ماneither الشهبthe bright stars تُجليdispel دَاجِيَthe murk of الأحلاَكِthe darkness
ما الشهب تُجلي دَاجِيَ الأحلاَكِ
وقدand already استوتare poised بمظاهرupon the visible faces of الأفلاكِthe celestial spheres
وقد استوت بمظاهر الأفلاكِ
Neither the bright stars, dispelling the murk of darkness,
The meteors do not illuminate my gloomy nights
Already poised upon the visible faces of the celestial spheres,
That have reached the aspects of the cosmos
والغادةُand the maiden الحسناءُbeautiful راقَdelighted جَمَالُهَاher beauty
والغادةُ الحسناءُ راقَ جَمَالُهَا
قدalready حُلِّيَتwas adorned بنفائسwith precious الأسلاَكِstrands
قد حُلِّيَت بنفائس الأسلاَكِ
Nor the beautiful maiden, whose beauty delights,
And the beautiful, slender girl, her beauty shone
Adorned with precious strands,
Adorned with the finest of jewelry
والروضةand the garden الغنَّاءُluxuriant أينعblossomed زهرُهَاits flowers
والروضة الغنَّاءُ أينع زهرُهَا
فتبسَّمَتand so it smiled عنrevealing ثغرهاits mouth المِضحَاكِever-laughing
فتبسَّمَت عن ثغرها المِضحَاكِ
Nor the luxuriant garden, its flowers in full bloom,
And the melodious garden, its flowers in full bloom
Smiling to reveal its laughing mouth,
Smiling from her rosy cheeks and bright teeth
والوُرقُand the gray doves قَدalready أصغَتlistened لرنَّةِto the ringing of مِزهَرٍa lute
والوُرقُ قَد أصغَت لرنَّةِ مِزهَرٍ
فغدَتand so they began تغانيsinging along with صوتهits voice وتحاكيand echoing
فغدَت تغاني صوته وتحاكي
Nor the gray doves, listening to a lute's ringing,
And the leaves listening to the tune of the nightingale
Then singing along with its voice and echoing it,
Singing and repeating its voice in reply
يوماًever بأعجبَmore wondrous منthan حُليjewels عربيةArabic
يوماً بأعجبَ من حُلي عربية
تَسبِيcaptivates بمنطقهاwith their speech نُهَىthe minds of النُّسَاكِascetics
تَسبِي بمنطقها نُهَى النُّسَاكِ
Are ever more wondrous than Arabic jewels,
One day with wonders more marvelous than Arabian jewelry
Whose speech captivates the minds of ascetics.
Speaking with eloquence that exhausts the abilities of the pious
حاورتهاI conversed with them فأتتand they came بفصلwith the decisiveness of خطابهاtheir speech
حاورتها فأتت بفصل خطابها
فالعجزso helplessness عنهbefore it منتهىthe utmost reach of الإدراكِunderstanding
فالعجز عنه منتهى الإدراكِ
I conversed with them; they gave their decisive reply;
I conversed with her and she answered with a chapter of speech
So helplessness before it is understanding's utmost reach.
That is beyond the limits of comprehension
عَلِقَbecame attached الفؤادthe heart بهاto them فهاand behold هوit مُوثَقٌbound
عَلِقَ الفؤاد بها فها هو مُوثَقٌ
بفنائهاin their courtyard الفتَّاكdeadly فيin أشرَاكِsnares
بفنائها الفتَّاك في أشرَاكِ
My heart clung to them; behold it now bound
My heart clung to her, behold, it is now tied
In their deadly courtyard, caught in snares.
To her deadly love in its snares
بحياةby the life of مهديكyour giver الذيwho بفتاتهthrough his crumbs
بحياة مهديك الذي بفتاته
يزهوexults بهاin them الرّاويthe reciter لهاof them والحاكيand the narrator
يزهو بها الرّاوي لها والحاكي
By the life of your giver, through whose crumbs
By the life of the one whose remnants
Those who recite and recount them exult in them:
The narrator boasts about and repeats
هذاthis فؤاديmy heart فيin يديكyour two hands علىon شفاthe brink
هذا فؤادي في يديك على شفا
أنthat تُنعمِيyou graciously grant بِخَلاصَهits release فيراكso it may see you
أن تُنعمِي بِخَلاصَه فيراك
This heart of mine is in your hands, on the verge
This is my heart in your hands on the verge
Of your graciously freeing it, so that it may see you.
That you favor its salvation and visit me
إنindeed ابنson of خاتمةٍKhatima ختامُthe seal of بلاغةٍeloquence
إن ابن خاتمةٍ ختامُ بلاغةٍ
بطريقةٍin a style أعيَتproved too difficult عنbeyond السُّلاَّكِthose treading the path
بطريقةٍ أعيَت عن السُّلاَّكِ
Indeed, Ibn Khatima is the seal of eloquence,
The son of the seal of the seal of eloquence
In a style that has baffled those who tread its path.
In a way that exhausted the climbers
هوhe سابقُthe forerunner of الآدابِletters حاملُbearer of رايةٍa banner
هو سابقُ الآدابِ حاملُ رايةٍ
لمnot يَبقَremains فيهاin it موضِعُroom for استدرَاكِcorrection
لم يَبقَ فيها موضِعُ استدرَاكِ
He leads the field of letters, bearing a banner
He is the predecessor of literature, bearing a flag
In which no room for correction remains.
In which there is no room for improvement
ومحاand effaced رسومَthe traces of محابرٍinkwells ودفاترٍand notebooks
ومحا رسومَ محابرٍ ودفاترٍ
فرعٌa branch زكىflourished طيبgood الأصلin origin زاكِpure
فرعٌ زكى طيب الأصل زاكِ
And he effaced the traces of inkwells and notebooks—
And he erased the customs of pens and books
A flourishing branch, of good stock and pure.
A branch purified, the essence of the sincere
نَادتcalled out بلاغتهhis eloquence بكلّto every مُحَاضِرٍspeaker
نَادت بلاغته بكلّ مُحَاضِرٍ
خَلَّclear الطريقthe path لذِيfor the bearer of السِّلاحweapons الشاكيformidable
خَلَّ الطريق لذِي السِّلاح الشاكي
His eloquence called out to every speaker:
His eloquence called in every institute
Clear the path for the bearer of formidable weapons!
Making way for the one with the shining sword
يُبنَىis built المنارthe beacon لهfor him بأعلىat the highest مَعلَمlandmark
يُبنَى المنار له بأعلى مَعلَم
ويصدّand repels عنهfrom him غارةَthe onslaught of الفتَّاكِdeadly assailants
ويصدّ عنه غارةَ الفتَّاكِ
A beacon is built for him atop the highest landmark,
A minaret is built for him at the highest monument
And repels from him the onslaught of deadly assailants.
And wards off the attack of the killer
فَلَكَمso how many لهhe has منof مُحكَمَاتِmasterfully wrought قصائِدٍpoems
فَلَكَم له من مُحكَمَاتِ قصائِدٍ
أبياتُهاtheir verses التِّيجانُcrowns للأملاكِfor kings
أبياتُها التِّيجانُ للأملاكِ
How many masterfully wrought poems he has,
So how many solid poems does he have
Their verses crowns for kings!
Whose verses are crowns for royalty
وإليكهاand here it is for you منيfrom me عجالةa hasty offering حشمةmodesty
وإليكها مني عجالة حشمة
جاءتit came بُعذرِwith an excuse ليسthat is not بالأفّاكِa liar
جاءت بُعذرِ ليس بالأفّاكِ
And here it is from me for you—a hasty, modest offering,
And here is a modest gift hastily from me
Coming with an excuse that does not lie.
That came with an excuse that is not fabricated
قَنصتit hunted منfrom among الكافاتthe kāfs أصليَّاتِهاtheir root-letter forms
قَنصت من الكافات أصليَّاتِها
مدّتit spread عليهاover them محكماتِtightly woven شِبَاكِnets
مدّت عليها محكماتِ شِبَاكِ
It hunted out the root-letter forms among the kāfs,
I hunted from poems their original parts
And spread tightly woven nets over them.
I extended them with solid compositions of nets
أرسَلتُهَاI sent it لتنوبَto stand in فيin شُكرِthanking الذيthe one whom
أرسَلتُهَا لتنوبَ في شُكرِ الذي
قررتُI resolved مِنout of وُدٍّaffection بهto him استمساكِيmy holding fast
قررتُ مِن وُدٍّ به استمساكِي
I sent it to stand in for my thanks to the one
I sent them to substitute in thanking the one
To whom I have resolved, out of affection, to hold fast.
Whose affection I have decided to cling to
أبقاكmay He preserve you ربيmy Lord عاليexalted in الأقدارrank ماas long as
أبقاك ربي عالي الأقدار ما
ضَحِكsmiled الأزاهرthe blossoms للغمامat the clouds الباكيweeping
ضَحِك الأزاهر للغمام الباكي
May my Lord preserve you, exalted in rank, as long as
May God keep you, of high glory, as long as
The blossoms smile at the weeping clouds.
The flowers smile at the crying clouds
ثمthen السلامpeace عليكupon you منيfrom me ماas long as شَدَتsing
ثم السلام عليك مني ما شَدَت
وُرقُgray ones الحَمَامِof the doves علىon غصونthe branches of أراكِarāk trees
وُرقُ الحَمَامِ على غصون أراكِ
Then peace be upon you from me, as long as song rises
Then greetings unto you from me for as long
From gray doves upon arāk branches.
As the turtledoves' leaves cling to the branches of the grove
Sol 6.1