إِلامَhow long أُلامُam I blamed فيكَfor you وَكَمand how often أُعادىam I opposed
إِلامَ أُلامُ فيكَ وَكَم أُعادى
وَأَمرَضُand I fall ill مِنfrom جَفاكَyour coldness وَلَنand will not أُعاداbe visited while ill
وَأَمرَضُ مِن جَفاكَ وَلَن أُعادا
How long shall I be blamed for you, and how often opposed?
And I sicken from your coldness, yet shall not be visited.
لَقَدindeed أَلِفَhas grown accustomed to الضَنَىwasting illness وَالسَقَمَand sickness جِسميmy body
لَقَد أَلِفَ الضَنَى وَالسَقَمَ جِسمي
وَعَينايَand my two eyes المَدامِعَtears وَالسُهاداand sleeplessness
وَعَينايَ المَدامِعَ وَالسُهادا
My body has grown used to wasting and sickness,
And my eyes to tears and sleeplessness.
وَهاand behold أَناI قَدalready وَهىhas weakened صَبريmy patience وَشَوقيand my longing
وَها أَنا قَد وَهى صَبري وَشَوقي
إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) قَلَّتِdiminish الأَشواقُlongings زاداincreases
إِذا ما قَلَّتِ الأَشواقُ زادا
Here I am: my patience has weakened, while my longing,
Whenever longings wane, grows greater.
بِقَلبيwith my heart ذاتَa woman with خُلخالٍan anklet وَقُلبٍand a bracelet
بِقَلبي ذاتَ خُلخالٍ وَقُلبٍ
تَمَلَّكَhas seized فَودُهاher temple-lock مِنّيfrom me الفُؤاداthe heart
تَمَلَّكَ فَودُها مِنّي الفُؤادا
My heart be ransom for her with anklet and bracelet,
Whose temple-lock has wrested my heart from me.
مُهَفهَفَةًslender-waisted كَأَنَّas though قَضيبَa bough بانٍa moringa tree
مُهَفهَفَةً كَأَنَّ قَضيبَ بانٍ
تَثَنّىbent فيwithin غَلائِلِهاher gauzy robes وَماداand swayed
تَثَنّى في غَلائِلِها وَمادا
Slender-waisted, as though a moringa bough
Bent and swayed within her gauzy robes.
بِوَجهٍwith a face لَمhas not يَزِدincreased إِلّاexcept in بَياضاًwhiteness
بِوَجهٍ لَم يَزِد إِلّا بَياضاً
وَشِعرٍand hair لَمhas not يَزِدincreased إِلّاexcept in سَواداblackness
وَشِعرٍ لَم يَزِد إِلّا سَوادا
With a face that has only grown whiter,
And hair that has only grown blacker.
تَعَجَّبُmarvels عاذِليmy reproacher مِنَat حَرِّthe heat of حُبّيmy love
تَعَجَّبُ عاذِلي مِنَ حَرِّ حُبّي
وَمِنand at بَردِthe chill of السُلُوِّdetachment وَقَدand indeed تَمادىhas persisted
وَمِن بَردِ السُلُوِّ وَقَد تَمادى
My reproacher marvels at the heat of my love
And at the chill of detachment, so long prolonged.
وَلاand no عَجَبٌwonder إِذاif ما(emphasis) آبَreturns حَرٌّheat
وَلا عَجَبٌ إِذا ما آبَ حَرٌّ
بِآبٍin Ab (August) وَمِنand at جَمادٍfreezing فيin جُمادىJumada
بِآبٍ وَمِن جَمادٍ في جُمادى
Nor is it strange if heat returns
In August, or things freeze in Jumada.
وَقَدand indeed أَنسانِيَhas made me forget الشيبُgray hair الغَوانِيَbeautiful women
وَقَد أَنسانِيَ الشيبُ الغَوانِيَ
فَلاso neither سُعدىSu'da أُريدُI desire وَلاnor سُعاداSu'ad
فَلا سُعدى أُريدُ وَلا سُعادا
And gray hair has made me forget beautiful women;
So I desire neither Su'da nor Su'ad.
وَهَلand should أَخشىI fear مِنَfrom الأَنواءِthe rain-bearing stars بُخلاًstinginess
وَهَل أَخشى مِنَ الأَنواءِ بُخلاً
إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) يوسُفٌYusuf بِالمالِwith wealth جاداgives generously
إِذا ما يوسُفٌ بِالمالِ جادا
Need I fear stinginess from the rain-bearing stars
When Yusuf gives his wealth so freely?
فَتىًa young man لِلدينِto the faith لَمhas not يَبرَحceased to be صَلاحاًa source of good
فَتىً لِلدينِ لَم يَبرَح صَلاحاً
وَلِلأَموالِand to wealth لَمhas not يَبرَحceased to be فَساداa source of ruin
وَلِلأَموالِ لَم يَبرَح فَسادا
A youth, ever a blessing to the faith,
And ever the ruin of wealth.
هُوَhe المَعروفُthe one renowned بِالمَعروفِfor kindness حَقّاًtruly
هُوَ المَعروفُ بِالمَعروفِ حَقّاً
جَوادٌa generous man لَمhas not يَهَبgiven إِلّاexcept الجَواداa noble steed
جَوادٌ لَم يَهَب إِلّا الجَوادا
He is truly the one renowned for kindness,
A generous man who gives none but noble steeds.
بِهِthrough him الأَشعارُpoems قَدindeed عاشَتhave lived نَفاقاًin ready demand
بِهِ الأَشعارُ قَد عاشَت نَفاقاً
وَعِندَand with سِواهُothers besides him قَدindeed ماتَتhave died كَساداfor lack of demand
وَعِندَ سِواهُ قَد ماتَت كَسادا
Through him, poems have lived and found a market;
With others, they have died for lack of demand.
يُحِبُّhe loves الخَمسَةَthe five الأَشباحَfigures ديناًas a matter of faith
يُحِبُّ الخَمسَةَ الأَشباحَ ديناً
وَماand does not يَهوىlove يَزيداًYazid أَوor زِياداZiyad
وَما يَهوى يَزيداً أَو زِيادا
He loves the Five Figures as a matter of faith,
And has no love for Yazid or Ziyad.
لَئِنif indeed أَعطاهُhas given him نورُNur (light) الدينِal-Din (of the faith) حِصناًa fortress
لَئِن أَعطاهُ نورُ الدينِ حِصناً
فَإِنَّthen indeed اللَهَGod أَعطاهُhas given him البِلاداthe lands
فَإِنَّ اللَهَ أَعطاهُ البِلادا
If Nur al-Din has given him a fortress,
God has indeed given him the lands.
إِلىuntil كَمhow long ذاthis التَوانيdelay فيin دِمَشقٍDamascus
إِلى كَم ذا التَواني في دِمَشقٍ
وَقَدand already جاءَتكُمُhas come to you all مِصرٌEgypt تُهادىbeing gently led
وَقَد جاءَتكُمُ مِصرٌ تُهادى
How much longer this dawdling in Damascus,
When Egypt has come to you, gently led—
عَروسٌa bride بَعلُهاher husband أَسَدٌa lion هَصورٌfierce
عَروسٌ بَعلُها أَسَدٌ هَصورٌ
يَصيدُhe hunts المُعتَدينَthe aggressors وَلَنand will not يُصاداbe hunted
يَصيدُ المُعتَدينَ وَلَن يُصادا
A bride whose husband is a fierce lion,
Who hunts aggressors and will never be hunted?
أَلاtake heed ياO مَعشَرَcompany of الأَجنادِsoldiers سيرواmarch
أَلا يا مَعشَرَ الأَجنادِ سيروا
وَراءَbehind لِوائِهِhis banner تَلَقَواyou will find رَشاداright guidance
وَراءَ لِوائِهِ تَلَقَوا رَشادا
Come, O company of soldiers, march
Behind his banner, and you will find right guidance.
وَماand not كُلُّevery اِمرِىءٍman صَلّىprays مَعَwith الناسِthe people
وَما كُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ صَلّى مَعَ الناسِ
مَأموناًtrustworthy كَمَنlike one who صَلّىprays فَرادىalone
مَأموناً كَمَن صَلّى فَرادى
Not every man who prays with the people
Is as trustworthy as one who prays alone.
Sol 6.1