أَعَلَىis it concerning الّذيwhat أَلْقَىI endure طَلَبْتَyou demanded شهُودِيmy witnesses
أَعَلَى الّذي أَلْقَى طَلَبْتَ شهُودِي
أَوَلَيْسَand is it not يَكْفيsufficient مَدْمَعيmy tears بخُدوديupon my cheeks
أَوَلَيْسَ يَكْفي مَدْمَعي بخُدودي
Have you demanded my witnesses to what I endure?
Do my tears upon my cheeks not suffice?
أسْبَلْتَyou let fall جِلبابَthe cloak of التَّجاهُلِfeigned ignorance عامِداًdeliberately
أسْبَلْتَ جِلبابَ التَّجاهُلِ عامِداً
ولَقَدْand indeed عَرَفْتَyou knew تَهالُكَthe wasting away of الْمَعْمُودِthe lovesick one
ولَقَدْ عَرَفْتَ تَهالُكَ الْمَعْمُودِ
You deliberately let fall the cloak of feigned ignorance,
though you well knew the lovesick man's wasting.
فأعِدْso restore عَلَيَّto me زمانَthe time of وَصْلِكَunion with you وادَّكِرْand remember
فأعِدْ عَلَيَّ زمانَ وَصْلِكَ وادَّكِرْ
ماwhat كانَthere was قِدْماًlong ago مِنْof أكيدsolemn عُهُوديmy pledges
ما كانَ قِدْماً مِنْ أكيد عُهُودي
So restore to me the days of union with you, and recall
my solemn pledges from long ago.
للهِto God, in admiration ذاكthat الْعَهْدُtime فيin ذاكَthat اللّقاmeeting
للهِ ذاك الْعَهْدُ في ذاكَ اللّقا
ماthere بَيْنَbetween ثَهْمَدِThahmad of لَعْلَعٍLa‘la‘ وزَرُودِand Zarud
ما بَيْنَ ثَهْمَدِ لَعْلَعٍ وزَرُودِ
God be praised for that time of meeting,
between Thahmad of La‘la‘ and Zarud.
أيامَthe days when لاَno واشٍtalebearer ولاnor قَالٍhater وَلاَnor
أيامَ لاَ واشٍ ولا قَالٍ وَلاَ
لِيَof mine مِنْany عَدْوٍّenemy فيamong الْمَلاthe people وحَسُودِand envier
لِيَ مِنْ عَدْوٍّ في الْمَلا وحَسُودِ
Days with no talebearer, no hater, and no
enemy or envier of mine among the people.
قَضَّيْتُI spent أَوْقاتاًhours بوَصْلِكَin union with you قَدْindeed قَضَتْgranted
قَضَّيْتُ أَوْقاتاً بوَصْلِكَ قَدْ قَضَتْ
ليَfor me بالْمُنَىwith wishes والطالِعِand the ascendant المسْعودِfortunate
ليَ بالْمُنَى والطالِعِ المسْعودِ
I spent hours united with you that brought
me my heart's desires and a fortunate star.
وَبكَand in you الذيthat which بِيis in me مِنْof جَوًىburning heartache وصَبَابَةٍand ardent longing
وَبكَ الذي بِي مِنْ جَوًى وصَبَابَةٍ
وحَنينُand the moaning of أَنْفُسِناour souls حَنِينُthe moaning of رُعودِthunder
وحَنينُ أَنْفُسِنا حَنِينُ رُعودِ
And you shared the heartache and yearning within me,
and our souls' moaning was the moaning of thunder.
وزُهورُand the flowers of ذاكَthat الرَّوْقَbower باسِمَةٌsmiling بِهِwithin it
وزُهورُ ذاكَ الرَّوْقَ باسِمَةٌ بِهِ
فكأنَّهاso as though they were زَهْرٌblossoms بصَحْنِupon the surface of خُدودِcheeks
فكأنَّها زَهْرٌ بصَحْنِ خُدودِ
And the flowers of that bower smiled within it,
as though they were blossoms spread across cheeks.
وإذاand when تَمَايَلَتِswayed الْغُصُونُthe branches بَدَاappeared لَناto us
وإذا تَمَايَلَتِ الْغُصُونُ بَدَا لَنا
بَغُصُونِهاamong their boughs لَيْمونُهاtheir lemons كَنُهودِlike breasts
بَغُصُونِها لَيْمونُها كَنُهودِ
And when the branches swayed, there appeared to us
their lemons among their boughs, like breasts.
والماءُand the water يَجْريflows بالهُوَيْنَىgently مَشْيُهُits gait
والماءُ يَجْري بالهُوَيْنَى مَشْيُهُ
بَيْنَbetween الْحَدائِقِthe gardens مِشْيَةَwith the gait of الْمَجْهُودِthe exhausted one
بَيْنَ الْحَدائِقِ مِشْيَةَ الْمَجْهُودِ
And the water flowed at a leisurely pace,
between the gardens, with a weary man's gait.
وغِناand the singing of الْحَمائِمِthe doves بَيْنَنَاamong us مُغْنٍsufficient لَناfor us
وغِنا الْحَمائِمِ بَيْنَنَا مُغْنٍ لَنا
عَنْin place of مِزْهَرٍa mizhar lute أَوْor طُنْبُرٍa tanbur lute أَوor عُودِan oud
عَنْ مِزْهَرٍ أَوْ طُنْبُرٍ أَو عُودِ
And the doves' singing among us spared us the need
for a mizhar, a tanbur, or an oud.
ماذاwhat عَلَىcost to الأَيّامِthe days لَوْif سَمَحَتْthey granted لَنَاto us
ماذا عَلَى الأَيّامِ لَوْ سَمَحَتْ لَنَا
بِدوَامِwith the continuance of ذاكَthat وكُنَّand they were غَيْرَnot بَعيدٍdistant
بِدوَامِ ذاكَ وكُنَّ غَيْرَ بَعيدٍ
What would it have cost the days, had they granted us
the continuance of all that, when those days were not so distant?
لكِنَّهاbut they جُبِلَتْwere fashioned عَلَىaccording to عادَاتِهاtheir habits
لكِنَّها جُبِلَتْ عَلَى عادَاتِها
إذas تَعْتَريthey assail اللَّذاتِpleasures بالتَّنْكِيدِwith vexation
إذ تَعْتَري اللَّذاتِ بالتَّنْكِيدِ
But they were fashioned to their old ways,
assailing pleasures with vexation.
وعَسَىand perhaps وعَلَّand perhaps يَعودُwill return ذاكthat الْعَْدُthe former time (reading uncertain) مِنْthrough
وعَسَى وعَلَّ يَعودُ ذاك الْعَْدُ مِنْ
أَفْضالِthe bounties of رَبٍّa Lord مُبْتَدِيtaking the initiative بالجُودِin generosity
أَفْضالِ رَبٍّ مُبْتَدِي بالجُودِ
And perhaps—perhaps—that time will return through
the bounty of a Lord who gives before being asked.
وعَسَايَand perhaps I أَظْفَرُshall attain بالْمنَىthe objects of desire وَهُوَand it is الّذيwhat
وعَسَايَ أَظْفَرُ بالْمنَى وَهُوَ الّذي
أَهْوَىI love وإنand even if أَلْبَسْتُI have clothed نَظْمَthe verses of قَصِيدِيmy ode
أَهْوَى وإن أَلْبَسْتُ نَظْمَ قَصِيدِي
And perhaps I shall gain my wish, the very thing
I love, though I have clothed the verses of my ode
بِلِقاin meeting الإمامِthe Imam الماجِدِthe noble الْفَرْدِthe peerless الْفَتَىthe gallant youth الthe (continued next line)
بِلِقا الإمامِ الماجِدِ الْفَرْدِ الْفَتَى ال
سَّامِيlofty in المعانِيqualities السَّيِّدِthe master الْمَحْمودِthe praiseworthy
سَّامِي المعانِي السَّيِّدِ الْمَحْمودِ
in meeting the noble Imam, peerless and gallant,
lofty in spirit, the praiseworthy master,
الفارِسِthe horseman السَّبّاقِthe frontrunner يَوْماًone day إِنْif جَرَىhe raced
الفارِسِ السَّبّاقِ يَوْماً إِنْ جَرَى
فيin مُشْكِلٍa difficult problem أَزْرَىhe put to shame بكُلِّevery نَديدِrival
في مُشْكِلٍ أَزْرَى بكُلِّ نَديدِ
the foremost horseman, who, should he ever race
through a difficult problem, puts every rival to shame.
سَلْask عَنْهُabout him أَنْواعَthe branches of الْعُلُومِlearning فإِنَّهاfor they
سَلْ عَنْهُ أَنْواعَ الْعُلُومِ فإِنَّها
تَأْتِيكَwill bring you منْof أَوْصافِهِhis qualities بِعَدِيدِa multitude
تَأْتِيكَ منْ أَوْصافِهِ بِعَدِيدِ
Ask the branches of learning about him, for they
will tell you of his many qualities.
وَافَىarrived نِظامُكَyour verse ياO بْنَson of يُوسُفَYusuf مُخْبِراًtelling
وَافَى نِظامُكَ يا بْنَ يُوسُفَ مُخْبِراً
عَنْof مَحْتِدٍa lineage سامٍlofty كريمِnoble in جُدودِancestors
عَنْ مَحْتِدٍ سامٍ كريمِ جُدودِ
Your verse arrived, O son of Yusuf, speaking
of a lofty lineage and noble ancestors.
وخُذِand take الجوابَthe reply فإِنَّهُfor it عِنْديto my mind كَماlike
وخُذِ الجوابَ فإِنَّهُ عِنْدي كَما
لَمَعَgleamed السَّرابُthe mirage لطالِبٍfor a seeker لوُرُودِto reach water
لَمَعَ السَّرابُ لطالِبٍ لوُرُودِ
And take this reply: to my mind it is like
a mirage gleaming for one who seeks water.
حَرَّرْتُهI composed it والبَدْرُand the full moon يَضْحَكُsmiles فيin الدُّجَىthe darkness
حَرَّرْتُه والبَدْرُ يَضْحَكُ في الدُّجَى
والزَّهْرُand the blossoms يَنْفخُbreathe out بالشَّذَىwith fragrance المعْهُودِfamiliar
والزَّهْرُ يَنْفخُ بالشَّذَى المعْهُودِ
I composed it while the full moon smiled in the darkness,
and the blossoms breathed their familiar fragrance;
والسُّحْبُand the clouds تَبْكِيweep والرُّعُودُand the thunder حَنِينُهاtheir moaning
والسُّحْبُ تَبْكِي والرُّعُودُ حَنِينُها
لَكِنَّهُمbut they قَالُواsaid حَنِينُthe moaning of رُعودِthunder
لَكِنَّهُم قَالُوا حَنِينُ رُعودِ
the clouds wept, and the thunder was their moaning,
though they called it the moaning of thunder.
والرِّيحُand the wind رَنَّحَتِmade reel الْغُصونَthe branches براحِهاwith its wine
والرِّيحُ رَنَّحَتِ الْغُصونَ براحِها
مِنْfrom ماءِthe water of مُزْنٍrainclouds كابْنَةِlike the daughter of الْعُنْقودِthe grape-cluster
مِنْ ماءِ مُزْنٍ كابْنَةِ الْعُنْقودِ
The wind made the branches reel with its wine,
water from rainclouds, like the grape-cluster's daughter.
والسَّيْلُand the torrent يَجْريflows فيthrough الْمُروجِthe meadows كَأَنَّهُas though it were
والسَّيْلُ يَجْري في الْمُروجِ كَأَنَّهُ
مُبْيضُّwhite أَعْلامٍornamental stripes بِخُضْرِupon green بُرودِmantles
مُبْيضُّ أَعْلامٍ بِخُضْرِ بُرودِ
And the torrent flowed through the meadows, as though it were
white stripes upon green mantles.
واعْذُرْand forgive إذاif قَصُرَتْfall short ذُيولُthe trailing hems of مَدائِحيmy praises
واعْذُرْ إذا قَصُرَتْ ذُيولُ مَدائِحي
يَوْماًone day فَماfor not قَصَّرْتُI fell short فيin مَجْهودِيmy utmost effort
يَوْماً فَما قَصَّرْتُ في مَجْهودِي
And pardon me if the trailing hems of my praises fall short
one day, for I have spared no effort.
إنّيindeed I امْرؤٌa man قَدْindeed أثْقَلَتْنِيhave weighed me down فيamong الوَرَىmankind
إنّي امْرؤٌ قَدْ أثْقَلَتْنِي في الوَرَى
شُغْلٌcares وأَنْتَand you بِهاto them أَجَلُّthe foremost of شُهودِيmy witnesses
شُغْلٌ وأَنْتَ بِها أَجَلُّ شُهودِي
I am a man weighed down, among mankind,
by cares—and you are my foremost witness to them.
Sol 6.1