أُبُثُّكَI confide in you أمor أَصُونُكَI spare you يَاO خَلِيليmy close friend
أُبُثُّكَ أم أَصُونُكَ يَا خَلِيلي
فَإنّfor indeed البَثَّconfiding grief مِفتَاحُkey الغَلِيلِburning anguish
فَإنّ البَثَّ مِفتَاحُ الغَلِيلِ
Shall I confide in you, or spare you, my friend?
Shall I confide in you or keep you safe, my friend?
For confiding is the key to easing burning anguish.
For confiding is the key to anguish
كِلانَاboth of us فيin حَشِيَّتِهِhis heart عَليلٌailing
كِلانَا في حَشِيَّتِهِ عَليلٌ
فماso what يُغنِيcan avail العَلِيلُthe ailing one عَنِfor العَلِيلِthe ailing one
فما يُغنِي العَلِيلُ عَنِ العَلِيلِ
Each of us is ailing within his heart,
We both suffer in our grief
So how can one sufferer help another?
And the grieved cannot aid the grieved
أَأرجُوcan I hope أنthat يُخَفِّفَlighten ثِقلُweight وَجدِيmy anguish
أَأرجُو أن يُخَفِّفَ ثِقلُ وَجدِي
وَأنتَwhile you تَنُوءُstagger بالعِبءِunder the burden الثَّقِيلِheavy
وَأنتَ تَنُوءُ بالعِبءِ الثَّقِيلِ
Can I hope the weight of my anguish will be lightened,
Can I hope that the burden of my longing is lightened
While you stagger beneath the heavy burden?
While you buckle under the heavy load?
وَلكِنand yet أستَرِيحُI find relief إلىin مُصِيخٍan attentive listener
وَلكِن أستَرِيحُ إلى مُصِيخٍ
وَإنand even if لَمdoes not يُجدِhelp عَنِّيfor me مِنso much as فَتِيلِa thread
وَإن لَم يُجدِ عَنِّي مِن فَتِيلِ
And yet I find comfort in an attentive listener,
But I find solace in conversing
Even if he helps me not a thread's worth.
Even if no remedy can be found
وَيُؤنِسُنيand it comforts me وَإنand even if كَانَتit is مُحَالاًabsurd
وَيُؤنِسُني وَإن كَانَت مُحَالاً
مُراجَعُةُexchanging replies with الصَّدَىthe echo قِيلاa word بِقِيلِwith a word
مُراجَعُةُ الصَّدَى قِيلا بِقِيلِ
And it comforts me, even if it is absurd,
And I take comfort, though it may be impossible
To exchange words with the echo, word for word.
In this call and response, however little
فِدىًa ransom لَكfor you مِنas أخِيa brother of ثِقَةٍtrust كرِيمٍgenerous
فِدىً لَك مِن أخِي ثِقَةٍ كرِيمٍ
تَشَكَّىcomplained of الحَيفَinjustice مِنfrom زَمَنٍan age بَخِيلِmiserly
تَشَكَّى الحَيفَ مِن زَمَنٍ بَخِيلِ
May I be your ransom, trustworthy, generous brother,
You are a precious gift, so trusted
Who lamented the injustice of a miserly age.
Complaining of the injustice of a miserly time
لأنتَindeed you السَّيفthe sword لَكِنbut غَيرُnot نَابٍُglancing off
لأنتَ السَّيف لَكِن غَيرُ نَابٍُ
ولاnor جَاسِيstiff المَهزّthe swing ولاnor كَليلِblunt
ولا جَاسِي المَهزّ ولا كَليلِ
You are indeed the sword, but not one that glances off,
You are a sword, though not sharp
Nor stiff when swung, nor blunt.
No warrior, and no polished blade
وإنand though كُثرُmany of الصَّوَارِمِthe keen swords فِيهِin it فَلٌّa notch
وإن كُثرُ الصَّوَارِمِ فِيهِ فَلٌّ
فَقَدthen indeed مُدِحَhave been praised الصَّوَارِمُkeen swords بالفُلُولِfor their notches
فَقَد مُدِحَ الصَّوَارِمُ بالفُلُولِ
And though many keen swords bear notches,
And if there are many blades within
Keen swords have indeed been praised for their notches.
Then even the defeated have been praised
ولاand no عَيبٌfault سِوَىexcept حَداثِmisfortunes دَهرٍtime
ولا عَيبٌ سِوَى حَداثِ دَهرٍ
تُسيءُperform badly الضَّربَthe striking بِالسَّيفِwith the sword الصَّقيلِpolished
تُسيءُ الضَّربَ بِالسَّيفِ الصَّقيلِ
And there is no fault, save time's misfortunes,
No flaw but the newness of fickle time
Which strike amiss with the polished sword.
That wrongly wields the polished sword
أعِنِّيhelp me أَستَمِلI may win over صَرفَvicissitudes اللَّيَالِيthe nights
أعِنِّي أَستَمِل صَرفَ اللَّيَالِي
فَقَدfor indeed يُرجَىmay be hoped for الرِّضىfavor لِلمُستَمِيلِfor one who woos
فَقَد يُرجَى الرِّضى لِلمُستَمِيلِ
Help me win over the vicissitudes of the nights,
Help me beguile the nights
For one who woos may yet hope for favor.
For the appeased may show favor
وأثنand praise مَعِيwith me علىupon سَفَرٍa journey حَمِيدٍpraiseworthy
وأثن مَعِي على سَفَرٍ حَمِيدٍ
قَضَىfulfilled لِيfor me مِنthrough لِقَائِكَmeeting you كُلَّevery سُولِwish
قَضَى لِي مِن لِقَائِكَ كُلَّ سُولِ
And join me in praising a worthy journey,
Praise with me a blessed journey
That, in meeting you, fulfilled my every wish.
That fulfilled my every wish to see you
وماand not أحمَدتُI found praiseworthy منهof it سِوَىexcept مُقامٍa stay
وما أحمَدتُ منه سِوَى مُقامٍ
بِتُدمِيرٍin Tudmir أقَلَّshorter مِنَthan القَلِيلِa little
بِتُدمِيرٍ أقَلَّ مِنَ القَلِيلِ
And I found nothing in it to praise but a stay
And I did not praise anything but a stay
In Tudmir, briefer than brief.
In Tadmor, however small
تَقَضَّىit passed وَهوَwhile it was مِلءُfilling العَينِthe eye حُسناًwith beauty
تَقَضَّى وَهوَ مِلءُ العَينِ حُسناً
كَمَاjust as استَمتَعتَyou enjoyed مِنfrom شَمسِthe sun الأصِيلِlate afternoon
كَمَا استَمتَعتَ مِن شَمسِ الأصِيلِ
It passed, its beauty filling the eye,
It ended, as beautiful as could be
Just as you enjoyed the late-afternoon sun.
As you enjoyed the rising sun
Sol 6.1