سلامٌpeace علىupon منthe one who لاnot نَمُرُّwe pass ببالِهِthrough his mind
سلامٌ على من لا نَمُرُّ ببالِهِ
فماذاthen what تُرَىdo you suppose أطماعُناour hopes فيfor وِصالِهِunion with him
فماذا تُرَى أطماعُنا في وِصالِهِ
Peace upon the one whose mind we never cross.
Greetings to the one we do not pass by in our minds
What hopes, then, do you suppose we have of union with him?
So what are our hopes of reaching him
ولمand did not يكْفِهِsuffice him ماwhat قدalready حَملْناهُwe have borne it فيin الهَوىlove
ولم يكْفِهِ ما قد حَملْناهُ في الهَوى
منَof الذُلِّhumiliation حتَّىuntil زادَhe added حِملَthe burden of خالِهِhis beauty spot
منَ الذُلِّ حتَّى زادَ حِملَ خالِهِ
Nor was what we had borne in love enough for him—
And it was not enough for him what we have borne in passion
the humiliation—until he added the burden of his beauty spot.
Of humiliation until the burden of his maternal uncle increased
مليحٌa handsome one شَهِدناwe testified أنthat ناراًa fire بِخَدِّهِin his cheek
مليحٌ شَهِدنا أن ناراً بِخَدِّهِ
لأنَّاbecause we وجدناfound بينهاamid it فَحْمَthe charcoal of خالهِhis beauty spot
لأنَّا وجدنا بينها فَحْمَ خالهِ
A handsome one: we testified that fire was in his cheek,
It is commendable that we testified a fire on his cheek
for amid it we found the charcoal of his beauty spot.
Because we found coal between it
أباحَhe laid open فُؤَاديmy heart للهَوىto passion وهوwhile he is باخلٌmiserly
أباحَ فُؤَادي للهَوى وهو باخلٌ
يَعِزُّis hard to grant عليهِfor him نظرَةُa glimpse منof جَمالِهِhis beauty
يَعِزُّ عليهِ نظرَةُ من جَمالِهِ
He opened my heart to passion, yet he is miserly:
My heart allowed passion and it is sorrowful
he begrudges a glimpse of his beauty.
It is difficult for it the glance of his beauty
وكلُّand everyone كريمُgenerous النَّفسِin spirit منwith مالِthe wealth of غيرهِsomeone other than him
وكلُّ كريمُ النَّفسِ من مالِ غيرهِ
وقلَّand few are كريمُgenerous النَّفسِin spirit منwith نفسِvery own مالهِhis wealth
وقلَّ كريمُ النَّفسِ من نفسِ مالهِ
Everyone is generous-hearted with another's wealth,
And every generous person is generous with the money of others
but few are generous-hearted with their very own wealth.
And few are generous people with their own money
وماand whatever كانwas لمdid not تَتْعَبْtoil عليهِfor it يمينُهُhis right hand
وما كان لم تَتْعَبْ عليهِ يمينُهُ
يهونُis easy عليهِfor him بذلُهُgiving it away بشمالِهِwith his left hand
يهونُ عليهِ بذلُهُ بشمالِهِ
And whatever his right hand has not toiled for,
That which your right hand did not toil for
he finds easy to give away with his left.
Comes easy for you to spend with your left
تكلَّفْتُI took pains نظمَcomposing الشِّعرِpoetry كَهْلاًin middle age لأجلهِfor his sake
تكلَّفْتُ نظمَ الشِّعرِ كَهْلاً لأجلهِ
ويَكَهْلُand grows middle-aged شعرُthe poetry of المرْءِa person عندَat اكتهالِهِhis reaching middle age
ويَكَهْلُ شعرُ المرْءِ عندَ اكتهالِهِ
I took pains to compose verse in middle age for his sake,
I exerted myself composing poetry in old age because of him
and a man's verse reaches middle age when he does.
And a person's poetry grows old when he is fully grown
فضاعَso it was wasted كماjust as ضاعَwas wasted الزَّمانُtime وهكذاand thus
فضاعَ كما ضاعَ الزَّمانُ وهكذا
نرىwe see كلَّevery أمرٍundertaking لمdid not يَجُلْrange فيwithin مَجالِهِits sphere
نرى كلَّ أمرٍ لم يَجُلْ في مَجالِهِ
So it was wasted, as time was wasted; and thus
So it is lost as time is lost and thus
we see every undertaking not pursued in its proper sphere.
We see everything that has not fit in its proper place
إذاif ضلَّstrays عنكَfrom you الشِّعرُpoetry فاطلُبْهُthen seek it تلقَهُyou will find it
إذا ضلَّ عنكَ الشِّعرُ فاطلُبْهُ تلقَهُ
إلىto غربِthe west of لُبنانَLebanon اهتَدَىit found its way منout of ضَلالِهِits wandering
إلى غربِ لُبنانَ اهتَدَى من ضَلالِهِ
If poetry strays from you, seek it; you will find it,
If poetry escapes you then seek it, you will find it
having found its way out of wandering to western Lebanon.
Heading west to Lebanon, guided from its misguidance
أمامَbefore بنيthe sons of رسلانَRaslan طيبُpleasant وقوفهِits standing
أمامَ بني رسلانَ طيبُ وقوفهِ
وعندand with بنيthe sons of رسلانَRaslan حَطُّthe laying down of رِحالهِits baggage
وعند بني رسلانَ حَطُّ رِحالهِ
Pleasant is its station before the sons of Raslan,
In the presence of the family of Raslan is its beautiful standing
and with the sons of Raslan it lays down its baggage.
And with the family of Raslan the unpacking of its belongings
تُصلِّيinvoke blessings القوافيthe rhymes كلَّevery يومٍday وليلةٍand night
تُصلِّي القوافي كلَّ يومٍ وليلةٍ
علىupon وجهِthe face of رسلانَRaslan القديمِof old وآلِهِand his family
على وجهِ رسلانَ القديمِ وآلِهِ
The rhymes invoke blessings every day and night
The rhymes pray every day and night
upon the face of Raslan of old and his family,
Upon the face of old Raslan and his family
علىupon حيدرَHaydar الشَّهمِthe gallant الكريمِthe generous ومُلحِمٍand Mulhim
على حيدرَ الشَّهمِ الكريمِ ومُلحِمٍ
وماand whatever حولَهُaround him منof سَهْلِهِhis plain وجبالِهِand his mountains
وما حولَهُ من سَهْلِهِ وجبالِهِ
upon gallant, generous Haydar and Mulhim,
Upon Haydar the noble hero and warrior
and all around him—his plain and his mountains.
And around him from his plains and mountains
أبٌa father ماجدٌnoble وابنٌand a son كريمٌgenerous كخاتَمٍlike a signet ring
أبٌ ماجدٌ وابنٌ كريمٌ كخاتَمٍ
أتىbrought forth نقشُهُits engraving فيin طبعِهِits impression بمثالِهwith its likeness
أتى نقشُهُ في طبعِهِ بمثالِه
A noble father and a generous son, like a signet ring
A glorious father and a generous son like a ring
whose engraving reproduces its likeness when stamped.
Whose engraving in his nature came with his example
إلىtoward عملِthe practice of الإحسانِbenevolence أسبَقُforemost أهلِهِits practitioners
إلى عملِ الإحسانِ أسبَقُ أهلِهِ
وفيand in خدمِةِthe service of السُّلطانِthe sultan أمضىthe most resolute رِجالهِhis men
وفي خدمِةِ السُّلطانِ أمضى رِجالهِ
Foremost among the doers of good,
Foremost in doing good of his people
and in the sultan's service, the most resolute of his men.
And in serving the sultan most steadfast of his men
إذاwhen مسَّتْpressed الحاجاتُneeds قامrose كلاهُماboth of them
إذا مسَّتْ الحاجاتُ قام كلاهُما
إليهماtoward them both كَجمرlike the embers of النَّارfire عندَat اشتعالِهِits blazing
إليهما كَجمر النَّار عندَ اشتعالِهِ
When needs press, both of them rise
When needs touched them, both would stand
to meet them, like embers of fire when they blaze.
To them like embers of fire when it blazes
وإنand if جنَّdescended ديجورُthe pitch darkness of الخطوبِcalamities تلقيَّاthey both met
وإن جنَّ ديجورُ الخطوبِ تلقيَّا
دُجاهُits darkness بصبحٍwith a dawn شقَّrent جيبَthe collar of ظِلالهِits shadows
دُجاهُ بصبحٍ شقَّ جيبَ ظِلالهِ
And if the black night of calamities descends, they both meet
And if the hardships of tribulations gathered they would face
its darkness with a dawn that rends the collar of its shadows.
The morning whose dawn split the shadow's burrows
لكلِّfor every فتىًyoung man عيبٌa flaw يشينُdisgraces بنفسهِin his own person
لكلِّ فتىً عيبٌ يشينُ بنفسهِ
سِوَىexcept ملحمٍMulhim سبحانَglory be to معطيthe giver of كَمالِهِhis perfection
سِوَى ملحمٍ سبحانَ معطي كَمالِهِ
Every young man has a flaw that tarnishes him,
Every young man has a flaw that mars himself
except Mulhim—glory to the Giver of his perfection!
Except Mulhim, glory to the giver of his perfection
وكلُّand all ولاةِthose in charge of الأمرِaffairs تحتاجُneed قاضياًa judge
وكلُّ ولاةِ الأمرِ تحتاجُ قاضياً
سِوىexcept ملحمٍMulhim عمِّpaternal uncle of القضاءِjustice وخالِهِand its maternal uncle
سِوى ملحمٍ عمِّ القضاءِ وخالِهِ
And all those in authority need a judge,
And all governors need a judge
except Mulhim, justice's paternal and maternal uncle.
Except Mulhim, the judging extended to his maternal uncle
أغَرُّradiant خَصيبُfertile الرَّبعthe abode كلُّall زمانِهِhis time
أغَرُّ خَصيبُ الرَّبع كلُّ زمانِهِ
زمانُa time of ربيعٍspring فيin أوانِthe season of اعتِدالهِits mildness
زمانُ ربيعٍ في أوانِ اعتِدالهِ
Radiant, with a fertile abode: all his days
The most blossoming springtime of the land throughout his time
are springtime in its season of mildness.
The time of springtime in the prime of its moderation
ذكيُّkeen النُّهَىof intellect لولاwere it not for رَصانةُthe composure of نفسهِhis spirit
ذكيُّ النُّهَى لولا رَصانةُ نفسهِ
لكانَhe would be يجيبُanswering المرءَa person قبلَbefore سُؤالِهِhis question
لكانَ يجيبُ المرءَ قبلَ سُؤالِهِ
Keen of mind—were it not for his spirit's composure,
Clever advice, were it not for his soul's composure
he would answer a man before he asked.
He would answer a person before his question
يقولونَthey say تهوَىyou love آلَthe house of رسلانَRaslan قلتُI said قدindeed
يقولونَ تهوَى آلَ رسلانَ قلتُ قد
تمتَّعْتُI have delighted منfrom صافيpure الهَوَىlove بزُلالِهِin its clear water
تمتَّعْتُ من صافي الهَوَى بزُلالِهِ
They say, 'You love the house of Raslan.' I said, 'Indeed,
They say the family of Raslan is infatuated, I said I have
I have delighted in the clear water of pure love.'
Enjoyed the pure water from its springs
هَوِيْتُI have loved الأُلىthose who يلقىreceives الكرامةَhonor ضيفُهُمtheir guest
هَوِيْتُ الأُلى يلقى الكرامةَ ضيفُهُم
وينسىand forgets غريبُthe stranger الدَّارِthe home ذِكرَthe thought of عيالِهِhis family
وينسى غريبُ الدَّارِ ذِكرَ عيالِهِ
I have loved those whose guest receives honor,
I loved the family where its guest finds hospitality
and one far from home forgets to think of his family.
And the stranger forgets the mention of his family
أرىI see الشِّعرَpoetry يدعونيit calls me إلىto نظمِcomposing مدحِهمtheir praise
أرى الشِّعرَ يدعوني إلى نظمِ مدحِهم
فَيسمحُso it permits معdespite ضَعفيmy weakness بوَشْكِwith the swiftness of ارتجالهِimprovising it
فَيسمحُ مع ضَعفي بوَشْكِ ارتجالهِ
I see poetry calling me to compose verses in their praise,
I see poetry invites me to compose praise of them
so, despite my weakness, it lets me improvise it swiftly.
So it allows despite my weakness the verge of improvisation
ولوand even if لمdid not أقلْI utter شِعراًverse بهمabout them حالَin a state of يقظةٍwakefulness
ولو لم أقلْ شِعراً بهم حالَ يقظةٍ
أتىwould come هاتفاًcalling فيin النَّوْمِsleep طيفُthe phantom of خَيالهِits image
أتى هاتفاً في النَّوْمِ طيفُ خَيالهِ
And even if I uttered no verse about them while awake,
And if I did not say poetry about them in a state of wakefulness
the phantom of its image would come calling in sleep.
A apparition would come in sleep, the phantom of his imagination
Sol 6.1