عَفاhas faded مَيثُthe soft ground of كُلفىKulfa بَعدَناafter our departure فَالأَجاوِلُand al-Ajawil
عَفا مَيثُ كُلفى بَعدَنا فَالأَجاوِلُ
فَأَثمادُand the shallow pools of حَسنىHasna فَالبِراقُand the stony tracts القَوابِلُfacing one another
فَأَثمادُ حَسنى فَالبِراقُ القَوابِلُ
The soft ground of Kulfa has faded since we left, and al-Ajawil,
Time has healed after us, so generations pass,
and Hasna's shallow pools, and the facing stony tracts.
The tents of my beloved Suad are striking and lofty.
كَأَنas though لَمnot تَكُنshe had been سُعدىSu'da بِأَعناءِin the reaches of غَيقَةٍGhayqa
كَأَن لَم تَكُن سُعدى بِأَعناءِ غَيقَةٍ
وَلَمand not تُرَwere seen مِنof سُعدىSu'da بِهِنَّin them مَنازِلُcamps
وَلَم تُرَ مِن سُعدى بِهِنَّ مَنازِلُ
As though Su'da had never been in the reaches of Ghayqa,
As if her abode was never in the valleys of Ghayqah,
and no camps of Su'da had been seen there;
Nor were her dwellings seen in Hinn,
وَلَمand not تَتَرَبَّعshe spent spring بِالسُيرِat al-Sir وَلَمand not يَكُنthere had been
وَلَم تَتَرَبَّع بِالسُيرِ وَلَم يَكُن
لَهاfor her الصَيفُsummer خَيماتُtents of العُذَيبِal-Udhayb الظَلائِلُshade-giving
لَها الصَيفُ خَيماتُ العُذَيبِ الظَلائِلُ
nor had she spent spring at al-Sir, nor had
Nor did she lounge about on travels, nor did
the shade-giving tents of al-Udhayb been hers in summer.
The summer own for her the shady branches.
أَتىovercame الصَبرَpatience عَنapart from سُعدىSu'da هَوىًpassion ذوpossessing عَلاقَةٍan attachment
أَتى الصَبرَ عَن سُعدى هَوىً ذو عَلاقَةٍ
وَوَجدٌand longing بِسُعدىfor Su'da سارَكَclinging to القَلبَthe heart قاتِلُdeadly
وَوَجدٌ بِسُعدى سارَكَ القَلبَ قاتِلُ
A clinging passion has overcome my patience in separation from Su'da,
Patience forsook Suad for passionate love,
and deadly longing for Su'da, clinging to the heart.
And sadness for Suad pierced through my heart.
تَصُدُّshe turns away فَلاso not ترمىis shot at إِذاwhen الشَخصُthe figure فاتَهاhas passed her
تَصُدُّ فَلا ترمى إِذا الشَخصُ فاتَها
وَتَرميand she shoots إِذاwhen ماever أَمكَنَتهاwere within her reach المَقاتِلُthe vital spots
وَتَرمي إِذا ما أَمكَنَتها المَقاتِلُ
She turns away and is not shot at when the figure has passed her,
She is shy and will not shoot unless out of range,
and shoots whenever the vital spots are within her reach.
Yet will shoot when able to fight.
مَتىwhenever أَسلُI forget عَنabout سُعدىSu'da يَهِجنيstirs me لِذِكرِهاto remember her
مَتى أَسلُ عَن سُعدى يَهِجني لِذِكرِها
حَمائِمُdoves أَوor أَطلالُruins of دارٍa dwelling مَواثِلُstill standing
حَمائِمُ أَو أَطلالُ دارٍ مَواثِلُ
Whenever I forget Su'da, I am stirred to remember her
When shall I ask after Suad? Her memory stirs in me
by doves, or the standing ruins of a dwelling.
Doves or ruins of an abandoned abode.
أَضَرَّتhave caused harm بِهاto it الأَنواءُseasonal rains وَالريحُand the wind وَالنَدىand the dew
أَضَرَّت بِها الأَنواءُ وَالريحُ وَالنَدى
وَغَيَّرَand altered مَغناهاits dwelling site الضُحىthe forenoons وَالأَصائِلُand late afternoons
وَغَيَّرَ مَغناها الضُحى وَالأَصائِلُ
Seasonal rains, wind, and dew have ravaged it,
The breezes, the winds and the dew have harmed her,
and forenoons and late afternoons have altered its dwelling site.
And the brightness of morn and the twilight changed her song.
وَوَاللَهِand by God ماnot أَدريI know وَلَوeven though حُبَّwas beloved قُربُهاher nearness
وَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري وَلَو حُبَّ قُربُها
إِلىto النَفسُthe soul ماذاwhat اللَهُGod فيregarding القُربِnearness فاعِلُwill do
إِلى النَفسُ ماذا اللَهُ في القُربِ فاعِلُ
And, by God, I do not know, even though her nearness is dear
By Allah, I know not, had the nearness of her love
to my soul, what God will do about that nearness.
Approached my soul, what would God do in the nearness.
فَدَعso leave عَنكَaway from you ماwhat لاnot تَستَطيعُyou can طِلابَهُits pursuit
فَدَع عَنكَ ما لا تَستَطيعُ طِلابَهُ
وَمَنand who لَكَfor you عَنهُfrom it لَوif تَفَكَّرتَyou reflected شاغِلُone who distracts
وَمَن لَكَ عَنهُ لَو تَفَكَّرتَ شاغِلُ
So put aside what you cannot pursue.
Leave what you cannot seek,
And who, if you reflected, could distract you from it?
And who for you, if you reflect, is a distraction.
إِذاwhen طَيِّبِpure الأَثوابِthe garments قَدindeed أُلهِمَwas inspired with التُقىpiety
إِذا طَيِّبِ الأَثوابِ قَد أُلهِمَ التُقى
هِجانِnobly bred البَنينِsons يَعتَريهِapproaches him المُعاقِلُthe blood-money petitioner
هِجانِ البَنينِ يَعتَريهِ المُعاقِلُ
When a man of spotless garments has been inspired with piety,
When thegood man is inspired with piety,
noble in his sons, visited by those seeking blood-money aid,
The passions of youth are restrained by him.
وَهوبٌa lavish giver بِأَعناقِwith the necks of المئينَhundreds of camels عَطاؤُهُhis giving
وَهوبٌ بِأَعناقِ المئينَ عَطاؤُهُ
غَلوبٌprevailing عَلىover الأَمرِthe undertaking الَّذيwhich هُوَhe فاعِلُperforms
غَلوبٌ عَلى الأَمرِ الَّذي هُوَ فاعِلُ
his giving is lavish with camel necks by the hundred;
Impetuous in giving away hundreds (of gifts) generously,
he prevails over the undertaking he performs.
Prevailing in the matter which he undertakes.
إِذاwhen قالَhe says إِنّيindeed I فاعِلٌwill do it تَمَّis fulfilled قَولُهُhis word
إِذا قالَ إِنّي فاعِلٌ تَمَّ قَولُهُ
فَأَمضىso he fulfills مَواعيدَthe promises of الَّذيwhat هُوَhe قائِلُsays
فَأَمضى مَواعيدَ الَّذي هُوَ قائِلُ
When he says, 'I shall do it,' his word is fulfilled,
When he says: ‘I shall do’, his word is realized,
and he carries out the promises he utters.
So the promises of the speaker are fulfilled.
أُريدُI mean أَباAbu مَروانَMarwan إِنّيindeed I رَأَيتُهُhave seen him
أُريدُ أَبا مَروانَ إِنّي رَأَيتُهُ
كَريماًgenerous وَتَنميهِand trace his descent الفُروعُthe branches الأَطاوِلُthe loftiest
كَريماً وَتَنميهِ الفُروعُ الأَطاوِلُ
I mean Abu Marwan: I have seen him
I want Abu Marwan. I saw him
generous, and descended from the loftiest branches.
Noble, growing more eminent through branching descendants,
طَويلُlong القَميصِthe shirt لاnot يُذَمُّis reproached جَنابهُhis precinct
طَويلُ القَميصِ لا يُذَمُّ جَنابهُ
نَبيلٌnoble إِذاwhen نيطَتare hung عَلَيهِupon him الحمائِلُthe sword-baldrics
نَبيلٌ إِذا نيطَت عَلَيهِ الحمائِلُ
Long of shirt, his precinct is beyond reproach,
Tall of shirt, his side never blamed,
noble when the sword-baldrics are hung upon him.
A noble man when burdens are loaded on him,
أَمينٌtrustworthy مُقِرُّreassuring الصَدرِthe breast يَسبِقُprecedes قَولَهُhis word
أَمينٌ مُقِرُّ الصَدرِ يَسبِقُ قَولَهُ
بِفِعلٍwith a deed فَيَأبىso he refuses أَنthat يُخَيَّبَbe disappointed آمِلُone who hopes
بِفِعلٍ فَيَأبى أَن يُخَيَّبَ آمِلُ
Trustworthy, bringing the heart ease, he precedes his word
Trustworthy, open of heart, his word forestalling
with a deed, refusing to let anyone who hopes be disappointed.
Deed, so he refuses to disappoint a hopeful one.
وَلاand not هُوَhe مَسبوقٌforestalled بِشَيءٍin anything أَرادَهُhe desired it
وَلا هُوَ مَسبوقٌ بِشَيءٍ أَرادَهُ
وَلاand not هُوَhe مُلهيهِdistracting him عَنfrom الحَقِّthe truth باطِلُfalsehood
وَلا هُوَ مُلهيهِ عَن الحَقِّ باطِلُ
Nor is he forestalled in anything he desires,
Neither is he preceded in anything he wants,
nor does falsehood distract him from the truth.
Nor is he distracted from the truth by falsehood.
بَنىbuilt لَكَfor you أَشرافَthe heights of المعاليglory وَسورَهاand their wall
بَنى لَكَ أَشرافَ المعالي وَسورَها
بِناًa structure كُلُّevery بُنيانٍbuilding لَهاbeside it مُتضائِلُdwindling
بِناً كُلُّ بُنيانٍ لَها مُتضائِلُ
The heights of glory and their wall were built for you—
He built for you the highest glories and surrounded them
a structure beside which every other building dwindles—
With a building - every structure for it is diminished.
أَبٌa father لَكَof yours راضَtamed المُلكَkingship حَتّىuntil أَذَلَّهُhe subdued it
أَبٌ لَكَ راضَ المُلكَ حَتّى أَذَلَّهُ
وَحَتّىand until اِطمَأَنَّتgrew still بِالرِجالِamong men الزَلازِلُthe tremors
وَحَتّى اِطمَأَنَّت بِالرِجالِ الزَلازِلُ
by a father of yours who tamed kingship until he subdued it,
A father for you who tamed the kingdom until he humbled it,
and until the tremors among men grew still.
And until tremors were calmed through men.
وَأَنتَand you أَبوfather of شِبلَينِtwo lion cubs شاكٍkeen سِلاحُهُhis weaponry
وَأَنتَ أَبو شِبلَينِ شاكٍ سِلاحُهُ
خَفِيَّةُKhafiyya مِنهُof his مَألَفٌa familiar haunt فَالغَياطِلُand the dense thickets
خَفِيَّةُ مِنهُ مَألَفٌ فَالغَياطِلُ
And you are the sire of two cubs, keen of weapon;
And you are Abu Shibl - his sword concealed -
Khafiyya is his familiar haunt, and the dense thickets.
Whose hidden side is gentle, yet deadly.
لَهُfor him بِجَنوبِsouth of القادِسِيَّةِal-Qadisiyya فَالشَرىand al-Shara
لَهُ بِجَنوبِ القادِسِيَّةِ فَالشَرى
مَواطِنُhaunts لاnot يَمشيwalk بِهِنَّin them الأَراجِلُmen
مَواطِنُ لا يَمشي بِهِنَّ الأَراجِلُ
He has, south of al-Qadisiyya and at al-Shara,
He has in the south of Qadisiyya and Sharah
haunts where men do not walk.
Abodes where feet cannot tread.
يَرىhe considers أَنَّthat أُحدانَthe lone individuals among الرِجالِmen غَفيرَةٌa multitude
يَرى أَنَّ أُحدانَ الرِجالِ غَفيرَةٌ
وَيَقدُمُand he advances وَسطَinto the midst of الجَمعِthe host وَالجَمعُwhile the host حافِلُthronged
وَيَقدُمُ وَسطَ الجَمعِ وَالجَمعُ حافِلُ
He counts lone men as a multitude,
He sees the valiant men as numerous
and advances into the midst of the host, while the host is thronged.
And proceeds amidst the throng when it is crowded.
Sol 6.1