قَلَمُpen الوَزيرِthe vizier هُوَit الشَّقِيقُthe full brother لَبيضهِto his white blades
قَلَمُ الوَزيرِ هُوَ الشَّقِيقُ لَبيضهِ
والبِيضُand the white blades فيin عَلَقِclotted blood النُّفُوسِthe souls شَقيقُa red anemone
والبِيضُ في عَلَقِ النُّفُوسِ شَقيقُ
The vizier's pen is the brother of his white blades;
and the white blades, in the blood of souls, are red anemones.
كالحيةِlike the serpent النَّضناضِthe tongue-flicking one إلاَّexcept أَنَّهُthat it
كالحيةِ النَّضناضِ إلاَّ أَنَّهُ
يَشفيheals لِلَسْعِfor the sting الدَّهْرِTime منهُfrom it الرِّيقُsaliva
يَشفي لِلَسْعِ الدَّهْرِ منهُ الرِّيقُ
Like a tongue-flicking serpent, except that
the saliva from it heals Time's sting.
حَبَسْتهُrestrained it أَنملُكَyour fingertips الكرامُthe noble ones عنِfrom الخَناfoul speech
حَبَسْتهُ أَنملُكَ الكرامُ عنِ الخَنا
وَسَعَىand it hastened إلىtoward الحَسَناتِgood deeds وَهْوَwhile it is طَلِيقُfree
وَسَعَى إلى الحَسَناتِ وَهْوَ طَلِيقُ
Your noble fingertips restrained it from foul speech,
and it hastened toward good deeds, freely.
وَجَرىand it ran علَىacross مَيْدانِthe racecourse طِرْسِكَyour page سَابِقاًahead
وَجَرى علَى مَيْدانِ طِرْسِكَ سَابِقاً
لكنَّهُbut it مَعْbeside ذِهْنِكَyour mind المَسْبوقُthe outstripped one
لكنَّهُ مَعْ ذِهْنِكَ المَسْبوقُ
And it raced ahead across the course of your page,
but beside your mind it is outstripped.
لاnot كالذيlike the one that باِلغَيّthrough folly آلَمَhurt جِيدَهُits neck
لا كالذي باِلغَيّ آلَمَ جِيدَهُ
صُمُthe deaf ones الثلاثِthe three كأَنّهُas though it were مَخْنوقُstrangled
صُمُ الثلاثِ كأَنّهُ مَخْنوقُ
Not like the one whose neck was hurt through folly
by the deaf three, as though it were strangled.
يُوحيconveys إليناto us عَنabout ضَمِيرِكَyour inner thoughts سَامِعٌa listener
يُوحي إلينا عَن ضَمِيرِكَ سَامِعٌ
مِنهُof it أَصَمُّdeaf وآخَرٌand another مِنطِيقُeloquent
مِنهُ أَصَمُّ وآخَرٌ مِنطِيقُ
It conveys your inner thoughts to us: a listener
within it is deaf, while another speaks eloquently.
فَهْوَthus it is المسَوَّدُthe blackened one والمسُودُand the ruled-over one بالذيof that which
فَهْوَ المسَوَّدُ والمسُودُ بالذي
يُثْنيpraises المُحقُّthe fair-minded man علَىupon ثَناهُits praise حَقيقُdeserving
يُثْني المُحقُّ علَى ثَناهُ حَقيقُ
Thus it is blackened and ruled, deserving of what
the fair-minded man offers in its praise.
أَكْرِمْhow noble! بهِit, in the exclamation قَلَماًa pen يَغُوثُYaghuth (helper) وغَيرُهُand another besides it
أَكْرِمْ بهِ قَلَماً يَغُوثُ وغَيرُهُ
عِندَat الحَوائجِtimes of need لاnot يَزالُceases يَعُوقُYa'uq (hinderer)
عِندَ الحَوائجِ لا يَزالُ يَعُوقُ
How noble a pen—Yaghuth, the helper! Another
is ever Ya'uq, the hinderer, in times of need.
مَلكَتْpossessed رَقِيقاًa slave منهُfrom it كَفُّthe hand مُفَوَّهٍan eloquent man
مَلكَتْ رَقِيقاً منهُ كَفُّ مُفَوَّهٍ
لِلسانهِto his tongue حُرُّfree الكلامِspeech رَقِيقُa slave
لِلسانهِ حُرُّ الكلامِ رَقِيقُ
An eloquent man's hand possesses it as a slave;
free speech is a slave to his tongue.
رَقَمَinscribed السُّطورَthe lines علىon الطُّروسِthe sheets بِأَرقَمٍwith a speckled serpent
رَقَمَ السُّطورَ على الطُّروسِ بِأَرقَمٍ
رَتَقَstitched together البَنانَthe fingers لِسَانُهُits tongue المَفْتُوقُsplit open
رَتَقَ البَنانَ لِسَانُهُ المَفْتُوقُ
He inscribed the lines on the sheets with a speckled serpent;
its split tongue stitched the fingers together.
مَشَقwrote in sweeping strokes الحروفَthe letters وَهَزَّand swayed مِنfrom أَعطافهِits flanks
مَشَق الحروفَ وَهَزَّ مِن أَعطافهِ
فَسَباكَso it captivated you منهُfrom it الماشِقُthe sweeping-stroke writer المَمْشُوقُthe slender one
فَسَباكَ منهُ الماشِقُ المَمْشُوقُ
It stretched out the letters and swayed its flanks,
so the slender, sweeping-stroke writer in it captivated you.
ثَمِلُdrunken القِوامِbearing كأَنَّas though نَقشَthe markings دَواتهِits inkwell
ثَمِلُ القِوامِ كأَنَّ نَقشَ دَواتهِ
قَارٌpitch وَقَدand indeed صَحِبتْهُhad accompanied it منهُfrom it رَحِيقُpure wine
قَارٌ وَقَد صَحِبتْهُ منهُ رَحِيقُ
Drunken in its bearing, as though its inkwell's markings
were pitch, though pure wine from it had kept it company.
عَجَباًhow strange! لِصُفْرةِat the yellow pallor جِسمهِits body وَيُسقمهِand sickens it
عَجَباً لِصُفْرةِ جِسمهِ وَيُسقمهِ
كالعَاشِقَيْنِlike the two lovers وإنَّهُand yet it is المَعْشُوقُthe beloved
كالعَاشِقَيْنِ وإنَّهُ المَعْشُوقُ
How strange its body's yellow pallor, and what makes it ill!
It is like the two lovers, though it is the beloved.
خُذْtake مِنfrom يَراعِthe reed-pen الخطِّwriting مَعنًىa meaning فيconcerning يَراreed-pen (first part)
خُذْ مِن يَراعِ الخطِّ مَعنًى في يَرا
عِreed-pen (last part) الحَظِّfortune قَدْindeed نَزَعَتْstretched إليهِtoward it عُرُوقُroots
عِ الحَظِّ قَدْ نَزَعَتْ إليهِ عُرُوقُ
Take from the writing reed a meaning concerning the reed
of fortune, toward which roots have stretched.
أَثَناءُis it the praise مَولاناour lord الوزيرِthe vizier بِفَرْقهِat its parted tip
أَثَناءُ مَولانا الوزيرِ بِفَرْقهِ
أَمْor مِسْكَةٌa piece of musk أَمْor بَينَbetween ذَيْنِthese two فُروقُdifferences
أَمْ مِسْكَةٌ أَمْ بَينَ ذَيْنِ فُروقُ
Is it our lord the vizier's praise at its parted tip,
or a piece of musk? Or are there differences between the two?
هَيْهاتَfar from it! فَاقَsurpassed المِسْكَmusk طِيبُthe fragrance ثنائِهhis praise
هَيْهاتَ فَاقَ المِسْكَ طِيبُ ثنائِه
فَلِذاكَso for that reason راحَdeparted المِسْكُmusk وَهْوَwhile it is سَحِيقُcrushed to powder
فَلِذاكَ راحَ المِسْكُ وَهْوَ سَحِيقُ
Far from it! The fragrance of his praise surpasses musk;
so musk departed, crushed to powder.
يَاO سَائليyou who ask me عَنabout كَعْبةٍa Kaaba حَجِّيmy pilgrimage لهاto it
يَا سَائلي عَن كَعْبةٍ حَجِّي لها
أَنَاI كَعْبتيmy Kaaba بَيْتٌa house بَناهُbuilt it عَتيقُAtiq
أَنَا كَعْبتي بَيْتٌ بَناهُ عَتيقُ
O you who ask me about the Kaaba to which I make pilgrimage:
As for me, my Kaaba is a house built by Atiq.
كُنْbe زائِراًa visitor بِالصِّدقِwith sincerity فيهِwithin it ذَوِيthose with الهوَىlove
كُنْ زائِراً بِالصِّدقِ فيهِ ذَوِي الهوَى
وَلكَand for you الزُّبيرُal-Zubayr وَصِهْرُهُand his in-law الصِّدِّيقُal-Siddiq
وَلكَ الزُّبيرُ وَصِهْرُهُ الصِّدِّيقُ
Be one who sincerely visits the lovers within it,
and yours are al-Zubayr and his in-law, al-Siddiq.
وَمُقصّرٍand one falling short عَنof شَأْوِهِhis reach قلتُI said اتّئِدْgo slowly
وَمُقصّرٍ عَن شَأْوِهِ قلتُ اتّئِدْ
إنَّindeed الذيthe one who زَحَمَjostled الخِضَمَّthe vast sea غَريقُdrowned
إنَّ الذي زَحَمَ الخِضَمَّ غَريقُ
And to one falling short of his reach I said: Go slowly;
indeed, whoever jostles the vast sea will drown.
Sol 6.1