لِمَنْwhose بعاليupon the lofty الذرىsummits أَبياتُverses أشعارِpoetry
لِمَنْ بعالي الذرى أَبياتُ أشعارِ
زندُfire-stick الحميَّةِzeal فيin أعلامهاtheir banners واريglowing
زندُ الحميَّةِ في أعلامها واري
Whose are these verses of poetry on the lofty summits?
For whom in the heights of glory are verses of poetry,
The fire-stick of zeal glows amid their banners.
The zeal in its flags is invigorated and fertile,
هاجتْstirred شجىsorrow النفسِthe soul منهاfrom them نفحةٌa breath خطرتْpassed by
هاجتْ شجى النفسِ منها نفحةٌ خطرتْ
كأَنهاas though it were ريشةٌa quill or plectrum مَرَّتْpassed بقيثارِacross a lyre
كأَنها ريشةٌ مَرَّتْ بقيثارِ
A passing breath from them stirred the soul's sorrow,
The sadness of the soul blew gently from it,
As though it were a quill drawn across a lyre.
As if it were a feather passing by a guitar,
الشِّعرُthe poetry شعرُthe poetry of (ابنِson of حمدانHamdan) بغربتهin his exile
الشِّعرُ شعرُ (ابنِ حمدان) بغربته
تمدُّهsustains it نفسُthe spirit of هانيHani يومَon the day of ذيDhi (possessor of) قارQar
تمدُّه نفسُ هاني يومَ ذي قار
The poetry is that of Ibn Hamdan in his exile;
Poetry is the poetry of Ibn Hamdan in his estrangement,
The spirit of Hani on the day of Dhi Qar sustains it.
My willing soul extends to him on the day of Dhi Qar,
ياO أيهاyou الشاعرُthe poet المزجيsending forth فرائدَهhis peerless gems
يا أيها الشاعرُ المزجي فرائدَه
كالنيِّراتِlike bright stars بَدَتْappeared للمدلجِto the night traveler الساريjourneying by night
كالنيِّراتِ بَدَتْ للمدلجِ الساري
O poet, sending forth your peerless gems,
O poet who interweaves his masterpieces,
Like bright stars appearing to the traveler journeying by night.
Like lamps they appeared to the delighted assembler,
كأَنماas though أنتَyou عنfrom بعدٍa distance تساجلنيexchange verses with me
كأَنما أنتَ عن بعدٍ تساجلني
مهاجرٌan emigrant فيin الهوىlove يرثيfeels compassion لأنصاريfor an Ansari
مهاجرٌ في الهوى يرثي لأنصاري
It is as though you exchange verses with me from afar,
It is as if from afar you are debating with me,
An emigrant in love, feeling compassion for an Ansari.
An emigrant in love who mourns for his supporters,
كفيتَyou are spared the trouble ماwhat قمتyou began تدعونيyou urge me إليهto it فماfor ... not
كفيتَ ما قمت تدعوني إليه فما
أَزالI cease بعدُstill عَلىupon رأْييmy opinion وإِصراريand my resolve
أَزال بعدُ عَلى رأْيي وإِصراري
You may rest assured of what you have urged me to, for I
You have done enough calling me to it, so I still
still hold to my opinion and resolve.
Remain as I want, persisting on my opinion,
لنwill not يبرحَleave السهدُsleeplessness منfrom جفنيَّmy two eyelids منزلَهits dwelling
لن يبرحَ السهدُ من جفنيَّ منزلَه
حتىuntil أَرىI see الليلَthe night موصولاًjoined بأَسفارto daybreak
حتى أَرى الليلَ موصولاً بأَسفار
Sleeplessness will not leave its dwelling in my eyelids
Insomnia will not leave its dwelling in my eyelids
Until I see the night joined to daybreak.
Until I see the night connected to horizons,
آثرتُهI favored it بجفونيwith my eyelids إِذْwhen تضيِّفنيit came as my guest
آثرتُه بجفوني إِذْ تضيِّفني
ومنزلُand the lodging الضَّيْفِof the guest عندamong الناسِpeople فيin الدارthe house
ومنزلُ الضَّيْفِ عند الناسِ في الدار
I favored it with my eyelids when it came as my guest,
I preferred it in my eyelids when it hosted me,
And among people, a guest's lodging is in the house.
And a guest's dwelling is honored by people in the house,
أَماas for الهتافُthe acclaim لمنfor her whom هامwas enamored الفؤادُthe heart بهاwith her
أَما الهتافُ لمن هام الفؤادُ بها
فاللهthen God يعلمknows أَوراديmy litanies وَأذكاريand my invocations
فالله يعلم أَورادي وَأذكاري
As for hailing her whom my heart adores,
As for acclaiming whom my heart is obsessed with,
God knows my litanies and my invocations.
God knows my prayers and invocations,
نَعمْyes لقيتُI suffered الرزاياcalamities فيin محبتهاloving her
نَعمْ لقيتُ الرزايا في محبتها
وَذاكand that أَبلغmore eloquent فيregarding حبيmy love وَإِيثاريand my self-sacrifice
وَذاك أَبلغ في حبي وَإِيثاري
Yes, I have suffered calamities in loving her,
Yes, I have met disasters in loving her,
And that speaks more eloquently of my love and self-sacrifice.
And that is most effective in my love and preference,
قلْtell للعواذلِto the reproachers يستفتواlet them seek a ruling قلوبَهمُtheir hearts
قلْ للعواذلِ يستفتوا قلوبَهمُ
إنْif ضمَّholds قلباًa heart سليماًsound صدرُthe breast of ختّارa treacherous man
إنْ ضمَّ قلباً سليماً صدرُ ختّار
Tell the reproachers to seek their hearts' verdict,
Tell the flirts to consult their hearts,
If a treacherous man's breast holds a sound heart.
If the breast of the virtuous contained an honored choice,
فيمwhy الملامthe reproach وَماand not باعدتI shunned مكرمةًa noble deed
فيم الملام وَما باعدت مكرمةً
فيماin what أَتيتI have done وَلمّاand not yet أَدنُI draw near منto عارdisgrace
فيما أَتيت وَلمّا أَدنُ من عار
Why the reproach, when I have shunned no noble deed
Why the blame, and I have not distanced a noble deed,
In what I have done, nor have I yet drawn near disgrace?
In what I came and refrained from disgrace,
ولستُand I am not أرهبُI fear كيدَthe plotting of العاذلينthe reproachers إذاwhen
ولستُ أرهبُ كيدَ العاذلين إذا
كنتI am الكفيلَthe guarantor بأنيthat I مدركٌattaining ثاريmy vengeance
كنت الكفيلَ بأني مدركٌ ثاري
And I do not fear the reproachers' plotting, when
I am not afraid of the cunning of flirts if
I guarantee that I shall exact my vengeance.
I am guaranteed to obtain my revenge,
Sol 6.1