قَلبٌa heart وَقَلبيand my heart لِأَسهُمfor the arrows of المُقَلِeyes
قَلبٌ وَقَلبي لِأَسهُم المُقَلِ
إِشارَةٌa sign; a mark وَالمَلامِand censure وَالعَذَلِand reproach
إِشارَةٌ وَالمَلامِ وَالعَذَلِ
A heart—and my heart, for the arrows of eyes,
is a mark, and for censure and reproach.
ياO عاذِليmy reprover هَلquestion marker رَأَيتَyou have seen أَعجَبَstranger مِنthan
يا عاذِلي هَل رَأَيتَ أَعجَبَ مِن
ذيone with عَوَرٍblindness in one eye هائمٍinfatuated بِذيwith one having حَوَلِa squint
ذي عَوَرٍ هائمٍ بِذي حَوَلِ
O my reprover, have you seen anything stranger than
a one-eyed man infatuated with a cross-eyed one?
أَقِلُّI diminish فيin عَينِهِhis eye وَيَكثُرُand he grows فيin
أَقِلُّ في عَينِهِ وَيَكثُرُ في
عَينَيَّmy two eyes بِضِدِّcontrary to القِياسِreckoning وَالمَثَلِand comparison
عَينَيَّ بِضِدِّ القِياسِ وَالمَثَلِ
I diminish in his eye, while he grows in
my eyes, contrary to all reckoning and comparison.
ماnot آفَتيmy bane غَيرَother than وَردٍthe roses of وَجنَتِهِhis cheek
ما آفَتي غَيرَ وَردٍ وَجنَتِهِ
وَالوَردُand roses لاno شَكَّdoubt آفَةُthe bane of الجُعَلِthe dung beetle
وَالوَردُ لا شَكَّ آفَةُ الجُعَلِ
Nothing is my bane but the roses of his cheek,
and roses are surely the dung beetle's bane.
مُهَفهَفٌslender-waisted كَالقَضيبِlike a bough مُعتَدِلٌstraight; well-proportioned
مُهَفهَفٌ كَالقَضيبِ مُعتَدِلٌ
وَحُكمُهُand his judgment فِيَّconcerning me غَيرُnot مُعتَدِلِjust
وَحُكمُهُ فِيَّ غَيرُ مُعتَدِلِ
Slender-waisted, straight as a bough,
yet his judgment of me is not just.
فَلَوand if رَأَتsaw حُسنَهُhis beauty فَلاسِفَةٌphilosophers
فَلَو رَأَت حُسنَهُ فَلاسِفَةٌ
لَعَوَّذوهُthey would surely invoke protection for him بِعِلَّةِby the Cause of العِلَلِcauses
لَعَوَّذوهُ بِعِلَّةِ العِلَلِ
If philosophers saw his beauty,
they would invoke the Cause of Causes to protect him.
كَمhow often قَدindeed سَقانيhe gave me to drink مُدامَthe wine of فيهِhis mouth عَلىto the accompaniment of
كَم قَد سَقاني مُدامَ فيهِ عَلى
غِنائِهِhis singing وَاِنتَقَلتُand I took sweetmeats بِالقُبَلِwith kisses
غِنائِهِ وَاِنتَقَلتُ بِالقُبَلِ
How often he gave me the wine of his mouth to drink, to
his singing, while I took kisses as sweetmeats.
قَدindeed ذُقتُI tasted مِنهُfrom him هَجراًestrangement أَمَرَّmore bitter مِنَthan
قَد ذُقتُ مِنهُ هَجراً أَمَرَّ مِنَ
الصَبرِaloes وَوَصلاًand union أَحلىsweeter مِنَthan العَسَلِhoney
الصَبرِ وَوَصلاً أَحلى مِنَ العَسَلِ
I have tasted from him estrangement more bitter than
aloes, and union sweeter than honey.
أَهوىI love تَجَنّيهِhis unjust blame وَالصُدودَand shunning كَماjust as
أَهوى تَجَنّيهِ وَالصُدودَ كَما
يَهوىloves المَعاليlofty honors مُحَمَّدُMuhammad بنُson of عَليAli
يَهوى المَعالي مُحَمَّدُ بنُ عَلي
I love his unjust blame and his shunning, just as
Muhammad ibn Ali loves lofty honors.
جَمالُbeauty دينِthe faith of الإِلَهِGod خَيرُthe finest فَتىًyoung man
جَمالُ دينِ الإِلَهِ خَيرُ فَتىً
لِلرِزقِfor sustenance أَقلامُهُhis pens وَلِلأَجَلِand for the appointed end
لِلرِزقِ أَقلامُهُ وَلِلأَجَلِ
Beauty of God's faith, the finest young man—
his pens allot sustenance and life's appointed end.
صَدرٌa leader; a breast بِشَرحِwith gladdening الصُدورِhearts مُلتَهَمٌconsumed
صَدرٌ بِشَرحِ الصُدورِ مُلتَهَمٌ
بَدرٌa full moon بِبَذلِwith bestowing البُدورِpurses of money فيin شُغُلِpreoccupation
بَدرٌ بِبَذلِ البُدورِ في شُغُلِ
A leader consumed with gladdening hearts,
a full moon busy dispensing purses of money.
مُعطيgiver of القُرىvillages وَالقِرىand hospitality لِقاصِدِهِto whoever seeks him
مُعطي القُرى وَالقِرى لِقاصِدِهِ
بِغَيرِwithout مَنٍّreminders of favors وَالخَيلِand horses وَالخَوَلِand retainers
بِغَيرِ مَنٍّ وَالخَيلِ وَالخَوَلِ
Giver of villages and hospitality to whoever seeks him,
without reminders of favors—and of horses and retainers.
مِثلُlike فُتوحُthe conquests of الفاروقِal-Faruq نائِلُهُhis bounty
مِثلُ فُتوحُ الفاروقِ نائِلُهُ
شَرقاًeastward وَغَرباًand westward فيin السَهلِthe plain وَالجَبَلِand the mountain
شَرقاً وَغَرباً في السَهلِ وَالجَبَلِ
His bounty is like al-Faruq's conquests,
east and west, across plain and mountain.
مَنwhoever قالَsaid لَمdid not يَحوِpossess ذاthis وَيَسكُنُand inhabit ذاthis place
مَن قالَ لَم يَحوِ ذا وَيَسكُنُ ذا
أَصبَحَhas become مِمّاbecause of what يَقولُhe says فيin خَجَلِshame
أَصبَحَ مِمّا يَقولُ في خَجَلِ
Whoever said, 'He could not possess this while dwelling here,'
has become ashamed of what he says.
كَمhow many a جَعفَرٍJa'far; also a river فيin يَدَيthe two hands of أَبيهِhis father وَكَمand how much
كَم جَعفَرٍ في يَدَي أَبيهِ وَكَم
فيin طَيِّthe folds of هَذاthis الحَشاbreast مِنَof الغُلَلِburning thirst
في طَيِّ هَذا الحَشا مِنَ الغُلَلِ
How many a Ja'far in his father's hands, and how much
burning thirst lies folded within this breast!
مُحَمَّدٌMuhammad خاتَمُthe seal of الكِرامِthe generous كَماjust as
مُحَمَّدٌ خاتَمُ الكِرامِ كَما
سَمِيُّهُhis namesake كانَwas خاتَمَthe seal of الرُسُلِthe messengers
سَمِيُّهُ كانَ خاتَمَ الرُسُلِ
Muhammad is the seal of the generous, just as
his namesake was the Seal of the Messengers.
كَأَنَّas though أَيديthe hands of عِداهُhis enemies بَنَواthey built
كَأَنَّ أَيدي عِداهُ بَنَوا
أَيديthe hands of بَنيthe sons of ضَبَّةٍDabba عَلىupon الجَمَلِthe camel
أَيدي بَني ضَبَّةٍ عَلى الجَمَلِ
As though his enemies' hands had fashioned
the hands of Banu Dabba upon the camel.
مَولايَmy lord إِنَّindeed الكَلبِيَّal-Kalbi عَرقَلَةًArqala
مَولايَ إِنَّ الكَلبِيَّ عَرقَلَةً
مِثلُlike المَعَيدِيِّal-Mu'aydi صاحِبِthe man of المَثَلِthe proverb
مِثلُ المَعَيدِيِّ صاحِبِ المَثَلِ
My lord, Arqala al-Kalbi is indeed
like al-Mu'aydi, the man of the proverb.
لَولاwere it not for فَتىthe young man of يَوسُفَYusuf الصَلاحِal-Salah; righteousness لَقَدsurely
لَولا فَتى يَوسُفَ الصَلاحِ لَقَد
كُنتُI would have been كَيَعقوبَlike Ya'qub فيin يَدِthe hand of البَخَلِmiserliness
كُنتُ كَيَعقوبَ في يَدِ البَخَلِ
But for Yusuf al-Salah's young man, I would surely
have been like Ya'qub in miserliness's grip.
كَمhow many a خَلَّةٍneed; gap سَدَّهاhe filled it وَرايَbehind me وَقَدalthough already
كَم خَلَّةٍ سَدَّها وَرايَ وَقَد
رَأىhe saw قَميصيmy shirt قَدalready قُدَّwas rent مِنfrom قُبُلِthe front
رَأى قَميصي قَد قُدَّ مِن قُبُلِ
How many a gap he has closed behind me, though
he saw my shirt had been torn from the front!
ياO مَنyou who عَلاrose مَجدُهُhis glory عَلىabove زُحَلٍSaturn
يا مَن عَلا مَجدُهُ عَلى زُحَلٍ
لاdo not تَنسَforget رَقَمَthe writing of الشُوَيعِرِthe little poet الزُحَلِfar-wandering
لا تَنسَ رَقَمَ الشُوَيعِرِ الزُحَلِ
O you whose glory rises above Saturn,
do not forget the writing of the far-wandering little poet.
عَبدُكَyour servant فيin الشامِSyria راحِلٌtraveling وَيَرىand he sees
عَبدُكَ في الشامِ راحِلٌ وَيَرى
كُلَّevery جَوادٍgenerous man لِكُلِّfor every مُنتَحِلِpretender to poetry
كُلَّ جَوادٍ لِكُلِّ مُنتَحِلِ
Your servant travels in Syria, and sees
every generous man there for every pretender to poetry.
وَماand not أَرىI see ليfor me سِواكَanyone but you مُعتَمَداًa support
وَما أَرى لي سِواكَ مُعتَمَداً
عَليكَupon you بَعدَafter الإِلَهِGod مُتَّكَليmy reliance
عَليكَ بَعدَ الإِلَهِ مُتَّكَلي
I find no one but you to lean on;
on you, after God, I rely.
Sol 6.1