عزمٌa resolve تجرَّدَstood revealed فيهin it النصرُvictory والظّفرُand triumph
عزمٌ تجرَّدَ فيه النصرُ والظّفرُ
وفكرةٌand a thought خمدتwere quenched منfrom تحتهاbeneath it الفكرُthoughts
وفكرةٌ خمدت من تحتها الفكرُ
A resolve in which victory and triumph stood revealed,
A resolve in which victory and triumph were stripped bare,
and a thought beneath which all other thoughts were quenched.
And an idea that extinguished thoughts beneath it.
ركبتَyou rode فيfor the sake of اللهGod حتىeven البحرَthe sea حينwhen طماswelled
ركبتَ في الله حتى البحرَ حين طما
آذيُّهُits billows وبسوطِand with the whip الريحof the wind ينحصرis held in check
آذيُّهُ وبسوطِ الريح ينحصر
For God's sake you rode even the sea when it swelled,
You mounted the sea for God's sake when it raged,
its billows held in check by the wind's whip.
Vexing it, though the wind's whip was confined.
طِرفٌa noble steed يَزِلُّslips عليهon it سرجُthe saddle فارسهof its rider
طِرفٌ يَزِلُّ عليه سرجُ فارسه
وليسand it is not مماamong what تضمُّcontain الحُزمُgirths والعُذَرُand bridle-straps
وليس مما تضمُّ الحُزمُ والعُذَرُ
A steed on which its rider's saddle slips,
A gaze that alights, on which sways the saddle of its horseman,
not one that girths and bridle-straps can contain.
And is not of that which prudence and excuse restrain.
كأنَّas though راكبهits rider فيon متنٍa back ذيpossessing لبدٍa mane
كأنَّ راكبه في متنٍ ذي لبدٍ
غضبانَenraged تقدحُstrikes منfrom أنفاسِهِits breaths الشررsparks
غضبانَ تقدحُ من أنفاسِهِ الشرر
As though its rider were on the back of a maned beast,
As if its rider in its undulating midst
enraged, striking sparks from its breaths.
Were wrathful, with sparks flashing from his breath.
حملتَyou bore نفسكyourself فيهin it فوقَatop داهيةٍa calamity
حملتَ نفسك فيه فوقَ داهيةٍ
دهياءَdire لاno ملجأٌrefuge منهاfrom it ولاnor وزرshelter
دهياءَ لا ملجأٌ منها ولا وزر
In it you bore yourself atop a calamity—
You carried yourself atop it, above a crafty one
dire, with no refuge from it and no shelter.
Cunning, with no refuge or burden from it.
عُذِرَتit would be excused لوif أنهthat it ميدانُa field معركةًof battle
عُذِرَت لو أنه ميدانُ معركةً
يسموrises لهabove it رَهَجٌbattle dust فيin الجوِّthe air منتشرspreading
يسمو له رَهَجٌ في الجوِّ منتشر
That would be excused, were it a battlefield,
It would be excused if it were a battlefield
with dust rising above it and spreading through the air,
On which confusion in the air spread far.
فيin حيثُa place where للكرِّfor charging والإقدامِand bold advance مضطربٌroom to maneuver
في حيثُ للكرِّ والإقدامِ مضطربٌ
وحيثand where تملكُyou control ماwhat تأتيyou do وماand what تذرyou leave undone
وحيث تملكُ ما تأتي وما تذر
where there is room for charging and bold advance,
Where valor and daring were disturbed,
and where you command what you do and what you leave undone.
And where you possess what you initiate and neglect.
عساكperhaps you خلتَthought حبابَbubbles الماءِof the water منof زَرَدchain mail
عساك خلتَ حبابَ الماءِ من زَرَد
تعوَّدَbecame accustomed to الخوضَplunging فيهthrough it طِرفُكyour steed الأثِرقunclear steed epithet
تعوَّدَ الخوضَ فيه طِرفُك الأثِرق
Perhaps you thought the water's bubbles were made of mail,
Perhaps you left the fish of the water from turquoise,
through which your steed [unclear epithet] was accustomed to plunging.
Whose swimming your bright-colored gaze grew accustomed to.
أوor قلتَyou said فيin الموجthe waves خرصانlances معرضةleveled
أو قلتَ في الموج خرصان معرضة
تحاربfight الجيشthe army أوor مصقولةٌpolished بُتُرkeen-edged
تحارب الجيش أو مصقولةٌ بُتُر
Or you said: 'In the waves are leveled lances,
Or you said in the waves, "An unfazed army
fighting the army, or polished, cleaving swords.'
Battling the troops," or "Polished with blades."
هيit is البسالةُbravery إلاَّexcept أنهاthat it سَرَفٌis excess
هي البسالةُ إلاَّ أنها سَرَفٌ
تنفيbanishes الحذارَcaution وممّاand among what يُؤثَرُis preferred الحذرprudence
تنفي الحذارَ وممّا يُؤثَرُ الحذر
It is bravery, yet it is excess:
Such is courage, except it was excess
it banishes caution, though caution is prized.
Negating caution-and caution is preferred.
لاdo not تحملِput الدينَfaith والدنياand worldly life علىat خَطَرٍrisk
لا تحملِ الدينَ والدنيا على خَطَرٍ
وليسand is not يُحمَدُpraised فيin أمثالكthose like you الغررrecklessness
وليس يُحمَدُ في أمثالك الغرر
Do not put faith and worldly life at risk,
Do not risk religion and life upon danger,
and recklessness is not praised in those like you.
For reckless abandon is not praised in your likes.
إنif كانis ثَوبُكَyour robe مختصاًexclusive بلابسهِto its wearer
إن كان ثَوبُكَ مختصاً بلابسهِ
فقدthen indeed تعلَّقَhas clung منfrom أذيالِهِits hems البشرhumankind
فقد تعلَّقَ من أذيالِهِ البشر
If your robe belongs to its wearer alone,
If your garb is exclusive to its wearer,
yet humankind has clung to its hems.
Then people have clung to its hem.
هلاَّwhy not رحمتَyou pitied نفوساًsouls حامcircled حائمهاtheir hovering one
هلاَّ رحمتَ نفوساً حام حائمها
عليكَaround you واستولتِand took hold الأشواقُlongings والذكرand remembrance
عليكَ واستولتِ الأشواقُ والذكر
Why did you not pity souls that circled restlessly
Why not show mercy to souls whose passionate zeal
around you, while longings and remembrance took hold?
Was for you, and longing and remembrance took hold of them?
وعادand became أجبَنَهاtheir most fearful منthe one who كانhad been أشجعَهاtheir bravest
وعاد أجبَنَها من كان أشجعَها
شحّاًout of anxious care عليكَfor you وأحياand kept alive ليلهhis night السهرsleeplessness
شحّاً عليكَ وأحيا ليله السهر
And their bravest became their most fearful,
And restore to the most cowardly of them the bravery they had,
out of anxious care for you; sleeplessness kept his night alive.
Stingily toward you, and enliven the wakefulness of their night?
إناindeed we لفيsurely in حمصَHims نستقريwe visit in turn محاضرهاits gatherings
إنا لفي حمصَ نستقري محاضرها
وللقلوبِand for the hearts بذاكin that اللجّdeep sea مُحتَضَرa meeting place
وللقلوبِ بذاك اللجّ مُحتَضَر
We are indeed in Hims, making the rounds of its gatherings,
We are in Homs, settling in its dwellings,
while our hearts have their meeting place in that deep sea.
And for the hearts with that attachment, perishing.
لاnot نحسنُwe think favorably الظنَّexpectations إشفاقاًout of anxiety وقدthough indeed ضمنتhave assured
لا نحسنُ الظنَّ إشفاقاً وقد ضمنت
لناto us مساعيكyour endeavors أنthat يعنوwill submit لكto you القدرfate
لنا مساعيك أن يعنو لك القدر
Anxiety keeps us from hoping for the best, though we are assured
We do not think well out of pity, and you secured
by your deeds that fate will bow to you.
For us your efforts, so fate will support you.
كأنَّماas though النهرُthe river لماwhen سرتَyou journeyed سارjourneyed علىalong
كأنَّما النهرُ لما سرتَ سار على
ذاكthat المجازpassage فأجرىso made flow فُلكَكَyour boat النهرَthe river
ذاك المجاز فأجرى فُلكَكَ النهرَ
As though the river, when you journeyed, journeyed along
As if when you traveled, the river traveled in
that passage, and your boat made the river flow.
That figurative manner, so sailed your ships the river.
كأنماas though قمتَyou stood بالجدوىin generosity تساجِلُهُyou vie with it
كأنما قمتَ بالجدوى تساجِلُهُ
فنالهso overtook it دهَشٌbewilderment أوor نابهbefell it حصَرspeechlessness
فناله دهَشٌ أو نابه حصَر
As though you stood to vie with it in bounty,
As if you stood to fight it with benefit,
and it was struck by bewilderment or seized by speechlessness.
So it was seized by shock or bit by frustration.
أحاطencompassed جودُكyour generosity بالدنياaround the world فليسso there is no لهfor it
أحاط جودُك بالدنيا فليس له
إلاexcept المحيطthe encircling ocean مثالٌa likeness حينwhen يُعتبَرis considered
إلا المحيط مثالٌ حين يُعتبَر
Your generosity encompassed the world, so it has
Your generosity encompassed the world, so there is nothing left for it
no likeness but the encircling ocean, when considered.
Except the ocean as an analogy when considered.
وماand not حسبتI thought بأنthat الكُلَّthe whole يحملُهُbears it
وما حسبت بأن الكُلَّ يحملُهُ
بعضٌa part ولاnor كاملاًsomething complete يحويهcontains it مختصرan abridgment
بعضٌ ولا كاملاً يحويه مختصر
And I never thought the whole could be borne
And you did not consider that a portion
by a part, nor something complete contained in an abridgment.
Could carry the whole, nor brief summarize the complete.
لمdid not تثنِdraw back عنكَfrom you يداًa hand أرجاءُthe stretches ضفتهِof its bank
لم تثنِ عنكَ يداً أرجاءُ ضفتهِ
إلاexcept ومدتand stretched out يداًa hand أرجاؤهُits reaches الأخرthe other ones
إلا ومدت يداً أرجاؤهُ الأخر
No stretch of its bank drew back a hand from you
No coasts of its bank dissuaded a hand from you
without its other reaches stretching out a hand.
Except that its other coasts extended a hand.
تواصِلُkeep up اللحظَthe gaze حسرىweary منfrom هناhere وهناand here
تواصِلُ اللحظَ حسرى من هنا وهنا
وليسand are not غيرother than الدعاءِprayer الجصُّplaster والحجرand stone
وليس غير الدعاءِ الجصُّ والحجر
They kept gazing, weary, from this side and that,
The glance continues the desolation of longing from here and there,
and plaster and stone were nothing but prayer.
With nothing but rubble and stone for aid.
فصرتَso you became فوقatop دفاعِa surging flood اللَهGod's تهصرهُyou bend it
فصرتَ فوق دفاعِ اللَه تهصرهُ
براحةِwith the palm البرof righteousness والتقوىand piety فينهصرso it bends
براحةِ البر والتقوى فينهصر
So you were atop God's surging flood, bending it
You became, above God's defense as you bolster it
with the palm of righteousness and piety, and it bent.
With spiritual ease and piety, victorious.
كأنماas though كانit were عيناًan eye أنتyou ناظرهاits pupil
كأنما كان عيناً أنت ناظرها
وكلُّand every شطٍbank بأشخاصِwith the figures الورىof humankind شفُرan eyelid's rim
وكلُّ شطٍ بأشخاصِ الورى شفُر
As though it were an eye, with you its pupil,
As if you were an eye it regarded,
and every bank, with the figures of humankind, an eyelid's rim.
And every shore with earthly figures an eyelid.
Sol 6.1