طَرِبَwas stirred with longing الفُؤادُthe heart وَلَيتَهُand would that it لَمdid not يَطرَبِstir with longing
طَرِبَ الفُؤادُ وَلَيتَهُ لَم يَطرَبِ
وَعَناهُand tormented it ذِكرىthe memory of خُلَّةٍa beloved woman لَمdid not تَصقَبِdraw near
وَعَناهُ ذِكرى خُلَّةٍ لَم تَصقَبِ
My heart stirred with longing—would that it had not stirred;
My heart was troubled, would that it had not been troubled,
And the memory of a beloved who was not near tormented it.
And was concerned with the memory of a dear friend long gone.
سَفهاًfoolishly وَلَوand if أَنّيthat I أَطَعتُobeyed عَواذِليmy female reproachers
سَفهاً وَلَو أَنّي أَطَعتُ عَواذِلي
فيماin what يُشِرنَthey advise بِهِregarding it بِسَفحِat the foot of المِذنَبِal-Midhnab
فيما يُشِرنَ بِهِ بِسَفحِ المِذنَبِ
Foolishly! Had I obeyed the women who reproached me
Foolishly, had I but heeded the admonitions of my censurers
In what they advised at the foot of al-Midhnab,
Regarding that which they indicate at the foot of the winding path.
لَزَجَرتُI would have restrained قَلباًa heart لاdoes not يَريعُyield لِزاجِرٍto a rebuker
لَزَجَرتُ قَلباً لا يَريعُ لِزاجِرٍ
إِنَّindeed الغَويَّthe wayward man إِذاwhen نُهيhe is forbidden لَمdoes not يُعتِبِmake amends
إِنَّ الغَويَّ إِذا نُهي لَم يُعتِبِ
I would have restrained a heart that yields to no rebuker;
I would have restrained a heart that pays no heed to restraint.
Indeed, the wayward man, when forbidden, makes no amends.
For the willful, when forbidden, does not reproach.
فَتَعَزَّso console yourself عَنover هَذاthis وَقُلand speak فيabout غَيرِهِsomething other than it
فَتَعَزَّ عَن هَذا وَقُل في غَيرِهِ
وَاِذكُرand recount شَمائِلَcharacter traits مِنof أَخيكَyour brother المُنجِبِdistinguished
وَاِذكُر شَمائِلَ مِن أَخيكَ المُنجِبِ
So console yourself over this, and speak of something else;
So refrain from this, and speak of other things,
And recount some virtues of your distinguished brother.
And recall the fine qualities of your generous brother.
ياO أَربَدَArbad الخَيرِof goodness الكَريمَnoble جُدودُهُhis forefathers
يا أَربَدَ الخَيرِ الكَريمَ جُدودُهُ
أَفرَدتَنيyou left me alone أَمشيI walk بِقَرنٍwith a horn أَعضَبِbroken
أَفرَدتَني أَمشي بِقَرنٍ أَعضَبِ
O good Arbad, whose forefathers were noble,
O noblest pillar of the generous, your forefathers before you,
You left me alone, walking with a broken horn.
You have left me to walk with a limping companion.
إِنَّindeed الرَزِيَّةَthe calamity لاno رَزِيَّةَcalamity مِثلُهاlike it
إِنَّ الرَزِيَّةَ لا رَزِيَّةَ مِثلُها
فِقدانُthe loss of كُلِّevery أَخٍbrother كَضَوءِlike the light of الكَوكَبِthe star
فِقدانُ كُلِّ أَخٍ كَضَوءِ الكَوكَبِ
Indeed, the calamity that no calamity can equal
For the calamity—there is no calamity like it—
Is the loss of any brother radiant as starlight.
Is the loss of each brother, like the setting of a planet.
ذَهَبَhave gone الَّذينَthose who يُعاشُone lives فيin أَكنافِهِمtheir shelter
ذَهَبَ الَّذينَ يُعاشُ في أَكنافِهِم
وَبَقيتُand I remain فيamong خَلفٍunworthy successors كَجِلدِlike the skin of الأَجرَبِthe mangy one
وَبَقيتُ في خَلفٍ كَجِلدِ الأَجرَبِ
Gone are those in whose shelter one could live,
Gone are those in whose shelter I found refuge,
And I remain among unworthy successors, like a mangy creature's skin.
Leaving me among those who slough their skin like a lizard.
يَتَأَكَّلونَthey prey on others مَغالَةًthrough deceit وَخِيانَةًand treachery
يَتَأَكَّلونَ مَغالَةً وَخِيانَةً
وَيُعابُand is censured قائِلُهُمtheir speaker وَإِنeven if لَمdoes not يَشغَبِstir up strife
وَيُعابُ قائِلُهُم وَإِن لَم يَشغَبِ
They prey on others through deceit and treachery;
They practice hypocrisy and betrayal,
And their speaker is censured, even if he stirs no strife.
And he who speaks against them is blamed, though he did no wrong.
وَلَقَدand indeed أَرانيI recall myself تارَةًonce مِنamong جَعفَرٍJa'far
وَلَقَد أَراني تارَةً مِن جَعفَرٍ
فيin مِثلِthe likeness of غَيثِrain الوابِلِthe heavy downpour المُتَحَلَّبِstreaming
في مِثلِ غَيثِ الوابِلِ المُتَحَلَّبِ
And indeed, I recall myself once among Ja'far,
And Ja'far once showed me as a downpour shows
As though amid a heavy, streaming rain,
The furrows of plowed land softened into mud.
مِنfrom كُلِّevery كَهلٍa man in his prime كَالسِنانِlike a spearpoint وَسَيِّدٍand a chief
مِن كُلِّ كَهلٍ كَالسِنانِ وَسَيِّدٍ
صَعبِhard المَقادَةِto lead كَالفَنيقِlike a prized bull camel المُصعَبِunbroken
صَعبِ المَقادَةِ كَالفَنيقِ المُصعَبِ
From every man in his prime, like a spearpoint, and every chief
From every elder stern as a spear and lord
Hard to lead, like a prized, unbroken bull camel,
Difficult to reach like the distant Phoenix.
مِنof مَعشَرٍa people سَنَّتlaid down customs لَهُمfor them آباؤُهُمtheir forefathers
مِن مَعشَرٍ سَنَّت لَهُم آباؤُهُم
وَالعِزُّand honor قَدmay يَأتيcome بِغَيرِwithout تَطَلُّبِseeking
وَالعِزُّ قَد يَأتي بِغَيرِ تَطَلُّبِ
Of a people whose forefathers laid down customs for them—
From a tribe whose fathers established for them
And honor may come without seeking it.
Glory, which comes without having to seek it.
فَبَرىso wore away عِظاميmy bones بَعدَafter لَحمِيَmy flesh فَقدُهُمlosing them
فَبَرى عِظامي بَعدَ لَحمِيَ فَقدُهُم
وَالدَهرُand Time إِنif عاتَبتُI reproach لَيسَis not بِمُعتِبِone who makes amends
وَالدَهرُ إِن عاتَبتُ لَيسَ بِمُعتِبِ
So their loss wore away my bones, after wasting my flesh;
So my bones saw me, when their flesh was gone, bereft of them,
And Time, if I reproach it, will not make amends.
For time, were I to reproach it, is no reproacher.
Sol 6.1