سلامٌpeace علىupon القَصْرَينal-Qasrayn (the Two Palaces) منfrom مَنْشَأthe rising place of الصَّباthe east wind
سلامٌ على القَصْرَين من مَنْشَأ الصَّبا
إلىto ساحلthe shore of الثَّغرِthe port city المُطِلِّoverlooking علىupon البحرِthe sea
إلى ساحل الثَّغرِ المُطِلِّ على البحرِ
Peace upon al-Qasrayn, from where the east wind rises
Greetings to both palaces from the dawn of youth
To the shore of the port city overlooking the sea.
To the coast of the port overlooking the sea
سلامُa greeting امرىءٍof a man ماnot غادرَleft الدهرُtime عندَهwith him
سلامُ امرىءٍ ما غادرَ الدهرُ عندَه
سِوىexcept أَنَّهthat it يَرْفَضُّgushes forth عنfrom ضَرَمthe blaze of الصَّدرthe breast
سِوى أَنَّه يَرْفَضُّ عن ضَرَم الصَّدر
A greeting from a man whom time has left with nothing
Greetings to a man whom time has not deprived
Save this, gushing from the blaze within his breast,
Except that he refuses the pain in his chest
ودمعٍand tears إذاwhen ماemphasis غُصَّwas choked جفنىmy eyelid بمائهwith its water
ودمعٍ إذا ما غُصَّ جفنى بمائه
تَرَقْرقshimmered مُحْمَرُّthe crimson of الغروبsunset علىupon سخريmy breast (uncertain reading)
تَرَقْرق مُحْمَرُّ الغروب على سخري
And tears: whenever my eyelid choked with their water,
And tears, when their lids brim with water
The sunset's crimson shimmered upon my breast [uncertain reading].
Trickling, the red sunset flickers on the plain
تمسكتI clung منof قولىmy saying لَعلَّperhaps بهُدْبَةٍto a fringe
تمسكت من قولى لَعلَّ بهُدْبَةٍ
فلماthen when وَهَتit weakened باليأسِthrough despair ماتdied لهاfor it صبرىmy patience
فلما وَهَت باليأسِ مات لها صبرى
I clung to a fringe of my own word, 'perhaps';
I held back my words hoping with hesitation
Then, when despair weakened it, my patience for it died.
When hope faded, my patience for it died
فقدتُI lost شبابيmy youth بعدَafter أهلىmy family وَمنْشَىءand my birthplace
فقدتُ شبابي بعدَ أهلى وَمنْشَىء
فهاso here أناI مَيْتٌdead غيرَexcept أنيthat I بلاwithout قبرa grave
فها أنا مَيْتٌ غيرَ أني بلا قبر
I lost my youth after my family and my birthplace;
I lost my youth after family and home
So here I am, dead, except that I have no grave.
Yet here I am, dead without a grave
ومَنand whoever فارقَleft الأوطانَthe homelands فيin طلبpursuit of الغِنىwealth
ومَن فارقَ الأوطانَ في طلب الغِنى
فقدso indeed نالَgained لوeven if حازobtained الغِنَىwealth أنكدَthe most wretched الفقرpoverty
فقد نالَ لو حاز الغِنَى أنكدَ الفقر
And whoever leaves his homeland in pursuit of wealth
He who leaves home seeking riches
Has gained, even if he wins riches, the most wretched poverty.
If he gains wealth, tastes the bitterness of poverty
تذكرتُI remembered أيامَthe days of الشّبيبةِyouth منfrom عمرىmy life
تذكرتُ أيامَ الشّبيبةِ من عمرى
وعيشاand a life خلاvanished منfrom ناظِريmy sight وهْوthough it فيin صدريmy breast
وعيشا خلا من ناظِري وهْو في صدري
I remembered the youthful days of my life,
I recall the days of my youth
And a life vanished from my sight, yet still within my breast.
And a life devoid of care within my breast
فياthen O دهرُTime ألاَّif only كانhad been ليلَىmy night كُلهall of it
فيا دهرُ ألاَّ كان ليلَى كُله
كليلةِlike the night شَرْقيِّeast of الخَليِجthe gulf منin الثغرthe port city
كليلةِ شَرْقيِّ الخَليِج من الثغر
O Time, if only all my nights had been
Oh time, if only Layla were all
Like that night east of the gulf, in the port city!
Like a night on the eastern shore from the coast
فياand O ليلةٌa night ماذاwhat مضىpassed تحتbeneath جُنْحِهاits wing
فيا ليلةٌ ماذا مضى تحت جُنْحِها
منof المُلَحdelights اللاتيwhich تَجِلُّare exalted منin القَدْرworth
من المُلَح اللاتي تَجِلُّ من القَدْر
Oh, what a night! What passed beneath its wing,
Oh night, what has passed beneath your wing
Of delights so lofty in worth!
Of salt, that drips from the pot
حديثاًconversation لوَif أْنّthat الصخرَstone باشَرexperienced بعضَهsome of it
حديثاً لوَ أْنّ الصخرَ باشَر بعضَه
لأَرْقصit would have set dancing منfrom إطْرابِهthe delight it stirred جَلْمَدَa solid mass of الصَّخرrock
لأَرْقص من إطْرابِه جَلْمَدَ الصَّخر
Conversation—had stone felt even a little of it,
A tale that if told to stone
It would have set solid rock dancing with the delight it stirred.
Would make stony crags dance in turmoil
ودمعand tears of دلالٍcoquetry فيamid دموعtears of صَبابةٍlonging
ودمع دلالٍ في دموع صَبابةٍ
كماas انْهَلَّpoured down منظومُstrung العَقيقcarnelian علىupon الدُّرpearls
كما انْهَلَّ منظومُ العَقيق على الدُّر
And tears of coquetry amid tears of longing,
And tears of a flirt in tears of a young woman
Like strung carnelian pouring down upon pearls;
As necklaces of carnelian spilled on pearls
وشكوىand a plaint كماas رقَّgrew gentle النسيمُthe breeze بسحْرةٍbefore dawn
وشكوى كما رقَّ النسيمُ بسحْرةٍ
فساقso it swept دموعَthe tears of الطْلِّdew عنoff وَرَقthe petals of الزَّهْرflowers
فساق دموعَ الطْلِّ عن وَرَق الزَّهْر
And a plaint, like the breeze grown gentle before dawn,
And a plaint, as the breeze softly stirred a charm
Sweeping the tears of dew from the flowers' petals.
Bringing tears of dew from the petals of flowers
صَفتْit was pure خُلسةًa stolen moment منfrom كاشِحٍa spiteful foe ومُراقبٍand a watcher
صَفتْ خُلسةً من كاشِحٍ ومُراقبٍ
كماas رُوِّقتwas clarified فيin الكأسthe cup مَشْمولةُnorth-wind-cooled الخمرwine
كما رُوِّقت في الكأس مَشْمولةُ الخمر
It was pure, stolen from spiteful foe and watcher,
They lined up furtively, from a reveler and onlooker
As north-wind-cooled wine was clarified in the cup.
As the forbidden wine was poured in the goblet
ولاand no عيبَflaw فيهاin it غيرَexcept أنّthat عِشاءَهاits evening
ولا عيبَ فيها غيرَ أنّ عِشاءَها
أَتَىcame قائداًleading أوor سائقاًdriving آخِرَthe last of الفجرdawn
أَتَى قائداً أو سائقاً آخِرَ الفجر
And it had no flaw, except that its evening
No flaw in her, except her night visit
Came leading—or driving—the last of dawn.
Came to a leader or guide at dawn’s first light
Sol 6.1