قُمْتُI kept vigil لَيلَthe night of الصُّدودِestrangement إِلاَّexcept قلَيلاًa little
قُمْتُ لَيلَ الصُّدودِ إِلاَّ قلَيلاً
ثُمَّthen رَتَّلْتُI chanted ذِكْرِكُمْremembrance of you تَرْتِيلاَin measured recitation
ثُمَّ رَتَّلْتُ ذِكْرِكُمْ تَرْتِيلاَ
I kept vigil through the night of estrangement, save a little.
Then I chanted remembrance of you in measured tones.
وَوَصَلْتُand I embraced السُّهادَsleeplessness قُبِّحَcursed be it وصْلاًas a union
وَوَصَلْتُ السُّهادَ قُبِّحَ وصْلاً
وَهَجَرْتُand I forsook الرُّقادَsleep هَجْراًa forsaking جمَيلاَgracious
وَهَجَرْتُ الرُّقادَ هَجْراً جمَيلاَ
And I embraced sleeplessness—cursed be that union—
And I forsook sleep with a gracious forsaking.
مِسْمِعٌan ear كلَّgrew weary عَنْof كَلامِthe words of عَذُولِيmy reprover
مِسْمِعٌ كلَّ عَنْ كَلامِ عَذُولِي
حِينَwhen أَلْقَىhe cast عَلَيْهِupon it قَوْلاًan utterance ثَقِيلاَweighty
حِينَ أَلْقَى عَلَيْهِ قَوْلاً ثَقِيلاَ
An ear grew weary of my reprover's words,
When he cast upon it a weighty utterance.
وَفُؤَادٌand a heart قَدonce كانَwas بَيْنَbetween ضُلوعِيmy ribs
وَفُؤَادٌ قَد كانَ بَيْنَ ضُلوعِي
أَخَذَتْهُthey seized it الأَحْبابُthe beloved ones أَخْذاًa seizure وَبِيلاَgrievous
أَخَذَتْهُ الأَحْبابُ أَخْذاً وَبِيلاَ
And a heart that once lay between my ribs—
The beloved ones seized it with a grievous seizure.
قُلْsay لِراقِيto the enchanter of الجُفُونِeyelids إِنَّindeed لِجفْنِيfor my eyelid
قُلْ لِراقِي الجُفُونِ إِنَّ لِجفْنِي
فِيin بِحارِseas of الدُّموعtears سَبْحاًa swim طَويلاَlong
فِي بِحارِ الدُّموع سَبْحاً طَويلاَ
Tell the enchanter of eyelids: indeed, my eyelid
Has a long swim through seas of tears.
مَاسَhe swayed عُجَباًin conceit كَأَنَّهُas though he ماnot رَأَىhad seen غُصْa branch (first fragment)
مَاسَ عُجَباً كَأَنَّهُ ما رَأَى غُصْ
ناً(completes 'branch') طَلِيحاًdrooping وَلاَnor كَثِيْباًa sandhill مَهِيْلاَloose-piled
ناً طَلِيحاً وَلاَ كَثِيْباً مَهِيْلاَ
He swayed in conceit, as though he had never seen a branch
drooping, or a loose-piled sandhill.
وَحَمَىand he withheld عَنْfrom مُحِّبِهhis lover كَأْسَthe cup of ثَغْرٍa mouth
وَحَمَى عَنْ مُحِّبِه كَأْسَ ثَغْرٍ
حِيْنَwhen أَمْسَىbecame مِزاجُهاits admixture زَنْجَبِيلاَginger
حِيْنَ أَمْسَى مِزاجُها زَنْجَبِيلاَ
And he withheld from his lover the cup of his mouth,
When its admixture became ginger.
بَانَhe departed عَنِّيfrom me فَصِحْتُso I cried out فِيin أَثَرِthe wake of العِيْthe pale camels (first fragment)
بَانَ عَنِّي فَصِحْتُ فِي أَثَرِ العِيْ
سِ(completes 'pale camels') ارْحَمُونِيhave mercy on me وَأَمْهِلوهُمْand grant them respite قَلِيلاَa little
سِ ارْحَمُونِي وَأَمْهِلوهُمْ قَلِيلاَ
He parted from me; I cried after the pale camels:
Have mercy on me, and grant them a little respite!
أناI عَبْدٌa slave لِلْفاضِلِof al-Fadil بنِson of عَلِيٍAli
أنا عَبْدٌ لِلْفاضِلِ بنِ عَلِيٍ
قَدindeed تَبَتَّلْتُI devoted myself لِلثَّنَاto praise تَبْتِيلاَin complete devotion
قَد تَبَتَّلْتُ لِلثَّنَا تَبْتِيلاَ
I am a slave of al-Fadil ibn Ali;
I have devoted myself utterly to praise.
لاَdo not تَسُمْهُdemand of him وَعداًa promise بِغَيْرِwithout نَوالٍa gift
لاَ تَسُمْهُ وَعداً بِغَيْرِ نَوالٍ
إِنَّهُindeed he كانَhas been وَعْدُهُhis promise مَفْعُولاَfulfilled
إِنَّهُ كانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولاَ
Do not demand of him a promise without a gift:
Indeed, his promise has been fulfilled.
وَإِذْاand when كانَis خَصْمَكَyour adversary الدَّهْرُTime وَالحُكْand judgment (first fragment)
وَإِذْا كانَ خَصْمَكَ الدَّهْرُ وَالحُكْ
مُ(completes 'judgment') إِلَىto اللَّهِGod فَاتَّخِذْهُthen take him وَكِيلاَas an advocate
مُ إِلَى اللَّهِ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلاَ
And when Time is your adversary, and judgment
rests with God, then take him as your advocate.
جَلَّhe is exalted عَنabove سَائِرِall other الخَلاَئِقِcreatures مدَحاًin praise
جَلَّ عَن سَائِرِ الخَلاَئِقِ مدَحاً
فَاخْتَرَعْناso we devised فِيin مَدْحِهِhis praise التَّنْزِيلاَrevelation
فَاخْتَرَعْنا فِي مَدْحِهِ التَّنْزِيلاَ
He is exalted above all other creatures in praise;
So we devised revelation in his praise.
إِنَّindeed مَدْحِيmy praise لَهُof him أَشَدُّmore intense وِطَاءًin accord
إِنَّ مَدْحِي لَهُ أَشَدُّ وِطَاءً
وَقَرِيضِيand my verse أَقْوَىstronger وَأَقْوَمُand sounder قِيلاَin utterance
وَقَرِيضِي أَقْوَى وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلاَ
Indeed, my praise of him is more harmonious,
And my verse is stronger and sounder in utterance.
رَاعَhe terrified أَعْدَاءَهُhis enemies بِصُفْرِwith yellow اليَراعَاthe reed pens (first fragment)
رَاعَ أَعْدَاءَهُ بِصُفْرِ اليَراعَا
تِ(completes 'reed pens') فَأَنْسَىso made forgotten صَريرُهُنَّtheir scratching الصَّلِيلاَthe clash of swords
تِ فَأَنْسَى صَريرُهُنَّ الصَّلِيلاَ
He terrified his foes with yellow reed pens;
So their scratching made the clash of swords forgotten.
فَاسْتَمِعْso listen to لَفْظَهُhis words وَلُذْand take refuge بِحِماهُin his sanctuary
فَاسْتَمِعْ لَفْظَهُ وَلُذْ بِحِماهُ
تَلْقَyou will find قَوْلاًspeech جَزْلاًeloquent وَنَيْلاًand bounty جَزِيلاَabundant
تَلْقَ قَوْلاً جَزْلاً وَنَيْلاً جَزِيلاَ
So listen to his words and take refuge in his sanctuary:
You will find eloquent speech and abundant bounty.
لاَnot أَذُمُّI revile الزَّمَانَthe age إِذْsince كُنْتَyou are فِيهِin it
لاَ أَذُمُّ الزَّمَانَ إِذْ كُنْتَ فِيهِ
يَاO سَحابَcloud of النَّدَىbounty لِرِزْقِيfor my livelihood كَفِيلاَa guarantor
يَا سَحابَ النَّدَى لِرِزْقِي كَفِيلاَ
I do not revile the age, since you are in it,
O cloud of bounty, guarantor of my livelihood!
لِيْto me دُيونٌdebts عَلىowed by عُلاَكَyour eminence وَهذَاand this
لِيْ دُيونٌ عَلى عُلاَكَ وَهذَا
وَقْتُa time of يُسْرٍease فَأَوْفِso pay in full وَاصْنَعْand do جَمِيلاَa kindness
وَقْتُ يُسْرٍ فَأَوْفِ وَاصْنَعْ جَمِيلاَ
Your eminence owes me debts, and this
is a time of ease: pay in full, and do a kindness.
أَتَمَنَّىI wish for رِزْقَthe livelihood of المُقِيمِa resident عَلىfrom اللَّGod (first fragment)
أَتَمَنَّى رِزْقَ المُقِيمِ عَلى اللَّ
هِ(completes 'God') وَإِنْand even if رُمْتُI seek رِحْلَةًa journey وَنُزُولاَand a sojourn
هِ وَإِنْ رُمْتُ رِحْلَةً وَنُزُولاَ
I wish for a resident's livelihood from God,
Even if I seek a journey and a sojourn.
Sol 6.1