ياAh رُبَّmany a قائِلَةwoman speaking وَالقَولُand speech أَجمَلُهُits fairest
يا رُبَّ قائِلَة وَالقَولُ أَجمَلُهُ
ماthat which كانَwas مِنfrom غادَةٍa fair maiden حَتّىeven وَلَوand even if كَذَباa lie
ما كانَ مِن غادَةٍ حَتّى وَلَو كَذَبا
Ah, many a woman has said—and the fairest speech
O Lord, the speaker and the best words
Oh, how many a speaker there is—and speech is at its finest
Is that of a fair maiden, even if it is a lie—
Were never from a singer, even if lying
When coming from a young beauty, even should she lie.
إِلىuntil ماwhat تَحتَقِرُare despised (contextual reading) الغاداتُthe fair maidens بَينَكُمُamong you
إِلى ما تَحتَقِرُ الغاداتُ بَينَكُمُ
وَهُنَّand they فيin الكَونِthe universe أَرقىhigher مِنكُمthan you رُتَباin rank
وَهُنَّ في الكَونِ أَرقى مِنكُم رُتَبا
“How long will fair maidens be despised among you,
To what you despise among you, the singers
Why are the fair ones so slighted among you,
When they rank higher than you in the universe?
They in existence are nobler ranked than you
When they are of a higher rank in the universe than you?
كُنَّthey were لَكَمfor you سَبَباًa cause فيin كُلِّevery مَكرُمَةٍnoble deed
كُنَّ لَكَم سَبَباً في كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ
وَكُنتُمand you were فيin شَقاءِthe misery of المَرأَةِwoman السَبَباthe cause
وَكُنتُم في شَقاءِ المَرأَةِ السَبَبا
They have been the cause of every noble deed of yours,
Be for you reason in every honor
They were the cause of every noble deed you possess,
While you have been the cause of woman's misery.
And you were in the misery of woman the reason
While you were the cause of woman's misery.
زَعَمتُمyou claimed أَنَّهُنَّthat they خامِلاتِsluggish نُهىًintellects
زَعَمتُم أَنَّهُنَّ خامِلاتِ نُهىً
وَلَوand if أَرَدنَthey wished لَصَيَّرنَthey would surely turn الثَرىthe soil ذَهَباgold
وَلَو أَرَدنَ لَصَيَّرنَ الثَرى ذَهَبا
You claimed that they were dull of mind,
You claimed they are dormant prohibitions
You claimed that they are of dormant intellect,
Yet if they wished, they could turn soil to gold.”
And if they wanted, they would make the land gold
Yet if they wished, they could have turned the dust to gold.
فَقُلتُso I said لَوif لَمnot يَكُنbe ذاthis رَأيُthe opinion of غانِيَةٍa beautiful woman
فَقُلتُ لَو لَم يَكُن ذا رَأيُ غانِيَةٍ
لَهاجَwould surely have flared عِندَamong الرِجالِmen السُخطanger وَالصَخَباand uproar
لَهاجَ عِندَ الرِجالِ السُخط وَالصَخَبا
I said, “Had this not been a beauty's opinion,
So I said if the opinion of a singer was not
So I said: If this were not the opinion of a beauty,
Anger and uproar would have flared among men.
The anger and clamor in men would rage
It would have stirred anger and clamor among the men.
لَمdid not تُنصِفيناyou treat us fairly وَقَدand indeed كُنّاwe were نُؤَمِّلُwe expected أَنthat
لَم تُنصِفينا وَقَد كُنّا نُؤَمِّلُ أَن
لاnot تُنصِفيناyou treat us fairly لِهَذاfor this reason لاnot نَرىwe see عَجَباanything surprising
لا تُنصِفينا لِهَذا لا نَرى عَجَبا
You have not done us justice, and we had expected that
You did not do us justice though we hoped
You were not fair to us, though we had hoped
You would not; thus we see nothing surprising.
That you would not do us justice, so no wonder
That you would not be fair—so we see no wonder.
هَيهاتِhow unlikely تَعدِلُshe acts justly حَسناءَa beauty إِذاwhen حَكَمَتshe judges
هَيهاتِ تَعدِلُ حَسناءَ إِذا حَكَمَت
فَالظُلمُfor injustice طَبعٌan innate trait عَلىover الغاداتِthe fair maidens قَدindeed غَلَباhas prevailed
فَالظُلمُ طَبعٌ عَلى الغاداتِ قَد غَلَبا
How unlikely that a beauty should be fair when she judges!
Alas, a beauty rules justly when she judges
Far is it for a beauty to be just when she rules,
For injustice is a trait that has prevailed among fair maidens.
For injustice is the nature of singers that prevailed
For tyranny is a nature that has overcome the fair ones.
يُحارِبُbattles الرَجُلُthe man الدُنياthe world فَيُخضِعَهاand so he subdues it
يُحارِبُ الرَجُلُ الدُنيا فَيُخضِعَها
وَيَفزَعُand takes fright الدَهرُTime مَذعوراًterrified إِذاwhen غَضِباhe grows angry
وَيَفزَعُ الدَهرُ مَذعوراً إِذا غَضِبا
A man battles the world and subdues it,
Man fights the world and subdues it
Man wars against the world and subdues it,
And Time takes fright, terrified, when he grows angry.
And time flees terrified when it rages
And Time flees in panic when he is angered.
يَرنوhe gazes فَتَضطَرِبُand so tremble الآسادُthe lions خائِفَةًafraid
يَرنو فَتَضطَرِبُ الآسادُ خائِفَةً
فَإِنbut if رَنَتshe gazes ذاتُa woman of حُسنٍbeauty ظَلَّhe remains مُضطَرِباtrembling
فَإِن رَنَت ذاتُ حُسنٍ ظَلَّ مُضطَرِبا
He casts a look, and lions tremble in fear;
It roars so predators tremble in fear
He gazes, and the lions tremble in fear,
But if a beauty casts a look, he remains trembling.
But if a beauty roars, it remains trembling
But if a beauty gazes, he remains the one trembling.
فَإِنthen if تَشَءshe wishes أَودَعتُshe places (contextual reading) أَحشائُهُhis entrails بَرَداًcold (contextual reading)
فَإِن تَشَء أَودَعتُ أَحشائُهُ بَرَداً
وَإِنand if تَشَءshe wishes أَودَعتُshe places (contextual reading) أَحشائَهُhis entrails لَهَباflame
وَإِن تَشَء أَودَعتُ أَحشائَهُ لَهَبا
Then, if she wishes, she places cold in his entrails;
If you wish, in his depths I made cold
If she wishes, she deposits a chill within his heart,
And if she wishes, she places flame in his entrails.
And if you wish, in his depths I made flames
And if she wishes, she deposits a burning flame.
تَفنىwear away اللَياليthe nights فيin هَمworry وَفيand in تَعَبٍtoil
تَفنى اللَيالي في هَم وَفي تَعَبٍ
حَذارَfor fear أَنthat تَشتَكيshe complains مِنfrom دَهرِهاher life تَعَباhardship
حَذارَ أَن تَشتَكي مِن دَهرِها تَعَبا
The nights wear away in worry and toil,
The nights pass in worry and fatigue
His nights pass away in worry and in toil,
Lest she complain of hardship in her life.
Beware of complaining of their fatigue
Cautious lest she complain of any weariness in her life.
وَلَوand if دَرىhe knew أَنَّthat هَذيthese الشُهبُthe meteors تُزعِجُهاdisturb her
وَلَو دَرى أَنَّ هَذي الشُهبُ تُزعِجُها
أَمسىhe would spend the evening يَروعُhe terrifies فيin أَفلاكِهاtheir orbits الشُهُباthe meteors
أَمسى يَروعُ في أَفلاكِها الشُهُبا
And if he knew that these meteors troubled her,
If he knew these gray hairs bother her
And if he knew that these shooting stars annoyed her,
He would spend the evening terrifying the meteors in their orbits.
He would spend evening frightening their greys
He would spend the evening terrorizing the stars in their orbits.
يَشقىhe suffers لِتُصبِحَso that she may become ذاتُthe woman with الحَليِjewelry ناعِمَةًat ease
يَشقى لِتُصبِحَ ذاتُ الحَليِ ناعِمَةً
وَيَحمِلُand he bears الهَمَّthe worry عَنهاfor her راضِياًcontent طَرِباjoyful
وَيَحمِلُ الهَمَّ عَنها راضِياً طَرِبا
He suffers so that the jewel-adorned woman may live in ease,
He suffers so the wearer of jewelry awakens smoothly
He suffers so that the adorned one may remain soft,
And bears her cares for her, content and joyful.
And carries the worries from her, happily enchanted
And he carries the burden for her, content and joyful.
فَماso what الَّذيthat which نَفَحَتهُbestowed on him الغانِياتُthe beautiful women بِهِwith it
فَما الَّذي نَفَحَتهُ الغانِياتُ بِهِ
سِوىexcept العَذابِtorment الَّذيwhich فيin عَينَيهِhis eyes عَذُباgrew sweet
سِوى العَذابِ الَّذي في عَينَيهِ عَذُبا
What, then, have beauties bestowed upon him,
What did the singers breathe in him
So what is it that the beauties have granted him,
Except torment that grew sweet in his eyes?
Except the torment in his eyes that is delightful
Except the torment that, in his eyes, has become sweet?
هَذاthis هُوَhe المَرءُman ياO ذاتَwoman of العَفافِchastity فَمَنso whoever
هَذا هُوَ المَرءُ يا ذاتَ العَفافِ فَمَن
يُنصِفهُdoes him justice لاno شَكَّdoubt فيهِabout it يُنصِفُdoes justice to الأَدَباgood conduct
يُنصِفهُ لا شَكَّ فيهِ يُنصِفُ الأَدَبا
This is man, O woman of chastity; whoever
This is man, O virtuous one, so who
This is the man, O chaste one; so whoever
Does him justice surely does justice to good conduct.
Does him justice, no doubt does manners justice
Does him justice, without doubt, does justice to nobility.
عَنَّفتِهyou rebuked him وَهوَwhile he لاno ذَنبَsin جَناهُhe committed it سِوىexcept
عَنَّفتِه وَهوَ لا ذَنبَ جَناهُ سِوى
أَنthat لَيسَis not يَرضىhe agrees بِأَنto the idea that يَغدوhe becomes لَهاfor her ذَنَباa tail
أَن لَيسَ يَرضى بِأَن يَغدو لَها ذَنَبا
You rebuked him, though he committed no sin except
You blamed him and he has no sin except
You scolded him, though he committed no sin,
That he is unwilling to become her tail.”
That he does not accept to disobey her
Save that he is not content to become her subservient follower.
Sol 6.1