أُعيذُكَI shield you مِنfrom هِجاءٍsatire بَعدَafter مَدحِpraise
أُعيذُكَ مِن هِجاءٍ بَعدَ مَدحِ
فَعُذنيso shield me مِنfrom قِتالٍbattle بَعدَafter صُلحِpeace
فَعُذني مِن قِتالٍ بَعدَ صُلحِ
I shield you from satire after praise;
I seek refuge for you from blame after praise
So shield me from battle after peace.
So seek refuge for me from fighting after peace
مَنَحتُكَI gave you جُلَّmost of أَشعاريmy poems فَلَمّاthen when
مَنَحتُكَ جُلَّ أَشعاري فَلَمّا
ظَفِرتَyou gained بِهِنَّthem لَمdid not أَظفَرI gain بِمَنحِa gift
ظَفِرتَ بِهِنَّ لَم أَظفَر بِمَنحِ
I gave you most of my poems; but when
I gave you all my poems, but when
You gained them, I gained no gift.
You won them, I gained no reward
كَباfaltered زَنَديmy fire-stick بِحَيثُwhere رَجَوتُI hoped مِنهُfrom it
كَبا زَنَدي بِحَيثُ رَجَوتُ مِنهُ
مُساعَدَةَassistance الضِياءِlight فَخابَso failed قِدحيmy lot-arrow
مُساعَدَةَ الضِياءِ فَخابَ قِدحي
My fire-stick faltered where I had hoped for
Like tinder I hoped it would help kindle
Its help in giving light; my lot-arrow failed.
The light, but my flint failed
وَكُنتَand you were مُضافِريmy ally فَثَلَمتَyet you notched سَيفيmy sword
وَكُنتَ مُضافِري فَثَلَمتَ سَيفي
وَكُنتَand you were مُعاضِديmy supporter فَقَصَفتَyet you snapped رُمحيmy spear
وَكُنتَ مُعاضِدي فَقَصَفتَ رُمحي
And you were my ally, yet you notched my sword;
You were my ally but you broke my sword
And you were my supporter, yet you snapped my spear.
You were my aide but you shattered my lance
وَكُنتُand I was مُمَنَّعاًwell defended فَأَذَلَّbut brought low داريmy home
وَكُنتُ مُمَنَّعاً فَأَذَلَّ داري
دُخولُكَyour entry ذُلَّthe abasement of ثَغرٍa frontier fortress بَعدَafter فَتحِconquest
دُخولُكَ ذُلَّ ثَغرٍ بَعدَ فَتحِ
And I was well defended, but my home was abased
I was protected but my house was disgraced
By your entry, like a frontier fortress after conquest.
By your entrance, a gaping breach after opening
فَياso O لَيثاًlion دَعَوتُI called بِهِupon him لِيَحميto protect
فَيا لَيثاً دَعَوتُ بِهِ لِيَحمي
حِمايَmy protected domain مِنَfrom العِدىthe foes فَاِجتاحَyet he ravaged سَرحيmy grazing herd
حِمايَ مِنَ العِدى فَاِجتاحَ سَرحي
So, O lion I called upon to guard
O lion I called on to protect me
My domain from foes—yet you ravaged my herd!
From harm but he ravaged my fold
وَياand O طِبّاًphysician رَجَوتُI hoped for صَلاحَthe healing of جِسميmy body
وَيا طِبّاً رَجَوتُ صَلاحَ جِسمي
بِكَفَّيهِby his two hands فَزادَbut he increased بَلاءَthe affliction of جُرحيmy wound
بِكَفَّيهِ فَزادَ بَلاءَ جُرحي
And O physician, I hoped for my body's healing
O doctor I hoped would heal my body
By your hands, yet you worsened my wound's affliction!
With his hands but increased my wounds
وَياand O قَمَراًmoon رَجَوتُI hoped for السَيرَtravel فيهِin it
وَيا قَمَراً رَجَوتُ السَيرَ فيهِ
فَلَثَّمَهُbut veiled it الدُجىthe darkness عَنيfrom me بِجِنحِwith a wing
فَلَثَّمَهُ الدُجى عَني بِجِنحِ
And O moon, I hoped to travel in your light,
O moon I hoped to travel by its light
But darkness veiled you from me with a wing!
But darkness veiled it from me with its wings
سَأَرميI shall hurl العَزمَresolve فيinto ثَغرِthe mouth of الدَياجيthe dark nights
سَأَرمي العَزمَ في ثَغرِ الدَياجي
وَأَحدوand I urge with song العيسَthe pale camels فيamong سَلَمٍsalam acacias وَطَلحِand talh acacias
وَأَحدو العيسَ في سَلَمٍ وَطَلحِ
I shall hurl my resolve into the mouth of dark nights,
I will fling my resolve into the mouth of the night
And urge the pale camels onward with song among salam and talh acacias,
And spur on the stallion across the salty ground
لِبَشَرٍtoward a man مُصَفَّقِfirmly knit الأَخلاقِcharacter عَذبٍpleasant
لِبَشَرٍ مُصَفَّقِ الأَخلاقِ عَذبٍ
وَجودٍand generous مُهَذَّبِrefined النَشَواتِexhilarations سَمحِopen-handed
وَجودٍ مُهَذَّبِ النَشَواتِ سَمحِ
Toward a man, firm in character and sweet-natured,
For a man of refined nature, gentle
Generous, refined in his exhilarations, open-handed;
Generosity with graceful giving, open-handed
وَقورٍdignified ماnot اِستَخَفَّتهُunsettled him اللَياليthe nights
وَقورٍ ما اِستَخَفَّتهُ اللَيالي
وَلاnor خَدَعَتهُbeguiled him عَنaway from جِدٍearnestness بِمَزحِwith jest
وَلا خَدَعَتهُ عَن جِدٍ بِمَزحِ
Dignified, whom the nights have not unsettled,
Dignified, not taken lightly by the nights
Nor beguiled from earnestness with jest.
Or fooled from seriousness into joking
إِذاif لَيلُthe night of النَوائِبِcalamities مَدَّstretches out باعاًan arm's span
إِذا لَيلُ النَوائِبِ مَدَّ باعاً
ثَناهُhe turns it back عَنfrom عَزيمَتِهِits resolve بِصُبحِwith dawn
ثَناهُ عَن عَزيمَتِهِ بِصُبحِ
If the night of calamities stretches out an arm,
When the night of trials stretches out a hand
He turns it from its purpose with a dawn.
He straightens it with his resolve by morning
وَإِنand if رَكَضَgallops السُؤالُsupplication إِلىtoward نَداهُhis bounty
وَإِن رَكَضَ السُؤالُ إِلى نَداهُ
تَتَبَّعَhe follows closely إِثرَthe track of وَطأَتِهِits footfall بِنُجحِwith fulfillment
تَتَبَّعَ إِثرَ وَطأَتِهِ بِنُجحِ
And if supplication gallops toward his bounty,
And if questioning runs to his help
He follows its footsteps with fulfillment.
He follows its path with success
وَأَصرِفُand I turn هِمَّتيmy ambition عَنaway from كُلِّevery نِكسٍbase weakling
وَأَصرِفُ هِمَّتي عَن كُلِّ نِكسٍ
أَمَلَّdictated عَلىupon الضَمائِرِthe hearts كُلَّevery بَرحِtorment
أَمَلَّ عَلى الضَمائِرِ كُلَّ بَرحِ
And I turn my ambition from every base weakling
And I turn my thoughts from all who forebode
Who has imposed every torment on hearts.
Evil upon consciences after every comfort
يُهَدِّدُنيhe threatens me بِقُبحٍwith ugliness بَعدَafter حُسنٍbeauty
يُهَدِّدُني بِقُبحٍ بَعدَ حُسنٍ
وَلَمand did not أَرَI see غَيرَanything but قُبحٍugliness بَعدَafter قُبحِugliness
وَلَم أَرَ غَيرَ قُبحٍ بَعدَ قُبحِ
He threatens me with ugliness after beauty,
He threatens me with ugliness after beauty
Yet I have seen only ugliness after ugliness.
And I have seen none but ugliness after ugliness
Sol 6.1