القَلبُthe heart أَعلَمُknows best ياO عَذولُreproacher بِدائِهِabout its ailment
القَلبُ أَعلَمُ يا عَذولُ بِدائِهِ
وَأَحَقُّand more entitled مِنكَthan you بِجَفنِهِto its eyelid وَبِمائِهِand to its tears
وَأَحَقُّ مِنكَ بِجَفنِهِ وَبِمائِهِ
The heart knows its ailment best, O reproacher,
The heart knows best, O censurer, of its ailment, / And has more right than you to its eyelids and their tears.
And has more right than you to its eyelid and its tears.
By the one I love, I shall surely disobey you in passion, / Swearing by him, by his beauty, and his splendor.
فَوَمَنso, by the one whom أُحِبُّI love لَأَعصِيَنَّكَI shall surely disobey you فيin الهَوىlove
فَوَمَن أُحِبُّ لَأَعصِيَنَّكَ في الهَوى
قَسَماًan oath بِهِby him وَبِحُسنِهِand by his beauty وَبَهائِهِand by his splendor
قَسَماً بِهِ وَبِحُسنِهِ وَبَهائِهِ
So, by the one I love, I shall surely disobey you in love,
Do I love him yet cherish the blame regarding him? / Indeed, such blame is numbered among his foes.
An oath by him, by his beauty, and by his splendor.
Even the slanderers marveled at the blamers, saying: / 'Leave be what you see he is too weak to conceal.'
أَأُحِبُّهُdo I love him? وَأُحِبُّand love فيهِon his account مَلامَةًreproach
أَأُحِبُّهُ وَأُحِبُّ فيهِ مَلامَةً
إِنَّindeed المَلامَةَreproach فيهِon his account مِنfrom أَعدائِهِhis enemies
إِنَّ المَلامَةَ فيهِ مِن أَعدائِهِ
Can I love him and love reproach on his account?
A true friend is only he whom I love with his own heart, / And view with an eye that sees nothing but him.
Indeed, reproach on his account comes from his enemies.
For he who aids the lovesick in their sorrow / Is most deserving of the Lord's mercy and brotherhood.
عَجِبَmarveled الوُشاةُthe tale-bearers مِنَat اللُحاةِthe reproachers وَقَولِهِمand their words
عَجِبَ الوُشاةُ مِنَ اللُحاةِ وَقَولِهِم
دَعabandon ماwhat نَراكَwe see you ضَعُفتَyou have grown too weak عَنto إِخفائِهِconceal it
دَع ما نَراكَ ضَعُفتَ عَن إِخفائِهِ
The tale-bearers marveled at the reproachers and their words:
Go gently, for censure is but one of its sicknesses, / And softly, for the ear is a limb of the heart.
"Abandon what we see you have grown too weak to conceal."
And grant that blame were as sweet as slumber, / It would still be banished by his sleeplessness and weeping.
ماnot الخِلُّthe intimate friend إِلّاexcept مَنone أَوَدُّI love بِقَلبِهِwith his heart
ما الخِلُّ إِلّا مَن أَوَدُّ بِقَلبِهِ
وَأَرىand I see بِطَرفٍthrough an eye لاnot يَرىhe sees بِسَوائِهِthrough any other than it
وَأَرى بِطَرفٍ لا يَرى بِسَوائِهِ
A true friend is only one with whose heart I love,
Do not rebuke the yearning soul for its desires, / Until your very vitals dwell within his breast.
And I see through an eye through which alone he sees.
For the victim drenched in the flow of his tears / Is like the martyr drenched in the flow of his blood.
إِنَّindeed المُعينَthe helper عَلىin bearing الصَبابَةِardent longing بِالأَسىwith sorrow
إِنَّ المُعينَ عَلى الصَبابَةِ بِالأَسى
أَولىmore deserving بِرَحمَةِof compassion رَبِّهاits bearer وَإِخائِهِand his brotherhood
أَولى بِرَحمَةِ رَبِّها وَإِخائِهِ
Indeed, one who helps bear longing by sharing its grief
Love is like the beloved: its nearness is sweet / To the afflicted, even as it consumes his soul.
Is worthier of its bearer's compassion and brotherhood.
If you told the heartsick lover, 'I would die for his sake,' / You would but incite his jealousy for that ransom.
مَهلاًgently فَإِنَّfor indeed العَذلَreproach مِنamong أَسقامِهِhis ailments
مَهلاً فَإِنَّ العَذلَ مِن أَسقامِهِ
وَتَرَفُّقاًand be gentle فَالسَمعُfor hearing مِنamong أَعضائِهِhis bodily members
وَتَرَفُّقاً فَالسَمعُ مِن أَعضائِهِ
Gently, for reproach is one of his ailments;
May the Prince be guarded against the passion of eyes, / For it is a force his might and bounty cannot quell.
And be gentle, for the ear is one of his bodily members.
It takes the armored hero captive with a single glance, / And stands between his heart and its consolation.
وَهَبِand suppose المَلامَةَreproach فيin اللَذاذَةِsweetness كَالكَرىlike slumber
وَهَبِ المَلامَةَ في اللَذاذَةِ كَالكَرى
مَطرودَةًdriven away بِسُهادِهِby his sleeplessness وَبُكائِهِand by his weeping
مَطرودَةً بِسُهادِهِ وَبُكائِهِ
And suppose reproach were as sweet as slumber:
I called upon you to face the calamities of fate, / A call to a listener who has no equal among men.
It would be driven away by his sleeplessness and his weeping.
And you came from above time and from beneath it, / Resounding with power, before it and behind it.
لاdo not تَعذُلِreproach المُشتاقَthe yearning one فيfor أَشواقِهِhis longings
لا تَعذُلِ المُشتاقَ في أَشواقِهِ
حَتّىuntil يَكونَbe حَشاكَyour entrails فيwithin أَحشائِهِhis entrails
حَتّى يَكونَ حَشاكَ في أَحشائِهِ
Do not reproach the yearning one for his longings
How can mere swords aspire to share your name, / In noble origin, in gleaming luster, and in loyalty?
Until your own entrails lie within his.
Iron is forged from the base metals of its kind, / While Ali is forged from the substance of his sires.
إِنَّindeed القَتيلَthe slain one مُضَرَّجاًdrenched بِدُموعِهِin his tears
إِنَّ القَتيلَ مُضَرَّجاً بِدُموعِهِ
مِثلُlike القَتيلِthe slain one مُضَرَّجاًdrenched بِدِمائِهِin his blood
مِثلُ القَتيلِ مُضَرَّجاً بِدِمائِهِ
Indeed, the slain one drenched in his tears
Is like the slain one drenched in his blood.
وَالعِشقُand passionate love كَالمَعشوقِlike the beloved يَعذُبُis sweet قُربُهُits nearness
وَالعِشقُ كَالمَعشوقِ يَعذُبُ قُربُهُ
لِلمُبتَلىto the afflicted وَيَنالُand takes a toll مِنon حَوبائِهِhis soul
لِلمُبتَلى وَيَنالُ مِن حَوبائِهِ
And love, like the beloved, is sweet in its nearness
To the afflicted, yet takes its toll upon his soul.
لَوif قُلتَyou said لِلدَنِفِto the lovesick one الحَزينِthe sorrowful فَدَيتُهُI would ransom him
لَو قُلتَ لِلدَنِفِ الحَزينِ فَدَيتُهُ
مِمّاfrom what بِهِafflicts him لَأَغَرتَهُyou would surely make him jealous بِفِدائِهِby ransoming him
مِمّا بِهِ لَأَغَرتَهُ بِفِدائِهِ
If you told the grieving, lovesick man you would ransom him
From what ails him, you would stir his jealousy by ransoming him.
وُقِيَmay he be spared الأَميرُthe prince هَوىpassion for العُيونِeyes فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it
وُقِيَ الأَميرُ هَوى العُيونِ فَإِنَّهُ
ماthat which لاnot يَزولُpasses away بِبَأسِهِthrough his valor وَسَخائِهِand his generosity
ما لا يَزولُ بِبَأسِهِ وَسَخائِهِ
May the prince be spared passion for eyes, for it
Is something his valor and generosity cannot dispel.
يَستَأسِرُtakes captive البَطَلَthe hero الكَمِيَّthe armored warrior بِنَظرَةٍwith a glance
يَستَأسِرُ البَطَلَ الكَمِيَّ بِنَظرَةٍ
وَيَحولُand intervenes بَينَbetween فُؤادِهِhis heart وَعَزائِهِand his fortitude
وَيَحولُ بَينَ فُؤادِهِ وَعَزائِهِ
It takes the armored hero captive with a glance
And comes between his heart and his fortitude.
إِنّيindeed I دَعَوتُكَsummoned you لِلنَوائِبِagainst calamities دَعوَةًa summons
إِنّي دَعَوتُكَ لِلنَوائِبِ دَعوَةً
لَمnot يُدعَwas summoned سامِعُهاits hearer إِلىto face أَكفائِهِhis equals
لَم يُدعَ سامِعُها إِلى أَكفائِهِ
Indeed, I called you against calamities with a summons
Whose hearer was not summoned to face his equals.
فَأَتَيتَso you came مِنfrom فَوقِabove الزَمانِTime وَتَحتِهِand below it
فَأَتَيتَ مِن فَوقِ الزَمانِ وَتَحتِهِ
مُتَصَلصِلاًclanging وَأَمامِهِand before it وَوَرائِهِand behind it
مُتَصَلصِلاً وَأَمامِهِ وَوَرائِهِ
So you came from above Time and from below it,
Clanging, and from before it and behind it.
مَنwho لِلسُيوفِfor the swords بِأَنwith the assurance that تَكونَthey be سَمِيَّهاtheir namesake
مَن لِلسُيوفِ بِأَن تَكونَ سَمِيَّها
فيin أَصلِهِhis origin وَفِرِندِهِand his blade's pattern وَوَفائِهِand his fidelity
في أَصلِهِ وَفِرِندِهِ وَوَفائِهِ
Who can guarantee the swords will equal their namesake
In his lineage, his blade's pattern, and his fidelity?
طُبِعَwas forged الحَديدُiron فَكانَand so it was مِنof أَجناسِهِits kinds
طُبِعَ الحَديدُ فَكانَ مِن أَجناسِهِ
وَعَلِيٌّand Ali المَطبوعُthe one fashioned مِنfrom آبائِهِhis forefathers
وَعَلِيٌّ المَطبوعُ مِن آبائِهِ
Iron was forged, and the sword was of its kind;
Whereas Ali is fashioned from his forefathers.
Partial English translation: 18 of 36 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1