سَلاَمٌpeace عَلَىupon الأَطْلاَلِthe ruins وَحْشٌdesolate خِيَامُهَاtheir tents
سَلاَمٌ عَلَى الأَطْلاَلِ وَحْشٌ خِيَامُهَا
وَهَلْand is it مُسْتَطَاعٌpossible أَنْto يُرَدَّbe returned سَلاَمُهَاthe greeting to them
وَهَلْ مُسْتَطَاعٌ أَنْ يُرَدَّ سَلاَمُهَا
Peace upon the ruins, whose tents are desolate.
Greetings to the ruins, though their dwellings are desolate,
And can the greeting sent them be returned?
Can their greeting ever be returned?
تَحِيَّةَa greeting مُشْتَاقٍof a yearning man أَطَاعَhe obeyed دُمُوعَهُhis tears
تَحِيَّةَ مُشْتَاقٍ أَطَاعَ دُمُوعَهُ
وَأَسْعَدَهَاand aided them بَيْنَamong الرُّسُومِthe traces انْسِجَامُهَاtheir streaming
وَأَسْعَدَهَا بَيْنَ الرُّسُومِ انْسِجَامُهَا
A greeting from a yearning man who yielded to his tears,
The longing lover's greeting obeyed his tears
and their streaming among the traces came to their aid.
And gladdened her amidst the drawings with its harmony.
غَدَتْthey became لِظَلِيْمِfor the male ostrich الوَحْشِof the wild بَعْدَafter ظُلُومِهَاtheir Zalum
غَدَتْ لِظَلِيْمِ الوَحْشِ بَعْدَ ظُلُومِهَا
وَحَالَفَهَاand befriended them مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter نُعْمٍNu'm نَعَامُهَاtheir ostriches
وَحَالَفَهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ نُعْمٍ نَعَامُهَا
They became the wild ostrich cock's after their Zalum,
After her oppression, she became a dwelling for the beasts of the wilderness
and, after Nu'm, their ostriches became their companions.
And after prosperity, ostriches share her abode.
فَأَيْنَwhere, then عُيُونَthe eyes العَيْنِthe wide-eyed women وَالأَوْجُهِand the faces الَّتِيthat
فَأَيْنَ عُيُونَ العَيْنِ وَالأَوْجُهِ الَّتِي
إَذَاwhen لُحْنَthey appeared فِيin الظَّلْمَاءِthe dark night جِيْبَwas cleft ظَلاَمُهَاits darkness
إَذَا لُحْنَ فِي الظَّلْمَاءِ جِيْبَ ظَلاَمُهَا
Where, then, are the eyes of the wide-eyed women, and the faces that,
Where are the eyes and faces that,
when they appeared in the dark night, cleft its darkness?
When they yearned in the darkness, their yearning kept them awake?
نَأَيْنَthey went far away وَفِيْهِنَّand among them الَّتِيshe who لِفِرَاقِهَاbecause of her parting
نَأَيْنَ وَفِيْهِنَّ الَّتِي لِفِرَاقِهَا
نَأَىwent far away عَنْfrom جُفُونِthe eyelids المُسْتَهَامِthe lovesick man مَنَامُهَاtheir sleep
نَأَى عَنْ جُفُونِ المُسْتَهَامِ مَنَامُهَا
They have gone far away; among them is she whose parting
Where are those that parting from them,
sent sleep fleeing from the lovesick man's eyelids.
Made sleep shy away from the eyes that lamented?
مُعَدَّلَةُevenly balanced الأَقْسَامِthe portions لِلْبَدْرِto the full moon وَجْهُهَاher face
مُعَدَّلَةُ الأَقْسَامِ لِلْبَدْرِ وَجْهُهَا
وَلِلْغُصْنِand to the bough مِنْهَاof her قَدُّهَاher stature وَقَوَامُهَاand her bearing
وَلِلْغُصْنِ مِنْهَا قَدُّهَا وَقَوَامُهَا
Her portions are evenly balanced: her face is the full moon's,
Her face is fair as the full moon and her stature is like a branch,
and the bough's share of her is her stature and bearing.
Balanced in its proportions.
وَكَمْand many a عَاذِلٍreprover لَوْif كَانَwere يُصْغَىlistened لِعَذْلِهِto his reproach
وَكَمْ عَاذِلٍ لَوْ كَانَ يُصْغَى لِعَذْلِهِ
وَلاَئِمَةٍand a blaming woman لَوif كَانَwere يَنْهَىto deter مَلاَمُهَاher blame
وَلاَئِمَةٍ لَو كَانَ يَنْهَى مَلاَمُهَا
And many a reprover—if his reproach were heeded—
How many critics, if heeded,
and many a blaming woman—if her blame could deter—
And blamers, if forbidden from blaming her!
لَحَتْنِيshe rebuked me وَأَرْبَتْand went too far فِيin المَلاَمِreproach وَأَنْكَرَتْand condemned
لَحَتْنِي وَأَرْبَتْ فِي المَلاَمِ وَأَنْكَرَتْ
مَقَامِيmy staying وَسَامَتْand demanded خُطَّةًa course لاَnot أُسَامُهَاI am subjected to it
مَقَامِي وَسَامَتْ خُطَّةً لاَ أُسَامُهَا
rebuked me, went too far in reproach, and condemned
They blamed me and mounted on blame while discrediting
my staying, and demanded a course I will not be forced to take.
My position, attributing to me what I am innocent of.
وَقَدْand indeed يُتَّقَىis feared مِنْbecause of صَوْلَةِthe onslaught الأُسْدِof the lions رَبْضُهَاtheir repose
وَقَدْ يُتَّقَى مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الأُسْدِ رَبْضُهَا
وَيُحْمَدُand is praised لِلْغُرِّfor the white-blazed الجِيَادِfine steeds جَمَامُهَاtheir rest
وَيُحْمَدُ لِلْغُرِّ الجِيَادِ جَمَامُهَا
And even the lions' repose is feared for their onslaught,
Yet the lion's pounce can be guarded against
and rest is praised in fine, white-blazed steeds.
And the horses' zeal can be reined.
تُحَاوِلُshe seeks أَنْto أَعدُوI run وَأَتْبَعَand I follow مَعْشَرَاًa company
تُحَاوِلُ أَنْ أَعدُو وَأَتْبَعَ مَعْشَرَاً
أَرَاذِلَbase men تَنْبُوrecoil عَنْfrom كِرَامٍnoble people لِئَامُهَاtheir ignoble members
أَرَاذِلَ تَنْبُو عَنْ كِرَامٍ لِئَامُهَا
She seeks to have me run and follow a company
I try to pursue and follow folk
of base men, whose ignoble members recoil from the noble.
Whose villainy cloaks any generosity they may have.
وَتُغْمَدُand is sheathed مَحْمُودُthe prized one النُّصُولِthe blades وَيَخْتَبِيand lies hidden
وَتُغْمَدُ مَحْمُودُ النُّصُولِ وَيَخْتَبِي
وَقَدْand indeed يُنْتَضَىis drawn فِيat كُلِّevery حِيْنٍmoment كَهَامُهَاtheir blunt ones
وَقَدْ يُنْتَضَى فِي كُلِّ حِيْنٍ كَهَامُهَا
And the prized blade is sheathed and lies hidden,
The noble sheathed their swords and went into hiding
while their blunt blades are drawn at every turn.
While their zeal can always be hoped for.
فَيَاso, oh لَيْتَwould that نَفْسَاًa soul لاَnot يُصَانُis protected مَصُونُهَاits cherished honor
فَيَا لَيْتَ نَفْسَاً لاَ يُصَانُ مَصُونُهَا
عَنِfrom الذُّلِّhumiliation لاَقَاهَاmet it وَشِيْكَاًsoon حِمَامُهَاits death
عَنِ الذُّلِّ لاَقَاهَا وَشِيْكَاً حِمَامُهَا
So would that a soul whose honor is not shielded
Would that a soul whose dignity cannot be protected
from humiliation were swiftly overtaken by its death!
From humiliation would meet its fate and perish!
سَأُكْرِمُI shall honor نَفْسِيmy soul أَنْthat يُهَانَbe humiliated كَرِيْمُهَاits nobility
سَأُكْرِمُ نَفْسِي أَنْ يُهَانَ كَرِيْمُهَا
وَأَحْرُسُهَاand I guard it مِنْfrom أَنْthat يَزِلَّshould slip مَقَامُهَاits standing
وَأَحْرُسُهَا مِنْ أَنْ يَزِلَّ مَقَامُهَا
I shall hold my soul too dear for its nobility to be humiliated,
I will honor myself though the honorable perish
and guard it lest its standing slip.
And guard it from losing its position.
أَبَاO father of حَسَنٍHasan حُسْنُthe beauty الأُمُورِof affairs تَمَامُهَاtheir completion
أَبَا حَسَنٍ حُسْنُ الأُمُورِ تَمَامُهَا
وَزِيْنَتُهَاand their adornment إِكْمَالُهَاtheir fulfillment وَخِتَامُهَاand their conclusion
وَزِيْنَتُهَا إِكْمَالُهَا وَخِتَامُهَا
O Abu Hasan, the beauty of affairs is their completion,
O Abu Hasan, the perfection of things is their completion
and their adornment is their fulfillment and conclusion.
And their adornment is in their consummation.
وَلَيْسَand not يَرُبَّnurtures العُرْفَthe kindness بَعْدَafter اصْطِنَاعِهِbestowing it
وَلَيْسَ يَرُبَّ العُرْفَ بَعْدَ اصْطِنَاعِهِ
جَدِيْدٌa newcomer مِنَamong الأَمْلاَكِthe kings إِلاَّexcept كِرَامُهَاtheir noble ones
جَدِيْدٌ مِنَ الأَمْلاَكِ إِلاَّ كِرَامُهَا
And kindness, once bestowed, is nurtured by no
Nothing remains novel to custom after its observance
newcomer among kings, save the noble among them.
Except their generosity which is ever renewed.
وَكَمْand how many لَكَto your credit عِنْدِيwith me مِنْof صَنِيْعَةِa benefaction مُجْمِلْa gracious giver
وَكَمْ لَكَ عِنْدِي مِنْ صَنِيْعَةِ مُجْمِلْ
وَبِيْضِand white أَيَادٍhands of kindness طَوَّقَتْنِيencircled my neck جِسَامُهَاtheir great ones
وَبِيْضِ أَيَادٍ طَوَّقَتْنِي جِسَامُهَا
And how many gracious favors stand to your credit with me,
How many fine deeds have you done for me,
and white hands of kindness, whose great gifts have encircled my neck!
The largesse of which has embraced me!
Sol 6.1