أّخِيmy brother فَتْرَةُa spell of السَّلُوَانِsolace جَاءَhas come رَسُولُهَاits messenger
أّخِي فَتْرَةُ السَّلُوَانِ جَاءَ رَسُولُهَا
وَقَدْand indeed أَسْعَفَhas gratified النَّفْسَthe soul الأبيّةَproud سُولُهَاits desire
وَقَدْ أَسْعَفَ النَّفْسَ الأبيّةَ سُولُهَا
My brother, the messenger of a spell of solace has come,
My brother, the era of tranquility has come, its messenger has arrived
and the proud soul has been granted its desire.
And its smoothness has relieved the obstinate soul
نَبَذْتُI cast off الْهَوَىpassion نَبْذَthe casting out of الْجُفُونِthe eyelids قَذَائَهَاtheir grit
نَبَذْتُ الْهَوَى نَبْذَ الْجُفُونِ قَذَائَهَا
فَأَتْعَبَso the weariest مَنْof those who يَشْقَىsuffer بِنَفْسٍthrough a soul جَهُولُهَاone ignorant of it
فَأَتْعَبَ مَنْ يَشْقَى بِنَفْسٍ جَهُولُهَا
I cast off passion as eyelids cast out their grit;
I have discarded passion like eyelids discard their rheum
for the weariest of those who suffer through a soul is one ignorant of it.
So it has wearied one who suffers with an ignorant soul
وَحَذَّرْتُهَاand I warned it عُقْبَىthe eventual outcome of الْخَلِيلِthe close friend فَإِنَّمَاfor only
وَحَذَّرْتُهَا عُقْبَى الْخَلِيلِ فَإِنَّمَا
يَعُودُreturns بِإِخْلاَلِwith broken faith عَلَيْهَاtoward it خَلِيلُهَاits close friend
يَعُودُ بِإِخْلاَلِ عَلَيْهَا خَلِيلُهَا
And I warned it what a close friend brings in the end, for
And I warned it of the fate of the friend, for it is
its close friend returns to it only with broken faith.
Its unfaithfulness to its friend that returns to it
تَملّأْتُI filled myself بِالدُّنْيَاof the world وَبِالنَّاسِand of people خِبْرِةًwith experience
تَملّأْتُ بِالدُّنْيَا وَبِالنَّاسِ خِبْرِةً
فَأَحْقَرُso the most contemptible شِيْءٍthing فِيin عِيَانِيmy sight جَلِيلُهَاits grandeur
فَأَحْقَرُ شِيْءٍ فِي عِيَانِي جَلِيلُهَا
I have filled myself with experience of the world and people;
I have filled myself with worldly and human experience
so its grandeur is the most contemptible thing in my sight.
Yet the least significant thing to my eyes is the greatest of it
فَلَوْfor if أَنَّthat رَضْوَىRadwa حُمِّلَتْwere made to bear بَعْضَpart of هِمَّتِيmy ambition
فَلَوْ أَنَّ رَضْوَى حُمِّلَتْ بَعْضَ هِمَّتِي
لَطَأْطَأَwould surely bow down مِنْof أَكُتَاِدthe shoulders رَضْوَىRadwa ثَقِيلُهَاits weight
لَطَأْطَأَ مِنْ أَكُتَاِد رَضْوَى ثَقِيلُهَا
For if Radwa were burdened with part of my ambition,
If I were to carry the burden of some of my ambition
its weight would bow down the shoulders of Radwa.
The heaviness of that contentment would weigh down its load
إِذَاwhen عُقِدَتْis clenched كَفُّthe hand الْفَتَىof the young man بِنَوالِهaround his bounty
إِذَا عُقِدَتْ كَفُّ الْفَتَى بِنَوالِه
فَشَرُّthen the worst of عَتَادِيmy arsenal أَنَّنِيthat I لاَdo not أُنِيلُهَاgive to it
فَشَرُّ عَتَادِي أَنَّنِي لاَ أُنِيلُهَا
When a young man's hand is clenched around his bounty,
When the palm of a young man clasps his scabbard
then the worst of my weapons is that I give it nothing.
The worst of my belongings is that I do not draw it
وَإِنِّيand I indeed لأَبْدِيdo show لِلصَّدَيقِto the friend تَغَاضِياًforbearance
وَإِنِّي لأَبْدِي لِلصَّدَيقِ تَغَاضِياً
يَغُضُّturns a blind eye عَلَىto زَلاَّتِهِhis slips وَيَقِيلُهَاand pardons them
يَغُضُّ عَلَى زَلاَّتِهِ وَيَقِيلُهَا
And I do show a friend forbearance
Yet I show leniency to a friend, overlooking
that turns a blind eye to his slips and pardons them.
His slip and alleviating it
وَمَاand not ضَرَّنِيharmed me أَنِّيthat I ثَوَيْتُdwelt بِمَغْربٍin the west
وَمَا ضَرَّنِي أَنِّي ثَوَيْتُ بِمَغْربٍ
إِذَاwhen طَلَعَتْrise أَنْوَارُthe lights of عِلْمِيmy knowledge يُحِيلُهَاtransforms them
إِذَا طَلَعَتْ أَنْوَارُ عِلْمِي يُحِيلُهَا
And it has not harmed me that I have dwelt in the west,
It did not harm me that I pitched camp in the Maghreb
when the lights of my knowledge rise, it transforms them.
When the lights of my knowledge rise, it deflects them
فَكَمْfor many an طُحْلُبٍalgal growth يُخْفِيconceals مِنْof الْمَاءِthe water صَفْحَةًa surface
فَكَمْ طُحْلُبٍ يُخْفِي مِنْ الْمَاءِ صَفْحَةً
يَشِفُّreveals عَنْabout الشَّيْءِthe thing الْخَفِيِّhidden صَقِيلُهَاits polished surface
يَشِفُّ عَنْ الشَّيْءِ الْخَفِيِّ صَقِيلُهَا
For many an algal growth conceals a sheet of water
So how much green algae hides the surface of water
whose polished surface reveals what lies hidden.
That its slenderness reveals what is hidden beneath it
يُتَرْجِمُexpresses عَنْof عَذْبِthe sweetness of الشَّرَابِthe drink مَذَاقُهُits taste
يُتَرْجِمُ عَنْ عَذْبِ الشَّرَابِ مَذَاقُهُ
وَيُعْرِبُand declares عَنْof عِتْقِthe noble breeding of الْجِيَادِthe steeds صَهِيلُهَاtheir neighing
وَيُعْرِبُ عَنْ عِتْقِ الْجِيَادِ صَهِيلُهَا
A drink's taste tells of its sweetness,
Its taste translates the sweetness of the drink
and the neighing of steeds declares their noble breeding.
And its neighing expresses the freedom of the steeds
Sol 6.1