طَرَقَتcame by night أُمامَةُUmamah وَالعُيُونُand the eyes نِيامُasleep
طَرَقَت أُمامَةُ وَالعُيُونُ نِيامُ
كَلِفاًa lovesick man يُعَنَّفُis rebuked فيin الهَوىlove وَيُلامُand is blamed
كَلِفاً يُعَنَّفُ في الهَوى وَيُلامُ
Umamah came by night, while eyes lay sleeping,
Umma walked by while eyes were sleeping
to a lovesick man, rebuked and blamed for love.
Blamed for love though forced into its keeping
لاno حَمدَpraise إِلّاexcept لِلرُقادِto sleep فَإِنَّهاfor indeed she
لا حَمدَ إِلّا لِلرُقادِ فَإِنَّها
بَخِلَتwas miserly وَماand not بَخِلَتwere miserly بِهاwith her الأَحلامُthe dreams
بَخِلَت وَما بَخِلَت بِها الأَحلامُ
No praise is due except to sleep, for she
No praise but for slumber, for it deprived me
withheld herself, but dreams did not withhold her.
Withholding what dreams themselves denied me
زارَتكَvisited you زُوراًfalsely فيin الظَلامِthe darkness فَلَيتَهاso, if only she
زارَتكَ زُوراً في الظَلامِ فَلَيتَها
زارَتكَvisited you صادِقَةَtrue in المَزارِthe visit أُمامُUmam
زارَتكَ صادِقَةَ المَزارِ أُمامُ
She visited you falsely in the darkness—if only
At night she came a false visitor, would that
Umam had truly come to visit you!
She'd come sincere, to visit and seem valid!
كَذبَتlied وَكِذبُand the lying of الغانِياتِbeautiful women فَضِيلَةٌa virtue
كَذبَت وَكِذبُ الغانِياتِ فَضِيلَةٌ
ووِصالُهُنَّand union with them وَصِدقُهُنَّand their truthfulness حَرامُforbidden
ووِصالُهُنَّ وَصِدقُهُنَّ حَرامُ
She lied; the lies of beautiful women are a virtue,
To lie is singers' merit, and their meeting
while union with them and their truthfulness are forbidden.
As well as truthfulness is sinning, cheating
فيin لَيلَةٍa night بَسَطَspread القَوادِمَthe primary wing-feathers نَسرُهاits eagle
في لَيلَةٍ بَسَطَ القَوادِمَ نَسرُها
وَانباعَand sprang forth تَحتَbeneath ظَلامِهاits darkness الضِرغامُthe lion
وَانباعَ تَحتَ ظَلامِها الضِرغامُ
On a night whose eagle spread its primary wing-feathers,
One night her figure swooped down, and beneath
and beneath whose darkness the lion sprang forth,
Its darkness thickened shadows and mist wreathing
طَيفٌa phantom أَلَمَّcame briefly بِناto us فَهاجَand stirred صَبابَةًlonging
طَيفٌ أَلَمَّ بِنا فَهاجَ صَبابَةً
بَينَbetween الجَوانِحِthe ribs ذَلِكَthat الإِلمامُthe visitation
بَينَ الجَوانِحِ ذَلِكَ الإِلمامُ
a phantom visited us, and yearning was stirred
An image that stirred the breasts, that filled the soul -
between the ribs by that visitation.
Bringing those lovely fantasies that console
أَهلاًwelcome بِذَلِكُمُto that (addressing you all) الخَيالthe phantom يَضُمُّهُenfolds it
أَهلاً بِذَلِكُمُ الخَيال يَضُمُّهُ
بَعدَbeyond الإِكامِthe hills تَنائِفٌtrackless wastes وَإِكامُand hills
بَعدَ الإِكامِ تَنائِفٌ وَإِكامُ
Welcome to that phantom, enfolded
Greetings to that vision which soon will fold
beyond the hills by trackless wastes and hills.
Again to its repose each visioned form
أَسرىjourneyed by night وَمَنزِلُهُand its home العِراقُIraq وَمَنزِليand my home
أَسرى وَمَنزِلُهُ العِراقُ وَمَنزِلي
حَلَبٌAleppo بِحَيثُwhere الفَضلُbounty وَالإِنعامُand beneficence
حَلَبٌ بِحَيثُ الفَضلُ وَالإِنعامُ
It journeyed by night, its home in Iraq, while mine
A captive whose home is Iraq, while mine is
is Aleppo, where bounty and beneficence dwell,
Aleppo - where glory and grace entwine
فيin ظِلِّthe shade of وَضّاحِradiant الجَبينِthe brow كَأَنَّهas though he were
في ظِلِّ وَضّاحِ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّه
قَمَرٌa moon عَلىupon طَرَفِthe edge of السَريرِthe throne يمامُis sought out
قَمَرٌ عَلى طَرَفِ السَريرِ يمامُ
in the shade of a radiant-browed man, as though he were
In the shadows of his fair, luminous brow
a moon sought out at the edge of the throne.
He shone like a moon over the bed's edge now
طالَتrose high بِهِthrough him مُضَرٌMudar وَعَزَّand grew mighty بِسَيفِهِby his sword
طالَت بِهِ مُضَرٌ وَعَزَّ بِسَيفِهِ
أَهلُthe people of العَمُودِthe tent-pole وَأُيِّدَand was upheld الإِسلامُIslam
أَهلُ العَمُودِ وَأُيِّدَ الإِسلامُ
Mudar rose high through him; his sword brought might to
He brought glory to Muḍar, his sword served Truth
the tent-dwellers, and Islam was upheld.
Faith triumphed, false pagan idols stood uncouth
مِنfrom صَفوَةِthe choicest of العُربِthe Arabs الَّذيwho فَخَرَتtook pride بِهِin him الthe (continued)
مِن صَفوَةِ العُربِ الَّذي فَخَرَت بِهِ ال
أَجدادُforefathers وَالأَخوالُand the maternal uncles وَالأَعمامُand the paternal uncles
أَجدادُ وَالأَخوالُ وَالأَعمامُ
One of the choicest Arabs, the pride of the
Chosen from the best stock of Arabs, his sires
forefathers, maternal uncles, and paternal uncles.
Gloried in him, as did his uncles and cousins
سَبَقَoutstripped المُلوكَthe kings إِلىto الثَناءِpraise فَلَمand so did not يَدَعleave
سَبَقَ المُلوكَ إِلى الثَناءِ فَلَم يَدَع
حَمداًpraise وَلاnor عُلىًheights of glory تُستَامُto be sought
حَمداً وَلا عُلىً تُستَامُ
He outstripped kings in winning praise, leaving no
Kings were surpassed in praise, for he left no
praise or heights of glory to be sought.
Glory unsung, no merit without its due
أَعطىgave وَأَلهَمَand inspired بِالمَكارِمِwith noble deeds نَفسَهُhis own soul
أَعطى وَأَلهَمَ بِالمَكارِمِ نَفسَهُ
إِنَّindeed المَكارِمَnoble deeds لِلفَتىfor a young man إِلهامُinspiration
إِنَّ المَكارِمَ لِلفَتى إِلهامُ
He gave, and inspired his soul with noble deeds;
His soul was inspired to high-mindedness, for
indeed, noble deeds are inspiration to a young man.
True merit, in man, is God-given, nothing more
لَمdid not أَنسَهُI forget him عَزمَresolved upon المَسيرَthe march وَحَولَهُand around him
لَم أَنسَهُ عَزمَ المَسيرَ وَحَولَهُ
جَيشٌan army يَسُدُّfills الخافِقينِboth horizons (east and west) لُهامُvast
جَيشٌ يَسُدُّ الخافِقينِ لُهامُ
I have not forgotten him as he resolved to march, surrounded by
I'll not forget his determined resolve, as he
a vast army filling the eastern and western horizons.
Marched with armies that flocked to his certainty
حَجَبَveiled الغَزالَةَthe sun نُورُهُits radiance وَتَشابَهَتand were alike
حَجَبَ الغَزالَةَ نُورُهُ وَتَشابَهَت
فيهِwithin it البُروقُthe lightning flashes وَوَجهُهُand his face البَسّامُbeaming
فيهِ البُروقُ وَوَجهُهُ البَسّامُ
Its radiance veiled the sun, and alike were
His light dimmed the glance of the doe, his bright sword
the lightning flashes within it and his beaming face.
Outshone lightning, his face like the dawn glowed
مَلأَfilled الفِجاجَthe passes بِهِwith it وَسارَand marched أَمامَهُbefore it
مَلأَ الفِجاجَ بِهِ وَسارَ أَمامَهُ
مَلِكٌa king عَلَيهِupon him مَهابَةٌmajesty وَوَسامُand beauty
مَلِكٌ عَلَيهِ مَهابَةٌ وَوَسامُ
He filled the passes with it, and before it marched
He filled the horizons with his presence, moved with
a king bearing majesty and beauty.
A sovereign before whom there was only love
فَغَمَsuffused الفَلاthe desert طِيباًwith fragrance وَأَصبَحَand became رِمثَهاits saltbush
فَغَمَ الفَلا طِيباً وَأَصبَحَ رِمثَها
وَكَأَنَّماand as though هُوَit عَبهَرٌnarcissus وَبَشامُand balsam
وَكَأَنَّما هُوَ عَبهَرٌ وَبَشامُ
He suffused the desert with fragrance, and its saltbush became
The deserts bloomed fragrant where the horses trod
as though it were narcissus and balsam.
As if musk-laden breezes and orchid
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen نَزَلَencamped at الرُصافَةَal-Rusafah شُيِّدَتwere erected
حَتّى إِذا نَزَلَ الرُصافَةَ شُيِّدَت
فيهاwithin it قِبابٌdomed pavilions حَولَهُaround him وَخِيامُand tents
فيها قِبابٌ حَولَهُ وَخِيامُ
At last, when he encamped at al-Rusafah, there were raised
There in Rusâfa he camped, tents ringing
within it, around him, domed pavilions and tents.
Surrounding him, while warriors jousted, singing
وَدَناand drew near مِنَto البَيتِthe house الكَريمِnoble وَحَولَهُand around him
وَدَنا مِنَ البَيتِ الكَريمِ وَحَولَهُ
عَركٌjostling لِفُرسانِof the horsemen الوَغىbattle وَزِحامand crowding
عَركٌ لِفُرسانِ الوَغى وَزِحام
And he drew near the noble house, while around him
Light swept darkness away till no dark remained
battle's horsemen jostled and thronged.
As if it had never been, perfect night was baned
وَالنُورُand the light قَدhad حَسَرَstripped away الظَلامَthe darkness كَأَنَّماas though
وَالنُورُ قَد حَسَرَ الظَلامَ كَأَنَّما
عُدِمَceased to exist الظَلامُthe darkness فَماso no يُحَسُّis sensed ظَلامُdarkness
عُدِمَ الظَلامُ فَما يُحَسُّ ظَلامُ
And the light had stripped away the darkness, as though
Till he longed to rise from his grave, being drawn
darkness had vanished, so no darkness could be sensed.
By yearning for you, O Prince, like the dawn
حَتّىso much so that لَهَمَّindeed intended بِأَنto يَقُومrise مُسَلِّماoffering greeting
حَتّى لَهَمَّ بِأَن يَقُوم مُسَلِّما
مِنfrom قَبرِهِhis grave شوقاout of longing إِلَيكَfor you هِشامHisham
مِن قَبرِهِ شوقا إِلَيكَ هِشام
So much so that he was moved to rise in greeting
Greet these days, their beauty matches your own
from his grave, longing for you—Hisham.
Your words perfect the beauty time has shown
فَاسلَمso remain safe عَلىthroughout الأَيّامِthe days إِنَّكَindeed you واحِدٌpeerless
فَاسلَم عَلى الأَيّامِ إِنَّكَ واحِدٌ
حَسُنَتgrew fair بِحُسنِthrough the beauty of حَديثِكَyour story الأَيّامُthe days
حَسُنَت بِحُسنِ حَديثِكَ الأَيّامُ
May you remain safe through the days, for you are peerless;
Your hand is endless bounty, there will never
the days have grown fair through the beauty of your story.
Be a loss of your gifts, or your horses' endeavor
لاmay never فارَقَتpart from يَدُكَyour hand العَطاءَgiving وَلاnor may اِنقَضىcease
لا فارَقَت يَدُكَ العَطاءَ وَلا اِنقَضى
مِنamong خَيلِكَyour horses الإِسراجُsaddling وَالإِلجامُand bridling
مِن خَيلِكَ الإِسراجُ وَالإِلجامُ
May your hand never part from giving, nor may there cease
among your horses the saddling and bridling.
Partial English translation: 44 of 46 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1