بغدادَBaghdad أيَّتُهاO you الرِّكابُthe riding camels فبادِريso hasten
بغدادَ أيَّتُها الرِّكابُ فبادِري
نَهرَthe river السَّلامِof peace بِنَهْلةٍwith a draught منfrom باكرِearly morning
نَهرَ السَّلامِ بِنَهْلةٍ من باكرِ
To Baghdad, O riding camels, hasten;
O Baghdad, you riders, hasten
to the River of Peace for an early-morning draught.
To the river of peace at dawn
وإذاand when وَقفتِyou halt علىat الرُّصافةِal-Rusafa فانشُديthen seek
وإذا وَقفتِ على الرُّصافةِ فانشُدي
قلبيmy heart ولكنْbut منof لَظاهُits blaze فحاذِريso beware
قلبي ولكنْ من لَظاهُ فحاذِري
And when you halt at al-Rusafa, seek
And when you stand at Rusafa, recite:
my heart—but beware its blaze.
My heart, but beware he who understands it
هلwill ...? تَحملينَyou carry منfrom المَشُوقِthe yearning one تَحيَّةًa greeting
هل تَحملينَ من المَشُوقِ تَحيَّةً
نَفَحَتْhas wafted بأرواحِwith the scents الخُزامِof lavender العاطرِfragrant
نَفَحَتْ بأرواحِ الخُزامِ العاطرِ
Will you carry a greeting from this yearning man,
Do you carry a longing greeting
wafting the scents of fragrant lavender?
That blew with the fragrant souls of youth
وَلْهانُdistraught with love تَرعَىwatches الطَّيفَthe phantom مُقلةُthe eye نائمٍof a sleeper
وَلْهانُ تَرعَى الطَّيفَ مُقلةُ نائمٍ
منهُof him وتَرعَىand watches النَّجْمَthe star مُقلةُthe eye ساهرِof one awake
منهُ وتَرعَى النَّجْمَ مُقلةُ ساهرِ
Distraught with love, his sleeping eye watches the phantom,
The new moon grazing the specter of a sleeping one
and his wakeful eye watches the star.
And grazing the star, the new moon of one awake
ماnot كُلُّeveryone مَنwho عَرَفَhas known المَحبَّةَlove عارفٌone who knows
ما كُلُّ مَن عَرَفَ المَحبَّةَ عارفٌ
حَقَّthe due of المحبّةِlove باطناًinwardly كالظَّاهرِas outwardly
حَقَّ المحبّةِ باطناً كالظَّاهرِ
Not everyone who has known love understands
Not everyone who knew love is a knower
what love is owed, inwardly as outwardly.
Of the essence of love, outwardly and inwardly
هانتْcounts for little مَوَدَّةُthe affection مَنof one who أحبَّكَloved you أوَّلاًat first
هانتْ مَوَدَّةُ مَن أحبَّكَ أوَّلاً
حَتَّىuntil تَراهُyou see him ثابتاًsteadfast فيin الآخِرِthe end
حَتَّى تَراهُ ثابتاً في الآخِرِ
The affection of one who loved you at first counts for little
The affection of one who loved you first
until you see him steadfast in the end.
Faded until you see him steadfast at the end
وأناand I الذيthe one who ذَهَبَwent off الهَوَىpassion بفُؤادِهِwith his heart
وأنا الذي ذَهَبَ الهَوَى بفُؤادِهِ
منfrom حيثُwhere ليسَis not علىof الرُجوعِreturning بقادرِat all capable
من حيثُ ليسَ على الرُجوعِ بقادرِ
And I am he whose heart passion has carried away
And I, whom passion took his heart
to a place from which it cannot return.
From where there is no ability to return
أضحىbegan يُعنِّفُto rebuke عاذليmy reproacher حتَّىuntil إذاwhen
أضحى يُعنِّفُ عاذلي حتَّى إذا
عَرَفَhe knew الذيthe one whom أهواهُI love him أمسىhe became عاذِريone who excuses me
عَرَفَ الذي أهواهُ أمسى عاذِري
My reproacher began to rebuke me, until, when
I started to blame my critic until when
he knew the one I love, he came to excuse me.
He knew my love, he became my apologizer
أهوَىI love الكريمَthe noble one منamong الرِّجالِmen ولوand even if علىthrough
أهوَى الكريمَ من الرِّجالِ ولو على
سَمْعٍhearing بهِof him إنْif كُنْتُI am لستُI am not بناظرِa beholder
سَمْعٍ بهِ إنْ كُنْتُ لستُ بناظرِ
I love the noble among men, even merely through
I love the noble among men even if
hearing of him, if I have not seen him.
I but hear of him, if I cannot see
وأُحبُّand I love آثارَthe works العُلومِof learning وأبتغيand I seek
وأُحبُّ آثارَ العُلومِ وأبتغي
صُحُفَthe pages الأدِيبِof the man of letters علىover نُضارِthe pure gold التاجرِof the merchant
صُحُفَ الأدِيبِ على نُضارِ التاجرِ
And I love the works of learning, and choose
And I love the traces of knowledge and seek
the man of letters' pages over the merchant's pure gold.
The writings of the scholar over the prosperity of the merchant
للنَّاسfor people فيin ماwhat يعشَقُونَthey passionately love مذاهبٌpaths
للنَّاس في ما يعشَقُونَ مذاهبٌ
يَذهبْنَthey go بينَbetween ميَامِنٍrightward paths وميَاسِرِand leftward paths
يَذهبْنَ بينَ ميَامِنٍ وميَاسِرِ
People have their own paths in what they love,
People have different pursuits in what they love
leading to the right and to the left.
Going between right and left
فيin كُلِّevery قلبٍheart منfrom حبيبٍa beloved صَبْوةٌa yearning
في كُلِّ قلبٍ من حبيبٍ صَبْوةٌ
يَبلَىit wears away ويترُكُهاand leaves it لقَلْبٍto a heart غابرِthat follows
يَبلَى ويترُكُها لقَلْبٍ غابرِ
In every heart is a longing for a beloved;
In every heart there is an idol of a beloved
the heart wears away, leaving it to a heart that follows.
That fades leaving it to a passing heart
لاnot تَنتَهِيcome to an end هِمَمُthe aspirations الفتَىof the young man فإذاthen when انقَضَىis fulfilled
لا تَنتَهِي هِمَمُ الفتَى فإذا انقَضَى
وَطَرٌa desire تجَدَّدَarises anew غَيرُهُanother besides it فيin الخاطرِthe mind
وَطَرٌ تجَدَّدَ غَيرُهُ في الخاطرِ
A young man's aspirations never end; when
The ambitions of a young man do not end, so if
one desire is fulfilled, another arises in his mind.
One yearning passes, another renews in the mind
أمَلٌhope طويلٌlong والحَياةُand life قصيرةٌshort
أمَلٌ طويلٌ والحَياةُ قصيرةٌ
تَنْجابُpasses away بينَbetween مَواردٍarrivals ومَصادرِand departures
تَنْجابُ بينَ مَواردٍ ومَصادرِ
Hope is long, but life is short,
A long hope and life is short
passing away between comings and goings.
Flowing between springs and sources
ولَقدand indeed بَكَيْتُI wept علىover الشَّبابِyouth وعَصرهِand its days
ولَقد بَكَيْتُ على الشَّبابِ وعَصرهِ
فأضَعْتُso I wasted دَمْعيmy tears خاسراًa loser فيover خاسرِwhat was lost
فأضَعْتُ دَمْعي خاسراً في خاسرِ
And indeed I wept for youth and its days,
And I cried over youth and its prime
so I wasted my tears, a loser mourning what was lost.
Wasting my tears fruitlessly on loss
لاnot يَعرِفُknows الإنسانُa person قِيمةَthe worth نِعمةٍof a blessing
لا يَعرِفُ الإنسانُ قِيمةَ نِعمةٍ
حتىuntil تَزُولَit vanishes فَيستَفيقُthen he awakens كحاسرِlike one stripped bare
حتى تَزُولَ فَيستَفيقُ كحاسرِ
A person does not know a blessing's worth
Man does not know the value of a blessing
until it vanishes, and he awakens like one stripped bare.
Until it passes, and he wakes up a loser
يَمْضيpasses بماwith what فيهِis in it الزَّمانُtime كأنَّهُas though it
يَمْضي بما فيهِ الزَّمانُ كأنَّهُ
لمnot يأتِhad come عندَto أصاغرٍthe young وأكابرِand the old
لم يأتِ عندَ أصاغرٍ وأكابرِ
Time passes with all it holds, as though
Time goes by as if
it had never come to young or old.
It had not come in small and large
والشَّيخُand the old man أشبَهُmore similar بالغُلامِto the boy كلاهُماboth of them
والشَّيخُ أشبَهُ بالغُلامِ كلاهُما
فيin زَعْمِهِhis belief مولودُborn يومٍa day حاضرِpresent
في زَعْمِهِ مولودُ يومٍ حاضرِ
And the old man is much like the boy; each
And the old man is like the boy, both
fancies himself born this very day.
Think they were born today
جرَّبتُI tested أخلاقَthe ways الزَّمانِof time وأهلِهِand its people
جرَّبتُ أخلاقَ الزَّمانِ وأهلِهِ
فَعَرَفْتُso I knew يوميmy day قبلَbefore أمسِyesterday الدَّابرِgone by
فَعَرَفْتُ يومي قبلَ أمسِ الدَّابرِ
I have tested the ways of time and its people,
I tried the morals of time and its people
and foresaw my day before yesterday had passed.
So I knew my day before the fading day
وصَبَرتُand I was patient لكنْbut حيثُsince لمnot يكُwas فيin يديmy hand
وصَبَرتُ لكنْ حيثُ لم يكُ في يدي
دَفعُaverting البَلاءِaffliction فأينَthen where فضلُthe merit الصَّابرِof the patient one
دَفعُ البَلاءِ فأينَ فضلُ الصَّابرِ
And I was patient; but, since it was not in my hands
And I was patient, but when there was not
to ward off affliction, where is the patient man's merit?
In my hand averting the affliction, so where is the merit of the patient?
ياO أيُّهاyou الطَّيفُthe phantom المُعَلِّلُbeguiling مُهجتيmy soul
يا أيُّها الطَّيفُ المُعَلِّلُ مُهجتي
بمَواعدٍwith promises يُبرِقنَthey flash lightning غيرَnot مَواطرِrain-bearing
بمَواعدٍ يُبرِقنَ غيرَ مَواطرِ
O phantom, beguiling my soul
O you specter, disturbing my passion
with promises that flash lightning but bring no rain,
With promises that flash without lightning
إنْif كُنتَyou are لاnot تَبغيyou intend الوفاءَkeeping faith فلاthen do not تَعِدْpromise
إنْ كُنتَ لا تَبغي الوفاءَ فلا تَعِدْ
بُخْلُstinginess الحريصِof the miser ولاand not مِطالُthe stalling الغادرِof the traitor
بُخْلُ الحريصِ ولا مِطالُ الغادرِ
if you do not intend to keep faith, then do not promise;
If you do not want loyalty, then do not promise
better the miser's stinginess than the traitor's delays.
The stinginess of the miser and the procrastination of the betrayer
كيفَhow اهتدَيتَyou found your way إليَّto me تحتَbeneath دُجُنَّةٍa deep darkness
كيفَ اهتدَيتَ إليَّ تحتَ دُجُنَّةٍ
تَطغىstrays beyond bounds بهاwithin it عينُthe eye الشِهابِof the meteor السائرِtraveling
تَطغى بها عينُ الشِهابِ السائرِ
How did you find your way to me beneath a darkness
How did you find your way to me under the darkness
in which the traveling meteor's eye goes astray?
In which the eye of the shooting star is blinded?
أنتَyou الخَيالُthe phantom تَزُورُyou visit مثلَكَone like you فيin الضَّنَىwasting sickness
أنتَ الخَيالُ تَزُورُ مثلَكَ في الضَّنَى
لوif only كانَhe were مِثلَكَlike you فيin خُفوقِthe fluttering الطَّائرِof a bird
لو كانَ مِثلَكَ في خُفوقِ الطَّائرِ
You are a phantom, visiting your equal in frailty—
You are the apparition visiting your like in isolation
if only he were like you in a bird's fluttering flight!
If only your like were in the throbbing of the bird
هلwill ...? تُبلِغُyou deliver الشَّيخَthe elder الكبيرَvenerable رِسالةًa letter
هل تُبلِغُ الشَّيخَ الكبيرَ رِسالةً
منfrom عاجزٍa helpless man جُعِلَتْit was made وكيلَthe proxy القاصرِof one who falls short
من عاجزٍ جُعِلَتْ وكيلَ القاصرِ
Will you deliver a letter to the venerable elder—
Can you deliver a message to the great elder
a helpless man's letter, made a proxy for one who falls short?
From a helpless one who was made an agent of the weak?
نَقَّطتُهاI dotted it مِثلَlike العَرُوسِa bride بأدمُعٍwith tears
نَقَّطتُها مِثلَ العَرُوسِ بأدمُعٍ
مِثلِlike اللآلئِpearls فَهْيَso it is نظمُstrung verse الناثرِof the prose-writer
مِثلِ اللآلئِ فَهْيَ نظمُ الناثرِ
I dotted it, like a bride, with tears
I dotted it like a bride with tears
like pearls: it is the prose-writer's strung verse.
Like pearls, so it is the prose of the poet
زُفَّتit was led as a bride إلىto منone who لاnot تَقُومُit stands بِبابهِat his door
زُفَّت إلى من لا تَقُومُ بِبابهِ
لوeven if عُزِّزَتْit were strengthened بِبيانِwith the eloquence of عبدِAbd القاهرِal-Qahir
لو عُزِّزَتْ بِبيانِ عبدِ القاهرِ
It was led as a bride to one at whose door it cannot stand,
It was escorted to one whose door does not withstand
even if strengthened by Abd al-Qahir's eloquence.
Even if supported by the rhetoric of Abdul Qaher
اللَوْذعيُّthe keen-witted الكاملُthe consummate الفَرْدُthe peerless الذيwhose
اللَوْذعيُّ الكاملُ الفَرْدُ الذي
أفعالُهُhis deeds يَغلِبْنَthey surpass قولَthe words الشاعرِof the poet
أفعالُهُ يَغلِبْنَ قولَ الشاعرِ
The keen-witted, consummate, peerless man, whose
Al-Lawdhi the perfect, the unique whose
deeds surpass the poet's words.
Deeds surpass the words of the poet
أمَةٌa bondmaid إلىto عبدِAbd الحميدِal-Hamid جَلَبتُهاI brought her
أمَةٌ إلى عبدِ الحميدِ جَلَبتُها
ممَّاfrom what تَفَضَّلَhe graciously bestowed منof كِرامِnoble حَرائرِfreeborn women
ممَّا تَفَضَّلَ من كِرامِ حَرائرِ
A bondmaid I brought to Abd al-Hamid,
A favor I brought to Abdul Hamid
from his gracious gifts of noble freeborn women.
From the generosity he bestowed on free women
قدindeed سَهَّلتْhas made easy ليfor me الشِّعرَpoetry صَنْعةُthe craft صائغٍof a jeweler
قد سَهَّلتْ لي الشِّعرَ صَنْعةُ صائغٍ
تأتيit comes فأُرجِعُهاthen I return it بصَنْعةِwith the craft of كاسرِa breaker
تأتي فأُرجِعُها بصَنْعةِ كاسرِ
A jeweler's craft has indeed made poetry easy for me;
Poetry was made easy for me by the craft of a goldsmith
it comes, and I return it with a breaker's craft.
I return it with the craft of a breaker
ياO أيُّهاyou البحرُthe sea العَرَمْرَمُvast and mighty لمnot نُصِبْwe reach
يا أيُّها البحرُ العَرَمْرَمُ لم نُصِبْ
لَكَof yours لُجَّةًa depth فأصَبْتَناyet you struck us بِجواهرِwith jewels
لَكَ لُجَّةً فأصَبْتَنا بِجواهرِ
O vast and mighty sea, we have not reached
O tumultuous foaming sea we did not
your depths, yet you have struck us with jewels.
Cast nets for you, yet you blessed us with pearls
أسرارُmysteries عَقْدٍof binding منfrom لَدُنْكَyour presence تَضمَّنتَyou contained
أسرارُ عَقْدٍ من لَدُنْكَ تَضمَّنتَ
إكسِيرَan elixir حَلٍّof dissolution منfrom صِناعةِthe craft جابرِof Jabir
إكسِيرَ حَلٍّ من صِناعةِ جابرِ
Mysteries of binding from you: you have contained
Secrets of a necklace you contained
an elixir of dissolution from Jabir's craft.
The elixir of a solving from Jabir's craft
بَينيbetween me وبَيْنَكand between you ذِمَّةٌa covenant مَطْويَّةٌfolded away
بَيني وبَيْنَك ذِمَّةٌ مَطْويَّةٌ
طَيَّas the folding of السِجِلِّa scroll إلىuntil المَعادِthe Resurrection النَّاشرِthat unfolds
طَيَّ السِجِلِّ إلى المَعادِ النَّاشرِ
Between you and me is a covenant folded away,
Between you and I there is a folded covenant
like a scroll, until the Resurrection unfolds it.
Fold the register to the spreading place of return
لمnot يُبقِleft ليfor me هذاthis الزَّمانُage ذَخيرةًa treasure
لم يُبقِ لي هذا الزَّمانُ ذَخيرةً
فَجَعْلتُهاso I made it فيin القلبِthe heart بعضَone of ذخائريmy treasures
فَجَعْلتُها في القلبِ بعضَ ذخائري
This age has left me no treasure,
This age left me no treasure
so I made that covenant one of my heart's treasures.
So I made it in my heart some of my treasures
Sol 6.1