أَلاَAh! هَلis there لأَيَّامٍfor days تَوَلَّينَthat have passed مَطلَبُa way to reclaim
أَلاَ هَل لأَيَّامٍ تَوَلَّينَ مَطلَبُ
وَهَلand can عاتِبٌa reproacher زارٍa fault-finder عَلَىagainst الدَّهرِtime مُعتَبُbe appeased
وَهَل عاتِبٌ زارٍ عَلَى الدَّهرِ مُعتَبُ
Ah, is there any way to recover days gone by?
Can one who reproaches and reviles time ever find redress?
أَرَىI see غِيرَthe vicissitudes of الأَيّامِthe days أَزرَىdid harm بِلِينِهاto their gentleness
أَرَى غِيرَ الأَيّامِ أَزرَى بِلِينِها
وَمَعروفِهاand their kindness دَهرٌan age بِنَاwith us يَتَقَلَّبُkeeps changing
وَمَعروفِها دَهرٌ بِنَا يَتَقَلَّبُ
I see the days' reversals: their gentleness is marred,
and their kindness, by time as it turns us about.
فَلِلنَّفسِso the soul has مِنfrom ذِكرٍremembrance لَماof what زالَvanished فانقَضَىand passed away
فَلِلنَّفسِ مِن ذِكرٍ لَما زالَ فانقَضَى
عَوَائدُrecurrences of أَحزانٍsorrows تَشُفَّconsume وَتُنصِبُand exhaust
عَوَائدُ أَحزانٍ تَشُفَّ وَتُنصِبُ
For the soul, from remembering what has vanished and passed,
come recurring sorrows that consume and exhaust.
غَلَبنَthey overcame اعتِزامَthe resolve for الصَّبرِpatience فالقَلبُso the heart تابِعٌfollows
غَلَبنَ اعتِزامَ الصَّبرِ فالقَلبُ تابِعٌ
لِداعِىthe summons of الهَوَىpassion مِنfrom ذِىone possessing المَوَدَّةِaffection مُصحِبُcompliant
لِداعِى الهَوَى مِن ذِى المَوَدَّةِ مُصحِبُ
They have conquered the resolve to endure; the heart follows
the call of passion from one who loves, yielding willingly.
فَمالَتso swayed بِكَyou الأَيّامُthe days وَازدادَand grew هَفوَةًin folly
فَمالَت بِكَ الأَيّامُ وَازدادَ هَفوَةً
لِذِكرِat the memory of الغَوانِىlovely women لُبُّكَyour mind المُتَشَعِّبُdistracted
لِذِكرِ الغَوانِى لُبُّكَ المُتَشَعِّبُ
So the days have swayed you, and more prone to folly has grown
your distracted mind at the memory of lovely women,
عَلَىat حِينَa time when لَمnot تُعذَرyou are excused بِجَهلٍfor ignorance وأَشرَفَتand loomed
عَلَى حِينَ لَم تُعذَر بِجَهلٍ وأَشرَفَت
عَلَيكَover you أُمُورٌmatters لَمnot تَكُنused to لَكَfor you تُغضِبُcause anger
عَلَيكَ أُمُورٌ لَم تَكُن لَكَ تُغضِبُ
at a time when ignorance cannot excuse you, and there loom
over you matters that once did not anger you.
ورَوَّحتِand brought back الآياتُthe signs والدِّينُand faith وَالنُّهَىand reason
ورَوَّحتِ الآياتُ والدِّينُ وَالنُّهَى
علَيكَto you مِنَsome of الحِلمِthe forbearance الّذِىthat كادَnearly يَعزُبُfled
علَيكَ مِنَ الحِلمِ الّذِى كادَ يَعزُبُ
The signs, faith, and reason have restored
to you some of the forbearance that had nearly fled.
وكَيفَand how معَwith الحَبلِthe cord الَّذِىwhich بَقِيتَstill remain لَهُin it
وكَيفَ معَ الحَبلِ الَّذِى بَقِيتَ لَهُ
قُوىًstrands مُحكَماتٌfirmly plaited عَقدُهُنَّtheir knot مُؤَرَّبُsecurely tied
قُوىً مُحكَماتٌ عَقدُهُنَّ مُؤَرَّبُ
And how, with that cord in which there still remain
firmly plaited strands, their knot securely tied—
يَزِيدُincreases فَناءُthe passing of الدَّهرِtime فِيهِنَّin them جِدَّةًfreshness
يَزِيدُ فَناءُ الدَّهرِ فِيهِنَّ جِدَّةً
وَتَقلِيبُand the shifting of أَشطانِthe ropes of الهَوَىlove حَيثُwherever يَضرِبُit strikes
وَتَقلِيبُ أَشطانِ الهَوَى حَيثُ يَضرِبُ
the passing of time makes them fresher still,
as does the shifting of love's ropes wherever it strikes—
تَرُومُyou seek عَزاءًsolace أَوor تَرُومُyou seek صَرِيمَةًa clean break
تَرُومُ عَزاءً أَو تَرُومُ صَرِيمَةً
وَفىand in ذَاكَthat عَنaway from بَعضِsome of الأَذَىthe hurt مُتَنَكَّبُa way of avoidance
وَفى ذَاكَ عَن بَعضِ الأَذَى مُتَنَكَّبُ
can you seek solace, or seek a clean break?
Yet in that lies a way to avoid some pain,
عَنِaway from المُشِكلِthe inscrutable one المُزجِىwho proffers المَوَدَّةَaffection وَالّذىand the one who
عَنِ المُشِكلِ المُزجِى المَوَدَّةَ وَالّذى
يَبِينُparts فَينأَىand so goes far أَوor يُدَانِىdraws near فَيَقرُبُand so comes close
يَبِينُ فَينأَى أَو يُدَانِى فَيَقرُبُ
away from the inscrutable one who proffers affection, and the one who
parts and goes far, or draws near and comes close,
مَعَwith الطَّمَعِhope اللّذwhich لاnot يَزَالُceases يَرُدُّهُbrings it back
مَعَ الطَّمَعِ اللّذ لا يَزَالُ يَرُدُّهُ
جَميلُfair النَّثاreport والمَنظَرُand the appearance المُتَحَبَّبُendearing
جَميلُ النَّثا والمَنظَرُ المُتَحَبَّبُ
with hope forever revived
by fair report and an endearing appearance.
وَقَدand indeed جُزِيَتhas been requited بالوُدِّwith affection سَلمضىSalma وَمَاand not الهَوَىlove
وَقَد جُزِيَت بالوُدِّ سَلمضى وَمَا الهَوَى
بِمُستَجمِعٍfully attained إِلاّexcept لمَنfor one who يَتَحَبَّبُmakes himself loved
بِمُستَجمِعٍ إِلاّ لمَن يَتَحَبَّبُ
Salma has indeed been requited with affection; love
comes in full only to one who makes himself loved.
وَقالتand she said لَقَدindeed أَعلَنتَyou spoke openly باسمِىusing my name وَأَيقَنَتand became certain
وَقالت لَقَد أَعلَنتَ باسمِى وَأَيقَنَت
بِذَاكَof that شُهُودٌwitnesses حَاضِرُونَpresent وغُيَّبُand absent
بِذَاكَ شُهُودٌ حَاضِرُونَ وغُيَّبُ
She said, 'You have proclaimed my name; it is known for certain
to witnesses both present and absent.'
فَقُلتُso I said وإِنِّىand I indeed حِينَwhen تَبغِىshe seeks صَرِيمَتىa break with me
فَقُلتُ وإِنِّى حِينَ تَبغِى صَرِيمَتى
لَسَمحٌtruly generous إِذاwhen ضَنَّis grudging الهَيُوبُthe timid man المُلزّبُthe clinging one
لَسَمحٌ إِذا ضَنَّ الهَيُوبُ المُلزّبُ
I said—and when she seeks to break with me,
I am generous where the timid, clinging man is grudging—
أَتَقرِبَةًas a prelude? لِلصَّرمِto parting أَمor دَفعَaverting حاجةٍa need
أَتَقرِبَةً لِلصَّرمِ أَم دَفعَ حاجةٍ
أَرَادَتshe intended بِهِby it أَمor ذاتَthe bond بَينِكَbetween you تَقرُبُshe draws closer
أَرَادَت بِهِ أَم ذاتَ بَينِكَ تَقرُبُ
'Was it a step toward parting, or the averting of some need
she intended by this—or did she seek closer ties with you?'
وَأُقسِمُand I swear ماnot اَدرِىI know إِذاwhen المَوتُdeath زَارَنِىvisits me
وَأُقسِمُ ما اَدرِى إِذا المَوتُ زَارَنِى
أَسلمَىwhether Salma بِقَلبِىto my heart أَمor أُمَيمةُUmayma أَصقَبُis nearer
أَسلمَى بِقَلبِى أَم أُمَيمةُ أَصقَبُ
I swear I do not know, when death visits me,
whether Salma or Umayma is nearer my heart.
فَماfor none مِنهُمَاof the two إِلاّexcept التِّىshe who لَيسَthere is not لِلهَوَىfor love
فَما مِنهُمَا إِلاّ التِّى لَيسَ لِلهَوَى
سِوَاهَاsave her عِنِaway from الأُخرَىthe other مِنَon الأَرضِearth مَذهَبُa path
سِوَاهَا عِنِ الأُخرَى مِنَ الأَرضِ مَذهَبُ
For each of them is such that love
has no path on earth away from the other, save to her.
هُمَاthe two of them اقتَادَتَاhave led away لُبِّىmy mind جَنِيباًlike a led mount وَلَمand not يَكُنwould it be
هُمَا اقتَادَتَا لُبِّى جَنِيباً وَلَم يَكُن
لِمَنby one who لاَnot يُجازِىreciprocates بِالمَوَدَّةِwith affection يَجنُبُled along
لِمَن لاَ يُجازِى بِالمَوَدَّةِ يَجنُبُ
Both have drawn my mind along like a led mount; it never
would follow one who did not respond with affection.
فَلاَso neither القَلبُthe heart يَنسَىforgets ذِكرَthe memory of سَلمَىSalma إِذاwhen نَأَتshe is far away
فَلاَ القَلبُ يَنسَى ذِكرَ سَلمَى إِذا نَأَت
وَلاَnor الصَّبرُpatience إِنif بانَتdeparts أُمَيمةًُUmayma يُعقِبُcomes afterward
وَلاَ الصَّبرُ إِن بانَت أُمَيمةًُ يُعقِبُ
So the heart never forgets Salma when she is far away,
nor does patience follow when Umayma departs.
وَكَمand how many دُونَbefore reaching سَلمَىSalma مِنof جِبالٍmountains وسَبسَبٍand desert plains
وَكَم دُونَ سَلمَى مِن جِبالٍ وسَبسَبٍ
إِذاwhenever قَطَعَتهُhave crossed it العِيسُthe pale camels أَعرَضَstretches into view سَبسَبُa desert plain
إِذا قَطَعَتهُ العِيسُ أَعرَضَ سَبسَبُ
How many mountains and desert plains lie between me and Salma!
Whenever the pale camels cross one, another plain stretches ahead.
مَلِيعٍvast تَرَىyou see غِربانَthe ravens of مَنزِلِthe halting-place of رَكبِهِits riders
مَلِيعٍ تَرَى غِربانَ مَنزِلِ رَكبِهِ
عَلَىupon مُعجَلٍone whose end was hastened لَمnot يَحىَwas greeted أَوor يَتَطَرَّبِsung to
عَلَى مُعجَلٍ لَم يَحىَ أَو يَتَطَرَّبِ
A vast waste, where you see ravens at its riders' halting-place,
upon one whose end was hastened, neither greeted nor sung to.
لِجِنّانِهِfor its jinn وَاللَّيلُwhile the night دَاجٍis densely dark ظَلامُهُits darkness
لِجِنّانِهِ وَاللَّيلُ دَاجٍ ظَلامُهُ
دَوِىٌّa droning كَماjust as حَنَّmoaned اليَرَاعُthe reed flute المُثَقَّبُpierced
دَوِىٌّ كَما حَنَّ اليَرَاعُ المُثَقَّبُ
Its jinn, when night's darkness lies thick,
make a droning like the moan of a pierced reed flute.
قَطَعتُI crossed وَلَولاَand were it not for حُبُّهَاlove for her مَاnot تَعَسَّفَتventured off-track
قَطَعتُ وَلَولاَ حُبُّهَا مَا تَعَسَّفَت
بِناwith us عَرضَهُits breadth خُوصٌsunken-eyed camels تَخِبُّtrot وَتَتعَبُand grow weary
بِنا عَرضَهُ خُوصٌ تَخِبُّ وَتَتعَبُ
I crossed it; but for love of her, they would not have struck out
across its breadth with us—sunken-eyed camels, trotting and tiring.
Sol 6.1