بُكاءُthe weeping الحَمائِمِof the doves ضِحكُthe laughter الحَمامِof death
بُكاءُ الحَمائِمِ ضِحكُ الحَمامِ
لِنَيلِto attain المُنىwishes مِنfrom غَريمِthe debtor الغَرامِof love
لِنَيلِ المُنى مِن غَريمِ الغَرامِ
The doves’ weeping is death’s laughter,
at having its wishes granted by love’s debtor.
حَمائِمُdoves ناحَتlamented فَباحَتand so revealed أَسىًsorrow
حَمائِمُ ناحَت فَباحَت أَسىً
وَناجَتand whispered confidences فَهاجَتand so stirred جَوىburning anguish المُستَهامِof the lovesick one
وَناجَت فَهاجَت جَوى المُستَهامِ
Doves lamented, laying bare their sorrow,
and whispered, stirring the lovesick one’s burning anguish.
فَلِلَّهِso, praise be to God وُرقٌgray doves غَنيناwe were content بِهِنَّwith them
فَلِلَّهِ وُرقٌ غَنينا بِهِنَّ
عَشِيَّةَon the evening غَنَّينَناthey sang to us عَنin place of زُنامِZunam
عَشِيَّةَ غَنَّينَنا عَن زُنامِ
God be praised for the gray doves that sufficed us,
on the evening they sang to us in Zunam’s stead.
هِيَthey الأَعجَمِيّاتُthe inarticulate ones لَكِنbut لَهاthey have
هِيَ الأَعجَمِيّاتُ لَكِن لَها
بَيانُeloquence اِختِيارٍselection فَصيحِeloquent الكَلامِspeech
بَيانُ اِختِيارٍ فَصيحِ الكَلامِ
They are wordless, yet theirs
is the eloquence of well-chosen, lucid speech.
وَسُكرُand the intoxication الهَوىof love هُوَit صِرفٌundiluted لَهُit has
وَسُكرُ الهَوى هُوَ صِرفٌ لَهُ
تَباريحُagonies لَيسَتare not لِسُكرِfor the intoxication المُدامِof wine
تَباريحُ لَيسَت لِسُكرِ المُدامِ
Love’s intoxication is undiluted; it has
agonies unknown to the intoxication of wine.
أَماah وَخِيامٍby tents عَلىat حاجِرٍHajir
أَما وَخِيامٍ عَلى حاجِرٍ
بُنينَthey were raised فَواهاًand oh, how splendid لَهاthey are مِنas خيامِtents
بُنينَ فَواهاً لَها مِن خيامِ
Ah, by the tents at Hajir,
raised there—oh, what tents they are!
تُكِنُّthey shelter نَهاراًby day شُموسَthe suns الضُحىof morning
تُكِنُّ نَهاراً شُموسَ الضُحى
وَيُطلِعنَand they bring forth لَيلاًby night بُدورَfull moons التَّمامِat their fullest
وَيُطلِعنَ لَيلاً بُدورَ التَّمامِ
They shelter the suns of morning by day,
and at night bring forth moons in their fullness.
يَجُدنَthey lavish عَلَيناupon us بِغَمزِwith the winking اللِّحاظِof the eyes
يَجُدنَ عَلَينا بِغَمزِ اللِّحاظِ
وَيَبخَلنَand they are stingy عَنّاtoward us بِرَدِّwith returning السَلامِthe greeting
وَيَبخَلنَ عَنّا بِرَدِّ السَلامِ
They lavish on us the winking of their eyes,
yet withhold from us a greeting in reply.
إِذاwhen اللائِماتُthe reproachful women رَأَتهُنَّsee them قُلنَthey say
إِذا اللائِماتُ رَأَتهُنَّ قُلنَ
لَحاmay curse اللَهُGod فيكُنَّon your account أَهلَthe people المَلامِof reproach
لَحا اللَهُ فيكُنَّ أَهلَ المَلامِ
When reproachful women see them, they say:
“May God curse those who blame us for loving you!”
فَقَدso indeed تُبنَthey repented عَنof عَذلِناrebuking us وَاِعتَذَرنَand they apologized
فَقَد تُبنَ عَن عَذلِنا وَاِعتَذَرنَ
وَقُلنَand they said سَلَكتُمyou have followed سَبيلَthe path الكِرامِof the noble
وَقُلنَ سَلَكتُم سَبيلَ الكِرامِ
So they have repented of rebuking us and apologized,
and said, “You have followed the path of the noble.”
لَقَدindeed حازَhas gained مَودودMawdud المَكرُماتِnoble honors
لَقَد حازَ مَودود المَكرُماتِ
جِساماًimmense بِبَثِّby dispensing الأَياديfavors الجِسامِimmense
جِساماً بِبَثِّ الأَيادي الجِسامِ
Mawdud has indeed won noble honors,
immense, by dispensing immense favors.
أَقَرَّتattested بِتَفضيلِهِto his superiority فيamong الأَنامِmankind
أَقَرَّت بِتَفضيلِهِ في الأَنامِ
عَلىover الأُمراءِthe princes مُلوكُthe kings الشَآمِof Syria
عَلى الأُمراءِ مُلوكُ الشَآمِ
His superiority among mankind is acknowledged—
over the princes—by the kings of Syria.
هُوَhe البَدرُthe full moon وَاللَيثُand the lion وَالغَيثُand the rain فيin الthe
هُوَ البَدرُ وَاللَيثُ وَالغَيثُ في ال
سَناradiance وَالنَدىand generosity وَالوَغىand battle إِذwhen يُحاميhe defends
سَنا وَالنَدى وَالوَغى إِذ يُحامي
He is the full moon, the lion, and the rain in
splendor, bounty, and battle, when he defends.
لَهُhe has قَلَمٌa pen مِنهُfrom it تُجنىare harvested المُنىwishes
لَهُ قَلَمٌ مِنهُ تُجنى المُنى
أَجَلyes وَالمَناياand deaths كَحَدِّlike the edge الحُسامِof the sword
أَجَل وَالمَنايا كَحَدِّ الحُسامِ
He has a pen from which wishes are harvested—
yes, and death too; it is like a sword’s edge.
فَعاشَso may he live كَماas شاءَhe wishes فيin دَهرِهِhis lifetime
فَعاشَ كَما شاءَ في دَهرِهِ
بِرَغمِdespite أَعاديهِhis enemies فيin كُلِّevery عامِyear
بِرَغمِ أَعاديهِ في كُلِّ عامِ
So may he live as he wishes throughout his days,
despite his enemies, year after year.
Sol 6.1