وَصَبُthe sickness of الهوىlove ماnot كانwould be منamong أوصابهhis ailments
وَصَبُ الهوى ما كان من أوصابه
لولاbut for طُرُوقُthe nightly visits of خيالهhis phantom المُنْتابِهِthat repeatedly visits him
لولا طُرُوقُ خياله المُنْتابِهِ
Love's sickness would not be among his ailments,
But for the nightly visits of his haunting phantom.
يأبىit refuses وقدthough already حسرhas lifted الصباحthe dawn لِثامَهُits veil
يأبى وقد حسر الصباح لِثامَهُ
إلاanything but تحيةgreeting ركبهhis riders ورِكابِهِand his riding camels
إلا تحية ركبه ورِكابِهِ
It insists, though dawn has lifted its veil,
On greeting his riders and his camels.
خُلوهleave him يندبto lament شجوهhis grief فلعلهso perhaps he
خُلوه يندب شجوه فلعله
يشفىmay heal الذيthat which نَكَأْتَهyou reopened منof أندابِهِhis scars
يشفى الذي نَكَأْتَه من أندابِهِ
Leave him to lament his grief; perhaps
He may heal the scars you have reopened.
وتعجَّبْتُand I marveled بدمٍat blood ولوْand if
وتعجَّبْتُ بدمٍ ولوْ
تركتyou had left لهfor him دمعاًtears إذاًthen لبكىhe would have wept بِهِwith them
تركت له دمعاً إذاً لبكى بِهِ
And I marveled at blood; yet if
You had left him tears, he would have wept with them.
ماnot أَنْصَفَتْهshe treated him fairly يكونhe is منamong أعدائِهاher enemies
ما أَنْصَفَتْه يكون من أعدائِها
فيin زُعْمِهاher claim وتكونُwhile she is منamong أَحْبَابِهِhis loved ones
في زُعْمِها وتكونُ من أَحْبَابِهِ
She has not been fair to him: he is among her enemies,
So she claims, while she is among those he loves.
وهيand she التيwho قالتsaid لجارةِto the female neighbor of بَيْتِهاher house
وهي التي قالت لجارةِ بَيْتِها
قولاًwords دموعيmy tears كُنَّwere رَدَّthe return of جوابِهِtheir answer
قولاً دموعي كُنَّ رَدَّ جوابِهِ
And she is the one who told her next-door neighbor
Words to which my tears were the reply:
ماnot كانit was ينفعُهُbenefiting him لدىduring شبابهِhis youth
ما كان ينفعُهُ لدى شبابهِ
فعلامso why يُتعبdoes he weary نفسَهُhimself بِخَضابِهby dyeing his hair
فعلام يُتعب نفسَهُ بِخَضابِه
It did him no good in his youth;
So why does he weary himself dyeing his hair?
وعجبتُand I marveled منهat him يعودhe returns بعدُagain إلىto الهوىlove
وعجبتُ منه يعود بعدُ إلى الهوى
فكأنَّso, as though عذباًsweet كانhad been طعمُthe taste of عذابِهِhis torment
فكأنَّ عذباً كان طعمُ عذابِهِ
And I marveled at him, returning once more to love,
As though the taste of his torment had been sweet.
غُصُنٌa bough منof البانthe ban-tree انثَنىbent وجناتُهhis cheeks
غُصُنٌ من البان انثَنى وجناتُه
عنfrom وردهhis roses واهتزّand swayed عنfrom عنابِهِhis jujubes
عن ورده واهتزّ عن عنابِهِ
A bough of the ban-tree bends, his cheeks
Revealing his roses; he sways, revealing his jujubes.
وكأنماand as though خَلْخالُهhis anklet وَسِوارُهand his bracelet
وكأنما خَلْخالُه وَسِوارُه
صَمَتَاboth fell silent لنُطقbefore the speech of وِشاحهhis sash وحِقابِهِand his girdle
صَمَتَا لنُطق وِشاحه وحِقابِهِ
It was as though his anklet and his bracelet
Fell silent before the speech of his sash and girdle.
وكأنماand as though ضنguarded jealously الحُسَيْنُal-Husayn بعِرْضِهhis honor
وكأنما ضن الحُسَيْنُ بعِرْضِه
يومَon the day of التفرُّقparting ضِنَّهhis jealous guarding بسحابِهِof his clouds
يومَ التفرُّق ضِنَّه بسحابِهِ
It was as though al-Husayn guarded his honor
On parting day, as jealously as he guarded his clouds.
أَسَدٌa lion وَبيضُand the white swords of الهندIndia منamong أَظْفارهhis claws
أَسَدٌ وَبيضُ الهند من أَظْفاره
صِلٌّa viper وسُمرand the brown spears of الخَطِّal-Khatt منamong أنْيابِهِhis fangs
صِلٌّ وسُمر الخَطِّ من أنْيابِهِ
A lion, with India's white blades among his claws;
A viper, with al-Khatt's brown spears among his fangs.
تَلْقَىyou find الملوكُthe kings الصيدَthe proud حولaround رِواقِهِhis portico
تَلْقَى الملوكُ الصيدَ حول رِواقِهِ
للإذنfor permission to enter أوor زُمَراًin groups علىat أبوابِهِhis gates
للإذن أو زُمَراً على أبوابِهِ
You find proud kings around his portico,
Seeking leave to enter, or in groups at his gates.
يحوُونthey gain بينbetween جلوسهhis sitting وركوبِهِand his riding
يحوُون بين جلوسه وركوبِهِ
شرفاًhonor بِلَثْمby kissing بساطهhis carpet وركابِهِand his stirrup
شرفاً بِلَثْم بساطه وركابِهِ
They gain, whether he is sitting or riding,
Honor by kissing his carpet and his stirrup.
أبناءsons of معتصَبٍone whose brow is bound بجوهرwith the jewels of تاجهhis crown
أبناء معتصَبٍ بجوهر تاجه
متلفّعwrapped برداءِin the mantle of ظلِّthe shadow of عُقَابِهِhis eagle
متلفّع برداءِ ظلِّ عُقَابِهِ
Sons of one whose brow is bound with his crown's jewels,
Wrapped in the mantle of his eagle's shadow.
فإذاso whenever رَمىhe shoots at هدفthe target of الخطوبِcalamities فإنماthen only
فإذا رَمى هدف الخطوبِ فإنما
فيon رقعةthe face of البُرْجاسthe archery target سَهْمthe arrow of صوابِهِhis sound judgment
في رقعة البُرْجاس سَهْم صوابِهِ
Whenever he shoots at the target of calamities,
His arrow of sound judgment lands squarely on the mark.
والملكُand the king يعلمknows حينwhen غابhe is absent بأنهthat he
والملكُ يعلم حين غاب بأنه
ماnot غابis absent عنهfrom him غيرُother than ضَيْغَمِthe lion of غابِهِhis thicket
ما غاب عنه غيرُ ضَيْغَمِ غابِهِ
And the king knows, when he is absent, that
None but the lion of his thicket is absent from him.
ألقىhe entrusted أزمَّتَهُhis reins إلىto تدبيرهhis direction
ألقى أزمَّتَهُ إلى تدبيره
لماwhen رأىhe saw طَبًّاan expert بقوْدَat leading صعابِهِhis unruly steeds
لما رأى طَبًّا بقوْدَ صعابِهِ
He entrusted his reins to his direction,
When he saw him skilled in leading his unruly steeds.
فكأنماso, as though هوhe مُحرمa consecrated pilgrim فيin حُلَّةٍa fine robe
فكأنما هو مُحرم في حُلَّةٍ
لِعَفَافfor the chastity of شِيمتهhis nature وطُهرand the purity of ثيابِهِhis clothes
لِعَفَاف شِيمته وطُهر ثيابِهِ
As though he were a consecrated pilgrim in a fine robe,
For the chastity of his nature and the purity of his clothes.
وافىhe arrived فصدَّقَتِand proved true الظنونُexpectations ونُضّتand were stripped away
وافى فصدَّقَتِ الظنونُ ونُضّت
كُرَبُthe cares of القريضِpoetry لهfor him وكانand there was لِماfor what بِهِafflicted him
كُرَبُ القريضِ له وكان لِما بِهِ
He arrived; expectations proved true, and were lifted
Poetry's cares for him; and for his plight there was
فيin زجرِthe reading of فالٍan omen بانbecame apparent صادقُthe truth of وعدهits promise
في زجرِ فالٍ بان صادقُ وعده
وطلوعand the rising of سعدa lucky star لاحshone ضوءthe light of شِهابِهِits meteor
وطلوع سعد لاح ضوء شِهابِهِ
In an omen's reading a promise shown to be true,
And in a lucky star's rising, its meteor's shining light.
أتتcame البشارةthe glad tidings قصرهhis palace بقدومهof his arrival
أتت البشارة قصره بقدومه
فَعَلاَand rose سُرورthe joy of صُحونهits courtyards وقِبابِهِand its domes
فَعَلاَ سُرور صُحونه وقِبابِهِ
Glad tidings of his arrival reached his palace,
And the joy of its courtyards and domes rose high.
واختالand he strode proudly فيهwithin it فوَدَّso wished تِبْرُthe gold of سُقوفهits ceilings
واختال فيه فوَدَّ تِبْرُ سُقوفه
لوif only أنهit بمكانin the place of ثوبthe covering of رحابهِits courtyards
لو أنه بمكان ثوب رحابهِ
He strode proudly within it, and the gold of its ceilings wished
It could take the place of the carpet clothing its courts,
حسداًout of envy علىover ماwhat مسit touched منof أذيالهhis trailing hems
حسداً على ما مس من أذياله
فيduring مشيهhis walking واشتمand it smelled منfrom هُدَّابهِhis fringes
في مشيه واشتم من هُدَّابهِ
Jealous that it touched his trailing hems
As he walked, and inhaled the scent of his fringes.
وارتاحand rejoiced مجلسناour hall إليهin him فلمand did not يُعجturn aside
وارتاح مجلسنا إليه فلم يُعج
فيin صدرهits place of honor إلاexcept علىtoward محرابهِits prayer niche
في صدره إلا على محرابهِ
Our hall rejoiced in him, and he turned nowhere
In its place of honor except toward its prayer niche,
بسجودِwith prostration مقبُولِaccepted السجودُprostration مثابهrewarded for it
بسجودِ مقبُولِ السجودُ مثابه
ودعاءِand prayer مسموعِheard الدعاءprayer مُجابِهِanswered in it
ودعاءِ مسموعِ الدعاء مُجابِهِ
Prostrating, his prostration accepted and rewarded,
And praying, his prayer heard and answered.
ليI have فيwithin ذمامكyour protection حرمةٌan inviolable claim قدindeed أكدتhas strengthened
لي في ذمامك حرمةٌ قد أكدت
سبباًa bond يراهregards it المجدُglory منamong أسبابِهِits bonds
سبباً يراه المجدُ من أسبابِهِ
I have a claim upon your protection that has strengthened
A bond that glory counts among its own bonds.
علمتyou taught عهدكyour covenant أنto يصعّرturn away haughtily خدهhis cheek
علمت عهدك أن يصعّر خده
كبراًin pride وأُبّهةand splendor علىabove أصحابِهِhis companions
كبراً وأُبّهة على أصحابِهِ
You taught your covenant to turn his cheek away
In pride and splendor above his companions,
بمواهبٍwith gifts ضاعفنthat multiplied منof أموالِهhis wealth
بمواهبٍ ضاعفن من أموالِه
ومذكراتٍand reminders زِدْنthat increased فيin آدابِهِhis learning
ومذكراتٍ زِدْن في آدابِهِ
With gifts that multiplied his wealth,
And reminders that enriched his learning.
وكسوتَهand you clothed him بالميلthrough affection ثوبa robe of مناقبvirtues
وكسوتَه بالميل ثوب مناقب
تبقىendure عواقبهنtheir effects فيamong أعقابِهhis descendants
تبقى عواقبهن في أعقابِه
And through affection you clothed him in a robe of virtues
Whose effects endure among his descendants.
فمتىso whenever تطلبyou ask أنthat يقومhe undertake بشكرgiving thanks for ماwhat
فمتى تطلب أن يقوم بشكر ما
أوyou bestowed (first fragment) ليتَyou bestowed (second fragment) أتعبَhe wears out نفسهhimself بطلابِهِin striving for it
أو ليتَ أتعبَ نفسه بطلابِهِ
Whenever you ask him to give due thanks for what
You bestowed, he wears himself out striving to do so.
Sol 6.1