عَلّلsoothe حَشايmy heart بِذكرwith remembrance of ذاكَthat المَنزِلِthe dwelling
عَلّل حَشاي بِذكر ذاكَ المَنزِلِ
وَأَعِدand repeat أَحاديثَtales الزَمانِthe time الأَوَّلِbygone
وَأَعِد أَحاديثَ الزَمانِ الأَوَّلِ
Soothe my heart with the memory of that dwelling,
And repeat the tales of bygone times.
وَأعذُرand excuse إِذاif اِبتَدَرَتrush forth سَوابقُthe foremost أَدمُعِيmy tears
وَأعذُر إِذا اِبتَدَرَت سَوابقُ أَدمُعِي
طَرَباًin deep emotion وَحَلَّand unties الوَجدُlonging عَقدَthe knot of تَجَمُّليmy composure
طَرَباً وَحَلَّ الوَجدُ عَقدَ تَجَمُّلي
And forgive me if my foremost tears rush forth
In deep emotion, and longing unties the knot of my composure.
زَمَنٌa time بِهِin it خَلّفتُI left behind أَيَّامdays الصِّبىyouth
زَمَنٌ بِهِ خَلّفتُ أَيَّام الصِّبى
وَتَرَكتُand I left طيبَthe sweetness of لَذاذَتيmy delight وَتَغَزُّليand my love poetry
وَتَرَكتُ طيبَ لَذاذَتي وَتَغَزُّلي
A time in which I left the days of youth behind,
And left the sweetness of my delight and my love songs.
أَيامَdays تَخدُمناserved us المُنىwishes مَنقادةًobediently
أَيامَ تَخدُمنا المُنى مَنقادةً
وَأَخوand a devotee of الهَوىlove فيin الرَّبعِthe dwelling يَمرَحُrevels كَالخَلِيlike the carefree one
وَأَخو الهَوى في الرَّبعِ يَمرَحُ كَالخَلِي
Days when wishes served us obediently,
And the lover reveled in the dwelling like one carefree.
يَجريhe races عَلىon مَتنِthe back of الأَغرِّthe white-blazed steed وَكَمand how many لَهُfor him
يَجري عَلى مَتنِ الأَغرِّ وَكَم لَهُ
فيamong الحَيِّthe clan مِنof يَومٍa day أَغَرَّbright-faced محجَّلِwhite-stockinged
في الحَيِّ مِن يَومٍ أَغَرَّ محجَّلِ
He raced on the white-blazed steed's back; how many were his
Bright, white-stockinged days among the clan!
فيamid عُصبةٍa band تَخِذُواthey took الصَبابةَpassionate love مَذهَباًas a creed
في عُصبةٍ تَخِذُوا الصَبابةَ مَذهَباً
لَهُمُfor themselves وَعافواand spurned مَذهَبَthe creed of المتَبَذِّلِthe vulgar person
لَهُمُ وَعافوا مَذهَبَ المتَبَذِّلِ
Amid a band who took passionate love as a creed
For themselves, and spurned the ways of the vulgar.
وَرَدُواthey came to drink from الكُؤوسَthe cups فَأَرْيَحِيٌّso one generous-hearted لِلنَدىtoward generosity
وَرَدُوا الكُؤوسَ فَأَرْيَحِيٌّ لِلنَدى
مِنهُمamong them وَمُهتَزٌّand one stirred لَذكرِby mention of القَسطَلِbattle-dust
مِنهُم وَمُهتَزٌّ لَذكرِ القَسطَلِ
They drank from the cups: one stirred to generosity
Among them, and another thrilled at the mention of battle-dust.
يَفتَنُّdisplays varied arts مُنشِدُهُمtheir reciter فَتَحسَبُso you think لَفطَهُhis utterance (apparent typo)
يَفتَنُّ مُنشِدُهُم فَتَحسَبُ لَفطَهُ
مِنfrom كَأسِهِhis cup وَبَيانِهِand his eloquence السحرَmagic الجَلِيmanifest
مِن كَأسِهِ وَبَيانِهِ السحرَ الجَلِي
Their reciter displays his arts; you think his utterance
Comes from his cup, and his eloquence is manifest magic.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though يُمليdictates السَليمal-Salim قَصيدةًa poem
وَكَأَنَّما يُملي السَليم قَصيدةً
فَالقَومُso the company بَينَbetween مكبِّرٍone proclaiming 'God is greatest' وَمُهَلِّلِand one proclaiming 'There is no god but God'
فَالقَومُ بَينَ مكبِّرٍ وَمُهَلِّلِ
And it is as though al-Salim were dictating a poem,
So some proclaim 'God is greatest!' and others 'There is no god but God!'
النائمsleeping المَعنىthe meaning الدَقيقsubtle كَأَنَّهُas though it were
النائم المَعنى الدَقيق كَأَنَّهُ
أَسلاكstrings دُرٍّpearls بِالجُمانِwith pearl-like beads مفصَّلِinterspersed
أَسلاك دُرٍّ بِالجُمانِ مفصَّلِ
The sleeping, subtle meaning seems as though it were
Strings of pearls interspersed with pearl-like beads.
ماضيkeen الجَنانof heart إِذاwhen أَفاضَhe pours forth حَسِبتَهُyou would think him
ماضي الجَنان إِذا أَفاضَ حَسِبتَهُ
يَتلوreciting عَلَيكَto you صَحيفةَa page المُتَرَسِّلِthe prose stylist
يَتلو عَلَيكَ صَحيفةَ المُتَرَسِّلِ
Keen of mind, when he pours forth you would think him
Reading you a page by a master of prose.
وَإِذاand when جَرىruns فَوقَover الطُّروسِthe written sheets يَراعَهُhis reed pen
وَإِذا جَرى فَوقَ الطُّروسِ يَراعَهُ
فَوَميضُthen a flash بَرقٍof lightning فيin سَحابٍa cloud مُسبَلِpouring rain
فَوَميضُ بَرقٍ في سَحابٍ مُسبَلِ
And when his reed pen runs over the written sheets,
It is a lightning-flash within a cloud pouring rain.
مُتَوَقِّدُablaze الأفكارِin thought لَوif بَرَزَتْthey appeared لَناto us
مُتَوَقِّدُ الأفكارِ لَو بَرَزَتْ لَنا
فيat اللَيلnight أَغنَتwould dispense عَنwith ضياءِthe light of المَشعلِthe torch
في اللَيل أَغنَت عَن ضياءِ المَشعلِ
His thoughts are aflame; were they to appear before us
At night, they would spare us the need for a torch's light.
قَلبٌa heart مِنfrom الأَشياخِthe elders يَحمِلُهُcarries it فَتىًa youth
قَلبٌ مِن الأَشياخِ يَحمِلُهُ فَتىً
غَضُّfresh الشَبيبةِin youth مِثلlike حَدِّthe edge of المَنصلِa blade
غَضُّ الشَبيبةِ مِثل حَدِّ المَنصلِ
An elder's heart is carried by a youth,
Fresh in youth, like the edge of a blade.
وَلَرَبَّand many a قادِمَةٍfemale visitor عَليَّto me بِلُطفِهاwith her gentleness
وَلَرَبَّ قادِمَةٍ عَليَّ بِلُطفِها
أَحيَتْshe revived فُؤاديmy heart حينَwhen مَسَّتshe touched أَنمُلِيmy fingertips
أَحيَتْ فُؤادي حينَ مَسَّت أَنمُلِي
And many a visitor, coming to me with her gentleness,
Revived my heart when she touched my fingertips.
غَيداءُa graceful beauty مُرسَلةُletting fall النِقابِthe veil وَراءَهُbehind it
غَيداءُ مُرسَلةُ النِقابِ وَراءَهُ
وَأَمامَهُand before it نَفَحاتُwafts عُرفِthe fragrance of المَندَلِيMandali aloeswood
وَأَمامَهُ نَفَحاتُ عُرفِ المَندَلِي
A graceful beauty, her veil let fall; behind it
And before it waft breaths of Mandali aloeswood's scent.
وافَتshe arrived بِآثارِbearing traces of الحَبيبِthe beloved وَطالَماand often
وافَت بِآثارِ الحَبيبِ وَطالَما
وافىcame إِليَّto me بِهاwith them نَسيمُthe breeze of الشَمأَلِthe north wind
وافى إِليَّ بِها نَسيمُ الشَمأَلِ
She came bearing traces of the beloved; and how often
The north wind's breeze had brought them to me.
حَسناءُa beauty ناحِلَةُslender القوامِof figure لقيتُهI found it
حَسناءُ ناحِلَةُ القوامِ لقيتُه
مِنthan عَطفthe waist of عاشِقِهاher lover السَقيمِailing بِأَنحلِas more slender
مِن عَطف عاشِقِها السَقيمِ بِأَنحلِ
A beauty, slender of figure, which I found
Still thinner than her ailing lover's waist.
قابَلتُهاI faced her فَرَدَدَتُthen I turned back طَرفيmy gaze بَعدَماafter
قابَلتُها فَرَدَدَتُ طَرفي بَعدَما
طَفَحَتoverflowed عَليّupon me شُؤونthe tear-channels of دَمعيmy tears المُرسَلِfreely flowing
طَفَحَت عَليّ شُؤون دَمعي المُرسَلِ
I faced her, then drew back my gaze, after
The channels of my freely flowing tears had overflowed upon me.
شَكَتِshe lamented الفِراقَseparation فَهَيَّجَتso she stirred عِنديin me شَجاًgrief
شَكَتِ الفِراقَ فَهَيَّجَت عِندي شَجاً
أَمسىbecame عَنِfrom الشكوىlamentation وَعَنهاand from her مُذهليdistracting me
أَمسى عَنِ الشكوى وَعَنها مُذهلي
She lamented separation, stirring in me a grief
That left me oblivious to her lament and to her.
ياO مَنyou who نَأىwent far عَنِّيfrom me وَباتَand remained خَيالُهُhis image
يا مَن نَأى عَنِّي وَباتَ خَيالُهُ
فيwithin طَيِّthe folds of قَلبٍa heart عَنهُfrom it لَمdid not يَتَرَحّلِdepart
في طَيِّ قَلبٍ عَنهُ لَم يَتَرَحّلِ
O you who went far from me, yet whose image remained
In the folds of a heart from which it has never departed.
بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكَand you لِلمَوَدّةfor affection ذمةٌa binding pledge
بَيني وَبَينَكَ لِلمَوَدّة ذمةٌ
قَطَعَتhas cut off مِنfrom الغَمَراتperils كُلَّevery مُؤمَّلِhoped-for thing
قَطَعَت مِن الغَمَرات كُلَّ مُؤمَّلِ
Between me and you, affection holds a binding pledge
That has dashed every hope held by adversity.
فَصَلَتhave separated مَنازِلناour dwellings البِحارthe seas وَقَطرةٌand a drop
فَصَلَت مَنازِلنا البِحار وَقَطرةٌ
مِنهُنَّof them بَينَbetween قُلوبَناour hearts لَمdid not تَدخُلِenter
مِنهُنَّ بَينَ قُلوبَنا لَم تَدخُلِ
The seas divided our dwellings; yet a single drop
Of them has never entered between our hearts.
وَلَقَدand indeed وَقَفتُI endowed عَلىto وَدادِكِyour love مُهجَتيmy life's blood
وَلَقَد وَقَفتُ عَلى وَدادِكِ مُهجَتي
وَتَصُرُّفيand my disposal فيof الوَقفِthe endowment غَيرnot مَحَلَّلِpermitted
وَتَصُرُّفي في الوَقفِ غَير مَحَلَّلِ
And I have indeed endowed my life's blood to your love,
And I may not dispose of that endowment.
وَعَذَرتُand I excused نَفسيmy soul فيfor هَواكِlove for you لِأَنَّنيbecause I
وَعَذَرتُ نَفسي في هَواكِ لِأَنَّني
أَورَدتُهاI led it to water فيin الحُبِّlove أَعذَبَthe sweetest مَنهَلِwatering-place
أَورَدتُها في الحُبِّ أَعذَبَ مَنهَلِ
And I excused my soul for loving you, because I
Led it, in love, to the sweetest watering-place.
وَأَناand I الَّذيam the one who أَلِفbecame familiar with الهَوىlove وَأَذاعَهُand proclaimed it
وَأَنا الَّذي أَلِف الهَوى وَأَذاعَهُ
مِنfrom حَيثُwhere باتَit remained عَنfrom المَلامِreproach بِمَعزَلِin isolation
مِن حَيثُ باتَ عَن المَلامِ بِمَعزَلِ
And I am the one who befriended love and proclaimed it,
Since it remained beyond the reach of reproach.
أَسَأَلتَhave you asked? ماwhat قَدalready مَرَّhas passed مِنof أَيامُناour days
أَسَأَلتَ ما قَد مَرَّ مِن أَيامُنا
عَماabout what يَكونُwill be مِنof الزَمانِthe time المُقبِلِto come
عَما يَكونُ مِن الزَمانِ المُقبِلِ
Have you asked our days that have gone by
About what the time to come will bring?
اللَهُGod أَكبَرُis greatest كُلّevery حالٍstate دونَهاbefore it
اللَهُ أَكبَرُ كُلّ حالٍ دونَها
أَجَلٌan appointed end وَصَرفُand the vicissitudes الدَهرِof time غَيرَnot مُؤجَّلِdeferred
أَجَلٌ وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ غَيرَ مُؤجَّلِ
God is greatest! Before every state stands
An appointed end; time's vicissitudes are not deferred.
فَأَعَزُّso the most precious ماof what صادَفَتَyou encountered يَومَa day of مَسَرةٍjoy
فَأَعَزُّ ما صادَفَتَ يَومَ مَسَرةٍ
وَاللَهُand God يَعلَمknows بَعدَafter ذَلِكَthat مايَليwhat follows
وَاللَهُ يَعلَم بَعدَ ذَلِكَ مايَلي
So the dearest thing you encounter is a day of joy,
And God knows what follows after that.
Sol 6.1