهاI perform it فيat وَقْتِهاits appointed time
فاتَتْ إذا لم آتِها في وَقْتِها
And I must make up my prayer after
And I must perform my prayers after
it has been missed, if I did not perform it at its appointed time.
Missing them if I did not do them on time
إنّindeed الصّروفَfate's vicissitudes كماas علِمتَyou know صَوَامتٌsilent
إنّ الصّروفَ كما علِمتَ صَوَامتٌ
عَنّاabout us وكلand every عبارَةٍutterance فيin صَمتِهاtheir silence
عَنّا وكل عبارَةٍ في صَمتِها
Indeed, fate's vicissitudes, as you know, are silent
The turns of fate as you knew are silent
about us, yet every utterance lies in their silence.
About us and every expression in its silence
مُتَفَقّهٌa learned jurist للدّهرِfor Time إنْif تَسْتَفْتِهِasks him for a ruling
مُتَفَقّهٌ للدّهرِ إنْ تَسْتَفْتِهِ
نَفسُthe soul of امرئٍa man عنabout جُرمهhis sin لاnot يُفْتِهاhe gives it a ruling
نَفسُ امرئٍ عن جُرمه لا يُفْتِها
Time has a jurist; if he is consulted
A jurisprudent, if you consult him, of fate
by a man's soul about his sin, he gives it no ruling.
A person's soul does not evade its crime
وتكونُand are كالوَرَقِlike leaves الذّنوبُsins علىupon الفتىthe young man
وتكونُ كالوَرَقِ الذّنوبُ على الفتى
ومُصابُهُand his affliction ريحٌa wind تهُبّblows لِحَتّهاto strip them away
ومُصابُهُ ريحٌ تهُبّ لِحَتّها
And sins lie like leaves upon a young man,
And sins upon the lad are like leaves
and his affliction is a wind that blows to strip them away.
And his afflictions winds blowing their edges
جازاكَmay He reward you رَبّكَyour Lord بالجِنانِwith Paradise's gardens فهَذِهِfor this
جازاكَ رَبّكَ بالجِنانِ فهَذِهِ
دارٌan abode وإنْand although حَسُنَتْit is fair تغُرّit beguiles بسُحتِهاwith its illicit wealth
دارٌ وإنْ حَسُنَتْ تغُرّ بسُحتِها
May your Lord reward you with Paradise's gardens, for this
May your Lord reward you with heavens for this
is an abode that, though fair, beguiles with its illicit wealth.
Is an abode though it looks good in its plateau
ضَلّwent astray الذيthe one who قالsaid البلادُthe lands قديمةٌeternal
ضَلّ الذي قال البلادُ قديمةٌ
بالطّبعِby nature كانتْthey existed والأنامُand humankind كنَبتِهاlike their vegetation
بالطّبعِ كانتْ والأنامُ كنَبتِها
He went astray who said the lands are eternal,
Lost is he who said the countries are ancient
existing by nature, and humankind is like their vegetation.
In nature, they and the people were like its plants
وأمامناand before us يوْمٌa day تقُومُrise هُجُودُهُits sleepers
وأمامنا يوْمٌ تقُومُ هُجُودُهُ
منfrom بَعدِafter إبلاءِthe wearing away of العِظامِthe bones ورَفْتِهاand their crumbling
من بَعدِ إبلاءِ العِظامِ ورَفْتِها
And before us lies a day whose sleepers will rise
And ahead of us is a day its oopulence
after the bones have worn away and crumbled.
Rises after the testing of bones and their decay
لاno بُدّescape للزّمَنِfor Time المُسيءِdoing harm بناto us إذاwhen
لا بُدّ للزّمَنِ المُسيءِ بنا إذا
قَوِيَتْgrow strong حبالُthe cords of أُخوّةٍbrotherhood منfrom بتّهاsevering them
قَوِيَتْ حبالُ أُخوّةٍ من بتّها
Time, which wrongs us, must, when
Time that harmed us must when
the cords of brotherhood grow strong, sever them.
The ropes of kinship strengthened from its core
فاللّهُso God يَرْحَمُmay He have mercy on مَنwhoever مضَىhas passed away مُتَفَضِّلاًgraciously
فاللّهُ يَرْحَمُ مَن مضَى مُتَفَضِّلاً
ويقيكand may He protect you منfrom جَزلthe weighty ones of الخطوبcalamities وشَختِهاand their slight ones
ويقيك من جَزل الخطوب وشَختِها
So may God graciously have mercy on whoever has passed away,
May God have mercy on those who passed excelling
and shield you from weighty calamities and slight ones,
And protect you from grave afflictions and their severity
ويُطيلُand may He prolong عمركَyour life للصّديقfor the friend فطولُهُfor its length
ويُطيلُ عمركَ للصّديق فطولُهُ
سبَبٌa cause إلىleading to غَيظِthe rage of العُداةِthe enemies وكَبتِهاand their humiliation
سبَبٌ إلى غَيظِ العُداةِ وكَبتِها
and prolong your life for your friend's sake; its length
And prolong your life for a friend for its length
is a cause of the enemies' rage and humiliation.
Is reason for the enemies' fury and suppression
Sol 6.1