لَمّاwhen ظَنَنتُI supposed فِراقَهُمtheir departure لَمnot أَرقُدِI slept
لَمّا ظَنَنتُ فِراقَهُم لَم أَرقُدِ
وَهَلَكتُand I have perished إِنif صَحَّproves true التَظَنُّنُthe surmise أَوor قَدِalready
وَهَلَكتُ إِن صَحَّ التَظَنُّنُ أَو قَدِ
When I thought they would depart, I could not sleep.
And I am undone if the surmise is true—or already am.
ماnot زِلتُI ceased أَرعىwatching كُلَّevery نَجمٍstar غايِرٍsinking
ما زِلتُ أَرعى كُلَّ نَجمٍ غايِرٍ
وَكَأَنَّand as though جَنبيmy side فَوقَupon جَمرٍembers موقَدِkindled
وَكَأَنَّ جَنبي فَوقَ جَمرٍ موقَدِ
I kept watch over every sinking star,
as though my side were on burning coals.
وَرَناand gazed إِلَيَّat me الفَرقَدانِthe two Farqads كَماas رَنَتgazed
وَرَنا إِلَيَّ الفَرقَدانِ كَما رَنَت
زَرقاءُa blue-eyed woman تَنظُرُlooking مِنthrough نِقابٍa face veil أَسوَدِblack
زَرقاءُ تَنظُرُ مِن نِقابٍ أَسوَدِ
And the two Farqads gazed at me, as gazed
a blue-eyed woman peering through a black veil.
وَالنَسرُand the Eagle قَدalready بَسَطَspread الجَناحَthe wing مُحَوِّماًcircling
وَالنَسرُ قَد بَسَطَ الجَناحَ مُحَوِّماً
حَتّىuntil القِيامَةِthe Resurrection طالِباًseeking prey لَمnot يَصطَدِcaught anything
حَتّى القِيامَةِ طالِباً لَم يَصطَدِ
And the Eagle has spread its wing, circling,
until the Resurrection, seeking prey but catching none.
وَتَرىand you see الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades فيin السَماءِthe sky كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَتَرى الثُرَيّا في السَماءِ كَأَنَّها
بَيضٌeggs بِأُدحِيٍّin an ostrich's nest يَلوحُgleaming بِفَدفَدِon a barren plain
بَيضٌ بِأُدحِيٍّ يَلوحُ بِفَدفَدِ
And you see the Pleiades in the sky as though they were
eggs in an ostrich's nest, gleaming on a barren plain.
سَلَقَتهُمُhave boiled them زَفَراتُsighs of قَلبٍa heart مُحرَقٍscorched
سَلَقَتهُمُ زَفَراتُ قَلبٍ مُحرَقٍ
وَسِجالُand bucketfuls of دَمعٍtears بِالدِماءِwith blood مُوَرَّدِtinged rose-red
وَسِجالُ دَمعٍ بِالدِماءِ مُوَرَّدِ
The sighs of a scorched heart have boiled them,
and bucketfuls of tears, rose-red with blood.
ماhow أَسرَعَswift التَفريقَthe separation إِنif عَزَمواthey resolve غَداًtomorrow
ما أَسرَعَ التَفريقَ إِن عَزَموا غَداً
لاno شَكَّdoubt أَنَّthat غَداًtomorrow قَريبَnear المَوعِدِthe appointed time
لا شَكَّ أَنَّ غَداً قَريبَ المَوعِدِ
How swift the parting, if they resolve to leave tomorrow!
No doubt tomorrow's appointed hour is near.
وَجَرَتand ran لَناbefore us سَنَحاًcrossing auspiciously جَآذِرُoryx calves of رَملَةٍa sandy tract
وَجَرَت لَنا سَنَحاً جَآذِرُ رَملَةٍ
تَتلوfollowing المَهاthe oryx كَاللُؤلُؤِlike pearls المُتَبَدِّدِscattered
تَتلو المَها كَاللُؤلُؤِ المُتَبَدِّدِ
And oryx calves of a sandy tract ran auspiciously across our path,
following the oryx like scattered pearls.
قَدalready أَطلَعَتhave put forth إِبَرَthe needles of القُرونِthe horns كَأَنَّهاas though they were
قَد أَطلَعَت إِبَرَ القُرونِ كَأَنَّها
أَخذُthe drawing of المَراوِدِkohl-sticks مِنfrom سَحيقِfinely ground الإِثمِدِantimony
أَخذُ المَراوِدِ مِن سَحيقِ الإِثمِدِ
They have put forth their needle-pointed horns, as though
kohl-sticks were being drawn from powdered antimony.
رَخَصاتُtender أَطرافٍlimbs تَظَلُّspend the day لَواعِباًplaying
رَخَصاتُ أَطرافٍ تَظَلُّ لَواعِباً
لاnot تَهتَديthey find their way طَوراًat times وَطَوراًand at times تَهتَديthey find their way
لا تَهتَدي طَوراً وَطَوراً تَهتَدي
Tender-limbed, they spend the day at play,
at times losing their way, at others finding it.
أَشباهُlikenesses of آنِسَةِa woman charming in الحَديثِconversation خَريدَةٍa modest maiden
أَشباهُ آنِسَةِ الحَديثِ خَريدَةٍ
كَالشَمسِlike the sun لاقَتهاmet her نُجومُstars of الأَسعُدِgood fortune
كَالشَمسِ لاقَتها نُجومُ الأَسعُدِ
They resemble a modest maiden of charming speech,
like the sun, met by the stars of good fortune.
كَمhow often قَدindeed خَلَوتُI was alone بِهاwith her وَثالِثُناand our third التُقىpiety
كَم قَد خَلَوتُ بِها وَثالِثُنا التُقى
يَحميwithholds عَلىfrom العَطشانِthe thirsty one بَردَthe coolness of المَورِدِthe watering place
يَحمي عَلى العَطشانِ بَردَ المَورِدِ
How often I have been alone with her, with piety our third,
withholding the watering place's coolness from the thirsty.
ياO آلَhouse of عَبّاسٍAbbas لَعاًmay you recover مِنfrom عَثرَةٍa stumble
يا آلَ عَبّاسٍ لَعاً مِن عَثرَةٍ
لاdo not تَركُنُنَّever rely إِلىupon الغُواةِthe misguided الحُسَّدِthe envious
لا تَركُنُنَّ إِلى الغُواةِ الحُسَّدِ
O house of Abbas, may you rise from your stumble!
Never rely upon the misguided and envious.
إِيّاكُمُbeware, all of you مِنfrom بَعدِهاafter it إِيّاكُمُbeware, all of you
إِيّاكُمُ مِن بَعدِها إِيّاكُمُ
كونواbe لَهاfor it كَأَراقِمٍlike speckled serpents فيin مَرصَدِan ambush
كونوا لَها كَأَراقِمٍ في مَرصَدِ
Beware after that—beware!
Be ready for it like speckled serpents in ambush.
وَخُذواand take نَصائِحَthe counsels of حازِمٍa prudent man مُتَعَصِّبٍturbaned
وَخُذوا نَصائِحَ حازِمٍ مُتَعَصِّبٍ
بِالشَيبِwith gray hair مُجتَمِعِsound in النُهىjudgment مُتَأَسِّدِlion-bold
بِالشَيبِ مُجتَمِعِ النُهى مُتَأَسِّدِ
And take the counsels of a prudent man, turbaned
with gray hair, sound of judgment and lion-bold.
كَالطَودِlike a mountain يُعديspreads حِلمَهُhis forbearance سُفَهائُهُhis fools
كَالطَودِ يُعدي حِلمَهُ سُفَهائُهُ
لاnot يَنطِقونَthey speak سِوىexcept الجَوابَthe reply وَيَبتَديand he begins
لا يَنطِقونَ سِوى الجَوابَ وَيَبتَدي
Like a mountain, his forbearance spreads to his fools;
they speak only in reply, while he speaks first.
شُدّواtighten أَكُفَّكُمyour hands عَلىupon ميراثِكُمyour inheritance
شُدّوا أَكُفَّكُم عَلى ميراثِكُم
فَالحَقُّfor the Truth أَعطاكُمhas granted you خِلافَةَthe caliphate of أَحمَدِAhmad
فَالحَقُّ أَعطاكُم خِلافَةَ أَحمَدِ
Clench your hands upon your inheritance,
for the Truth has granted you Ahmad's caliphate.
وَمَتىand whenever يَرُمهاseek it الرائِمونَthe aspirants فَبادِرواthen hasten
وَمَتى يَرُمها الرائِمونَ فَبادِروا
هاماتِهِمtheir heads حَصداًreaping بِكُلِّwith every مُهَنَّدِIndian-steel sword
هاماتِهِم حَصداً بِكُلِّ مُهَنَّدِ
And whenever aspirants seek it, hasten
to harvest their heads with every Indian-steel sword.
قودواlead لَهُمagainst them قودَthe long-necked among الجِيادِthe steeds شَواذِباًlean-flanked
قودوا لَهُم قودَ الجِيادِ شَواذِباً
لاnot يَهتَدونَthey find their way إِلىto الطَريقِthe road الأَبعَدِthe farther
لا يَهتَدونَ إِلى الطَريقِ الأَبعَدِ
Lead against them long-necked, lean-flanked steeds—
they will find no way to the farther road—
مِنof كُلِّevery أَحوىdark bay أَوor بَهيمٍsolid-colored مُصمَتٍunmarked
مِن كُلِّ أَحوى أَو بَهيمٍ مُصمَتٍ
وَمُخَمِّرٍand white-headed عَنexcluding كُلِّevery ساقٍhindleg أَوor يَدِforeleg
وَمُخَمِّرٍ عَن كُلِّ ساقٍ أَو يَدِ
of every kind: dark bay or solid-colored and unmarked,
and white-headed, with no white on hindleg or foreleg.
طَوراًat times مُجاهَرَةًopenly وَطَوراًand at times غيلَةًby stealth
طَوراً مُجاهَرَةً وَطَوراً غيلَةً
كَمhow many a قاتِلٍkiller بِغِرارِwith the edge of كَيدٍa stratagem مُغمَدِsheathed
كَم قاتِلٍ بِغِرارِ كَيدٍ مُغمَدِ
At times openly, and at times by stealth:
many a killer strikes with the edge of a sheathed stratagem.
هَذاthis هُوَis النُصحُthe counsel الصَريحُforthright وَرُبَّماand sometimes
هَذا هُوَ النُصحُ الصَريحُ وَرُبَّما
مَحضُoffered sincerely النَصيحَةِthe counsel صاحِبٌa friend لَمnot يَجهَدِexert himself
مَحضُ النَصيحَةِ صاحِبٌ لَم يَجهَدِ
This is forthright counsel; and sometimes
a friend gives sincere counsel without exerting himself.
Sol 6.1