سَرىtraveled by night طَيفُthe apparition of عَلوَةَAlwah مِنfrom بانِياساBaniyas
سَرى طَيفُ عَلوَةَ مِن بانِياسا
وَقَدand indeed أُسعِرَwas set ablaze القَلبُthe heart مُذsince بانَdeparted ياساin despair
وَقَد أُسعِرَ القَلبُ مُذ بانَ ياسا
The apparition of Alwah traveled by night from Baniyas,
And my heart had burned with despair since the parting.
فَكَمand how many مِنof أَفاحيصَnest-scrapes جَونِdark القَطاsandgrouse
فَكَم مِن أَفاحيصَ جَونِ القَطا
خَطاit crossed وَأَداحِيَand nesting hollows لِلرُبدِof gray ostriches داساit trod
خَطا وَأَداحِيَ لِلرُبدِ داسا
How many nests of dark sandgrouse
It crossed, and trampled nesting hollows of gray ostriches!
سَرىtraveled by night حينَwhen هَوَّمتُI dozed فيon لَيلَةٍa night
سَرى حينَ هَوَّمتُ في لَيلَةٍ
تَهابُfear السَراحينُthe wolves فيهاon it اِعتِساساnight-prowling
تَهابُ السَراحينُ فيها اِعتِساسا
It traveled when I dozed upon a night
On which wolves feared to prowl.
كَأَنَّas though دُجاهاits darkness غُرابٌa raven تَنَفbeginning of 'shook itself'
كَأَنَّ دُجاها غُرابٌ تَنَف
فَضَending of 'shook itself' إِذwhile أَعيُنُthe eyes of السُحبِthe clouds تَهميpour down اِنبِجاساin torrents
فَضَ إِذ أَعيُنُ السُحبِ تَهمي اِنبِجاسا
As though its darkness were a raven shaking
Itself, while the clouds' eyes poured in torrents.
وَإِنسانُand the pupil of عَينيmy eye صَبِيّan infant بِمُهدٍin a cradle
وَإِنسانُ عَيني صَبِيّ بِمُهدٍ
يُهَزُّis rocked بِهِin it فَيُناغيand so coos to النُعاساdrowsiness
يُهَزُّ بِهِ فَيُناغي النُعاسا
And the pupil of my eye was an infant in a cradle,
Rocked in it, cooing to drowsiness.
وَماand not كانَwas إِذwhen زارَنيit visited me سامِرِيa Samaritan (first part)
وَما كانَ إِذ زارَني سامِرِي
ياًending of 'Samaritan' يَقولُsaying إِذاwhen رُمتهُI sought it لاno مِساساtouching
ياً يَقولُ إِذا رُمتهُ لا مِساسا
Nor was it, when it visited me, a Samaritan,
Saying, when I sought it, 'No touching!'
فَذَكَّرَنيso it reminded me عَهدَthe days of بانِbān trees الحِمىthe sanctuary
فَذَكَّرَني عَهدَ بانِ الحِمى
وَفَوديand my temple-locks ثَغامٌwhite thaghām grass وَقَدand indeed كانَhad been آساmyrtle
وَفَودي ثَغامٌ وَقَد كانَ آسا
So it recalled to me the days of the sanctuary's bān trees,
And my temple-locks are white thaghām grass, though once they were myrtle.
وَكَمand how many لَيلَةٍa night بتُّI spent the night فيin ظِلِّهاher shade
وَكَم لَيلَةٍ بتُّ في ظِلِّها
أُعاطىI was offered بِقاعِيَّةًBiqa‘ wine مِنfrom يَماساYamas
أُعاطى بِقاعِيَّةً مِن يَماسا
And how many nights I spent beneath her shade,
Being offered Biqa‘ wine from Yamas!
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle تَناوَلتَyou took كَأساًa cup مِنَfrom الthe
إِذا ما تَناوَلتَ كَأساً مِنَ ال
حَبيبِbeloved بِهاthere أَتبَعَhe followed الكاسَthe cup كاساwith another cup
حَبيبِ بِها أَتبَعَ الكاسَ كاسا
Whenever you took a cup from the
Beloved there, he followed one cup with another.
فَلاso do not تُنكِرَنَّdeny هَداكَmay he guide you المَليكُthe Sovereign
فَلا تُنكِرَنَّ هَداكَ المَليكُ
مَقاليmy words فَمَنfor whoever أَدمَنَdrinks habitually الكَأسَthe cup كاساstaggers
مَقالي فَمَن أَدمَنَ الكَأسَ كاسا
So do not deny—may the Sovereign guide you—
My words: whoever is addicted to the cup staggers.
وَمَنand whoever فاهَspoke بِالنارِof fire لَمdid not يَحتَرِقburn
وَمَن فاهَ بِالنارِ لَم يَحتَرِق
بِهاby it فوهُhis mouth يَوماًever وَلَمand did not يَخشَfear باساharm
بِها فوهُ يَوماً وَلَم يَخشَ باسا
And whoever speaks of fire has never burned
His mouth with it, nor feared harm.
وَليand I have شَرَفُSharaf (honor) الدينِal-Din (of the faith) فيin بانِياسَBaniyas
وَلي شَرَفُ الدينِ في بانِياسَ
فَلَستُso I am not لِفُرقَةِat separation from مَنthose who بانَdeparted آسىgrieving
فَلَستُ لِفُرقَةِ مَن بانَ آسى
And I have Sharaf al-Din in Baniyas,
So I do not grieve at separation from those who depart.
إِذاwhen قالَhe speaks شِعراًverse أَراناhe shows us اِبنَIbn (son of) أَوسٍAws
إِذا قالَ شِعراً أَرانا اِبنَ أَوسٍ
حَبيباًHabib وَأَنسىand makes us forget ذَكاءًin intelligence إِياساIyas
حَبيباً وَأَنسى ذَكاءً إِياسا
When he speaks verse, he brings before us Ibn Aws,
Habib, and by his intelligence makes us forget Iyas.
أَنيقُelegant القَوافيrhymes دَقيقُsubtle المَعانيmeanings
أَنيقُ القَوافي دَقيقُ المَعاني
يجيدُhe masters الطِباقَantithesis بِهِin it وَالجِناساand wordplay
يجيدُ الطِباقَ بِهِ وَالجِناسا
Elegant in rhymes, subtle in meanings,
He masters antithesis and wordplay therein.
قَوِيُّstrong النُهوضِin bearing بِعِبءِthe burden of العَروضِprosody
قَوِيُّ النُهوضِ بِعِبءِ العَروضِ
وَلَمand did not يَكُbe فيin النَحوِgrammar يَخشىfear التِباساconfusion
وَلَم يَكُ في النَحوِ يَخشى التِباسا
Strong in bearing the burden of prosody,
He never feared confusion in grammar.
أَفادَhe gained فَجادَthen gave generously وَسادَand attained eminence فَزادthen increased
أَفادَ فَجادَ وَسادَ فَزاد
وَقادَand led فَذادَthen defended وَعادَand visited فَآسىthen consoled
وَقادَ فَذادَ وَعادَ فَآسى
He gained, then gave; attained eminence, then rose higher;
And led, then defended; visited, then consoled.
يَبُذُّhe outdoes الخُصومَopponents إِذاwhen ناظَروهُthey debate him
يَبُذُّ الخُصومَ إِذا ناظَروهُ
بِنَصٍّwith textual proof وَيُربيand surpasses عَلَيهِمover them قِياساin analogical reasoning
بِنَصٍّ وَيُربي عَلَيهِم قِياسا
He outdoes his opponents when they debate him,
With textual proof, and surpasses them in analogical reasoning.
أَرىI see الناسَpeople ناساًas people بِهِthrough him حَيثُwherever حَلَّhe dwells
أَرى الناسَ ناساً بِهِ حَيثُ حَلَّ
فَإِنso if غابَhe is absent عَنهُمfrom them فَماthen not الناسُpeople ناساpeople
فَإِن غابَ عَنهُم فَما الناسُ ناسا
Through him I see people as true people, wherever he dwells;
But if he is absent from them, people are not people.
فَياso O اِبنson of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad اسمَعlisten فَأَنتَfor you are
فَيا اِبن مُحَمَّدٍ اسمَع فَأَنتَ
كَيَعقوبَlike Jacob يَعقوبُYa‘qub فيin بانياساBaniyas
كَيَعقوبَ يَعقوبُ في بانياسا
O son of Muhammad, listen, for you are
Like Jacob, Ya‘qub, in Baniyas.
مَدينَةُthe city of أَسباطِهِhis tribes لَمnot تَكُنwas
مَدينَةُ أَسباطِهِ لَم تَكُن
مِنَof البَرَكاتِblessings تَخافُfear اِحتِباساwithholding
مِنَ البَرَكاتِ تَخافُ اِحتِباسا
The city of his tribes did not
Fear the withholding of blessings.
أَتَتكَcame to you السَعادَةُgood fortune مُنقادَةًsubmissive
أَتَتكَ السَعادَةُ مُنقادَةً
وَتَأبىand refuses لِغَيرِكَfor anyone other than you إِلّاanything but شِماساrestiveness
وَتَأبى لِغَيرِكَ إِلّا شِماسا
Good fortune came to you submissively,
And for anyone else refuses to be anything but restive.
فَياso O مَنyou who يُسائِلُask عَنهُabout him أَصِخlisten closely
فَيا مَن يُسائِلُ عَنهُ أَصِخ
لِمَنto one who لِلتَجارِبِthrough trials قاسىendured hardship فَقاساthen reasoned by analogy
لِمَن لِلتَجارِبِ قاسى فَقاسا
O you who ask about him, listen closely
To one who endured trials and drew conclusions.
وَجاوِرهُand live near him تَنجُyou will be saved بِهِthrough him وَقتَat a time of بَأسٍperil
وَجاوِرهُ تَنجُ بِهِ وَقتَ بَأسٍ
وَشاوِرهُand consult him تَجنِyou will reap مُنىًwishes وَاِقتِباساand enlightenment
وَشاوِرهُ تَجنِ مُنىً وَاِقتِباسا
Live near him: through him you will be saved in times of peril;
And consult him: reap fulfilled wishes and enlightenment.
لَهُhe has قَلَمٌa pen واسِعُvast in الفَضلِbounty جَلَّit is great
لَهُ قَلَمٌ واسِعُ الفَضلِ جَلَّ
وَإِنand though ضاقَit is narrow شِقّاًin its slit وَإِنand though دَقَّit is fine راساat its tip
وَإِن ضاقَ شِقّاً وَإِن دَقَّ راسا
He has a pen, great and vast in bounty,
Though narrow in its slit and fine at its tip.
يَجودُit gives generously فَيُغنيand so enriches المَواليsupporters سَماحاًwith generosity
يَجودُ فَيُغني المَوالي سَماحاً
وَيَسطوand strikes فَيُفنيand so annihilates الأَعاديenemies حَماساwith valor
وَيَسطو فَيُفني الأَعادي حَماسا
It gives, enriching supporters with generosity,
And strikes, annihilating enemies with valor.
تَسوسُgovern الأَقاليمَthe provinces أَقلامُهُhis pens
تَسوسُ الأَقاليمَ أَقلامُهُ
فَياso, oh حَبَّذاhow excellent مَنthe one who بِهِwith it الناسpeople ساساgoverned
فَيا حَبَّذا مَن بِهِ الناس ساسا
His pens govern the provinces;
How excellent is he who governed people with it!
بَنىhe built لِجَهَركَسَfor Jaharkas بِالرَأيِthrough counsel مُلكاًa realm
بَنى لِجَهَركَسَ بِالرَأيِ مُلكاً
فَقَوّىso he strengthened دَعائِمَهُits pillars وَالأَساساand the foundation
فَقَوّى دَعائِمَهُ وَالأَساسا
Through counsel he built a realm for Jaharkas,
And strengthened its pillars and foundation.
فَكانَso he became لِدَولَتِهِfor his state زينَةًan adornment
فَكانَ لِدَولَتِهِ زينَةً
كَذاكَlikewise الطِرازُembroidery يَزينُadorns اللِباساclothing
كَذاكَ الطِرازُ يَزينُ اللِباسا
Thus he became an adornment to his state,
Just as embroidery adorns clothing.
وَماand not مَنthe one who يُقَرِّبُbrings close مِنهُto himself الكِرامَthe noble
وَما مَن يُقَرِّبُ مِنهُ الكِرامَ
كَآخَرَlike another يُدنيbrings near إِلَيهِto himself الخِساساthe base
كَآخَرَ يُدني إِلَيهِ الخِساسا
And one who draws the noble close to himself is not
Like another who brings the base near to himself.
غَدَتhas become بانِياسُBaniyas عَرينَthe den of الهِزَبرِthe lion
غَدَت بانِياسُ عَرينَ الهِزَبرِ
وَقَبلَand before جَهارَكسَJaharkas كانَتit was كِناساa gazelle's covert
وَقَبلَ جَهارَكسَ كانَت كِناسا
Baniyas has become the lion's den,
And before Jaharkas it was a gazelle's covert.
Sol 6.1