تفديكransoms you روحيmy soul تفديransoms
تفديك روحي تفدي
حاشاكfar be it from you تخلفyou break وعديthe promise made to me
حاشاك تخلف وعدي
My soul ransoms you—ransoms you.
Far be it from you to break your promise to me.
ياO واحداًpeerless one فيin المعاليlofty honors
يا واحداً في المعالي
ولمand did not اقلI say ذاكthat وحديby myself
ولم اقل ذاك وحدي
O peerless one in lofty honors,
And I did not say that alone.
فامددso extend يداa hand ليسارىto my left hand
فامدد يدا ليسارى
فكمfor how much بذلكthrough that عنديwith me
فكم بذلك عندي
So extend a hand to my left hand;
For how much that is worth to me!
بهاwith it جزرتI slaughtered حسوديmy envier
بها جزرت حسودي
قهراًby force وأرغمتand I humbled ضديmy adversary
قهراً وأرغمت ضدي
With it I slaughtered my envier,
By force, and humbled my adversary.
فياso, oh لهاfor it منof يمينa right hand
فيا لها من يمين
جاءتit came بجزرwith ebb ومدand flow
جاءت بجزر ومد
Oh, what a right hand,
That came with ebb and flow!
فزدso add علىto العدthe count واضربand multiply
فزد على العد واضرب
علىaccording to حسابيmy reckoning وعديand my tally
على حسابي وعدي
So add to the count, and multiply
According to my reckoning and tally.
باللّهby God ياO خيرbest مولىmaster
باللّه يا خير مولى
أنعمbestow favor علىupon خيرthe best عبدservant
أنعم على خير عبد
By God, O best of masters,
Bestow favor on the best of servants.
فتارةfor at times عبدa servant of شمسShams (the sun)
فتارة عبد شمس
وتارةand at times عبدa servant of ودWadd
وتارة عبد ود
For at times the sun's servant, ʿAbd Shams,
And at times Wadd's servant, ʿAbd Wadd.
حاشاfar be it لبيتكfor your house ارمىI be cast out
حاشا لبيتك ارمى
منهfrom it بعكسwith rebuff وطردand expulsion
منه بعكس وطرد
Far be it from your house that I be cast
From it with rebuff and expulsion.
فطالماfor many a time جئتI came اسعىhurrying
فطالما جئت اسعى
اليهto it منbecause of فرطthe extremity of جهديmy hardship
اليه من فرط جهدي
For many a time I came hurrying
To it because of my extreme hardship.
وليلand the night of فقريmy poverty داجpitch-dark
وليل فقري داج
فضاءthen shone ليfor me صبحthe dawn of رشديmy right guidance
فضاء لي صبح رشدي
And the night of my poverty was pitch-dark,
Then the dawn of my right guidance shone for me.
ياO سائليyou who ask me سلask for نداهhis bounty
يا سائلي سل نداه
تفزyou will win بمالwith wealth ورفدand aid
تفز بمال ورفد
O you who ask me, ask for his bounty;
You will win wealth and aid.
مولايmy lord ماnothing مثلthe equal of هزليmy jesting
مولاي ما مثل هزلي
ولاnor مجونيmy ribaldry وجديand my earnestness
ولا مجوني وجدي
My lord, nothing equals my jesting,
Nor my ribaldry and earnestness.
فوفنيso pay me in full حقthe due of مدحيmy praise
فوفني حق مدحي
واغنمand gain ثنائيmy commendation وحمديand my thanks
واغنم ثنائي وحمدي
So pay me the full due of my praise,
And gain my commendation and thanks.
وسمand bid for بدركwith your pearls دريmy pearls
وسم بدرك دري
واجعلهand make it نقداcoin بنقدfor coin
واجعله نقدا بنقد
And bid for my pearls with your pearls,
And make it coin for coin.
وخذand take اليكfor yourself قصيداa poem
وخذ اليك قصيدا
جاءتit came علىaccording to حكمthe decree of قصديmy intent
جاءت على حكم قصدي
And take a poem for yourself,
That came as my intent decreed.
سهرتI stayed awake ليليmy night عليهاover it
سهرت ليلي عليها
وبعتand I sold نوميmy sleep بسهديfor my wakefulness
وبعت نومي بسهدي
I kept vigil through my night over it,
And sold my sleep for my wakefulness.
تغنيكit suffices for you فيin شامهاits beauty marks عنinstead of
تغنيك في شامها عن
هوىlove for سعادSuʿad وهندِand Hind
هوى سعاد وهندِ
With its beauty marks it frees you from
Love for Suʿad and Hind.
كستكit clothed you ثوبa robe of مديحpraise
كستك ثوب مديح
يفوقsurpasses وشيthe embroidery of ابنson of بردBurd
يفوق وشي ابن برد
It clothed you in a robe of praise
Surpassing the embroidery of Ibn Burd.
الىto ابنson of يوسفYusuf تعزىit is dedicated
الى ابن يوسف تعزى
منwho حازattained ارفعthe loftiest مجدglory
من حاز ارفع مجد
To Ibn Yusuf it is dedicated,
Who attained the loftiest glory.
حجبتهاI veiled it عنfrom وضيعa lowly man
حجبتها عن وضيع
وعنand from لئيمa base man ووغدand a scoundrel
وعن لئيم ووغد
I veiled it from a lowly man,
And from a base man and a scoundrel.
لاmay not زالcease to be لفظكyour speech دراpearls
لا زال لفظك درا
يهدىoffered الىto كلevery عقدnecklace
يهدى الى كل عقد
May your words never cease to be pearls,
Offered to every necklace,
ماas long as فاحwafts عرفfragrance وهبتand blows
ما فاح عرف وهبت
صباan east wind باكنافthrough the reaches of نجدNajd
صبا باكناف نجد
As long as fragrance wafts and there blows
An east wind through the reaches of Najd.
Sol 6.1