علىupon رَسمِthe traces of هاتيكَthose yonder الدِّيارِthe dwellings البَلاقِعِdesolate
على رَسمِ هاتيكَ الدِّيارِ البَلاقِعِ
بَقاياremnants of سَلامٍa greeting منfrom بَقاياremnants of الأَضالعِthe ribs
بَقايا سَلامٍ من بَقايا الأَضالعِ
Upon the traces of those desolate dwellings lie
On the ruins of these abodes, bereft,
Remnants of a greeting from remnants of ribs.
Remnants of peace from battered ribs are left.
بَلِينَthey wore away وأبلاناand wore us away الزَّمانُtime فكُلُّناso all of us
بَلِينَ وأبلانا الزَّمانُ فكُلُّنا
رهينُcaptive to البِلىdecay حَتَّىeven شُؤُونُthe ducts of المَدامعِweeping eyes
رهينُ البِلى حَتَّى شُؤُونُ المَدامعِ
They have worn away, and Time has worn us down; so all of us
Time has worn us down until we're all
Are captives of decay—even the ducts of weeping eyes.
Captives of decay, even tears' affairs.
نَزَلناwe alighted لرَبَّاتِbelonging to the ladies of البَراقعِface-veils مَعهَداًa familiar haunt
نَزَلنا لرَبَّاتِ البَراقعِ مَعهَداً
وأَجفانُناand our eyelids منfrom دَمعِهاtheir tears فيin بَراقعِveils
وأَجفانُنا من دَمعِها في بَراقعِ
We alighted at a familiar haunt of veiled ladies,
For veiled ladies we've become a refuge
And our eyelids were veiled by their own tears.
While our lids with their tears are in tatters.
تَنُوحُlament حَمامُthe doves of الأَيكِthe grove عِندَat بُكائناour weeping
تَنُوحُ حَمامُ الأَيكِ عِندَ بُكائنا
ونَبكيand we weep علىat نَوحِthe lament of الحَمامthe doves السَواجعِcooing
ونَبكي على نَوحِ الحَمام السَواجعِ
The doves of the grove lament when we weep,
Doves moan as we weep, we mourn their moans,
And we weep at the lament of the cooing doves.
Crying for the cries of grieving groans.
نَهارٌa day تَغشَّاهُenveloped it ظَلامٌdarkness تَشُقُّهُcleave it
نَهارٌ تَغشَّاهُ ظَلامٌ تَشُقُّهُ
لناours زَفَراتٌsighs كالبُرُوقِlike lightning flashes اللَوامعِgleaming
لنا زَفَراتٌ كالبُرُوقِ اللَوامعِ
A day shrouded in darkness, which is cleft
A day cloaked in darkness ripped by
By our sighs, like gleaming bolts of lightning.
Flashes for us like brilliant streaks in the sky.
ولمand did not يكشِفِdispel الظَلماءَthe darkness منfrom وَحشةٍdesolation سِوىexcept
ولم يكشِفِ الظَلماءَ من وَحشةٍ سِوى
شِهابٍa meteor منfrom الإسكَندَريَّةِAlexandria طالعِrising
شِهابٍ من الإسكَندَريَّةِ طالعِ
And nothing dispelled the darkness of desolation but
The dark gloom was unveiled by naught
A meteor rising from Alexandria.
But a flare from Alexandria arising distraught.
كِتابٌa letter دَعَوناهُwe called it شَهاباًa meteor لأَنَّهُbecause it
كِتابٌ دَعَوناهُ شَهاباً لأَنَّهُ
تَجلَّىshone forth بِنُورٍwith a light لابنِof the son of نَوَّارَNawwar ساطعِradiant
تَجلَّى بِنُورٍ لابنِ نَوَّارَ ساطعِ
A letter we called a meteor, because it
A book we called a flare for it
Shone forth with Ibn Nawwar's radiant light.
Rose in light for Ibn Nawwar apparent and alert.
أتانيit came to me علىacross بُعدٍa distance فأَدَّىand so delivered وَدائِعاًentrusted things
أتاني على بُعدٍ فأَدَّى وَدائِعاً
إليَّto me وكانَand was الشَّوقُlonging إِحدىone of الوَدائعِthe entrusted things
إليَّ وكانَ الشَّوقُ إِحدى الوَدائعِ
It came to me from afar and delivered its trusts
From afar it came to me, deposited treasures,
To me; longing was one of those trusts.
Yearning was among the deposits.
أَجَلُّthe noblest of رِجالِthe men of الحُبِّlove فيin مَذهبِthe creed of الهَوَىpassion
أَجَلُّ رِجالِ الحُبِّ في مَذهبِ الهَوَى
مُحِبٌّa lover علىdespite بُعدِthe distance of الدِّيارِthe homes الشَّواسعِfar-flung
مُحِبٌّ على بُعدِ الدِّيارِ الشَّواسعِ
The noblest of love's men in the creed of passion
The most adoring of lovers in passion's creed
Is one who loves despite the distance of far-flung homes.
Is he who loves from afar in vast distance.
وخيرُand the best كريمٍa generous man مَنone who يُكَافيrepays صَنيعةًa kindness
وخيرُ كريمٍ مَن يُكَافي صَنيعةً
وأَكرَمُand more generous منهُthan he مَنone who بَدَاbegan بالصَّنائعِwith acts of kindness
وأَكرَمُ منهُ مَن بَدَا بالصَّنائعِ
And the best generous man is one who repays a kindness,
Best of nobles is he who rewards a good deed.
Yet more generous than he is one who offers kindness first.
Nobler yet is he who initiates the deed.
تَحَمَّلتُI took on منfrom مَحمُودَMahmoud أَكبَرَthe greatest مِنَّةٍfavor
تَحَمَّلتُ من مَحمُودَ أَكبَرَ مِنَّةٍ
عَجَزْتُI was unable بهاbecause of it عنto حَمدِهِpraising him المُتَتابعِunceasing
عَجَزْتُ بها عن حَمدِهِ المُتَتابعِ
I received from Mahmoud the greatest favor,
I've received from Mahmoud the greatest boon,
Which left me unable to offer him unceasing praise.
Helpless to thank him, praise him as is his due.
تَصَفَّحَhe perused مطبوعاًa printed work فأَثنَىand so praised بطَبعِهِby his nature
تَصَفَّحَ مطبوعاً فأَثنَى بطَبعِهِ
جَميلاًbeautifully فأَنشاand so kindled صَبْوةًa passionate longing للمَطابعِfor the printing presses
جَميلاً فأَنشا صَبْوةً للمَطابعِ
He perused a printed work and, true to his nature, praised it
He leafed through the print then praised its font
Beautifully, awakening a longing for the printing presses.
Composed a flood of joy to presses sent.
حَبَانيhe favored me علىacross بُعدِthe distance of المَدَىthe reach بِرسالةٍwith a letter
حَبَاني على بُعدِ المَدَى بِرسالةٍ
تَناوَلتُهاI received it بالقلبِwith the heart لاnot بالأَصابعِwith the fingers
تَناوَلتُها بالقلبِ لا بالأَصابعِ
He favored me from far away with a letter,
From afar he gifted me with an epistle
Which I received with my heart, not my fingers.
That I took in heart not with my fingertips.
مَنَعتُI prevented انصِرافَthe turning away of العينِthe eye عنهاfrom it تَصَبُّباًout of ardent love
مَنَعتُ انصِرافَ العينِ عنها تَصَبُّباً
كماjust as حالَstood دُونَin the way of الصَرفِfull declension بعضُsome of الموانعِthe impediments
كما حالَ دُونَ الصَرفِ بعضُ الموانعِ
In ardent love, I kept my eye from turning away from it,
I refused to divert my eyes oozing with it
Just as certain impediments bar full declension.
As some barriers hinder funds' trickle.
أَتَتْit came تَنجَليrevealing itself بينَbetween اثنَتَينِtwo ولَيسَand there is not ليfor me
أَتَتْ تَنجَلي بينَ اثنَتَينِ ولَيسَ لي
سِوىexcept مَهْدِthe cradle of قلبٍa heart منamong صِغارِthe small المَضاجعِresting places
سِوى مَهْدِ قلبٍ من صِغارِ المَضاجعِ
It came into view between two others, and I have
It came to comfort me amidst two
Only a heart's cradle among the little resting places.
While I've no more than a cot from small nooks.
ضعيفٌa weak one يُباريvies with قُوَّةًstrength منfrom جَماعةٍa group
ضعيفٌ يُباري قُوَّةً من جَماعةٍ
فَوهْنٌso weakness علىupon وَهَنٍweakness إلىto الوَهْنِweakness راجعِreturning
فَوهْنٌ على وَهَنٍ إلى الوَهْنِ راجعِ
A weak one contends with the strength of a group;
Feeble am I against the strength of a crowd,
So weakness upon weakness returns to weakness.
Frailty upon frailty back to frail bowed.
تَفضَّلَhe graciously bestowed بالمدحِwith praise الذيwhich هُوَhe أَهلُهُworthy of it
تَفضَّلَ بالمدحِ الذي هُوَ أَهلُهُ
جَميلُbeautiful ثَناءٍpraise للمَدائحِof praises جامعِencompassing
جَميلُ ثَناءٍ للمَدائحِ جامعِ
He graciously offered praise of which he himself is worthy,
He was so kind to praise me as I merit,
A beautiful tribute encompassing every praise.
Beautiful praise of verses all-inclusive.
فكانَso there were لهُfor him فَضلانِtwo merits فَضلٌa merit علىfor الثَّناpraise
فكانَ لهُ فَضلانِ فَضلٌ على الثَّنا
وفَضلٌand a merit علىfor خُلقِthe character of الرِّضَىcontentment المُتَواضعِhumble
وفَضلٌ على خُلقِ الرِّضَى المُتَواضعِ
Thus he had two merits: merit for his praise,
For him two favors - praising me for one
And merit for his humble, contented character.
And for being, in pleasure, ever so concise.
ألاbehold ياO بَعِيدَfar away in الدَّارِhome قَلبُكَyour heart قدindeed دَناhas drawn near
ألا يا بَعِيدَ الدَّارِ قَلبُكَ قد دَنا
إليناto us بملءِwith the fullness of العينِthe eye مِلءِthe fullness of المَسامِعِthe ears
إلينا بملءِ العينِ مِلءِ المَسامِعِ
Ah, you whose home is far away, your heart has drawn near
Oh remote dwelling, your heart has come near
To us, filling our eyes, filling our ears.
To us, filling the eye, ear-bursting sincere.
إذاif لمnot يكنْthere is بينَbetween القُلوبِhearts تَقَرُّبٌcloseness
إذا لم يكنْ بينَ القُلوبِ تَقَرُّبٌ
فإنَّthen indeed اقتِرابَthe nearness of الدَّارِhome ليسَis not بنافعِof any use
فإنَّ اقتِرابَ الدَّارِ ليسَ بنافعِ
If there is no closeness between hearts,
If hearts cannot draw close with no bends,
Then the nearness of homes is of no avail.
Then homes' proximity no benefit lends.
Sol 6.1