هلcan ...? للَّذيfor the one who فيin حَشاهُhis breast حُزنُthe sorrow of يعقوبِJacob
هل للَّذي في حَشاهُ حُزنُ يعقوبِ
منfrom حُسنِthe beauty of يُوسُفَJoseph يُرجَىbe hoped for صبرُthe patience of أَيُّوبِJob
من حُسنِ يُوسُفَ يُرجَى صبرُ أَيُّوبِ
Can one whose breast bears Jacob's sorrow
Does he who has sadness like Jacob's
Over Joseph's beauty be expected to show Job's patience?
Hope for Job's patience from Joseph's beauty?
وكيفَand how صَبرٌpatience بلاwithout قَلبa heart يقومُsubsists بهِin it
وكيفَ صَبرٌ بلا قَلب يقومُ بهِ
فقلبُfor the heart of كلِّevery مُحِبٍّlover عِندَwith محبوبِa beloved
فقلبُ كلِّ مُحِبٍّ عِندَ محبوبِ
And how can patience exist without a heart to sustain it?
How can there be patience without a heart to uphold it?
For every lover's heart is with the beloved.
For the heart of every lover is with the beloved.
مضىpassed الزَّمانُtime علىover أهلِthe people of الهَوىlove عَبَثاًin vain
مضى الزَّمانُ على أهلِ الهَوى عَبَثاً
فلمso they did not يَكُفُّواcease ولاnor فازواsucceed بمطلوبِwith what was sought
فلم يَكُفُّوا ولا فازوا بمطلوبِ
Time has passed over lovers in vain;
Time has passed fickly over the people of passion
Yet they have neither desisted nor attained what they sought.
So they neither stopped nor attained what they sought
تَطيبُare soothed أَنفُسُهُمْtheir souls تحتَbeneath الظَّلامِthe darkness علىon
تَطيبُ أَنفُسُهُمْ تحتَ الظَّلامِ على
وَعدِthe promise of الخَيالِthe dream-phantom وتَنسَىand forget وَعدَthe promise of عُرقوبِUrqub
وَعدِ الخَيالِ وتَنسَى وَعدَ عُرقوبِ
Their souls are soothed beneath the darkness, relying on
Their souls find pleasure in the darkness
The dream-phantom's promise, forgetting Urqub's promise.
On the promise of imagination, forgetting the promise of the Pleiades
كلُّall المِلاحِthe beauties فِدَىa ransom for خَودٍa lovely maiden ظَفَرتُI succeeded بهاin winning her
كلُّ المِلاحِ فِدَى خَودٍ ظَفَرتُ بها
تخلوis free عُذُوبتُهاher sweetness منfrom كُلِّevery تَعذيبِtorment
تخلو عُذُوبتُها من كُلِّ تَعذيبِ
All beauties are a ransom for a maiden I have won;
The beauty of my cheek that I gained
Her sweetness is free of every torment.
Is devoid of any bitterness in its sweetness
يَزينُهاadorns her الحِبرُthe ink فوقَupon الطِرْسِthe page لاnot حِبَرٌstriped cloths
يَزينُها الحِبرُ فوقَ الطِرْسِ لا حِبَرٌ
تحتbeneath الحِلَىthe jewelry وَطِرازٌand embroidery فيin الجَلابِيبِthe robes
تحت الحِلَى وَطِرازٌ في الجَلابِيبِ
Ink upon the page adorns her, not striped cloth
Adorned with kohl above the veil, no kohl
Beneath jewels, nor embroidery upon robes.
Below the ornaments, and embroidery on the robes
مَحجوبةٌveiled تحتَbeneath أَستارٍcurtains تَغيبُshe disappears بهاwithin them
مَحجوبةٌ تحتَ أَستارٍ تَغيبُ بها
ونُورُهاand her light كالدَّراريlike brilliant stars غيرُnot محجوبِveiled
ونُورُها كالدَّراري غيرُ محجوبِ
Veiled beneath curtains in which she disappears,
Veiled under covers, hidden by them
Yet her light, like brilliant stars, is not veiled.
And her light like pearls not veiled
عَلِمتُI knew أَنَّthat عَرُوساًa bride ضِمنَinside هَودَجِهاher camel-litter
عَلِمتُ أَنَّ عَرُوساً ضِمنَ هَودَجِها
لَمَّاwhen تَنَسَّمتُI breathed in منهfrom it نَفحةَa waft of الطِيبِperfume
لَمَّا تَنَسَّمتُ منه نَفحةَ الطِيبِ
I knew a bride was inside her camel-litter
I knew a bride was concealed in her litter
When I breathed from it a waft of perfume.
When I smelled the fragrance of perfume from her
هَديَّةٌa gift جادَgave generously مُهديهاits giver عَليَّto me كماjust as
هَديَّةٌ جادَ مُهديها عَليَّ كما
تُهدىare given عِطاشُthe thirsty ones الرُّبىthe hills قَطْرَthe raindrops of الشَّآبِيبِdownpours
تُهدى عِطاشُ الرُّبى قَطْرَ الشَّآبِيبِ
A gift its giver generously bestowed upon me, as
A gift her sender generously gave me
Thirsty hills are given the drops of cloudbursts.
As the thirst of the brilliant one is given a drop from the clouds
جاءتshe came علىat غَيرِother than ميعادٍan appointed time لزَورَتِهاfor her visit
جاءت على غَيرِ ميعادٍ لزَورَتِها
وأعذَبُand the sweetest of الوَفْدِthe guests وَفدٌguests غيرُnot محسوبِexpected
وأعذَبُ الوَفْدِ وَفدٌ غيرُ محسوبِ
She came without a time appointed for her visit;
She came at an unexpected time on her visit
And the sweetest guests are those unlooked-for.
And the sweetest delegation is one unexpected
كريمةٌnoble منfrom كريمٍa noble man عَزَّis inviolable جانِبُهُhis standing
كريمةٌ من كريمٍ عَزَّ جانِبُهُ
ياO حبَّذاhow excellent كاتِبٌa writer منهُfrom him كمكتوبِlike a written work
يا حبَّذا كاتِبٌ منهُ كمكتوبِ
A noble gift from a noble man of unassailable dignity;
Noble, from the noble whose side is inaccessible
How splendid a writer he is, as splendid as his writing!
Oh, the writer from him is well composed!
أَثنىhe praised عَلَيَّme بماwith what لاnot أستطيعُI can لهُfor it
أَثنى عَلَيَّ بما لا أستطيعُ لهُ
شكُراًthanks فأُلقيso I offer إليهِto him عُذرَthe excuse of مغلوبِone overwhelmed
شكُراً فأُلقي إليهِ عُذرَ مغلوبِ
He praised me in terms for which I cannot render
He praised me beyond what I can thank him for
Thanks, so I offer him the excuse of one overwhelmed.
So I cast to him the excuse of the overpowered
حَيَّاmay ... greet الصَّباthe east wind أَرضَthe land of مصرَEgypt والَّذينَand those who بهاare in it
حَيَّا الصَّبا أَرضَ مصرَ والَّذينَ بها
وجادَهاand may it drench it كلُّevery هَتَّانِpouring raincloud الأَساكيبِstreaming showers
وجادَها كلُّ هَتَّانِ الأَساكيبِ
May the east wind greet Egypt's land and those within it,
Greetings to the morning, the land of Egypt and those in it
And may every raincloud with streaming showers drench it.
And its generosity like the downpours of rain
فيin أَرضِهاits land غابةُthe forest of العِلمِlearning التيwhich سَمَحَتْgave generously
في أَرضِها غابةُ العِلمِ التي سَمَحَتْ
لِغيرِهاto others besides it بالشَّظاياwith splinters والأَنابيبِand reed-stems
لِغيرِها بالشَّظايا والأَنابيبِ
On its soil stands the forest of learning, which has bestowed
In its land is the forest of knowledge that permitted
On other lands splinters and reed-stems.
Others its scraps and pipelines
علىupon الخليلِKhalil سَلامُthe peace of اللهِGod تَقرَأُهُrecite it
على الخليلِ سَلامُ اللهِ تَقرَأُهُ
ملائِكُthe angels of العَرْشِthe Throne منfrom أعلىthe highest المَحاريبِsanctuaries
ملائِكُ العَرْشِ من أعلى المَحاريبِ
Upon Khalil be God's peace, recited
Peace be upon the Friend as the angels
By angels of the Throne from the highest sanctuaries.
Of the throne read above the pulpits
ومَنand who لَناfor us بسَلامٍwith peace نَلتَقيهِwe meet him بهِwith it
ومَن لَنا بسَلامٍ نَلتَقيهِ بهِ
وبَردِand the cooling of شوقٍlonging كتِلكَlike that النَّارِfire مشبُوبِkindled
وبَردِ شوقٍ كتِلكَ النَّارِ مشبُوبِ
And who can give us peace with which to meet him,
And who can we have peace with to meet him with it
And coolness for a longing ablaze like that fire?
And the coolness of passion like that blazing firebrand?
هوhe الأَديبُthe man of letters الذيwho رَقَّتْgrew gentle شَمائِلُهُhis manners
هو الأَديبُ الذي رَقَّتْ شَمائِلُهُ
وصانَهُand protected him اللهُGod منfrom لومٍblame وتَثْريبِand reproach
وصانَهُ اللهُ من لومٍ وتَثْريبِ
He is the man of letters whose manners are gentle,
He is the writer whose traits have softened
And whom God has guarded from blame and reproach.
And whom God protected from blame and rebuke
مُنَزَّهٌfree عنfrom فُضولِexcesses of القولِspeech مَنطِقُهُhis utterance
مُنَزَّهٌ عن فُضولِ القولِ مَنطِقُهُ
فيin النَّظمِverse والنَّثرِand prose مقبولُwell received الأساليبِthe styles
في النَّظمِ والنَّثرِ مقبولُ الأساليبِ
His speech is free of superfluous words;
Aloof from the superfluities of speech, his diction
In verse and prose, his styles are well received.
In prose and verse is of accepted styles
وأَحسَنُand the finest of الشِّعرِpoetry ماwhat رَاقَتْare pleasing مَوارِدُهُits springs
وأَحسَنُ الشِّعرِ ما رَاقَتْ مَوارِدُهُ
مستَوفياًfully fulfilling حَقَّthe due of تهذيبٍrefinement وتأْديبِand edification
مستَوفياً حَقَّ تهذيبٍ وتأْديبِ
And the finest poetry is that whose springs delight,
And the best poetry is that whose springs
Giving refinement and edification their full due.
Fulfill the right of refinement and education
ومنand one who أَقامَsets علىover ألفاظِهِhis words حَرَساًa guard
ومن أَقامَ على ألفاظِهِ حَرَساً
مِثلَlike السكَائِمِbridle-bits للجُرْدِfor sleek-coated steeds السَّراحِيبِlong-limbed
مِثلَ السكَائِمِ للجُرْدِ السَّراحِيبِ
And one who sets a guard over his words,
And he who stood guard over its words
Like bits for sleek, long-limbed steeds;
Like protectors over the racehorses' reins
ومنand one who إذاwhen عَرَضَتْarises فيamong الناسِpeople تَجرِبَةٌa trial
ومن إذا عَرَضَتْ في الناسِ تَجرِبَةٌ
أَغنَتهُit spares him عنfrom شَقِّhardship of نَفسٍa soul فيin التَجارِيبِtrials
أَغنَتهُ عن شَقِّ نَفسٍ في التَجارِيبِ
And one who, when a trial arises among people,
And he who, if there comes a trial among people
Is spared by it the hardship of undergoing trials.
Suffices him against piercing a soul in trials
إليكَto you ياO ابنson of سِراجِSiraj الدينal-Din قدindeed وَفَدَتْshe has come
إليكَ يا ابن سِراجِ الدين قد وَفَدَتْ
تَبغيseeking الضياءَradiance فَتاةٌa maiden للأَعاريبِof the Bedouin Arabs
تَبغي الضياءَ فَتاةٌ للأَعاريبِ
To you, O son of Siraj al-Din, has come
To you O son of Suraj ad-Din has come
A maiden of the Bedouin Arabs, seeking light.
A girl seeking illumination for the Bedouins
خَطَّارةٌswaying as she walks فيin سخيفِthinly woven البُرْدِthe cloak عاطلةٌunadorned
خَطَّارةٌ في سخيفِ البُرْدِ عاطلةٌ
مَدَّتshe extended إليكَto you بَناناًfingertips غيرَnot مخضوبِhenna-dyed
مَدَّت إليكَ بَناناً غيرَ مخضوبِ
Swaying in a thin cloak, unadorned,
A flirt in the howdah of the camel litter, idle,
She held out to you fingertips not dyed with henna.
She has extended to you her fingers not dyed with henna
رَفَعتَyou raised قَدريmy rank بمَدحٍwith praise قدindeed خَفَضْتُI lowered لهُfor it
رَفَعتَ قَدري بمَدحٍ قد خَفَضْتُ لهُ
رأْسيmy head فناظَرَهُthen met it سَمْعيmy ear بمنصوبِwith an upraised ear
رأْسي فناظَرَهُ سَمْعي بمنصوبِ
You raised my rank with praise to which I lowered
You raised my worth with praise, for which I lowered
My head, while my ear met it, held upright.
My head, so my hearing regarded it attentively
عليَّupon me شُكرُكَthanking you مفروضٌobligatory أَقومُI attend بهِto it
عليَّ شُكرُكَ مفروضٌ أَقومُ بهِ
ياO مَنyou who عليهِof him مَديحيmy praise غيرُnot مندوبِmerely recommended
يا مَن عليهِ مَديحي غيرُ مندوبِ
Thanking you is a duty upon me, which I fulfill,
I owe you gratitude which I will fulfill
O you, whose praise from me is not merely optional.
O you whom my praise is not obligated to
Sol 6.1