ذَهَبَwent away الهوىpassion بشغافِwith the innermost core of قلبِthe heart of الموجِعِthe anguished one
ذَهَبَ الهوى بشغافِ قلبِ الموجِعِ
وأَراقَand spilled حبُّlove for العامريةِal-ʿAmiriyya أَدمعيmy tears
وأَراقَ حبُّ العامريةِ أَدمعي
Passion has carried away the very core of the sufferer's heart.
The passion took away the inner core of my aching heart,
And love for al-ʿAmiriyya has spilled my tears.
And love for Al-Amiriyyah shed my tears.
مكسالlanguid حوراءِblack-and-white-eyed المدامعِthe eyes إِنْif رنتْshe gazes
مكسال حوراءِ المدامعِ إِنْ رنتْ
ذهبتْshe went away بلبِّwith the reason of العابدِthe worshipper المتورِّعthe piously scrupulous
ذهبتْ بلبِّ العابدِ المتورِّع
Languid, with eyes of striking black and white, if she gazes,
If the doe-eyed damsel of tears sang,
She steals the reason of the scrupulously devout worshipper.
She took away the heart of the ascetic worshipper.
خلابةٌbeguiling إنْif حدَّثتْshe speaks فحديثُهاthen her speech
خلابةٌ إنْ حدَّثتْ فحديثُها
أَحلىsweeter وَأَملحُand more charming منthan حديثِthe speech of (الأصمعيal-Asmaʿi)
أَحلى وَأَملحُ من حديثِ (الأصمعي)
Beguiling when she speaks, her speech is
A beauty, if she conversed, her talk
Sweeter and more charming than al-Asmaʿi's talk.
Is sweeter and wittier than the talk of Al-Asma’i.
ماnot ملَّgrew tiresome قطُّever وإِنand even if يطلْit lasts long فكأَنَّهthen it is as though
ما ملَّ قطُّ وإِن يطلْ فكأَنَّه
ترديدُthe repetition of أَنفاسِthe breaths of الشجيِّthe sorrowful one المولعthe infatuated one
ترديدُ أَنفاسِ الشجيِّ المولع
It never grows tiresome, however long it lasts, as though it were
It never satiated me, even if it lasts, as if it is
The repeated breaths of a sorrowful, infatuated lover.
The echo of breaths of the fervent lover.
لاno غروwonder إنif ملكتْshe possessed فؤاديmy heart خدعةby a trick
لا غرو إن ملكتْ فؤادي خدعة
إنَّindeed الكريمَthe noble man متىwhenever يخادعis beguiled يخدعis deceived
إنَّ الكريمَ متى يخادع يخدع
No wonder she captured my heart by a trick;
No wonder if she possessed my heart with her tricks,
Indeed, a noble man, when beguiled, is taken in.
Indeed, the generous one, if he deceives, he deceives.
هيshe أولٌthe first إنْif ماan emphatic particle هببتُI wake منfrom الكَرىslumber
هي أولٌ إنْ ما هببتُ من الكَرى
وكذاكand likewise آخرthe last خاطرٍthought إنْif أَهجعI sleep
وكذاك آخر خاطرٍ إنْ أَهجع
She is my first thought whenever I wake from slumber,
She is the first if I fell for the lovely maidens,
And likewise my last thought when I fall asleep.
And likewise, the last thought if I become distressed.
فخيالُهاso her image فيin ناظريَّmy two eyes وذكرُهاand mention of her
فخيالُها في ناظريَّ وذكرُها
بفميin my mouth وطيبُand the sweetness of حديثهاher speech فيin مسمعيmy ear
بفمي وطيبُ حديثها في مسمعي
Her image is in my eyes, and mention of her
So her image is in my eyes and her remembrance
Is on my lips, and the sweetness of her speech is in my ear.
Is on my mouth and the fragrance of her talk is in my hearing.
قَدْindeed ضاعَwas lost منيfrom me القلبُthe heart يومthe day نأتْshe went away فهلso is there
قَدْ ضاعَ مني القلبُ يوم نأتْ فهل
منany ناشدٍseeker يومon the day of النَّوىparting قلبيmy heart معيwith me
من ناشدٍ يوم النَّوى قلبي معي
My heart was lost to me the day she went away; is there
My heart was lost the day she came, so is there
Anyone to seek my heart with me on the day of parting?
A caller when intentions leave, calling my heart with me?
ولقدand indeed طرقتُI visited by night خباءَهاher tent منfrom بعدafter ماthat
ولقد طرقتُ خباءَها من بعد ما
أعفىdozed off (probable emendation) الرقيبُthe watcher بمدلهمّin a pitch-dark night أَسفعsooty-black
أعفى الرقيبُ بمدلهمّ أَسفع
And I visited her tent by night, after
And I had knocked on her tent after
The watcher had dozed off in a pitch-dark, sooty-black night.
The guard was blinded by his blinking eyes.
فتجاهلتنيso she feigned not knowing me ثمَّthen قالتْshe said أَنتَyou مَنْwho؟
فتجاهلتني ثمَّ قالتْ أَنتَ مَنْ؟
فأَجبتهاso I answered her منthe one whom تعلمينyou know الأَلمعيthe sharp-witted one
فأَجبتها من تعلمين الأَلمعي
She feigned not knowing me, then said, "Who are you?"
So she ignored me, then said: Who are you?
I answered her, "The sharp-witted one you know."
I said to her: You know Al-Alma’i.
أَناI إِنْif جُهلتI am unknown لديكto you فيin ذلِّthe abasement of الهوىpassion
أَنا إِنْ جُهلت لديك في ذلِّ الهوى
ماnot زلتُI have ceased أَعرفI am known بالعزيزِas the mighty one الأَروعthe magnificent one
ما زلتُ أَعرف بالعزيزِ الأَروع
Though I am unknown to you in love's abasement,
If I am unknown to you in the humility of passion,
I am still known as the mighty, magnificent one.
I am still known by the Most Mighty, Most Sublime.
أأبيتshall I pass the night مجهولاًunknown وَقَدْand already علمknows الورىall mankind
أأبيت مجهولاً وَقَدْ علم الورى
أَنيthat I أَلوذseek refuge بذيwith the possessor of المقامthe standing الأَرفعthe loftiest
أَني أَلوذ بذي المقام الأَرفع
Shall I pass the night unknown, when all mankind knows
Shall I remain unknown though the people know
That I seek refuge with the man of loftiest standing?
That I take refuge in the One of Highest Rank?
حاميdefender of الذمارhonor (شكيبShakib) خيرthe best of أُوليthose endowed with النهىreason
حامي الذمار (شكيب) خير أُولي النهى
خِدْنcompanion of المعاليnoble deeds ملجأُrefuge of المتضرعthe supplicant
خِدْن المعالي ملجأُ المتضرع
Defender of honor, Shakib, the finest of the wise,
Protector of the deprived, Shakib, best master of prohibition,
Companion of noble deeds, refuge of the supplicant.
Pillar of glory, refuge for the supplicant.
ياO مفزعاًa refuge للمستغيثِfor the one seeking aid بكمfrom you وَقَدْand indeed
يا مفزعاً للمستغيثِ بكم وَقَدْ
أَمسىhe reached evening وَليسand does not يرىsee لهfor himself منany مفزعrefuge
أَمسى وَليس يرى له من مفزع
O refuge for him who seeks your aid, when
O refuge for the distressed imploring you, and he
He has reached evening and sees no refuge for himself.
Found no refuge to see at night.
كمhow many وَقفةٍa stand لكof yours فيin (طرابسTarabis) وَقدْand indeed
كم وَقفةٍ لك في (طرابس) وَقدْ
طاشlost his wits الحليمُthe prudent man وَظلَّand remained ذعراًterrified لاnot يعيhe comprehends
طاش الحليمُ وَظلَّ ذعراً لا يعي
How many a stand you took in Tarabis, when
How many times you stood in Tarabulus, and
The prudent man lost his wits and remained too terrified to comprehend.
The forbearing one was baffled and perplexed unknowing.
وَكذاكand likewise فيin ذاتِpossessing الحصونthe fortresses (أَدرنةEdirne)
وَكذاك في ذاتِ الحصون (أَدرنة)
لمّاwhen ظهرتَyou prevailed عَلَىover الجبانthe coward المدعيthe pretender
لمّا ظهرتَ عَلَى الجبان المدعي
And likewise in Edirne, with its fortresses,
And likewise in the fortress of Andarinah
When you triumphed over the cowardly pretender.
When you appeared to the pretentious coward.
منwho ليfor me بسحرٍwith magic منfrom بيانكyour eloquence علَّنيthat I might
من لي بسحرٍ من بيانك علَّني
أُبديI reveal كمينَthe hidden store of محبَّةٍlove فيwithin أَضلعيmy ribs
أُبدي كمينَ محبَّةٍ في أَضلعي
Who will grant me some magic from your eloquence, that I might
Who can lend me some eloquence of your speech so I may reveal
Reveal the love concealed within my ribs?
The secret of my passion in my ribs?
فلأَنتَfor indeed you أفصحُthe most eloquent قائلٍspeaker منamong أَعجمa foreign-tongued speaker
فلأَنتَ أفصحُ قائلٍ من أَعجم
أَوor معربٍan Arabic speaker إِنْif قالhe speaks لمdoes not يتنطَّعuse affectation
أَو معربٍ إِنْ قال لم يتنطَّع
For you are the most eloquent of speakers, foreign-tongued
For you are the most eloquent speaker of foreigners
Or Arabic-speaking—one who speaks without affectation.
Or Arab, if he spoke, he did not feign.
آياتُthe verses of شعرِكyour poetry ياO أَميرَprince of الشعرpoetry لوif
آياتُ شعرِك يا أَميرَ الشعر لو
تُتلىwere recited علىto جبلٍa mountain سماtowered يتصدعwould split apart
تُتلى على جبلٍ سما يتصدع
If the verses of your poetry, O prince of poetry,
Verses of your poetry, O prince of poetry, if
Were recited to a towering mountain, it would split apart.
Recited to a mountain, it would split.
فيهin it شعورُthe feelings of المستهامِthe love-distraught وَدمعةُand the tear of الthe
فيه شعورُ المستهامِ وَدمعةُ ال
باكيweeper الحزينِthe sorrowful وَأَنَّهُand his groan (uncertain reading) المتوجَّعthe suffering one
باكي الحزينِ وَأَنَّهُ المتوجَّع
In it are the feelings of the love-distraught, and the tear of the
In it the passions of the enamored, and tears of the
Sorrowful weeper, and the suffering one's groan;
Sorrowful weeper, and his anguish.
وَحنينُand the plaintive cooing of وَرقاءٍa gray dove علَىon فتنِa branch (probable emendation) ضحىًat forenoon
وَحنينُ وَرقاءٍ علَى فتنِ ضحىً
وَرجاءُand the hope of ذيone possessing مقةٍlove وَلوعةand the anguish of مولعan ardent lover
وَرجاءُ ذي مقةٍ وَلوعة مولع
And the plaintive cooing of a gray dove on a branch at forenoon,
And the yearning of a gazelle for the charm of morning,
And the hope of one who loves, and the anguish of an ardent lover;
And the hope of a lover, and the agony of the fervent.
وزئيرُand the roar of ضرغامٍa lion وصيحةُand the cry of فارسٍa horseman
وزئيرُ ضرغامٍ وصيحةُ فارسٍ
فيat ملتقىthe meeting of الجمعينthe two armies ليسhe is not بهَيرعat all cowardly
في ملتقى الجمعين ليس بهَيرع
And a lion's roar, and a horseman's cry
And the howl of a wolf, and the cry of a horseman
Where the two armies meet—no coward is he;
In the battle of two armies, not timid.
وبلاغةُand the eloquence of (الأعشىal-Aʿsha) وحكمةُand the wisdom of (أكثمAktham)
وبلاغةُ (الأعشى) وحكمةُ (أكثم)
وبيانand the eloquence of ذيthe possessor of الكلمِwords المبينclear (الأصلعthe bald one)
وبيان ذي الكلمِ المبين (الأصلع)
And al-Aʿsha's eloquence, and Aktham's wisdom,
And the eloquence of Al-A’sha, and the wisdom of Aktham,
And the eloquence of the bald one, master of lucid speech.
And the rhetoric of plain words of Al-Aslami.
أَحييتَyou revived عصرَthe age of الشِّعرِpoetry منهfrom it بمعجزِwith a marvel
أَحييتَ عصرَ الشِّعرِ منه بمعجزِ
منfrom بعدafter ماthat قَدْalready كانit had been قابwithin reach of المصرعdeath
من بعد ما قَدْ كان قاب المصرع
You revived the age of poetry with a marvel from it,
You revived the era of poetry with the miracle
After it had stood on the very brink of death.
After it reached the coffin and burial.
والقولُand speech إِنْif لمdoes not يُحيrevive ميْتاًa dead person أَوor يمُتkill
والقولُ إِنْ لم يُحي ميْتاً أَو يمُت
حياًa living person فذلكthen that ساقطٌis worthless كالأَقطعlike one with a severed hand
حياً فذلك ساقطٌ كالأَقطع
And speech, if it does not revive the dead or slay
And to say it does not revive the dead or kill
The living, is worthless, like a man with a severed hand.
The living, that is invalid like the amputated.
وهديتنيand you guided me نهجَthe path of البيانِeloquence بآيةwith a verse
وهديتني نهجَ البيانِ بآية
منهfrom it لقدindeed سفرتْit unveiled its face ولمand did not تتبرقعput on a face veil
منه لقد سفرتْ ولم تتبرقع
And you guided me along the path of eloquence with a verse
And you guided me to the path of rhetoric with a verse
From it, which bared its face and wore no veil.
From it that traveled and did not conceal itself.
لكنَّنيbut I ماnot زلتُhave ceased مفتقراًin need إلىof
لكنَّني ما زلتُ مفتقراً إلى
أُخرىanother تخرُّfall prostrate لهاbefore it فحولُthe great masters النخَّعthe consummate orators
أُخرى تخرُّ لها فحولُ النخَّع
Yet I still stand in need of
But I still need another that obeys it
Another, before which the great masters of eloquence fall prostrate.
The stalwarts of piercing plunge to the ground for it.
Sol 6.1