عامَتshe craved milk سُلَيمىSulayma وَمَسَّهاand it touched her سَغَبُhunger
عامَت سُلَيمى وَمَسَّها سَغَبُ
بَلrather مالَهاwhat ails her لاnot تَزالُshe ceases تكتَئِبُshe grieves
بَل مالَها لا تَزالُ تكتَئِبُ
Sulayma craved milk, and hunger touched her.
Suleima grew old and decay overtook her,
But what ails her, that she never ceases grieving?
Yet she continues in constant grief.
تَذَكَّرَتshe remembered عيشَةًa life بِذيat Dhu سَلَمٍSalam
تَذَكَّرَت عيشَةً بِذي سَلَمٍ
عِشناwe lived بِهاin it نَجتَنيwe gather fruit وَنَحتَلِبُand we milk
عِشنا بِها نَجتَني وَنَحتَلِبُ
She remembered a life at Dhu Salam,
She recalled a life with Salam,
Where we lived, gathering fruit and milking.
We lived it, saved me and gave me comfort.
وَأَكبَرَتand she deemed excessive بَدرَةًa purse of coins شَرَيتُI bought بِهاwith it
وَأَكبَرَت بَدرَةً شَرَيتُ بِها
عِرضيmy honor مِنَfrom الذَمِّblame وَالشِراand the purchase حَسَبُnobility
عِرضي مِنَ الذَمِّ وَالشِرا حَسَبُ
And she deemed excessive a purse of coins with which I redeemed
And I grew up with Badra, through whom
My honor from blame; such buying is nobility.
I protected my honor from blame and evil.
ياO سَلمَSalm عِرضيmy honor حِمىًprotected ground سَأَمنَعُهُI shall defend it
يا سَلمَ عِرضي حِمىً سَأَمنَعُهُ
وَالعِرضُand honor يُحمىis protected وَيوهَبُand is given away الذَهَبُgold
وَالعِرضُ يُحمى وَيوهَبُ الذَهَبُ
O Salm, my honor is protected ground; I shall defend it.
O Salam, my honor is protected,
Honor is protected, while gold is given away.
Honor is protected and gold is gifted.
لاnot تَذكُريrecall ماwhat مَضىpassed وَشَأنَكِand concern yourself بيwith me الthe- (fragment)
لا تَذكُري ما مَضى وَشَأنَكِ بي ال
يَومَday فَإِنَّfor indeed الزَمانَtime يَنقَلِبُchanges
يَومَ فَإِنَّ الزَمانَ يَنقَلِبُ
Do not recall what has passed; concern yourself with me
Do not recall what is past for your affair is with me,
Today, for time turns and changes:
One day, for time surely changes.
حُلواًsweet وَمُرّاًand bitter وَطَعمَand the taste of ثالِثَةٍa third kind
حُلواً وَمُرّاً وَطَعمَ ثالِثَةٍ
فيin كُلِّevery وَجهٍaspect مِنof صَرفِهِits vicissitudes عَجَبُa marvel
في كُلِّ وَجهٍ مِن صَرفِهِ عَجَبُ
Sweet and bitter, and with a third taste;
Sweet and bitter and a third taste,
In every aspect of its vicissitudes lies a marvel.
In each of its phases is wonder.
دينيsubmit لِدَهرٍto an age أَصَمَّdeaf مُندَلِثٍrushing headlong
ديني لِدَهرٍ أَصَمَّ مُندَلِثٍ
يُهرَبُone flees مِنfrom رَيبِهِits calamities وَلاand no هَرَبُescape
يُهرَبُ مِن رَيبِهِ وَلا هَرَبُ
Submit to a deaf, headlong-rushing age,
My religion to a deaf age,
Whose calamities one flees, yet there is no escape.
Flees from its doubt and does not flee.
أَودىit brought ruin بِأَهلِupon the people of الغَديرِal-Ghadir (the pool) فَاِنقَرَضواso they died out
أَودى بِأَهلِ الغَديرِ فَاِنقَرَضوا
لَمdid not يَبقَremain مِنهُمof them رَأسٌa head وَلاnor ذَنَبُa tail
لَم يَبقَ مِنهُم رَأسٌ وَلا ذَنَبُ
It destroyed the people of al-Ghadir, and they died out;
It destroyed the people of Ghadir so they perished,
Neither head nor tail of them remained.
Not a head or tail remained of them.
وَاِرضَيand be content بِماwith what راعَكِit frightened you الزَمانُtime بِهِwith it
وَاِرضَي بِما راعَكِ الزَمانُ بِهِ
ماnot كُلُّevery يَومٍday يَصفوruns clear لَكِfor you الحَلَبُthe milk
ما كُلُّ يَومٍ يَصفو لَكِ الحَلَبُ
And accept what time has frightened you with;
And be content with what time has shepherded you with,
Not every day will your milk run clear.
Not every day will the teat flow sweet for you.
جَرَّبتِyou experienced ماwhat جَرَّبَhe experienced الحَليمُthe wise man فَهَلthen have...?
جَرَّبتِ ما جَرَّبَ الحَليمُ فَهَل
لاقَيتِyou encountered عَيشاًa life لَمnot يَعرُهُafflict it نَصَبُhardship
لاقَيتِ عَيشاً لَم يَعرُهُ نَصَبُ
You have experienced what the wise man has; have you
You have experienced what the forbearing experienced, so have you
Ever encountered a life untouched by hardship?
Found a living not known to misery?
لاnot يَنفَعُbenefits المَرءَthe man مالُwealth والِدِهِhis father
لا يَنفَعُ المَرءَ مالُ والِدِهِ
غَداhe became عَيِيّاًinept وَيَنفَعُand benefits الأَدَبُlearning
غَدا عَيِيّاً وَيَنفَعُ الأَدَبُ
A man is not helped by his father's wealth
A man is not benefited by his father’s wealth
When he proves inept; learning does help him.
Tomorrow if poor, but benefited by manners.
وَغادَةٍand a tender young woman كَالحُبابِlike foam مُشرِقَةٍradiant
وَغادَةٍ كَالحُبابِ مُشرِقَةٍ
رَودٍsoft-limbed عَلَيهاupon her السُموطُnecklaces وَالقُضُبُand fine robes
رَودٍ عَلَيها السُموطُ وَالقُضُبُ
And many a tender young woman, radiant as foam,
And Ghadah like pearls gleaming,
Soft-limbed, with necklaces and fine robes upon her,
Upon which the black night and dry wood descend.
كَأَنَّas though ياقوتَهاher rubies وَعُصفُرَهاand her safflower dye
كَأَنَّ ياقوتَها وَعُصفُرَها
فيin الشَمسِthe sun إِذwhen لَهَّبَتهُماit set them both ablaze لَهَبُflame
في الشَمسِ إِذ لَهَّبَتهُما لَهَبُ
As though her rubies and safflower dye
As if her ruby and yellow jacinth
In the sun, when it kindled them both, were flame.
In the sun when it kindled them aflame.
قالَتshe said تَرَكتَyou abandoned الصِباyouthful dalliance فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her
قالَت تَرَكتَ الصِبا فَقُلتُ لَها
لاno بَلrather تَجالَلتُI assumed gravity وَالصِباand youthful dalliance لَعِبُplay
لا بَل تَجالَلتُ وَالصِبا لَعِبُ
She said, 'You have abandoned youthful dalliance'; I told her:
She said you left your youth but I said to her
No, rather I have assumed gravity, and youthful dalliance is play.
No, but my youth left and play is for the youth.
وَقَدand indeed نَهانيhe forbade me الإِمامُthe Imam فَاِنصَرَفَتso it turned
وَقَد نَهاني الإِمامُ فَاِنصَرَفَت
نَفسيmy soul لَهُtoward him وَالإِمامُand the Imam يُرتَقَبُis to be heeded
نَفسي لَهُ وَالإِمامُ يُرتَقَبُ
And the Imam has forbidden me, so turned
The Imam prohibited me so my soul turned
My soul toward him; the Imam must be heeded.
To him while the Imam is awaited.
آلَيتُI swore يَأبىit refuses الصِباyouthful dalliance وَأَتبَعَهُand I pursue it
آلَيتُ يَأبى الصِبا وَأَتبَعَهُ
هَيهاتَfar from it بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهُand between it نَجَبُnoble camels
هَيهاتَ بَيني وَبَينَهُ نَجَبُ
I have sworn—youthful dalliance refuses; am I to pursue it?
I determined but my youth refused and followed
Far from it! Between me and it are noble camels.
Alas between me and it are inhibitions.
فَاِستَبدِليso seek another أَوor قِريstay شَرَعتُI set out إِلىtoward الthe- (fragment)
فَاِستَبدِلي أَو قِري شَرَعتُ إِلى ال
حَقِّtruth وَبِئسَand wretched is المَطِيَّةُthe mount النُغَبُdraughts
حَقِّ وَبِئسَ المَطِيَّةُ النُغَبُ
So seek another, or stay; I have set out toward
So replace it or settle, I have set forth to
The truth, and draughts make a wretched mount.
The truth and evil is the gait of ambition.
ياO سَلمَSalm إِنّيindeed I اِمرُؤٌa man يُوَقِّرُنيdignifies me
يا سَلمَ إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ يُوَقِّرُني
حِلميmy forbearance إِذاwhen القَومُthe people فيinto الخَناfoul speech وَثَبواthey leapt
حِلمي إِذا القَومُ في الخَنا وَثَبوا
O Salm, I am a man given dignity
O Salam I am a man honored for
By my forbearance, when the people leap into foul speech.
My forbearance when people plunge into discord.
وَقَدand indeed أَتانيcame to me وَعيدُa threat شِرذِمَةٍa small band
وَقَد أَتاني وَعيدُ شِرذِمَةٍ
فيهِمin them طِماحٌinsolence وَماand not بِهِمin them صَلَبُstrength
فيهِم طِماحٌ وَما بِهِم صَلَبُ
And a threat has reached me from a paltry band;
And the threat of villainous rabble has come to me
They have insolence, but no strength.
Among them ambition but no firmness.
مَهلاًgently بِغَيريon someone other than me اِعرُكواvent شَذاتَكُمُyour malice
مَهلاً بِغَيري اِعرُكوا شَذاتَكُمُ
لِلحَربِfor war مِمَّنfrom those who يَحُشُّهاstoke it حَطَبُfirewood
لِلحَربِ مِمَّن يَحُشُّها حَطَبُ
Easy! Vent your malice on someone other than me;
Hold off, take out your discords on others
War has firewood among those who stoke it.
Worthy of war, who gather its kindling.
قَدindeed أَذعَرُI terrify الجِنَّthe jinn فيin مَسارِحِهاtheir roaming grounds
قَد أَذعَرُ الجِنَّ في مَسارِحِها
قَلبيmy heart مُضيءٌradiant وَمِقوَليand my tongue ذَرِبُsharp
قَلبي مُضيءٌ وَمِقوَلي ذَرِبُ
Indeed, I terrify the jinn in their roaming grounds;
My heart illuminates and my speech horrifies devils
My heart is radiant, and my tongue is sharp.
In their dwellings, I castrated Audan after his insolence,
خَصَيتُI castrated عَدوانَAdwan بَعدَafter شَيلَتِهِhis swagger
خَصَيتُ عَدوانَ بَعدَ شَيلَتِهِ
وَاللَيثُand the lion يُخصىis castrated وَيُخدَعُand is deceived الشَبَبُthe wild bull
وَاللَيثُ يُخصى وَيُخدَعُ الشَبَبُ
I castrated Adwan after his swagger;
The lion is castrated and the young lion is deceived.
And the lion can be castrated, and the wild bull duped.
No glory but the young man whose high glories
لاno غَروَwonder إِلّاexcept فَتىthe young man of العَشيرَةِthe clan عاshun- (word fragment)
لا غَروَ إِلّا فَتى العَشيرَةِ عا
فَتهُ-ned him (word fragment) المَناياdeaths وَدونَهُand before him أَشَبُthickets
فَتهُ المَنايا وَدونَهُ أَشَبُ
No marvel, save the young man of the clan:
Death has tested and beneath it the graves.
Death has shunned him, and thickets lie before him.
He would sing while death sought him
باتَhe spent the night يُغَنّيhe sings وَالمَوتُand death يَطلُبُهُseeks him
باتَ يُغَنّي وَالمَوتُ يَطلُبُهُ
وَالمَرءُand the man يَلهوmakes merry وَحَينُهُand his death كَثَبُnear
وَالمَرءُ يَلهو وَحَينُهُ كَثَبُ
He spent the night singing, while death sought him;
And man plays distracted, while his time pounces.
And a man makes merry while his death is near.
So now I have been lenient to disasters, may my heart
فَالآنَso now أَسمَحتُI yielded لِلخُطوبِto calamities فَلاso not
فَالآنَ أَسمَحتُ لِلخُطوبِ فَلا
تَلقىyou find فُؤاديmy heart مِنfrom حادِثٍa mishap يَجِبُpalpitates
تَلقى فُؤادي مِن حادِثٍ يَجِبُ
So now I have yielded to calamities; you will not
Not meet any serious incident that brings alarm.
Find my heart pounding at any mishap.
Time has tossed me into its molds,
قَلَّبَنيit turned me الدَهرُtime فيin قَوالِبِهِits molds
قَلَّبَني الدَهرُ في قَوالِبِهِ
وَكُلُّand every شَيءٍthing لِكَونِهِfor its existence سَبَبُa cause
وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ لِكَونِهِ سَبَبُ
Time has turned me over in its molds,
And for everything is a cause for its being.
And everything has a cause for its existence.
Partial English translation: 51 of 52 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1