رُبَّmany a شَخْصٍperson سَمِجٍrepulsive مُسْتَقْذَرٍloathsome
رُبَّ شَخْصٍ سَمِجٍ مُسْتَقْذَرٍ
وَسِخdirty الأَثْوابِthe clothes فَوَّاجexuding السَّهَكْrancid stench
وَسِخ الأَثْوابِ فَوَّاج السَّهَكْ
Many a repulsive, loathsome fellow,
Many a dull and slovenly man,
Filthy-clothed, exuding a rancid stench,
Filthy in clothes, of impudent look,
أَبْلَهmost foolish العالَمthe world إِلاَّexcept أَنَّهthat he
أَبْلَه العالَم إِلاَّ أَنَّه
فيin وصَالunion الإِلْفِthe beloved مِنْamong أَهْلpeople of الحَنَكexperience
في وصَال الإِلْفِ مِنْ أَهْل الحَنَك
The world's greatest fool—except that he
The world deems a fool, but in the company of the wise,
Is among the experienced in securing union with the beloved.
He is shrewd and keen.
وهْوَand he أَعْياmost tongue-tied الخَلقِcreation أَوunless ترسلُهyou send him
وهْوَ أَعْيا الخَلقِ أَو ترسلُه
فقويُّthen strong الفَكِّthe jaw دقَّاقُpounder of الحَنَكْthe palate
فقويُّ الفَكِّ دقَّاقُ الحَنَكْ
And he is the most tongue-tied of creatures—unless you send him,
Though he seems sleepy or absent-minded,
Then strong of jaw, a tireless pounder of the palate.
Yet strong in thought and sharp in wit.
يُخرِجُhe brings out الدُّرَّةthe pearl ليfor me منfrom بَحْرهاits sea
يُخرِجُ الدُّرَّة لي من بَحْرها
ويَسوقُand he leads النَّجمَthe star منfrom وسْطِthe midst of الفَلَكthe firmament
ويَسوقُ النَّجمَ من وسْطِ الفَلَك
He brings the pearl out of its sea for me,
He brings forth pearls from the depths of the sea,
And leads the star from the midst of the firmament.
And leads the stars forth from the midst of the sky.
فلكمfor how often خلَّصhe freed منfrom أَسْرِthe captivity of أَسىًsorrow
فلكم خلَّص من أَسْرِ أَسىً
ولكَمْand how often أَنْقَذَhe rescued منfrom شَرِّthe evil of شَرَكa snare
ولكَمْ أَنْقَذَ من شَرِّ شَرَك
For how often he has freed me from sorrow's captivity,
How many has he saved from the fetters of grief,
And how often rescued me from a snare's evil!
And rescued from the evil of those who share not his faith!
فهوso he مِثْلُlike الكَلْبِthe dog كَمhow many صَادَhe hunted مَهاًoryxes
فهو مِثْلُ الكَلْبِ كَم صَادَ مَهاً
وهْوَand he شَيْطانٌa devil فكمْso how many قَادَhe led مَلَكْan angel
وهْوَ شَيْطانٌ فكمْ قَادَ مَلَكْ
So he is like a dog—how many oryx he has hunted!
He is like a dog, hunting prey whenever it moves,
And he is a devil—how many angels he has led!
Or like a devil, ever seducing men to evil.
ليسdoes not يمشيwalk العِلْقُthe treasured beloved إِلاَّexcept خَلْفَهbehind him
ليس يمشي العِلْقُ إِلاَّ خَلْفَه
وتراهُand you see him سَالِكاًwalking حَيْثُwhere سَلَكhe walked
وتراهُ سَالِكاً حَيْثُ سَلَك
The treasured beloved walks only behind him,
The new moon follows wherever he goes,
And you see him walking wherever he has walked.
And you see him treading wherever it has trod.
فَإِذَاso when قَالhe said لهto him طِعْobey ذَاthis one طَاعَهhe obeyed him
فَإِذَا قَال له طِعْ ذَا طَاعَه
وإِذاand when قَالhe said لهto him اتْركْleave ذَاthis one تَركhe left
وإِذا قَال له اتْركْ ذَا تَرك
So when he tells him, 'Obey this one,' he obeys him,
If he says "Obey", 'tis obeyed,
And when he tells him, 'Leave this one,' he leaves him.
If he says "Leave", 'tis left.
قلتُI said إِذْwhen أَخْنىَbrought ruin عليهupon him حسنُهhis beauty
قلتُ إِذْ أَخْنىَ عليه حسنُه
بِحَبيبِwith the beloved of الْقَلْبِthe heart قَلْنَاwe said قَدْalready هَلَكhe perished
بِحَبيبِ الْقَلْبِ قَلْنَا قَدْ هَلَك
I said, when his beauty brought ruin upon him,
When he seemed to slight me because of my love,
With the heart's beloved, whom we had said had perished,
I said "He is lost to me, the beloved of my heart".
وأَتىand he came بالبَدْرِwith the full moon منهfrom him نيِّراradiant
وأَتى بالبَدْرِ منه نيِّرا
لاnot يُنيرُshines البدْرُthe full moon إِلاَّexcept بالْحَلَكin darkness
لا يُنيرُ البدْرُ إِلاَّ بالْحَلَك
And he brought from him the full moon, radiant:
But he made the full moon shine from him towards me
'The full moon shines only in darkness.'
And the full moon borrows all its light from his cheek.
Sol 6.1