بعتُI sold أَفراحىmy joys وَودَّعتُand I bade farewell to الجَذَلْdelight
بعتُ أَفراحى وَودَّعتُ الجَذَلْ
يومَon the day راحَتْshe departed فيamong الخَليطِthe company المُحْتَملْdeparting
يومَ راحَتْ في الخَليطِ المُحْتَملْ
I sold my joys and bade delight farewell
I sent away my joys and bade farewell to delight,
on the day she departed with the departing company—
The day she left amidst the uncertain throng.
ظَبيةٌa gazelle غَنَّاءُsweetly nasal-voiced فيهَاwithin her وَلَهٌyearning
ظَبيةٌ غَنَّاءُ فيهَا وَلَهٌ
وقعَfell الحَبلُthe cord عليهاupon her فَنَصَلْthen slipped loose
وقعَ الحَبلُ عليها فَنَصَلْ
a sweet-voiced gazelle, filled with yearning;
A singing gazelle, pure of heart,
the cord fell upon her, then slipped loose.
Yet fate's noose fell upon her neck.
طَلَعَتْshe appeared منfrom جانبِthe side of الخِدْرِthe curtained chamber لناto us
طَلَعَتْ من جانبِ الخِدْرِ لنا
فيamong بُدُورٍfull moons كَشَفَتْهُنَّunveiled them الكِلَلْthe canopies
في بُدُورٍ كَشَفَتْهُنَّ الكِلَلْ
She appeared to us from beside the curtained chamber,
She appeared from the side of the tent to us,
among full moons unveiled by the canopies.
In the first light of dawn that unveiled the meadows.
أَيُّwhich عينٍeye بَعْدَنَاafter us تْبصرُهَاsees her
أَيُّ عينٍ بَعْدَنَا تْبصرُهَا
ليتنيif only I أملِكُcould command الحَاظَthe glances of المُقَلْthe eyes
ليتني أملِكُ الحَاظَ المُقَلْ
What eye will behold her after us?
What eye shall see her after us?
If only I could command the glances of eyes!
Would that I possess the protected attributes!
قدindeed تأولتُI interpreted مناماتِthe dreams of الكَرَىslumber
قد تأولتُ مناماتِ الكَرَى
وتعللتُand I consoled myself زماناًfor a time بالعِلَلْwith excuses
وتعللتُ زماناً بالعِلَلْ
I have interpreted the dreams of slumber,
I have interpreted the dreams of adversity,
and consoled myself for a time with excuses.
And for a time excused myself with pretexts.
وكتمتُand I concealed الحُبَّlove حتىuntil شَنفَّنِىit hated me
وكتمتُ الحُبَّ حتى شَنفَّنِى
واذاand when ماemphatic particle كُتِمَis concealed الداءُthe illness قَتَلْit kills
واذا ما كُتِمَ الداءُ قَتَلْ
And I concealed love until it came to hate me;
I concealed love until it reproached me,
and when an illness is concealed, it kills.
And when disease is hidden, it kills.
ضَحِكَlaughed الدهرُTime وأَبدىand revealed ثَغْرَهُits teeth
ضَحِكَ الدهرُ وأَبدى ثَغْرَهُ
ببهاءِthrough Baha (Splendor) الدولةِal-Dawla (the State) المَلْكِthe king الأَجَلْmost august
ببهاءِ الدولةِ المَلْكِ الأَجَلْ
Time laughed and showed its teeth
Fate laughed and bared its gaping mouth,
through Baha al-Dawla, the most august king,
With the splendor of everlasting dominion.
بِفَتىًthrough a youth لاnot تَتَخَطَّاهُpass him by المُنَىwishes
بِفَتىً لا تَتَخَطَّاهُ المُنَى
وقفَhalted الظنُّexpectation عليهat him فَنَزَلْthen settled
وقفَ الظنُّ عليه فَنَزَلْ
through a youth whom wishes never pass by.
With a youth, from whom doom cannot be escaped,
Expectation halted at him and settled there.
And upon whom opinion descended.
قدindeed كفاكمhe has spared you جُلَّmost of تدبيركُمُyour administration
قد كفاكم جُلَّ تدبيركُمُ
حَدَثُyoung in السنِّyears لبيبُdiscerning مُقْتَبَلْin his prime
حَدَثُ السنِّ لبيبُ مُقْتَبَلْ
He has handled most of your affairs for you—
Your great cunning has sufficiently helped you,
young in years, discerning and in his prime.
The talk of youth, an insightful lad.
وهبَhe bestowed العَجْزَhelplessness لسمَّارِon the night-talkers of المُنىwishes
وهبَ العَجْزَ لسمَّارِ المُنى
وَنَضَاand he stripped off عنهfrom himself سَرابيلَthe garments of الكَسَلْsloth
وَنَضَا عنه سَرابيلَ الكَسَلْ
He gave helplessness to those who spend nights talking of wishes,
Age yielded to the broker of doom,
and stripped from himself the garments of sloth.
And languor slipped from him like trousers.
ليسhe does not يُرجىdefer فعلَa deed of يومٍone day لِغَدٍuntil tomorrow
ليس يُرجى فعلَ يومٍ لِغَدٍ
واذاand when ماemphatic particle همَّhe resolved بالأَمرِupon the matter فَعَلْhe acted
واذا ما همَّ بالأَمرِ فَعَلْ
He does not defer a day's deed until tomorrow,
No act of a day is hoped for tomorrow,
and when he resolves upon a matter, he acts.
And when resolved to act, he acted.
ياO ابنَson of منone whose نائِلُهُhis bounty عمَّencompassed الوَرىall mankind
يا ابنَ من نائِلُهُ عمَّ الوَرى
وبهِand through him يُضْرَبُis cited فيamong الناسِthe people المَثَلْthe example
وبهِ يُضْرَبُ في الناسِ المَثَلْ
O son of him whose bounty embraced all mankind,
O son, whose attainment encompassed all people,
and whose example is cited among the people:
And by whom the example among mankind was set.
انَّindeed للامرةِfor rule ثِقْلاًa burden فادِحاًcrushing
انَّ للامرةِ ثِقْلاً فادِحاً
قلَّfew are منthose who يَحْمِلُهbear it فيamong الناسِpeople قَلْfew indeed
قلَّ من يَحْمِلُه في الناسِ قَلْ
truly, rule carries a crushing burden;
Rulership bears a tremendous burden,
few among people bear it—few indeed.
Few among the people can carry it sparingly.
مَنِّpromise عينيكَyour two eyes عُلالاتِscant draughts of الكَرَىslumber
مَنِّ عينيكَ عُلالاتِ الكَرَى
ودعِand leave النومَsleep لرباتِto the women wearing الحَجَلْanklets
ودعِ النومَ لرباتِ الحَجَلْ
Promise your eyes scant draughts of slumber,
Spare your eyes the evils of fate,
and leave sleep to the women who wear anklets.
And leave sleep to the ladies of the tents.
واجعلand make الحزمَprudence ظَهيراًa helper للفَتَىto the youth
واجعل الحزمَ ظَهيراً للفَتَى
فمنَfor through العِزَّةِmight ماemphatic particle يُؤتىis assailed البَطَلْthe hero
فمنَ العِزَّةِ ما يُؤتى البَطَلْ
And make prudence a helper to the youth,
Make wisdom the ally of the youth,
for a hero may be undone through might.
For with glory, the hero is given.
لاdo not تُفرقْseparate جَاهِداًstriving بينهمَاbetween them both
لا تُفرقْ جَاهِداً بينهمَا
فَهُمَاfor they both العونُare the help علىtoward نيلِattaining الأَملْhope
فَهُمَا العونُ على نيلِ الأَملْ
Strive never to separate the two,
Do not separate the warrior between them,
for both help you attain your hope.
For they both give aid in attaining hope.
ليسَdoes not ينهىward off عنكَfrom you أَطماعَthe greedy designs of العِدَىthe enemies
ليسَ ينهى عنكَ أَطماعَ العِدَى
زُخرفُthe ornament of القولِspeech وتلفِيقُand patching together الحِيَلْstratagems
زُخرفُ القولِ وتلفِيقُ الحِيَلْ
The foes' designs against you are not checked
The embellished words and fabricated ruses of enemies,
by ornate speech and patched-together stratagems,
Cannot dissuade you.
دونَwithout تَقرِيبِbringing forward طمِرٍّa lithe steed سابحٍswimming in its gallop
دونَ تَقرِيبِ طمِرٍّ سابحٍ
يكْفِتُgathers المشيةَits stride كالسِّيدِlike the wolf الأَزلْlean-haunched
يكْفِتُ المشيةَ كالسِّيدِ الأَزلْ
without bringing forward a lithe, swimming steed,
Without bringing near a swimming courser,
that gathers its stride like a lean-haunched wolf,
That carries intention like the eternal lord.
وسنانٍand a spearhead مثلlike مصباحِa lamp of الدجىthe darkness
وسنانٍ مثل مصباحِ الدجى
زانَadorned أَعطافَthe sides of قضيبٍa shaft مُعْتَدلْstraight
زانَ أَعطافَ قضيبٍ مُعْتَدلْ
and a spearhead like a lamp in the darkness,
And a blade like the lamp of darkness,
that adorned the sides of a straight shaft.
That adorned the sides of a straight spear.
ثُغرةُthe throat-hollow of القِرنِthe opponent بهto it فاعلةٌdoes
ثُغرةُ القِرنِ به فاعلةٌ
مِثْلlike ماwhat يفعلُdoes بالخَدِّto the cheek الخَجَلْshame
مِثْل ما يفعلُ بالخَدِّ الخَجَلْ
The hollow of the foe's throat does to it
The tip of the spear is effective with it,
what shame does to the cheek.
Like what modesty does to the cheek.
لاnot يَخَافُfears الضيمَhumiliation منwhoever يَحْمِلُهُcarries it
لا يَخَافُ الضيمَ من يَحْمِلُهُ
عُقِلَis tethered العِزُّglory بأَطرافِto the points of الأَسَلْthe spears
عُقِلَ العِزُّ بأَطرافِ الأَسَلْ
Whoever bears it fears no humiliation;
He who carries it, fears no injustice,
glory is tethered to the points of spears.
Sense was bound to the edges of the sword.
ياO أَحقَّmost deserving الناسِof all people بالنصرِof victory وَمَنْand one who
يا أَحقَّ الناسِ بالنصرِ وَمَنْ
عَرضَoffered الانصافَfairness منهfrom himself وَبَزَلْand poured forth
عَرضَ الانصافَ منه وَبَزَلْ
O you most deserving of victory among men, and you who
O most deserving of victory, he who
offered fairness from yourself and poured it forth:
Presented justice and lowered himself.
قدindeed تركتَyou have left الشَّمسَthe sun فيناamong us عِوَضاًas recompense
قد تركتَ الشَّمسَ فينا عِوَضاً
بَدَلاًa substitute منكَfor you وهلand is there منكَfor you بَدَلْa substitute
بَدَلاً منكَ وهل منكَ بَدَلْ
you have left the sun among us as recompense,
You left the sun behind as compensation for us,
a substitute for you—but is there any substitute for you?
In your place, yet is there any substitute for you?
رَدَّكَmay return you اللهُGod اليهاto her سَالِماًunharmed
رَدَّكَ اللهُ اليها سَالِماً
وكفاناand spare us فيكَconcerning you محذورَthe dreaded peril الوَجَلْof apprehension
وكفانا فيكَ محذورَ الوَجَلْ
May God return you to her unharmed,
May God return you to it unharmed,
and spare us the peril we dread for you.
And suffice us from the fears of your absence.
Sol 6.1