مِنْfrom سِحْرِmagic عَيْنَيْكَyour two eyes الأَمانَprotection! الأَمانْprotection!
مِنْ سِحْرِ عَيْنَيْكَ الأَمانَ الأَمانْ
قَتَلْتَyou have slain رَبَّthe master السَّيْفِof the sword وَالطَّيْلَسانْand the mantle
قَتَلْتَ رَبَّ السَّيْفِ وَالطَّيْلَسانْ
From the magic of your eyes—protection, protection!
From the magic of your eyes, security, security
You have slain the master of sword and mantle.
You killed the lord of sword and spear
أَسْمَرُdusky كالرُّمحِlike a spear لَهُhe has مُقْلَةٌan eye
أَسْمَرُ كالرُّمحِ لَهُ مُقْلَةٌ
لَوْif لَمْnot تَكُنْit were كَحْلاءَkohl-dark كانَتْit would be سِنانْa spearhead
لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ كَحْلاءَ كانَتْ سِنانْ
Dusky, like a spear, he has an eye
Dark like a spear, with kohl'd eyes
which, were it not kohl-dark, would be a spearhead.
If not kohl, they'd be daggers
أهْيَفُslender-waisted عَبْلُfull; fleshy الرِّدْفِthe hips حُلْوُsweet اللَّمىdarkness of the lips
أهْيَفُ عَبْلُ الرِّدْفِ حُلْوُ اللَّمى
مُرُّbitter الْجَفاrejection قاسٍcruel رَطيبُtender البَنانthe fingertips
مُرُّ الْجَفا قاسٍ رَطيبُ البَنان
Slender-waisted, full-hipped, sweet in his dark lips,
Gentle Abul-Redf, sweet of meet
bitter in rejection, cruel, tender-fingered.
Bitter of estrangement, good of lineage
يَزْدادُhe grows إِذْwhen أَشكوُI complain لَهُto him قَسْوَةًin cruelty
يَزْدادُ إِذْ أَشكوُ لَهُ قَسْوَةً
وَلَوْand if شَكَوْتُI complained الْحُبَّlove لِلصَّخْرِto stone لاَنit would soften
وَلَوْ شَكَوْتُ الْحُبَّ لِلصَّخْرِ لاَن
He grows crueler when I complain to him,
He grows harsher when I complain of his harshness
yet had I complained of love to stone, it would have softened.
Had I complained of love to a rock, it would have softened
سَاقٍa cupbearer سَهاwas heedless رِضْوانُRidwan عَنْof حِفْظِهِguarding him
سَاقٍ سَها رِضْوانُ عَنْ حِفْظِهِ
فَفَرَّso he fled مِنْfrom جُمْلَةِthe company حُورِthe houris الجِنانof Paradise
فَفَرَّ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ حُورِ الجِنان
A cupbearer whom Ridwan neglected to guard,
He walked gracefully, pleased with himself
so he fled from among the houris of Paradise.
So he escaped being one of the maidens of paradise
بَدْرٌa full moon وِكأْسُand the cup الرَّاحِof wine شَمْسُthe sun الضُّحىof midmorning
بَدْرٌ وِكأْسُ الرَّاحِ شَمْسُ الضُّحى
ياO قَوْمُpeople ماhow أسْعَدَfortunate هذاthis القِرانconjunction
يا قَوْمُ ما أسْعَدَ هذا القِران
He is a full moon, and the wine-cup the midmorning sun.
Full moon and cup of comfort, sun of morning
O people, how auspicious this conjunction!
Oh people, how happy is this poem
تَوَقَّدَتْblazed حُمْرَةُthe redness لأَلائِهاof its gleams
تَوَقَّدَتْ حُمْرَةُ لأَلائِها
كَأنّهاas though it were بَهْرَمُsafflower أوor بَهْرَمانred safflower dye
كَأنّها بَهْرَمُ أو بَهْرَمان
The redness of its gleams blazed,
Her redness kindled for her glories
as though it were safflower or crimson safflower dye.
As if it is the sun temple or the moon temple
بِخَدِّهِfrom his cheek أوor طَرْفِهِhis glance أوor جَنىthe fruit
بِخَدِّهِ أو طَرْفِهِ أو جَنى
لَماهُof his dark lips سُكرْيmy intoxication لاnot بِبِنْتِfrom the daughter الدِّنانof the wine-jars
لَماهُ سُكرْي لا بِبِنْتِ الدِّنان
From his cheek, or his glance, or the fruit
With his cheek or glance or gathering
of his dark lips comes my drunkenness—not from the daughter of wine-jars.
His intoxication is not from the wines of grapes
ياO لائِميْmy reproacher دَعْنيleave me فَإنّيfor I am فَتىًa young man
يا لائِميْ دَعْني فَإنّي فَتىً
ماnot تَرَكَhas left الحُّبُّlove بِقَلْبيْin my heart مَكانany room
ما تَرَكَ الحُّبُّ بِقَلْبيْ مَكان
O my reproacher, leave me, for I am a young man—
Oh you who blame me, leave me be for I am a man
love has left no room in my heart.
Love left no place in my heart
لاdo not تَسَلِask العاشِقَthe lover عَنabout حالهِhis condition
لا تَسَلِ العاشِقَ عَن حالهِ
فَدَمْعُهُfor his tears عَنْfor قَلْبِهِhis heart تَرْجُمانan interpreter
فَدَمْعُهُ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ تَرْجُمان
Do not ask the lover about his condition;
Ask not the lover of his state
for his tears are an interpreter of his heart.
For his tears translate his heart
لَولاwere it not for دُموعِيmy tears وَالضَّنىand wasting لَمْnot أَبُحْI would have confessed
لَولا دُموعِي وَالضَّنى لَمْ أَبُحْ
قَدmay يَنْطِقُspeak المَرْءُa person بِغَيْرِwithout اللَّسانthe tongue
قَد يَنْطِقُ المَرْءُ بِغَيْرِ اللَّسان
But for my tears and wasting, I would not have confessed;
If not for my tears and sorrow, I'd not confide
a man may speak without a tongue.
One can speak without using the tongue
أَعَزَّنِيhe honored me موسىMusa وَلَولاand were it not for هوىlove for
أَعَزَّنِي موسى وَلَولا هوى
مُعَذِّبيmy tormentor ماnot ذُقْتُI would have tasted طَعْمَthe taste الْهَوانof humiliation
مُعَذِّبي ما ذُقْتُ طَعْمَ الْهَوان
Musa has honored me; were it not for love of
Musa honored me, and if not for passion
my tormentor, I would not have tasted humiliation.
My tormentor, I'd not have tasted humiliation
الْمَلِكُthe king الأشْرَفُal-Ashraf (most noble) شاهَshah; king ارْمَنٍArmenia
الْمَلِكُ الأشْرَفُ شاهَ ارْمَنٍ
مُظَفَّرُMuzaffar (victorious) الدِّينِal-Din (of the faith) كَريمُthe generous one الزَّمانof the age
مُظَفَّرُ الدِّينِ كَريمُ الزَّمان
King al-Ashraf, Shah of Armenia,
The noble king, king of Armenia
Muzaffar al-Din, the generous man of his age.
Victorious in religion, generous of the age
وَاللَّهby God لَوif قِيسَwere measured بِهِagainst him حاتِمٌHatim
وَاللَّه لَو قِيسَ بِهِ حاتِمٌ
لَقَلَّwould surely dwindle ماwhat قَدْalready قِيلَhas been said عَنْهُabout him وَهَانand seem paltry
لَقَلَّ ما قَدْ قِيلَ عَنْهُ وَهَان
By God, if Hatim were measured against him,
By God, if Hatem were compared to him
what has been said of him would dwindle and seem paltry.
Little would be said of him, and he'd be disgraced
ذاthis one مَلَأَhas filled الأَرْضَthe earth بِإحْسانِهِwith his beneficence
ذا مَلَأَ الأَرْضَ بِإحْسانِهِ
وَذاكَand that one يَمْتَنُّcounts it a favor بِمَلءِby filling الجِفانthe serving-bowls
وَذاكَ يَمْتَنُّ بِمَلءِ الجِفان
This one has filled the earth with his bounty,
One filled the earth with his benevolence
while that one counts it a favor to fill serving-bowls.
While the other boasts of filling leather bags
يَرْوِيhe transmits العُلىglory عَنfrom نَفْسِهِhimself عَنfrom أبٍa father
يَرْوِي العُلى عَن نَفْسِهِ عَن أبٍ
عالٍexalted فَماso there is no فِيin نَصِّهِhis account عَنْfrom فُلانso-and-so
عالٍ فَما فِي نَصِّهِ عَنْ فُلان
He transmits glory from himself, from a father
He narrates the heights from himself, from a high father
of high rank—so his account has no 'from so-and-so.'
So his text contains nothing of so-and-so
قَدindeed نَظَمَhas strung اللَّهُGod لَهُfor him نِسْبَةًa lineage
قَد نَظَمَ اللَّهُ لَهُ نِسْبَةً
كَالدُّرِّlike pearls تَجْلوهُmake it gleam نُحورُthe necks الحِسانof beautiful women
كَالدُّرِّ تَجْلوهُ نُحورُ الحِسان
God has strung a lineage for him,
God composed for him a lineage
like pearls made radiant by the necks of beauties.
Like pearls that fair throats grace
طَلْقُlavish النَّدىbounty طَلْقُlavish الحَياrain طَلْقُfree نَصْblade (first fragment)
طَلْقُ النَّدى طَلْقُ الحَيا طَلْقُ نَصْ
لِcompletion of 'blade' السَّيْفِof the sword طَلْقُunfettered الأَمْرِcommand طَلْقُfluent الِّلسانthe tongue
لِ السَّيْفِ طَلْقُ الأَمْرِ طَلْقُ الِّلسان
Lavish in bounty, lavish as rain, free with the blade—
Eloquent, lively, eloquent, descendant of
—of the sword, free in command, fluent of tongue.
The sword, decisive, eloquent of tongue
يَقولُsays مَنwhoever يَسْمَعُhears أَلْفاظَهُhis words
يَقولُ مَن يَسْمَعُ أَلْفاظَهُ
هذاthis جِنانٌgardens يانِعٌflourishing أَمor جَنانa heart
هذا جِنانٌ يانِعٌ أَم جَنان
Whoever hears his words says:
Who hears his words says
'Are these flourishing gardens, or a heart?'
"Is this a blooming garden or gardens of paradise?"
لَهُhe has عَلَىat وَقْعِthe clash الظُّبىof sword-edges هَزَّةٌa thrill
لَهُ عَلَى وَقْعِ الظُّبى هَزَّةٌ
إِذْاwhen التَقَىmeet الجَمْعانِthe two armies يَوْمَthe day الرِّهانof contest
إِذْا التَقَى الجَمْعانِ يَوْمَ الرِّهان
He thrills at the clash of sword-edges
He has a tremble against the zebras
when the two armies meet on the day of contest.
When the two armies meet on the day of the wager
صُلَّتْwere drawn وَصَلَّتْand rang فِيin رُؤوسِthe heads العِدىof foes
صُلَّتْ وَصَلَّتْ فِي رُؤوسِ العِدى
كَأنَّas though فيin الإِذْانِthe ears (apparently intended) مِنْهاfrom them أدانa call to prayer (apparently intended)
كَأنَّ في الإِذْانِ مِنْها أدان
Drawn, they clang in the heads of foes,
My prayers connected in the enemies' heads
as though their sound in the ears were a call to prayer.
As if there were a bell in the ears
مَوْلايَmy lord جُدْbe generous وَانْعِمْand bestow favors وَصِلْand grant gifts وَاقْتَدِرْand wield power
مَوْلايَ جُدْ وَانْعِمْ وَصِلْ وَاقْتَدِرْ
وَافْتِكْand strike fiercely فَماfor not تَفْرَجُrejoices (apparently intended) أُمُّthe mother الجَبانof the coward
وَافْتِكْ فَما تَفْرَجُ أُمُّ الجَبان
My lord, be generous, bestow favors, grant gifts, and wield power;
My Lord, strive, bestow favor, reconcile, empower
and strike fiercely, for a coward's mother never rejoices.
And conquer, for the cowardly mothers are not patient
وَارْكَبْand ride جَوادَthe steed الدَّهْرِof time وَاسْبِقْand race ahead إلىtoward
وَارْكَبْ جَوادَ الدَّهْرِ وَاسْبِقْ إلى
ماwhat تَشْتَهِيهِyou desire it قَدْalready مَلَكْتَyou have gained العِنانthe reins
ما تَشْتَهِيهِ قَدْ مَلَكْتَ العِنان
And ride time's steed, and race ahead toward
Ride the steed of time, race to
what you desire—you already hold the reins.
What you desire, for you hold the reins
دُمْتُمْmay you remain بَنِيsons of أَيُّوبَAyyub فِيin نِعْمَةٍa blessing
دُمْتُمْ بَنِي أَيُّوبَ فِي نِعْمَةٍ
تَجوزُit surpasses فِيin التَّخْلِيدِperpetuity حَدَّthe bounds الزَّمَانof time
تَجوزُ فِي التَّخْلِيدِ حَدَّ الزَّمَان
May you, sons of Ayyub, abide in bliss
You have lived, O Ayyubids, in blessings
that, in its perpetuity, exceeds the bounds of time.
That will persist eternally in recording time
وَاللَّهِby God لاnever زِلْتُمmay you cease to be مُلوكَkings of الوَرَىhumankind
وَاللَّهِ لا زِلْتُم مُلوكَ الوَرَى
شَرْقاًin the east وَغَرْباًand in the west وَعَلَيَّand upon me الضَّمَانthe guarantee
شَرْقاً وَغَرْباً وَعَلَيَّ الضَّمَان
By God, may you never cease to be kings of humankind,
By God, you remain the kings of the world
east and west—and I guarantee it.
East and west, and I guarantee it
Sol 6.1