نثرscattered الربيعspring ذخائرtreasures النوارthe blossoms
نثر الربيع ذخائر النوار
منfrom جيبthe bosom الغواديthe morning rainclouds
من جيب الغوادي
Spring scattered the treasures of blossoms
Spring has scattered its treasures of light
from the bosom of the morning rainclouds,
From the pockets of the valleys,
وكساand clothed الرباthe hills حللاrobes فواtrailing folds (word begins)
وكسا الربا حللا فوا
ضلهاtheir trailing folds (word ends) تجرtrail علىover الوهادthe lowlands
ضلها تجر على الوهاد
and clothed the hills in robes whose trailing folds
And clothed the countryside in magnificent robes
sweep across the lowlands.
That trail over the hills.
وكأنand as though أنفاسbreaths الجناthe gardens (word begins)
وكأن أنفاس الجنا
نcompletes 'the gardens' تنفستbreathed forth عنهاfrom them البواديthe open plains
ن تنفست عنها البوادي
And it is as though the gardens' breaths
It is as if the breezes of paradise
were exhaled by the open plains.
Had breathed over the deserts,
والزيزقونand the oleaster يفتcrumbles غاperfume paste (word begins)
والزيزقون يفت غا
ليةcompletes 'perfume paste' مضمخةsteeped بجاديin saffron
لية مضمخة بجادي
And the oleaster crumbles a perfume
And the flowers burst open
paste steeped in saffron,
In a riot of color like locust wings,
يلقىcasts بهاwith it للروضfor the garden فيin
يلقى بها للروض في
ورقleaves كاجنحةlike the wings الجرادof locusts
ورق كاجنحة الجراد
casting it for the garden among
To carpet the meadows.
leaves like locusts' wings.
The souls are aroused but not
هاجstirred النفوسthe souls ولمand did not
هاج النفوس ولم
بفتهelude it (apparent typo) غيرother than تهيجstirring الجمادlifeless things
بفته غير تهيج الجماد
It stirred the souls, and nothing
Satiated except by the inanimate.
eluded it but stirring lifeless things.
The roses, crimson-lipped,
والوردand the rose مخضوبdyed البناthe fingertips (word begins)
والورد مخضوب البنا
نcompletes 'the fingertips' مضرجcrimsoned الوجناتthe cheeks زاديmy sustenance
ن مضرج الوجنات زادي
And the rose, its fingertips dyed,
Stain the gardens red.
its cheeks crimsoned, is my sustenance.
For them are pitched tents of brocade
نصبتwere set up لهfor it سررcouches الزبرemerald (word begins)
نصبت له سرر الزبر
جدcompletes 'emerald' والخيامand the tents بكلin every واديvalley
جد والخيام بكل وادي
For it were set up couches of emerald
And pavilions in every valley.
and tents in every valley.
Thorns guard their beauty
حرستهguarded it شوكةthe thorn حسنهof its beauty
حرسته شوكة حسنه
منfrom انthat تمدbe stretched out لهtoward it الاياديthe hands
من ان تمد له الايادي
The thorn of its beauty guarded it
Lest hands reach out to pluck them.
from hands reaching toward it.
Before them the nightingale
والعندليبand the nightingale امامهbefore it
والعندليب امامه
ينضجripens نغمتهits melody بباديcalling out (apparent typo)
ينضج نغمته ببادي
And before it the nightingale
Trills his melody in the wasteland.
ripens its melody, calling out:
He who dares disturb this harmony
منwhoever رامsought يعبثto toy بالخدوwith the cheeks (word begins)
من رام يعبث بالخدو
دcompletes 'the cheeks' فدونهاthen before reaching them خرطstripping the thorns القتادthe tragacanth bush
د فدونها خرط القتاد
Whoever would toy with those cheeks
Will meet with the stab of fate.
must first strip the thorns from the tragacanth bush.
Beware the crimson-lipped rose
وحذارand beware مخضوبdyed البناthe fingertips (word begins)
وحذار مخضوب البنا
نcompletes 'the fingertips' اذاwhen تمكنgains mastery منover فؤاديmy heart
ن اذا تمكن من فؤادي
And beware the one with dyed fingertips
Should it win mastery of my heart,
when he gains mastery over my heart.
Wipe with the hem of morn
فامسحso wipe باذيالwith the skirts الصباof the east wind
فامسح باذيال الصبا
عنfrom مقلتيكyour two eyes صداrust الرقادof sleep
عن مقلتيك صدا الرقاد
So wipe, with the east wind's skirts,
The dream's imprint from my eyes.
the rust of sleep from your two eyes.
Is this the prime of spring
هلare هذهthese بكرvirgin blooms الرباof the hills
هل هذه بكر الربا
امor هذهthese غررshining marks الرشادof right guidance
ام هذه غرر الرشاد
Are these the hills' virgin blooms,
Or the radiance of guidance?
or the shining marks of right guidance?
Arise to earn a new life
وانهضand rise لكسبto gain جديدa fresh
وانهض لكسب جديد
عمرspan of life منfrom بكوركyour early rising مستفادgained
عمر من بكورك مستفاد
And rise to gain a fresh
From the fruits of your youth.
span of life, gained from your early rising.
Be content with your shade or the shade of the palm,
واقنعand be content بظلكwith your shade أوor بظلwith the shade الthe (article continued)
واقنع بظلك أو بظل ال
دوحgreat spreading trees عنinstead of ظلthe shade العبادof people
دوح عن ظل العباد
And be content with your own shade, or the shade of
Not the shade of men.
great trees, rather than the shade of men.
Nothing thrives of livelihood
ماnot راجprospered منwhoever طلبsought المعيشlivelihood (word begins)
ما راج من طلب المعيش
ةcompletes 'livelihood' بينamong اخوانbrethren الكسادof stagnation
ة بين اخوان الكساد
No one prospers who seeks a livelihood
Among brothers in hardship,
among the brethren of stagnation.
You are not pleased by softness
لاdo not يعجبنكlet it impress you لينsoftness منof one who
لا يعجبنك لين من
ابصرتهyou saw him سهلeasy القيادto lead
ابصرته سهل القياد
Do not be impressed by the softness of one
In one whom you see pliant.
whom you find easy to lead.
Yet you dislike the barbs
وابيكand by your father ماnot لانتgrew supple لغيرfor anything other than الthe (article continued)
وابيك ما لانت لغير ال
طعنthrusting ألسنةtongues الصعادof lances
طعن ألسنة الصعاد
And by your father, they grow supple only for
Of the tongues of cynics.
thrusting—the tongues of lances.
Do not covet the pain of a heart
لاdo not تشتهيcrave وجعpain الفؤاof the heart (word begins)
لا تشتهي وجع الفؤا
دcompletes 'the heart' مضىhas passed زمانthe time الاتحادof union
د مضى زمان الاتحاد
Do not crave heartache;
Whose time of union has passed.
the time of union has passed.
My soul is ransom for him
نفسيmy soul الفداءthe ransom لمنجكfor Manjak
نفسي الفداء لمنجك
المتسعزّfinding strength (apparent typo) بالانفرادin being peerless
المتسعزّ بالانفراد
My soul be ransom for Manjak,
Who is content in solitude!
who finds strength in his uniqueness.
None reaps but the excellence
لاnot يجتنيgathers الاexcept بمجلin the assembly (word begins)
لا يجتني الا بمجل
سcompletes 'assembly' فضلهof his excellence ثمرthe fruits الودادof affection
س فضله ثمر الوداد
None gathers, save in the assembly
Of his council and affection.
of his excellence, the fruits of affection.
Discipline the young colts
ادبrefinement كريانlike luxuriant growth الحداthe gardens (word begins)
ادب كريان الحدا
ئقcompletes 'the gardens' فيin سجاياcharacter traits كالغواديlike the morning rains
ئق في سجايا كالغوادي
Refinement like well-watered gardens,
In the pastures of virtues,
in a character like the morning rains.
Abundant in noble traits
متكثرabounding بغنىin the wealth الشماof noble qualities (word begins)
متكثر بغنى الشما
ئلcompletes 'qualities' لاnot بعاجلةin what is short-lived النفادdepletion
ئل لا بعاجلة النفاد
He abounds in the wealth of noble qualities,
Not in hastening decline.
not in wealth soon exhausted.
The trait of the noble steed is bounty,
شيمvirtues الجوادof the generous man هيthey are الغنىwealth
شيم الجواد هي الغنى
لاnot ماwhat حوتهheld it يدthe hand الجوادof the generous man
لا ما حوته يد الجواد
The generous man's virtues are wealth,
Not what his hand contains.
not what the generous man's hand contains.
When the steed sleeps oppressed
ومتىand when الجوادthe generous man يبيتspends the night منbecause of
ومتى الجواد يبيت من
جورthe tyranny الزمانof time علىon وسادa pillow
جور الزمان على وساد
And when can the generous man sleep,
By the injustice of Time upon the pillow,
under time's tyranny, upon a pillow?
Like the eye rejoicing in others
كالعينlike the eye تفرحbrings joy to غيرهاothers besides it
كالعين تفرح غيرها
وتظلand remains لابسةwearing الحدادmourning black
وتظل لابسة الحداد
Like the eye, he brings others joy
While clad in mourning.
yet remains clad in mourning.
Fate's hands are clenched
الدهرTime مقبوضclenched اليدينboth hands
الدهر مقبوض اليدين
وذاكand that man مبسوطspread open الأياديthe hands
وذاك مبسوط الأيادي
Time keeps both hands clenched,
While his hands are open.
while his hands are spread wide.
Time with the noble upon obstinacy.
منfrom ههناhere جبلwas fashioned الزماtime (word begins)
من ههنا جبل الزما
نcompletes 'time' معwith الكرامthe noble علىto العنادobstinate opposition
ن مع الكرام على العناد
This is why time was fashioned
My Master, there have reached you from
for stubborn opposition to the noble.
The guardians messages in succession -
مولايmy lord قدindeed جاءتكshe came to you منfrom
مولاي قد جاءتك من
خفرbashfulness الملاحةof beauty فيin تهاديa graceful swaying gait
خفر الملاحة في تهادي
My lord, she has come to you with
Their breathings have perfumed you
beauty's bashfulness, gently swaying.
With the choice words of literature,
نفحتكshe gifted you بالنوارwith blossoms منfrom
نفحتك بالنوار من
روضthe garden الكلامof speech المستجادchoice
روض الكلام المستجاد
She has gifted you blossoms from
Bearing traces of your creation
the garden of choice words.
In eloquence and composure.
قفيهاfor in her (apparent typo) آثارtraces خلقكof your character
قفيها آثار خلقك
فيin الطلاقةgracious openness والسدادand sound judgment
في الطلاقة والسداد
For in her are traces of your character,
This bond between us
in gracious openness and sound judgment.
Has appeared, sundering intimacy.
هذيthis العلاقةbond بينناbetween us
هذي العلاقة بيننا
ظهرتhas appeared تبثّvoices جوىburning grief البعادof separation
ظهرت تبثّ جوى البعاد
This bond between us
It distracts you from memory of a beloved
has appeared, voicing separation's burning grief.
In passionate love for Ibn Abi Dawad.*
تلهيكshe distracts you عنfrom ذكرىremembrance حبيبof a beloved
تلهيك عن ذكرى حبيب
فيin هوىlove for ابنIbn (son of) ابيAbi (father of) دؤادDu'ad
في هوى ابن ابي دؤاد
She distracts you from remembrance of a beloved
* Ibn Abi Dawad was a famous 9th century Arab poet who wrote passionate love poems. This is a reference to the poem distracting the listener from devotion to God.
through love for Ibn Abi Du'ad.
Partial English translation: 67 of 68 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1