مرتْpassed لياليهاher nights ولماand not yet ترجعِreturned
مرتْ لياليها ولما ترجعِ
فالعينُso the eye إنeven if هجعَslept السُّهاal-Suha, a star لمdid not تهجعِsleep
فالعينُ إن هجعَ السُّها لم تهجعِ
Her nights have passed and have not yet returned.
Her nights have passed, never to return,
So the eye, even when al-Suha sleeps, does not sleep.
While my eyes, though sleepy, do not sleep.
أيامَin days when تهتفُcalled out بيto me المهىthe oryx ويغرنَand grew jealous إنif
أيامَ تهتفُ بي المهى ويغرنَ إن
ذكرواthey mentioned حنينيmy yearning للغزالfor the gazelle الأتلعlong-necked
ذكروا حنيني للغزال الأتلع
In days when the oryx called to me and grew jealous if
Days entice me with pleasures, though
They mentioned my yearning for the long-necked gazelle.
Thoughts of her grace haunt me without cease.
وأرىand I saw تحيتهنَّtheir greeting فيin جيبthe bosom of الصِّباyouth
وأرى تحيتهنَّ في جيب الصِّبا
وسلامهنَّand their salutations معwith البروقthe lightning flashes اللمَّعِflashing
وسلامهنَّ مع البروق اللمَّعِ
And I saw their greeting in the bosom of youth,
I see their greeting in the blowing wind,
And their salutations with the flashing lightning.
Their farewell amidst the lightning’s streak.
زمنٌa time بهin it كانwas الزمانُTime يهابنيin awe of me
زمنٌ به كان الزمانُ يهابني
وحوادثُand the calamities of الأيامِthe days ترهبُfeared موضعيmy station
وحوادثُ الأيامِ ترهبُ موضعي
A time when Time stood in awe of me,
Once, time itself feared and obeyed me,
And the calamities of the days feared my station.
Events dreading wherever I would seek.
ينظرنthey saw منيin me قيصراًa Caesar فيin قصرهhis palace
ينظرن مني قيصراً في قصره
ويخفنَand they feared منin هميmy resolve عزيمةَthe determination of تبَّعِTubbaʿ
ويخفنَ من همي عزيمةَ تبَّعِ
They saw in me a Caesar in his palace,
To kings enthroned I was Caesar in might,
And feared in my resolve the determination of Tubbaʿ.
My resolve made destinies cower and retreat.
فيat حينa time لاnot العبراتtears تكلُمwound أعينيmy eyes
في حين لا العبرات تكلُم أعيني
حزناًin sorrow ولاnor النيرانَthe fires تكويsear أضلعيmy ribs
حزناً ولا النيرانَ تكوي أضلعي
While tears did not wound my eyes
Now, neither do tears speak from my eyes,
In sorrow, nor did fires sear my ribs.
Nor flames scorch my ribs in their heat.
يجريruns الهوىlove طرباًin rapture علىalong آثارهاher tracks
يجري الهوى طرباً على آثارها
مشيَthe gait of الجآذرِwild-ox calves للغديرtoward the pool المترعِbrimming
مشيَ الجآذرِ للغدير المترعِ
Love runs in rapture along her tracks,
Passion frolics upon her traces still,
With the gait of wild-ox calves toward the brimming pool.
Like the rainbird on meadows replete.
ظمآنthirsty لاnot ترويهquench it إلاexcept عبرةٌa tear
ظمآن لا ترويه إلا عبرةٌ
أوor مهجةheart's blood هطلتrained بجنبيwithin the two sides of مولعِa lovesick one
أو مهجة هطلت بجنبي مولعِ
Thirsty, quenched only by a tear,
None slakes my thirst but a falling teardrop,
Or heart's blood raining within a lovesick lover's breast.
Or a love-crazed heart poured at my feet.
حسبوهُthey thought it غصناًa bough فيin الثيابِgarments وزهرةًand a blossom
حسبوهُ غصناً في الثيابِ وزهرةً
تحتbeneath القميصِthe shirt ووردةًand a rose فيin البرقعِthe veil
تحت القميصِ ووردةً في البرقعِ
They thought it a bough in garments, and a blossom
They deemed me a branch in her raiment,
Beneath the shirt, and a rose behind the veil.
A blossom near her breast, in her pleat.
أمسيتI found myself at evening منthrough آمالهits hopes فيin ليلةٍa night
أمسيت من آماله في ليلةٍ
ضلَّlost الصباحُmorning بهاin it طريقَthe path to المطلعِthe place of rising
ضلَّ الصباحُ بها طريقَ المطلعِ
Through its hopes, I found myself in a night
In one night, my hopes were ended,
Where morning lost the path to its rising.
Dawn losing the sun’s accustomed beat.
تشكوcomplain نجومthe stars of الليلِthe night أنيthat I رعتُهاI frightened them
تشكو نجوم الليلِ أني رعتُها
ومتىand when تروعُfrightens أنةa moan المتوجعِone in pain
ومتى تروعُ أنة المتوجعِ
The stars of night complain that I frightened them,
The stars of night complain that I shepherded them,
And when does a sufferer's moan inspire fear?
When will this hurting soul know defeat?
وكأنهاand as though they إذwhen أحدقتْgazed intently فيat جانبيmy side
وكأنها إذ أحدقتْ في جانبي
حسبتْthey thought هلالthe crescent of سمائِهاtheir sky فيin مضجعيmy bed
حسبتْ هلال سمائِها في مضجعي
And it was as though, when they gazed intently at my side,
As if, when gazing at my side,
They thought their sky's crescent lay in my bed.
She thought the moon from the sky in my seat.
غرٌradiant كمحمودlike Mahmoud السريرةِinner character إنif دعاhe calls
غرٌ كمحمود السريرةِ إن دعا
زهراًshining كغرتهِlike his brow المضيئةِluminous إنif دعِيhe is called
زهراً كغرتهِ المضيئةِ إن دعِي
Radiant as Mahmoud, noble of heart, when he calls,
A charm like Mahmoud’s fair of face,
Shining as his luminous brow when he is called.
Radiant as his sun when bade repeat.
لوif أنصفوهاthey treated them fairly لاستبانواthey would surely have discerned أنهاthat they are
لو أنصفوها لاستبانوا أنها
حباتُthe beads of ذياكَthat القريضِpoetry المبدعِwondrous
حباتُ ذياكَ القريضِ المبدعِ
Had they done them justice, they would have discerned that they are
If she were judged truly, they’d know
Beads of that wondrous poetry.
She is that poetry full of wit and conceit.
عرفواthey recognized بهِthrough it شعرَthe poetry of الفحولِthe master poets وأهلهُand its practitioners
عرفوا بهِ شعرَ الفحولِ وأهلهُ
وسجيةُand the nature of المطبوعِthe born poet والمتطبعِand the poet by training
وسجيةُ المطبوعِ والمتطبعِ
Through it they recognized the poetry of the masters and its practitioners,
By him they knew the mettle of poets,
And the nature of the born poet and the poet by training.
And natural rhythm and temperament.
فلوfor if أنthat عَمْراًʿAmr أسمعوهُthey made him hear حماسةًheroic verse
فلو أن عَمْراً أسمعوهُ حماسةً
لحماwould surely grow hot بهِwith it الصمصامُthe keen sword إنeven if لمdid not يقطعِcut
لحما بهِ الصمصامُ إن لم يقطعِ
For had they made ʿAmr hear heroic verse,
If ‘Amr heard his battle hymns,
The keen sword would have grown hot with it, even if it did not cut.
The sword itself would refrain from retreat.
أوor أنشدواthey recited المجنونMajnun بعضَsome of نسيبهِhis love poetry
أو أنشدوا المجنون بعضَ نسيبهِ
لنسيhe would surely have forgotten بهِthrough it ليلىLayla فلمْand so would not يتفجعِgrieve bitterly
لنسي بهِ ليلى فلمْ يتفجعِ
Or had they recited to Majnun some of his love poetry,
Or if they recited his like to Majnun,
He would have forgotten Layla through it and grieved no more.
He would forget even Layla in her bower sweet.
لمdid not أتلُI recite يوماًever آيةًa verse منfrom آيةa marvel
لم أتلُ يوماً آيةً من آية
إلاexcept that حسبتُI thought الكونthe universe يتلوهاreciting it معيwith me
إلا حسبتُ الكون يتلوها معي
Never once did I recite a verse from that marvel,
Never have I read a verse of the Book,
Without thinking the universe was reciting it with me.
Without the cosmos reciting along in feat.
وأراهُand I see it أحياrevived للبلاغةِfor eloquence دولةًa realm
وأراهُ أحيا للبلاغةِ دولةً
ماتdied ابنIbn, son of بردٍBurd دونهاshort of it والأصمعيand al-Asmaʿi
مات ابن بردٍ دونها والأصمعي
And I see it has revived a realm of eloquence,
I see that he brought eloquence to life,
Which Ibn Burd and al-Asmaʿi died without attaining.
After Ibn Burd and al-Asma'i faced defeat.
وأبيكَand by your father لولاwere it not for مكرماتthe noble gifts of بيانهِhis eloquence
وأبيكَ لولا مكرمات بيانهِ
ماnot كانَwould have been فيin إحيائهاreviving it منany مطمعِhope
ما كانَ في إحيائها من مطمعِ
And by your father, but for the noble gifts of his eloquence,
Without your father's generous spirit,
There would have been no hope of reviving it.
He would not have hoped to make it replete.
Sol 6.1