ماwhat البرقُthe lightning يلوحُflashes توقُّدُهُits blaze
ما البرقُ يلوحُ توقُّدُهُ
ترتاعُyou take fright فليلُكَfor your night سَرْمَدُهُits endless duration
ترتاعُ فليلُكَ سَرْمَدُهُ
What of the lightning, its blaze flashing?
The lightning flashes, its kindling afire,
You take fright, for your night is endless.
Your night shudders, its darkness eternal.
يَهفوflutters فيin مَتْنthe back of غمامتهits cloud
يَهفو في مَتْن غمامته
كالجحفلِlike a great army تَخْفُقُflutter أَبْنُدُهits banners
كالجحفلِ تَخْفُقُ أَبْنُدُه
It flutters across the back of its cloud,
It growls through the belly of clouds,
like a great army whose banners flutter.
Its young fluttering like partridges.
والغيهبُand the deep darkness كالزنجيِّlike a Black African سَطَاcharged
والغيهبُ كالزنجيِّ سَطَا
وبياضُand the whiteness الصبحِof dawn مُهَنَّدهhis Indian-forged sword
وبياضُ الصبحِ مُهَنَّده
And the darkness charged like a Zanj man,
The unseen is like a black slave,
and dawn's whiteness was his Indian-forged sword.
The dawn's whiteness a shroud.
أَرْدَىfelled بالصارِمwith the keen blade أَحْوَرَهُhis dark-eyed one
أَرْدَى بالصارِم أَحْوَرَهُ
وسطاand pounced بالضيغمِupon the lion أَغْيَدُهُhis supple one
وسطا بالضيغمِ أَغْيَدُهُ
He felled his dark-eyed one with the keen blade,
It struck with its blade savagely,
and his supple one pounced upon the lion.
Stabbing midst the mortal pain.
أبصفحةِwas it upon the surface of خدِّكyour cheek طُلَّwas shed unavenged دَمِيmy blood
أبصفحةِ خدِّك طُلَّ دَمِي
فتعصفَرَso it became safflower-dyed منهfrom it مُسَوَّدُهُits blackened part
فتعصفَرَ منه مُسَوَّدُهُ
Was my blood shed unavenged upon the surface of your cheek,
Upon your cheek's page, my blood flowed
so its blackened part was dyed safflower-red by it?
And from it the blackened heart showed.
أمor لحظُكyour glance أُدْرِجwas inserted فيin كبديmy liver
أم لحظُك أُدْرِج في كبدي
فسوادُso the blackness جَنَانيof my heart إِثْمدهُits antimony kohl
فسوادُ جَنَاني إِثْمدهُ
Or was your glance lodged in my liver,
Or did your glance pierce my liver,
so my heart's blackness is its antimony kohl?
Such that my soul blackened in shame?
ماwhat بالُthe matter with زمانيmy time يُجْهدنيwears me down
ما بالُ زماني يُجْهدني
وأَذُمُّand I blame عُلايmy lofty rank فأحْمَدُهُso I praise it
وأَذُمُّ عُلاي فأحْمَدُهُ
What ails my time, that it wears me down,
Why does time afflict me so
while I blame my lofty rank and so praise it?
While I praise its heights in verse?
وإذاand if لمdid not يُغْضِlower his gaze أخوa man of جَلَدٍfortitude
وإذا لم يُغْضِ أخو جَلَدٍ
للجودbefore generosity فأَينthen where تجلُّدهhis fortitude
للجود فأَين تجلُّده
And if a man of fortitude will not lower his gaze
If a brother lacks the gallantry
before generosity, where is his fortitude?
To be generous, where can it be found?
أيجورُdoes it act unjustly? الدهرُTime علىagainst بَشَرٍa mortal
أيجورُ الدهرُ على بَشَرٍ
وندىand the bounty ابنِson of سلامةَSalama يَعْضُدُهُsupports him
وندى ابنِ سلامةَ يَعْضُدُهُ
Can Time wrong a mortal,
Does time act unjustly toward mortals
while Ibn Salama's bounty supports him?
While the dew of Ibn Salama helps them?
ويلينand does it weaken? الحقُّjustice علىbefore أَحدٍanyone
ويلين الحقُّ على أَحدٍ
وبإسماعيلَand through Ismail تَشَدُّدُهits firmness
وبإسماعيلَ تَشَدُّدُه
And can justice falter before anyone,
Truth softens toward someone,
when its firmness comes through Ismail?
Yet through Ishmael its harshness prevails.
يختالُwalks proudly الدينthe faith لئنif indeed رُتِقَتْhave been mended
يختالُ الدين لئن رُتِقَتْ
بمعاليby the lofty virtues of المخلصِthe devoted one أَبْرُدُهits cloaks
بمعالي المخلصِ أَبْرُدُه
Faith walks proudly, if indeed they have been mended—
Religion struts about vainly
its cloaks, by the devoted one's lofty virtues.
If the righteous man's virtues humble it.
لوif أنّthat الدهرَTime لهit has كَلِمٌwords
لو أنّ الدهرَ له كَلِمٌ
لَتكَلَّمit would speak أنَّكَthat you are أوْحَدُهits peerless one
لَتكَلَّم أنَّكَ أوْحَدُه
If Time had words,
If time itself could speak,
it would say that you are its peerless one.
It would say you alone humble it.
Sol 6.1