أَضحَتhave become حِبالُكِyour cords ياO سُمَيَّSumayy رِثاثاthreadbare
أَضحَت حِبالُكِ يا سُمَيَّ رِثاثا
والبَينُand separation أَفسَدَbrought ruin فيin هَواكِyour love وَعاثاand wreaked havoc
والبَينُ أَفسَدَ في هَواكِ وَعاثا
Your cords, O Sumayy, have grown threadbare,
Your ropes have become ragged, O Summya
And separation has brought ruin and havoc to your love.
And separation has corrupted your love and wrought havoc
وَلَقَدand indeed هَجَعتُI slept وَجَفنُand the eyelid of عَينيmy eye لَمdid not يَذُقtaste
وَلَقَد هَجَعتُ وَجَفنُ عَيني لَم يَذُق
إِلّاexcept غِراراًa scant amount فيin الكَرىslumber وَحِثاثاand a brief doze
إِلّا غِراراً في الكَرى وَحِثاثا
And indeed I slept, though my eyelid tasted nothing
Many a night I have lain awake while my eyes
But a scant measure of sleep and a fleeting doze.
Tasted naught but tears and wakefulness
وَأَرىand I see المَوَدَّةَaffection لاnot تَزالُceases to be صَحيحَةًsound
وَأَرى المَوَدَّةَ لا تَزالُ صَحيحَةً
عِنديwith me وَوِدُّكِand your affection فيin الهَوىlove مُلتاثاmuddled
عِندي وَوِدُّكِ في الهَوى مُلتاثا
Yet I see that affection is still sound
And I see love still holds firm
In me, while your affection in love is muddled.
While your love for me in passion comes to pieces
جَرّعتِنيyou made me drink كَأساًa cup بِبَينِكِthrough your departure مُرَّةًbitter
جَرّعتِني كَأساً بِبَينِكِ مُرَّةً
لَماwhen نَزَلتِyou settled أَجارِعاًsandy tracts وَعِثاثاand yielding sands
لَما نَزَلتِ أَجارِعاً وَعِثاثا
You made me drink a bitter cup through your departure,
You made me drink a cup of parting bitterly
When you settled on sandy tracts and yielding sands.
When you descended, contention and strife
وَسَلوتِand you ceased to care عَنّيabout me مُنذُsince بِنتِyou departed وَإِنَّنيand indeed I
وَسَلوتِ عَنّي مُنذُ بِنتِ وَإِنَّني
لَمُطَلِّقُsurely divorcing عَنّيfrom myself السُرورَjoy ثَلاثاًthree times
لَمُطَلِّقُ عَنّي السُرورَ ثَلاثاً
And you ceased to care for me since you left, while I
You asked after me since the daughter of ____ and I
Have surely divorced joy from myself three times.
Am freeing myself of joy threefold
ولَقَدand indeed طَلَبتُI sought المُستَغاثَa source of help مِنَfrom الهَوىlove
ولَقَد طَلَبتُ المُستَغاثَ مِنَ الهَوى
فَوَجَدتُso I found مِنfrom جُودِthe generosity of المُعِزِّal-Muʿizz غِياثاsuccor
فَوَجَدتُ مِن جُودِ المُعِزِّ غِياثا
And indeed I sought someone to save me from love,
I sought help from love in my despair
So I found succor in the bounty of al-Muʿizz.
And found in the Bountiful Helper, aid
مَلِكٌa king إِذاwhen نَكَثَbreak faith المُلوكُkings رَأَيتَهُyou see him
مَلِكٌ إِذا نَكَثَ المُلوكُ رَأَيتَهُ
لاnot مُخلِفاًbreaking وَعداًa promise وَلاnor نَكاثاa breaker of pledges
لا مُخلِفاً وَعداً وَلا نَكاثا
A king whom, when kings break faith, you find
A king, when kings break their word, you will see him
Neither false to a promise nor a breaker of pledges.
Neither violating a promise nor being unfaithful
خِرقٌa lavish giver إِذاwhen وَقَفَstand العُفاةُsupplicants بِبابِهِat his door
خِرقٌ إِذا وَقَفَ العُفاةُ بِبابِهِ
أَعطَىgrants الغِنىwealth وَإِذاand when اِستُغيثَasked for aid أَغاثاgives aid
أَعطَى الغِنى وَإِذا اِستُغيثَ أَغاثا
A lavish giver who, when supplicants stand at his door,
A noble, when the destitute stand at his door
Grants wealth, and when asked for aid, grants aid.
Gives wealth, and when appealed to for help, gives aid
وَإِذاand when تَلاحَمَتِlock in combat الكُماةُarmored warriors رَأَيتَهُyou see him
وَإِذا تَلاحَمَتِ الكُماةُ رَأَيتَهُ
حِلسَconstant companion of الوَغىbattle وَالضَيغَمَand the lion الدِلهاثاfierce and bold
حِلسَ الوَغى وَالضَيغَمَ الدِلهاثا
And when armored warriors clash, you see him
And when the champions join in battle, you will see him
Battle's constant companion, and a fierce, bold lion.
Still battle and slay the foe threefold
وِتَساهَمَتand shared among themselves أَسيافُهُhis swords وَرِماحُهُand his spears
وِتَساهَمَت أَسيافُهُ وَرِماحُهُ
وَسِهامُهُand his arrows مُهجَthe lifeblood of العِدىfoes أَثلاثاin thirds
وَسِهامُهُ مُهجَ العِدى أَثلاثا
And his swords and spears have shared out,
He buries the swords in the chests of his enemies
Together with his arrows, his foes' lifeblood in thirds.
As though they were created for this purpose
دَفَنَhe buried الأَسِنَّةَthe spearheads فيin صُدورِthe breasts of عِداتِهِhis enemies
دَفَنَ الأَسِنَّةَ في صُدورِ عِداتِهِ
فَكَأَنَّماso as though خُلِقَتwere created لَهاfor them أَجداثاgraves
فَكَأَنَّما خُلِقَت لَها أَجداثا
He buried spearheads in his enemies' breasts,
The foremost of kings, the best of lords
As though those breasts were made to be their graves.
Who dons the mantle upon both shoulders
أَندىmost generous المُلوكِof kings يَداًin hand وَأَفضَلُand the noblest سَيِّدٍlord
أَندى المُلوكِ يَداً وَأَفضَلُ سَيِّدٍ
ناطَhung الرِداءَthe cloak بِمَنكِبِيهِupon his shoulders وَلاثاand wrapped it around
ناطَ الرِداءَ بِمَنكِبِيهِ وَلاثا
The most openhanded of kings, and the noblest lord
Of a people who inherited glory and bequeathed
Who draped a cloak over his shoulders and wrapped it around him.
To those they left behind that inheritance
مِنfrom مَعشَرٍa people وَرِثواinherited الفَخارَglory وَوَرَّثُواand bequeathed
مِن مَعشَرٍ وَرِثوا الفَخارَ وَوَرَّثُوا
مَنthose whom خَلَّفُوهُthey left behind ذَلِكَthat المِيراثاinheritance
مَن خَلَّفُوهُ ذَلِكَ المِيراثا
From a people who inherited glory and bequeathed
O you, whose company we enjoyed because
That inheritance to those they left behind.
He spends the evening bestowing kindness
ياO مَنone who لَبِثناwe dwelt فيin ذَراهُhis shelter لِأَنَّهُbecause he
يا مَن لَبِثنا في ذَراهُ لِأَنَّهُ
أَمسىhas become عَلىin فِعِلِthe practice of النَدىgenerosity لَبّاثاsteadfast
أَمسى عَلى فِعِلِ النَدى لَبّاثا
O you in whose shelter we have dwelt, for you
Your hands have brought about at my place gifts
Have become steadfast in deeds of generosity.
That have enriched me, so events suffice me
قَدindeed أَحدَثَتhave brought forth عِندِيfor me يَداكَyour two hands مَواهِباًgifts
قَد أَحدَثَت عِندِي يَداكَ مَواهِباً
أَغنَينَنيthey enriched me فَكَفَينَنيso they shielded me from الأَحداثاcalamities
أَغنَينَني فَكَفَينَني الأَحداثا
Indeed, your hands have brought forth gifts for me,
And through you fresh wealth was renewed for me
Which enriched me and so shielded me from calamities.
Blessings, though before that it was ruins
وَتَجَدَدَتand were renewed ليfor me فيin ذَراكَyour shelter مِنَof الغِنىwealth
وَتَجَدَدَت لي في ذَراكَ مِنَ الغِنى
نِعَمٌblessings وَكُنَّand they had been قُبيلَshortly before ذاكَthat رِماثاworn remnants
نِعَمٌ وَكُنَّ قُبيلَ ذاكَ رِماثا
And in your shelter there came anew to me, from wealth,
And the land remains not barren of vegetation
Blessings that, just before, had been worn remnants.
Until it is hit with rains and helped
وَالأَرضُand the earth لاnot تَنفَكُّceases to be يابِسَةَdry الثَرىin soil
وَالأَرضُ لا تَنفَكُّ يابِسَةَ الثَرى
حَتّىuntil تُصابَit is struck بِوابِلٍby a downpour وَتُغاثاand is relieved by rain
حَتّى تُصابَ بِوابِلٍ وَتُغاثا
And the earth's soil remains dry
So I will thank you with the gratitude of one
Until a downpour falls upon it and brings it relief.
Whom you have satisfied with ample wealth, position and furniture
فَلأَشكُرَنَّكَso I shall surely thank you شُكرَthe thanks of مَنone whom أَقنَيتَهُyou endowed him
فَلأَشكُرَنَّكَ شُكرَ مَن أَقنَيتَهُ
مالاًwealth وَجاهاًand prestige واسِعاًfar-reaching وَأَثاثاand household goods
مالاً وَجاهاً واسِعاً وَأَثاثا
So I shall surely thank you as one you have endowed with
And I will compose your praise in excellent verse
Wealth, far-reaching prestige, and household goods.
Proudly, and into the ear of time murmuring
وَلأَنظِمَنَّand I shall surely string ثَناكَpraise of you فيaround جِيدِthe neck of العُلىglory
وَلأَنظِمَنَّ ثَناكَ في جِيدِ العُلى
سِمطاًa necklace وَفيand in أُذُنِthe ear of الزَمانِTime رِعاثاearrings
سِمطاً وَفي أُذُنِ الزَمانِ رِعاثا
And I shall surely string your praise around glory's neck,
As a necklace, and as earrings in the ear of Time.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1