ماwhat بالُis the matter with شعرِthe verse of الشاعرthe poet الأسمرِal-Asmar (the dark-complexioned)
ما بالُ شعرِ الشاعر الأسمرِ
أبيضَwhite مثلlike الفَلَقِdaybreak المُسفرِradiant؟
أبيضَ مثل الفَلَقِ المُسفرِ؟
Why is the poet al-Asmar’s verse
Why is the poetry of the dark poet
White as the radiant break of dawn?
As white as the bright dawn?
فتَّشتI searched ماas much as فتَّشتI searched عنfor لفظةٍa word
فتَّشت ما فتَّشت عن لفظةٍ
نابيةَjarring فيهin it فلمbut did not أَعثُرfind
نابيةَ فيه فلم أَعثُر
I searched and searched for a word
I searched and searched for a word
That jarred within it, but found none.
Obscene in it, but found none
فيهin it علىdespite ماwhat فيهis in it منof قُوَّةٍstrength
فيه على ما فيه من قُوَّةٍ
رقَّهsoftness ماءthe water of النيلthe Nile، والكَوثرand al-Kawthar
رقَّه ماء النيل، والكَوثر
Within it, for all its strength, is
In it of the strength that
The softness of the waters of the Nile and al-Kawthar.
The Nile's water softened, and al-Kawthar
كالزَّهرِlike blossoms، إلاexcept أنّهthat it خالدٌis immortal
كالزَّهرِ، إلا أنّه خالدٌ
مثلَlike خُلودِthe immortality of الهرمthe pyramid الأكبرthe greatest
مثلَ خُلودِ الهرم الأكبر
Like blossoms, except that it is immortal,
Like a flower, except it is eternal
As everlasting as the Great Pyramid.
Like the eternity of the Great Pyramid
قدindeed بعثrevived الأسمرُal-Asmar فيin شعرهhis poetry
قد بعث الأسمرُ في شعره
عهدthe age of أبيAbu الطيِّبal-Tayyib، والبُحتريand al-Buhturi
عهد أبي الطيِّب، والبُحتري
Al-Asmar has revived in his poetry
The dark one revived in his poetry
The age of Abu al-Tayyib and al-Buhturi.
The era of Abi al-Tayyib and al-Buhturi
وشادand built للنيلfor the Nile بأبياتهwith his verses
وشاد للنيل بأبياته
ماwhat لمdid not تُشَيِّدهbuild it يدًاthe two hands of جَوهرJawhar
ما لم تُشَيِّده يدًا جَوهر
And built for the Nile, with his verses,
And built for the Nile in his verses
What Jawhar’s two hands did not build.
What no skilled hand built before
شُعركyour poetry، ياO أسمرُAsmar، فيin قُربهits nearness
شُعرك، يا أسمرُ، في قُربه
أنأىfarther away منthan الزهرةِVenus، والمشترىand Jupiter
أنأى من الزهرةِ، والمشترى
Your poetry, O Asmar, for all its nearness,
Your poetry, O dark one, in its nearness
Is farther away than Venus and Jupiter.
Is far from the flower and the buyer
عجبتُI marveled، ياO صاحِfriend، لصاحٍat a sober man تلاwho recited
عجبتُ، يا صاحِ، لصاحٍ تلا
أشعارَكyour verses النَّشوَىintoxicated، ولمand did not يَسكَرget drunk!
أشعارَك النَّشوَى، ولم يَسكَر!
I marveled, my friend, at a sober man who recited
I wondered, O friend, at a friend who recited
Your intoxicated verses, yet did not grow drunk!
Your intoxicating poems, and did not get drunk!
Sol 6.1