سِوايَsomeone other than me فِيin سَلْوَتِهِhis solace يُطْمَعُis hoped for
سِوايَ فِي سَلْوَتِهِ يُطْمَعُ
فَعَنِّفُواso rebuke me إِنْif شِئْتُمُyou wish أَوor دَعُواleave me be
فَعَنِّفُوا إِنْ شِئْتُمُ أَو دَعُوا
One may hope that someone else will find solace;
so rebuke me if you wish, or leave me be.
أَوْضَحْتُمُyou made clear الرُّشْدَright guidance فَمَنْso who يَهْتَديfollows guidance
أَوْضَحْتُمُ الرُّشْدَ فَمَنْ يَهْتَدي
وَقُلْتُمُand you spoke الحَقَّthe truth فَمَنْso who يَسْمَعُlistens
وَقُلْتُمُ الحَقَّ فَمَنْ يَسْمَعُ
You have made the right path clear—but who will follow it?
And you have spoken the truth—but who will listen?
بيafflicting me ضَيِّقُnarrow العَيْنِthe eye وَإنْand even if أَطْنَبُواthey speak at length
بي ضَيِّقُ العَيْنِ وَإنْ أَطْنَبُوا
فِيabout الأَعْيُنِthe eyes النُّجْلِwide وَإنَand even if أَوْسَعُواthey elaborate further
فِي الأَعْيُنِ النُّجْلِ وَإنَ أَوْسَعُوا
I am smitten with a narrow-eyed one, though they speak at length
of wide eyes, and however much they elaborate.
الليْلُnight مِنْfrom شَعْرَتِهِhis hair مُسْبَلُtrailing down
الليْلُ مِنْ شَعْرَتِهِ مُسْبَلُ
وَالشَّمْسُand the sun مِنْfrom طَلْعَتِهِhis countenance تَطْلِعُrises
وَالشَّمْسُ مِنْ طَلْعَتِهِ تَطْلِعُ
Night trails down from his hair,
and the sun rises from his countenance.
فِيin قُنْدُسِbeaver fur الْكُمَّةِthe cap مِنْof وَجْهِهِhis face
فِي قُنْدُسِ الْكُمَّةِ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ
ليfor me شاغِلٌa distraction عَمَّاfrom what حَوَىcontains الْبُرْقُعُthe veil
لي شاغِلٌ عَمَّا حَوَى الْبُرْقُعُ
A glimpse of his face amid the beaver fur of his cap
distracts me from what the veil conceals.
تَزْرَعُsow عَيْنايَmy two eyes عَلَىupon خدِّهِhis cheek
تَزْرَعُ عَيْنايَ عَلَى خدِّهِ
وَرْداًroses وَلاَand not أجْنِيI reap الَّذيwhat أزْرَعُI sow
وَرْداً وَلاَ أجْنِي الَّذي أزْرَعُ
My eyes sow upon his cheek
roses, yet I do not reap what I sow.
جَنَتْsinned بِهِbecause of him عَيْنِيmy eye فَإِنْسَانُهاso its pupil
جَنَتْ بِهِ عَيْنِي فَإِنْسَانُها
مُسَلْسَلٌchained أغْلاَلُهُits fetters الأدْمُعُtears
مُسَلْسَلٌ أغْلاَلُهُ الأدْمُعُ
My eye sinned because of him, so its pupil
is chained, with tears for its fetters.
فِيon خَدِّهِhis cheek مِنfrom صُدْغِهِhis temple-lock عَقْرَبٌa scorpion
فِي خَدِّهِ مِن صُدْغِهِ عَقْرَبٌ
دِرْياقُهاits antidote الرِّيقُsaliva فَماso not تَلْسَعُstings
دِرْياقُها الرِّيقُ فَما تَلْسَعُ
On his cheek, from his temple-lock, lies a scorpion;
his saliva is its antidote, so it does not sting.
كَيْفَhow احْتِياليmy stratagem فِيهِregarding him مُسْتَيْقِظاًawake
كَيْفَ احْتِيالي فِيهِ مُسْتَيْقِظاً
وَدُونَهُand before him سُمْرُbrown الْقَناspears الشُّرَّعُleveled
وَدُونَهُ سُمْرُ الْقَنا الشُّرَّعُ
How can I contrive to reach him while awake,
when brown, leveled spears stand before him?
وَكَيْفَand how أرْجوI hope for وَصْلَهُunion with him فِيin الكَرَىsleep
وَكَيْفَ أرْجو وَصْلَهُ فِي الكَرَى
وَالْعَيْنُand the eye لاnot تَغْفُوdozes وَلاand not تَهْجَعُslumbers
وَالْعَيْنُ لا تَغْفُو وَلا تَهْجَعُ
And how can I hope for union with him in sleep,
when my eye neither dozes nor slumbers?
مَسَّنِيَhas touched me الضُّرُّaffliction وَماand not ليfor me سِوىother than
مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَما لي سِوى
مَنْone who يَمْنَعُprotects اَلجَارَthe neighbor وَلاand not يُمْنَعُis thwarted
مَنْ يَمْنَعُ اَلجَارَ وَلا يُمْنَعُ
Affliction has touched me, and I have none but
one who protects his neighbor and cannot be thwarted:
المَلِكُthe king الأَشْرَفُal-Ashraf (most noble) شاهَShah ارْمَنٍArman
المَلِكُ الأَشْرَفُ شاهَ ارْمَنٍ
مُظَفَّرُMuzaffar (victorious) الدّينِal-Din (the faith) الفَتىthe youth الأَرْوَعُawe-inspiring
مُظَفَّرُ الدّينِ الفَتى الأَرْوَعُ
King al-Ashraf, Shah Arman,
Muzaffar al-Din, the awe-inspiring youth.
إِنْif غاضَrecedes مَاءُthe water الرِّزْقِof sustenance موسىMoses وَإِنْand if
إِنْ غاضَ مَاءُ الرِّزْقِ موسى وَإِنْ
تَغْرُبُsets شَمْسِيmy sun إِنَّهُindeed he is يوشَعُJoshua
تَغْرُبُ شَمْسِي إِنَّهُ يوشَعُ
If the water of sustenance recedes, he is Moses; and if
my sun sets, indeed he is Joshua.
لَهُhe has يَدٌa hand ظاهِرُهاits back كَعْبَةُa Kaaba
لَهُ يَدٌ ظاهِرُها كَعْبَةُ
وَفِيand in نَدَىthe dew باطِنِهاits palm مَشْرَعُa watering place
وَفِي نَدَى باطِنِها مَشْرَعُ
He has a hand whose back is a Kaaba,
and in the dew of its palm lies a watering place.
بَيْضاءُwhite فِيin السَّلْمِpeace وَلكنهاand yet it
بَيْضاءُ فِي السَّلْمِ وَلكنها
حَمْراءُred إِذْwhen سِنُّthe point القَناof spears تَقْرَعُclashes
حَمْراءُ إِذْ سِنُّ القَنا تَقْرَعُ
White in peace, yet it is
red when spearpoints clash.
إِذْاwhen دَجاgrew dark النَّقْعُbattle-dust وَصَلَّتْand prayed بِهِwithin it
إِذْا دَجا النَّقْعُ وَصَلَّتْ بِهِ
بِيضٌwhite swords سُجُودٌprostrate وَقَنَاand spears رُكَّعُbowing
بِيضٌ سُجُودٌ وَقَنَا رُكَّعُ
When battle-dust darkened, and within it prayed
white swords in prostration and spears bowing,
شامَdrew حُساماًa keen sword وَامْتَطَىand mounted أَشْقَراًa chestnut steed
شامَ حُساماً وَامْتَطَى أَشْقَراً
فَأَيُّso which بَرْقَيْهِof his two lightning-flashes بِهِwith him أُسْرَعُswifter
فَأَيُّ بَرْقَيْهِ بِهِ أُسْرَعُ
he drew a keen sword and mounted a chestnut steed—
which of his two lightning-flashes carried him faster?
طِرْفٌa noble steed مِنَfrom الصُّبْحِdawn لَهُit has غُرَّةٌa forehead-blaze
طِرْفٌ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ لَهُ غُرَّةٌ
وَمِنand from رياحٍwinds أَرْبِعٍfour أَرْبَعُfour legs
وَمِن رياحٍ أَرْبِعٍ أَرْبَعُ
A steed whose forehead-blaze comes from dawn,
and whose four legs come from four winds.
فِيin جَحْفَلٍa mighty host يُحْمَدُis praised يَوْمَon the day الْوَغَىof battle
فِي جَحْفَلٍ يُحْمَدُ يَوْمَ الْوَغَى
فِيin جَمْعِهِits gathering تَفْرِيقًthe scattering ماwhat يَجْمَعُit gathers
فِي جَمْعِهِ تَفْرِيقً ما يَجْمَعُ
In a mighty host, praised on the day of battle
is the scattering, by its gathering, of all that it gathers.
بَحْرُa sea حَديدٍof iron مَوْجُthe waves أَطْلاَئِهِof its necks
بَحْرُ حَديدٍ مَوْجُ أَطْلاَئِهِ
يُزْبِدُfoams with بِيضاًwhite blades وَقَناًand spears يَلْمَعُgleams
يُزْبِدُ بِيضاً وَقَناً يَلْمَعُ
A sea of iron: the waves of its necks
foam with white blades and gleaming spears.
مَلْكٌa king لَهُto him الأمْلاَكُkings مِنْfrom رَهْبِةٍfear
مَلْكٌ لَهُ الأمْلاَكُ مِنْ رَهْبِةٍ
وَرَغْبِةٍand desire أَعْناقُهاtheir necks خُضَّعُbowed
وَرَغْبِةٍ أَعْناقُها خُضَّعُ
A king to whom kings, out of fear
and desire, bow their necks.
تُخيفُهاfrightens them السًّطْوًةُthe onslaught مِنْfrom بَأسِهِhis might
تُخيفُها السًّطْوًةُ مِنْ بَأسِهِ
لكِنَّهاbut they فِيin جُودِهِhis generosity تَطْمَعُhope
لكِنَّها فِي جُودِهِ تَطْمَعُ
The onslaught of his might terrifies them,
yet they covet his generosity.
لاnot تَرْتَضيaccepts هِمَّتُهُhis ambition غايَةًa final goal
لا تَرْتَضي هِمَّتُهُ غايَةً
مِنamong رُتَبِranks المِجْدِof glory وَلاand not تَقْنَعُis content
مِن رُتَبِ المِجْدِ وَلا تَقْنَعُ
His ambition accepts no final goal
among the ranks of glory, nor is it content.
مُبْتَكِرٌan innovator لِلْمَجْدِin glory مُدَّاحُهُhis panegyrists
مُبْتَكِرٌ لِلْمَجْدِ مُدَّاحُهُ
تَبْتَكِرُoriginate الْمَدْحَpraise الّذيthat تَصْنَعُthey compose
تَبْتَكِرُ الْمَدْحَ الّذي تَصْنَعُ
An innovator in glory; his panegyrists
originate the praise that they compose.
تَنَزَّهَتْare unblemished أَفْعالُهُhis deeds فَهْوَso he is عَنْabove
تَنَزَّهَتْ أَفْعالُهُ فَهْوَ عَنْ
ماwhat يُمْدَحُare praised النَّاسُpeople بِهِfor it أَرْفَعُmore exalted
ما يُمْدَحُ النَّاسُ بِهِ أَرْفَعُ
His deeds are unblemished; he stands above
all that earns people praise.
مَحاسِنُvirtues طَرْفُthe gaze الّذيof whoever رامَهاseeks them
مَحاسِنُ طَرْفُ الّذي رامَها
لَهُto him حَسيراًweary خائِباًdisappointed يَرْجِعُreturns
لَهُ حَسيراً خائِباً يَرْجِعُ
His virtues—the gaze of whoever seeks them
returns to him weary and disappointed.
ماnot زَنْدَهُhis firestick وَارٍgiving sparks بَلىindeed زَنْدُهُhis forearm
ما زَنْدَهُ وَارٍ بَلى زَنْدُهُ
عَنْfrom نَيْلِattaining أدْنىthe least فَضْلِهِof his excellence أقْطَعُcut off
عَنْ نَيْلِ أدْنى فَضْلِهِ أقْطَعُ
His firestick gives no spark; indeed, his forearm
is severed from attaining the least of his excellence.
ياO بنَson الّذيof him who لَوif كادَهُplotted against him تُبَّعٌTubbaʿ
يا بنَ الّذي لَو كادَهُ تُبَّعٌ
لَكانَhe would surely have been كالْعَبْدِlike a slave لَهُto him يَتْبَعُfollowing
لَكانَ كالْعَبْدِ لَهُ يَتْبَعُ
O son of the man—had Tubbaʿ plotted against him,
he would have been like a slave following him.
كَفاهُsuffices him فَخْراًas glory أنْthat تَكونَyou are ابنَهُhis son
كَفاهُ فَخْراً أنْ تَكونَ ابنَهُ
وَأنْتَand you فِيamong أوْلادِهِhis children إِنْif دُعواthey are called
وَأنْتَ فِي أوْلادِهِ إِنْ دُعوا
It is glory enough for him that you are his son,
and you are among his children when they are named.
بَقيتَmay you endure لِلإسْلامِfor Islam ماas long as غَرَّدَتْsings
بَقيتَ لِلإسْلامِ ما غَرَّدَتْ
قُمْرِيَّةٌa turtledove فِيin دَوْحِهاits spreading trees تَسْجَعُcoos
قُمْرِيَّةٌ فِي دَوْحِها تَسْجَعُ
May you endure for Islam as long as there sings
a turtledove, cooing in its spreading trees.
Sol 6.1