أَأَنْis it because قالَsaid لِيto me صَحْبِيmy companions تَسُلَّseek solace بِغَيْرِهَاwith someone other than her
أَأَنْ قالَ لِي صَحْبِي تَسُلَّ بِغَيْرِهَا
سَلَوْتُI forgot her وَهَلْand can عَنْهَاaway from her أُصَادِفُI find مَذْهَباa path
سَلَوْتُ وَهَلْ عَنْهَا أُصَادِفُ مَذْهَبا
Just because my companions said to me, “Seek solace with another,”
have I forgotten her? Can I find any path away from her?
وَلَيْلٍand many a night أَضَاعَneglected الْخِلْوُthe carefree one عِرْفَانَknowledge of طُولِهِits length
وَلَيْلٍ أَضَاعَ الْخِلْوُ عِرْفَانَ طُولِهِ
تَرَىyou see النَّجْمَthe star فِيهِin it لاَnot يَرُومُseeks تَغَيُّبَاًto disappear
تَرَى النَّجْمَ فِيهِ لاَ يَرُومُ تَغَيُّبَاً
And many a night whose length the carefree fail to fathom—
you see the stars within it unwilling to set,
وَعَقْرَبَهُand its Scorpion فِيin الْغَرْبِthe west تَهْوِيplunges كَأنَّهَاas though it
وَعَقْرَبَهُ فِي الْغَرْبِ تَهْوِي كَأنَّهَا
تُشَكِّلُforms فِيin حَقِّthe truth of التَّشَابُهِresemblance عَقْرَبَاa scorpion
تُشَكِّلُ فِي حَقِّ التَّشَابُهِ عَقْرَبَا
and its Scorpion plunges in the west, as though
it forms the very likeness of a scorpion—
قَطَعْتُI traversed مدَاهُits span بِالأَمَانِيwith wishes أَكُرُّهاًI repeat them
قَطَعْتُ مدَاهُ بِالأَمَانِي أَكُرُّهاً
إذَاwhenever قُلْتُI said وَلَّىhas departed الْهَمُّworry عَادَit returned فَاَنْصَبَاand brought weariness
إذَا قُلْتُ وَلَّى الْهَمُّ عَادَ فَاَنْصَبَا
I passed its span with wishes, turning them over and over;
whenever I said, “Worry has departed,” it returned and wearied me.
وَأَزْرَقَand a blue expanse خَفَّاقٍrippling تَلُوحُgleams كَأنَّمَاas though
وَأَزْرَقَ خَفَّاقٍ تَلُوحُ كَأنَّمَا
تَجَلَّدَtook as its skin دَرْعاًa coat of mail أَوْor بِسَلْخٍin a shed skin تَجَبَّبَاrobed itself
تَجَلَّدَ دَرْعاً أَوْ بِسَلْخٍ تَجَبَّبَا
And a rippling blue expanse gleams as though
it has taken mail for its skin, or robed itself in a shed skin.
نَأَتْwithdrew عَنْهُfrom it أَذْيَالُthe trailing skirts of السَّحَائِبِthe clouds فَأَخْتَلَىso it stood alone
نَأَتْ عَنْهُ أَذْيَالُ السَّحَائِبِ فَأَخْتَلَى
وَسَرَّبَand let slip لِلتُّرْبِinto the soil الْقَذَىthe debris فَتَسَرَّباso it slipped away
وَسَرَّبَ لِلتُّرْبِ الْقَذَى فَتَسَرَّبا
The clouds’ trailing skirts withdrew from it, leaving it alone,
and it sent the debris into the soil, where it slipped away.
وَيَلْمَحُهُand brushes it لَمْحضa light touch (uncertain reading) الرَّياَحِof the winds بِطِيبِهِin its freshness
وَيَلْمَحُهُ لَمْحض الرَّياَحِ بِطِيبِهِ
فَيُرْعَدُso is made to shiver مِنْهُfrom it الْجِسْمُthe body لَمْحاًa fleeting flash مُحَبَّباwelcome
فَيُرْعَدُ مِنْهُ الْجِسْمُ لَمْحاً مُحَبَّبا
The winds’ light touch brushes it in its freshness,
and the body shivers at it with a fleeting, welcome thrill.
وَإنِّيand indeed I لَذُوsurely possess صبْرٍpatience عَلَىin رَغْمِspite of حَاسِدِيmy envier
وَإنِّي لَذُو صبْرٍ عَلَى رَغْمِ حَاسِدِي
أفَلِّقُI split هَامَthe skulls of النّاَئِبَاتِcalamities تَعَقُّباin pursuit
أفَلِّقُ هَامَ النّاَئِبَاتِ تَعَقُّبا
And I am indeed patient, despite my envier;
I split calamities’ skulls as I pursue them.
وأُغْضِيand I turn a blind eye عَلىto بَعْضِsome of الأَذَىthe harm فَتُثِيرُنِيyet they rouse me
وأُغْضِي عَلى بَعْضِ الأَذَى فَتُثِيرُنِي
عَوَاصِفُstorms of ذَنْبِthe fault of الْحلْمِforbearance شَرْقاًeastward وَمَغْرباًand westward
عَوَاصِفُ ذَنْبِ الْحلْمِ شَرْقاً وَمَغْرباً
I overlook some harm, yet I am roused
by storms born of forbearance’s fault, east and west.
وَكَمْand how many مِنْof عَدُوٍّan enemy قَدْalready رَعَتْgrazed لهَوَاتُهُhis gullets
وَكَمْ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ قَدْ رَعَتْ لهَوَاتُهُ
مُنَابِتَthe pastures of عِرضِيmy honor فاسْتَجَابَthen answered مُكَذِّباwith denial
مُنَابِتَ عِرضِي فاسْتَجَابَ مُكَذِّبا
And many an enemy whose maw has grazed
the pastures of my honor, then answered with denial—
وَثَبْتُI sprang إلَيْهِat him ذَاpossessed of اعْتِزامٍresolve وَسَطْوَتِيand my assault
وَثَبْتُ إلَيْهِ ذَا اعْتِزامٍ وَسَطْوَتِي
عَلَىagainst الظُّلْمِinjustice لاَnot يَزْدَادُgrows إلاًَّexcept تَوَثُّباin eagerness to spring
عَلَى الظُّلْمِ لاَ يَزْدَادُ إلاًَّ تَوَثُّبا
I have sprung upon him with resolve; and my assault
against injustice only grows more eager to spring.
وَأَوْطَأْتُهُand I made him tread ذُلاًّhumiliation يُبَاقِيهِendures alongside him وسَمُهُits brand
وَأَوْطَأْتُهُ ذُلاًّ يُبَاقِيهِ وسَمُهُ
وَأَنْشَبَand sank كَيْدِيmy stratagem فِيهِinto him ناباًa fang ومَخْلَباand a claw
وَأَنْشَبَ كَيْدِي فِيهِ ناباً ومَخْلَبا
And I made him tread humiliation whose brand endures with him,
and my stratagem sank a fang and claw into him.
وإنِّيand indeed I امْرُؤٌa man تَصْفُوrun clear مَوارِدُthe springs of رَأفَتِيmy compassion
وإنِّي امْرُؤٌ تَصْفُو مَوارِدُ رَأفَتِي
وَتَحْرُبُand despoil سَطْوَاتِonslaughts الْعَدُوَّthe enemy الْمُحَرَّبَاbattle-hardened
وَتَحْرُبُ سَطْوَاتِ الْعَدُوَّ الْمُحَرَّبَا
And I am a man whose springs of compassion run clear,
and whose onslaughts despoil the battle-hardened enemy.
إذاwhen عُدَّتِare counted الأَبْيَاتُthe houses أَبْصَرْتَyou see بَيْتَنَاour house
إذا عُدَّتِ الأَبْيَاتُ أَبْصَرْتَ بَيْتَنَا
كَأَنas though الثُّرَيَّاthe Pleiades بالْبَنِيِّamong the buildings مُطَنَّبَاpitched with tent ropes
كَأَن الثُّرَيَّا بالْبَنِيِّ مُطَنَّبَا
When houses are counted, you will see our house
as though the Pleiades were pitched among the buildings.
رُوَيْدَكَtake your time إِنَّindeed النَّارَfire تَظْهَرُappears تَارَةًsometimes
رُوَيْدَكَ إِنَّ النَّارَ تَظْهَرُ تَارَةً
ويَكْمُنُand lurks فيin الأَحْجارِthe stones مِنْهَاsome of it تَغَيُّبَاhidden from sight
ويَكْمُنُ في الأَحْجارِ مِنْهَا تَغَيُّبَا
Take your time: fire sometimes shows itself,
and some of it lurks unseen within the stones.
Sol 6.1