ماwhat عَلىupon رَسمِtrace مَنزِلٍa dwelling بِالجَنابِat al-Janāb
ما عَلى رَسمِ مَنزِلٍ بِالجَنابِ
لَوif أَبانَit expressed الغَداةَthis morning رَجعَthe echo of الجَوابِthe reply
لَو أَبانَ الغَداةَ رَجعَ الجَوابِ
What harm would befall a dwelling's trace at al-Janāb,
The traces of an abode in that region
if it voiced a reply this morning?
Were its dwellers to return at dawn with tidings
غَيرتهُaltered it الصَّباthe east wind وَكُلُّand every مُلِثٍّlingering raincloud
غَيرتهُ الصَّبا وَكُلُّ مُلِثٍّ
دائِمِunceasing الوَدقِrainfall مُكفَهِرِّdark and lowering السَّحابِthe clouds
دائِمِ الوَدقِ مُكفَهِرِّ السَّحابِ
The east wind and every lingering raincloud have altered it,
The morning breeze has changed it, and every wind
with ceaseless rain and dark, lowering clouds.
laden with clouds pouring down rain constantly
دارthe dwelling هِندٍof Hind وَهَلand will...? زَمانيmy time بِهِندٍwith Hind
دار هِندٍ وَهَل زَماني بِهِندٍ
عائِدٌreturning بِالهَوىwith love وَصَفوِand the serenity of الجَنابِthe surroundings
عائِدٌ بِالهَوى وَصَفوِ الجَنابِ
Hind's dwelling! Will my time with Hind
A house in India, though is my time in India
return with love and tranquil surroundings,
Returning in passion with smooth cheeks
كَالذيlike what كانَonce was وَالصَّفاءُand affection مَصونٌkept unspoiled
كَالذي كانَ وَالصَّفاءُ مَصونٌ
لَمnot تَشُبهُshe tainted it بِهِجرَةٍwith desertion وَاِجتِنابِand avoidance
لَم تَشُبهُ بِهِجرَةٍ وَاِجتِنابِ
as it once was, with affection kept unspoiled,
As it was, serenity well-kept
which she had not tainted with desertion and avoidance?
Resembling neither estrangement nor avoidance
ذاكَthat مِنهاfrom her إِذwhen أَنتَyou كَالغُصنِlike a branch غضّtender
ذاكَ مِنها إِذ أَنتَ كَالغُصنِ غضّ
وَهيَand she رؤدٌsoft and delicate كَدُميَةِlike a statue المِحرابِthe sanctuary
وَهيَ رؤدٌ كَدُميَةِ المِحرابِ
Such was her way, when you were tender as a branch,
That was the case when you were like a tender branch
and she was delicate, like a statue in the sanctuary:
And it a sanctuary like the prayer niche of a temple
غادَةٌa graceful maiden تَستَبيtakes captive العُقولَthe minds بِعَذبٍwith a sweet mouth
غادَةٌ تَستَبي العُقولَ بِعَذبٍ
طَيِّبِpleasant الطَّعمِthe taste بارِدِcool الأَنيابِthe canine teeth
طَيِّبِ الطَّعمِ بارِدِ الأَنيابِ
a graceful maiden, captivating minds with a sweet mouth,
A gazelle turning minds with her sweetness
pleasant to taste, with cool canine teeth,
Of good taste, cool teeth
وَأَثيثٍand luxuriant hair مِنfrom فَوقِabove لَونٍa complexion نَقِيٍّpure
وَأَثيثٍ مِن فَوقِ لَونٍ نَقِيٍّ
كَبَياضِlike the whiteness of اللُّجَينِsilver فيin الزِّريابِgold
كَبَياضِ اللُّجَينِ في الزِّريابِ
and luxuriant hair above a pure complexion,
And furniture of pure complexion
like the whiteness of silver amid gold.
Like the whiteness of smoothed rocks in a brook
فَأَقِلَّso lessen المَلامَthe reproach فيهاabout her وَأَقصِرand desist
فَأَقِلَّ المَلامَ فيها وَأَقصِر
لجَّpersists obstinately قَلبيmy heart مِنfrom لَوعَةٍburning anguish وَاِكتِئابِand despondency
لجَّ قَلبي مِن لَوعَةٍ وَاِكتِئابِ
So lessen your reproach about her, and desist;
So lessen the blame about her and shorten
my heart persists, driven by burning anguish and despondency.
My heart from burning and gloom
صاحِfriend أَبصَرتَhave you seen أَوor سَمِعتَhave you heard براعٍof a shepherd
صاحِ أَبصَرتَ أَو سَمِعتَ براعٍ
رَدَّreturned فيinto الضَّرعِthe udder ماwhat قَرىhe gathered فيin العِلابِthe milk bowls
رَدَّ في الضَّرعِ ما قَرى في العِلابِ
Friend, have you seen or heard of a shepherd
O comrade, have you seen or heard of one skilled
who put back into the udder what he had gathered in the bowls?
Who could return what prosperous years wasted
انقَضَتhas ended شِرَّتيmy youthful ardor وَأَقصَرَand has ceased جَهليmy folly
انقَضَت شِرَّتي وَأَقصَرَ جَهلي
وَاستَراحَتand have rested عَواذِليmy female reproachers مِنfrom عِتابيrebuking me
وَاستَراحَت عَواذِلي مِن عِتابي
My youthful ardor has ended, and my folly has ceased,
My villainy has ended and my ignorance ceased
and the women who chide me have rested from rebuking me.
My evils are relieved of rebuke
رُبَّmany a خالٍmaternal uncle مُتَوّجٍcrowned ليof mine وَعَمٍّand a paternal uncle
رُبَّ خالٍ مُتَوّجٍ لي وَعَمٍّ
ماجِدٍillustrious مُجتَدىًsought for bounty كَريمnoble النِّصابِstock
ماجِدٍ مُجتَدىً كَريم النِّصابِ
Many a crowned maternal uncle have I, and a paternal uncle,
Many a maternal uncle honored me, and many
illustrious, sought for his bounty, of noble stock.
An illustrious, generous paternal uncle
إِنَّماonly سمّيwere named الفَوارِسُthe horsemen بِالفُرafter the Per- (continued)
إِنَّما سمّي الفَوارِسُ بِالفُر
سِ-sians (completes Persians) مُضاهاةin emulation of رِفعَةِthe loftiness of الأَنسابِlineages
سِ مُضاهاة رِفعَةِ الأَنسابِ
Horsemen were named only after the Persians,
Knights were only named knights
in emulation of the loftiness of their lineages.
To match the nobility of pedigree
فَاِترُكيso abandon الفَخرَboasting ياO أُمامُUmām عَلَيناover us
فَاِترُكي الفَخرَ يا أُمامُ عَلَينا
وَاِترُكيand abandon الجَورَinjustice وَاِنطقيand speak بِالصَّوابِwhat is right
وَاِترُكي الجَورَ وَاِنطقي بِالصَّوابِ
So cease boasting over us, O Umām,
So leave off boasting over us
and abandon injustice, and speak what is right.
And leave injustice, and speak right
وَاِسأَليand ask إِنif جَهلتِyou do not know عَنّاabout us وعَنكُمand about you all
وَاِسأَلي إِن جَهلتِ عَنّا وعَنكُم
كَيفَhow كُنّاwe were فيin سالِفِpast الأَحقابِages
كَيفَ كُنّا في سالِفِ الأَحقابِ
And ask, if you do not know, about us and about yourselves:
And if you are ignorant about us and yours
how were we in ages past,
How we were in bygone eras
إِذwhen نُرَبّيwe raise بَناتِناour daughters وَتدسّوand you bury (continued)
إِذ نُرَبّي بَناتِنا وَتدسّو
نَcompletion of 'you bury' سَفاهاًfoolishly بَناتِكُمyour daughters فيin التُّرابِthe dust
نَ سَفاهاً بَناتِكُم في التُّرابِ
when we raised our daughters, while you buried—
When we nurtured our daughters and you
foolishly—your daughters in the dust?
Ignobly buried your daughters in dust
Sol 6.1