نَهَضُواthey set out وَقَدْand already جَنَّfell االدُّجَىthe darkness وَتَخَالَفَتْand diverged
نَهَضُوا وَقَدْ جَنَّ االدُّجَى وَتَخَالَفَتْ
سُبُلُpaths الرَّدَىof doom فَمُسَدَّدُونَso, rightly guided ones وَضُلَّلُand those astray
سُبُلُ الرَّدَى فَمُسَدَّدُونَ وَضُلَّلُ
They set out when darkness had fallen, and there diverged
They rose when night's darkness fell, and the paths
The paths of doom—some rightly guided, others astray.
Of ruin diverged, so some were guided, some misled.
سَلْلنِيask me عَنِabout الْمُنْبَتِّthe stranded traveler حِينَwhen تَقَطَّعَتْwere severed
سَلْلنِي عَنِ الْمُنْبَتِّ حِينَ تَقَطَّعَتْ
أَسْبَابُهُhis lifelines تِيهاًwandering astray وَلاَand no مَنْone who يَسْأَلُasks
أَسْبَابُهُ تِيهاً وَلاَ مَنْ يَسْأَلُ
Ask me about the stranded traveler, when severed were
Ask me not about the flowering field when ties
His lifelines, as he wandered lost, with no one asking after him.
To it were severed, wandering lost, none to question.
قَوْمٌa band سَطَتْassailed بِهِمُthem السِّبَاعُthe beasts of prey وَفِرْقَةٌand a group
قَوْمٌ سَطَتْ بِهِمُ السِّبَاعُ وَفِرْقَةٌ
عَطِشُواthey thirsted وَأَيْنَand where مِنَfrom الظِّمَاءِthe thirsty الْمَنْهَلُthe watering place
عَطِشُوا وَأَيْنَ مِنَ الظِّمَاءِ الْمَنْهَلُ
One band was assailed by wild beasts, and another group
Some tribes the beasts of prey made captive; a band
Thirsted—and where was the watering place for the thirsty?
Grew thirsty, and where was a spring for the thirsty?
لَفَحَscorched الْهَجِيرُthe midday heat وَجُوهَهَمْtheir faces بِسَعِيرِهِwith its blaze
لَفَحَ الْهَجِيرُ وَجُوهَهَمْ بِسَعِيرِهِ
فَتَهَافَتُواso they rushed eagerly بِبُلاَلَةٍfor a little moisture وَتَعَلَّلُواand sought relief
فَتَهَافَتُوا بِبُلاَلَةٍ وَتَعَلَّلُوا
The midday heat scorched their faces with its blaze.
The hot wind lashed their faces with its flames,
So they scrambled for a little moisture and sought relief.
So they crumbled feebly, and sought pretexts.
وَجَمَاعَةٌand a company رَكِبُواthey rode through الْمَفَازَةَthe desert دَائِماًcontinually
وَجَمَاعَةٌ رَكِبُوا الْمَفَازَةَ دَائِماً
عَثَرُواthey stumbled عَلَىupon أَثَرٍa trail فَشَطَّand lay far away الْمَنْزِلُthe resting place
عَثَرُوا عَلَى أَثَرٍ فَشَطَّ الْمَنْزِلُ
And a company rode through the desert unceasingly;
A group kept riding the wasteland constantly;
They stumbled upon a trail, and the resting place lay far away.
They stumbled on a trace, so the halt was too long.
وَرَكَائِبٌand riding camels جَعَلُواthey placed الدَّلَيِلَthe guide أَمَامَهُمْahead of them
وَرَكَائِبٌ جَعَلُوا الدَّلَيِلَ أَمَامَهُمْ
وَسَرَوْاand journeyed by night فَفَازُواso they attained بِالَّذِيthat which قَدْalready أَمَّلُواthey hoped for
وَسَرَوْا فَفَازُوا بِالَّذِي قَدْ أَمَّلُوا
And camel caravans placed the guide before them,
Some bands placed the guide ahead of them
And journeyed by night, attaining what they had hoped for.
And travelled on, winning what they had wished.
وَاللَّيْلُand the night مَتْلَفَةٌa place of destruction وَمَدْرَجَةُand the path الْهَوَىof love
وَاللَّيْلُ مَتْلَفَةٌ وَمَدْرَجَةُ الْهَوَى
لاَnot يَسْتَقِلُّcan proceed بِهَاalong it الْمَطِيُّthe mounts الذُّلَّلُthe docile ones
لاَ يَسْتَقِلُّ بِهَا الْمَطِيُّ الذُّلَّلُ
And night is a deathtrap, and the path of love
The night was winding, desire's course
Cannot be traversed by the docile mounts.
Could not be travelled easily by the humble.
وَالْوَاصلُونَand those who arrive هُمُthey الْقَلِيلُthe few وَكَيْفَand how لاَnot
وَالْوَاصلُونَ هُمُ الْقَلِيلُ وَكَيْفَ لاَ
قَفرٌa wasteland وَمَسْبَغَةٌand hunger (likely intended) وَلَيْلٌand a night أَلْيَلُpitch-dark
قَفرٌ وَمَسْبَغَةٌ وَلَيْلٌ أَلْيَلُ
And those who arrive are few—and how could they not be?
The successful ones were few. How not?
A wasteland, hunger, and a night pitch-dark.
Emptiness, a murky night, they were remote.
يَاO رَحْمَةًmercy لِلْعَاشِقِينَfor the lovers تَقَحَّمُواthey plunged boldly
يَا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَاشِقِينَ تَقَحَّمُوا
خَطَرَthe peril النَّوَىof separation وَعَلَىand upon الشَّدَائِدِhardships عَوَّلُواthey relied
خَطَرَ النَّوَى وَعَلَى الشَّدَائِدِ عَوَّلُوا
Oh, pity for the lovers who plunged into
O mercy for lovers who dared to penetrate
The peril of separation, and placed their trust in hardships.
Perilous passes, relying on difficulties!
طَارَتْflew بِهِمْwith them أَشْوَاقُهُمْtheir longings فَعُقُولُهُمْso their minds
طَارَتْ بِهِمْ أَشْوَاقُهُمْ فَعُقُولُهُمْ
مَعْقُولَةٌfettered عَنْfrom شَأْنِهَاtheir task لاَnot تَعْقِلُreason
مَعْقُولَةٌ عَنْ شَأْنِهَا لاَ تَعْقِلُ
Their longings bore them aloft, so their minds
Their passions carried them off, so their minds
Are fettered, kept from their task, unable to reason.
Grew reasonable, not reasoning as minds do.
عُذْراًpardon لكُمْfor you يَاO أَهْلَpeople of عُذْرَةَʿUdhra شَأْنُكُمْyour affair
عُذْراً لكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ عُذْرَةَ شَأْنُكُمْ
سَلَّمْتُI yielded فِيهِin it لكُمْto you فَقُولُواso speak وَافْعَلُواand act
سَلَّمْتُ فِيهِ لكُمْ فَقُولُوا وَافْعَلُوا
You are excused, O people of ʿUdhra; your affair—
Forgive me, people of passion! Your affair—
I have yielded to you in it—so speak and act.
I have surrendered to it. So speak and act.
Sol 6.1