سَرَىtraveled by night جِنحَin the darkness of ليلٍnight والعُيُونُwhile the eyes هواجعُwere asleep
سَرَى جِنحَ ليلٍ والعُيُونُ هواجعُ
خَيَالٌa phantom كَذُوبٌhabitually lying عِندَهُin its keeping العَهدُthe pledge ضائعُlost
خَيَالٌ كَذُوبٌ عِندَهُ العَهدُ ضائعُ
It traveled through night's darkness, while eyes lay sleeping—
The wings of night spread, and eyes are sleepless,
A lying phantom, in whose keeping the pledge is lost.
An apparition is with him, the tryst is lost.
خَيالُthe phantom of التِّيher who لوif أُنذِرَتshe had been forewarned بمَسيرِهِof its journey
خَيالُ التِّي لو أُنذِرَت بمَسيرِهِ
أقامَتْshe set up عليهagainst it ألفَa thousand بابٍdoors يُمانِعُbarring the way
أقامَتْ عليه ألفَ بابٍ يُمانِعُ
The phantom of her who, had she been warned of its journey,
The apparition of her - had she been warned of his coming
Would have set a thousand doors against it, each barring its way.
She would have erected a thousand barriers to forbid him.
فَتاةٌa maiden حَكَتْshe resembled بدرَthe full moon of الدُّجَىthe darkness غيرَexcept أنَّهاthat she
فَتاةٌ حَكَتْ بدرَ الدُّجَى غيرَ أنَّها
تَبيتُshe spends the night وَراءَbehind الحُجْبِthe veils والبدرُwhile the full moon طالعُis rising
تَبيتُ وَراءَ الحُجْبِ والبدرُ طالعُ
A maiden who resembled the full moon in the darkness, except that she
A girl has related the tale of the crescent moon, although
Spends the night behind veils, while the full moon rises.
She spends the night behind veils while the crescent is rising.
قدِindeed استُودِعَتshe was entrusted with قلبيmy heart فَضاعَso it was lost وياand oh تُرَىone wonders
قدِ استُودِعَت قلبي فَضاعَ ويا تُرَى
مَتَىwhen حُفِظَتْwere kept safe عِندwith الحسانِbeautiful women الوَدائعُentrusted possessions
مَتَى حُفِظَتْ عِند الحسانِ الوَدائعُ
She was entrusted with my heart, and it was lost—and I wonder:
My heart was entrusted with her, but she is lost, and I wonder
When have trusts ever been safe in beauties' keeping?
When were hearts safeguarded by the beautiful their trusts?
هُوَhe الصَّادقُthe truthful one الخِلُّthe close friend الوَفيُّthe faithful one الذيwho لهُhe has
هُوَ الصَّادقُ الخِلُّ الوَفيُّ الذي لهُ
أيادٍfavors جِسامٌgreat عِندَناtoward us وصنائعُand acts of kindness
أيادٍ جِسامٌ عِندَنا وصنائعُ
He is the truthful, faithful friend, who has
He is the truthful, the sincere friend who is loyal,
Bestowed on us great favors and acts of kindness.
Whose great works with us are skills.
لهُhe has منof قوافيthe rhymes of الشِّعرpoetry جيشٌan army عَرَمْرَمٌimmense
لهُ من قوافي الشِّعر جيشٌ عَرَمْرَمٌ
أتَتْناcame to us إلىto بيرُوتَBeirut منهُfrom it طلائعُadvance ranks
أتَتْنا إلى بيرُوتَ منهُ طلائعُ
He has an immense army of poetic rhymes;
He has from the rhymes of poetry an army fluttering,
Its advance ranks reached us in Beirut.
Which came to Beirut from him as pioneers.
قَوافٍrhymes قَفاهاfollowed them أُنُسُهُhis friendly company تابعاًfollowing لهاafter them
قَوافٍ قَفاها أُنُسُهُ تابعاً لها
كماjust as تَبِعَتْfollowed ماwhat قبلَهُنَّwas before them التوابعُthe followers
كما تَبِعَتْ ما قبلَهُنَّ التوابعُ
Rhymes followed by his friendly company, coming in their wake,
Rhymes he composed, following them,
As followers followed what came before them.
As what came before them followed.
هيَthey الزَّهْرُthe blossoms لكنَّbut الطُروسَthe pages كمائمٌcalyxes
هيَ الزَّهْرُ لكنَّ الطُروسَ كمائمٌ
هيَthey الزهْرُthe stars لكنَّbut السُطورَthe lines مطالعُrising places
هيَ الزهْرُ لكنَّ السُطورَ مطالعُ
They are blossoms, but the pages are their calyxes;
It is the flower, but the compositions are flags,
They are stars, but the lines are their places of rising.
It is the flower, but the lines are dawns.
لَهاthey have مَنظَرٌan appearance فيin العينِthe eye أسَودُblack حالكٌpitch-dark
لَها مَنظَرٌ في العينِ أسَودُ حالكٌ
ولكنَّهُbut it فيin القلبِthe heart أبيضُwhite ناصعُpure
ولكنَّهُ في القلبِ أبيضُ ناصعُ
Their appearance to the eye is pitch-black,
To the eye it has a gloomy aspect, but
But in the heart it is pure white.
In the heart it is dazzling white.
حَباناhe favored us بهاwith them طَلقُopen البَنانِthe fingers مُهذَّبٌrefined
حَبانا بها طَلقُ البَنانِ مُهذَّبٌ
كريمٌgenerous هَداياهُhis gifts اللآليthe pearls السواطعُshining
كريمٌ هَداياهُ اللآلي السواطعُ
A refined, openhanded man favored us with them—
He brought us together gently, courteously,
A generous man whose gifts are shining pearls.
His gifts are brilliant pearls.
أديبٌa man of letters بآياتِin the marvels of البَلاغةِeloquence مُفرَدٌpeerless
أديبٌ بآياتِ البَلاغةِ مُفرَدٌ
لبيبٌdiscerning لأَشتاتِof the diverse kinds of الفضائلِvirtues جامعُa gatherer
لبيبٌ لأَشتاتِ الفضائلِ جامعُ
A man of letters, peerless in the marvels of eloquence;
A literary man excelling in eloquence, unique
A discerning man, uniting virtues of every kind.
In collecting scattered virtues.
أخوpossessor of الحَزْمresolve ماضيdecisive الرأيِjudgment فيin كُلِّall أمرِهِhis affairs
أخو الحَزْم ماضي الرأيِ في كُلِّ أمرِهِ
فليسَso there is not لهُfor him فيin فِعلِهِhis action مَنanyone who يُضارِعُrivals him
فليسَ لهُ في فِعلِهِ مَن يُضارِعُ
A man of resolve, decisive in judgment in all his affairs;
The brother of prudence, steadfast in his every decision,
So no one can match him in his deeds.
So none contends with him in his deeds.
يَظَلُّremains إليهِto him مُسندَاًleaning for support كلُّevery طالبٍseeker
يَظَلُّ إليهِ مُسندَاً كلُّ طالبٍ
وذاكَand that لهُfor him بينَamong البَريَّةِhumankind رافعُa source of elevation
وذاكَ لهُ بينَ البَريَّةِ رافعُ
Every seeker continues to lean upon him,
Every seeker takes shelter in him
And that exalts him among humankind.
And he among humanity is exalted.
جَزَىmay reward اللهُGod ماءَthe water of النِّيلِthe Nile خيراًwith goodness فإنَّهُfor it is
جَزَى اللهُ ماءَ النِّيلِ خيراً فإنَّهُ
شَرابٌa drink منَfrom الفِردَوسِParadise للناسfor people نابعُwelling forth
شَرابٌ منَ الفِردَوسِ للناس نابعُ
May God reward the Nile's water with goodness, for it is
May God reward the Nile water well, for it
A drink welling from Paradise for humankind.
Is a drink from Paradise for people flowing.
شَرابٌa drink لأهلِfor the people of اللهGod يَروىis quenched بهِby it الظَماthirst
شَرابٌ لأهلِ الله يَروى بهِ الظَما
ويَرَوىand is quenched بماby what يُرويهِit waters it دانٍone nearby وشاسِعُand one far away
ويَرَوى بما يُرويهِ دانٍ وشاسِعُ
A drink for God's people, by which thirst is quenched;
A drink for God's people, slaking thirst,
And those near and far drink their fill from what it waters.
And slaking through what it slakes vast lands.
كَفَىhas made self-sufficient اللهُGod مِصراًEgypt عنwithout needing منافعِthe benefits of غَيرِهاothers besides it
كَفَى اللهُ مِصراً عن منافعِ غَيرِها
وفيand in غيرِهاothers besides it تَنبثُّspread منهاfrom it المنافعُthe benefits
وفي غيرِها تَنبثُّ منها المنافعُ
God has spared Egypt the need for other lands' benefits;
God has spared Egypt the benefits of others,
And its benefits spread throughout other lands.
And benefits flow through it to others.
مَحَطُّa resting place رِحالِthe saddlebags of العلمِlearning فيin كُلِّevery حِقبةٍage
مَحَطُّ رِحالِ العلمِ في كُلِّ حِقبةٍ
هيَshe الأُمُّthe mother والأقطارُand the lands منهاfrom her رواضعُsucklings
هيَ الأُمُّ والأقطارُ منها رواضعُ
Where learning lays down its saddlebags in every age,
A haven for scholars in every epoch,
She is the mother, and the lands suckle from her.
It is the motherland, and countries are its meadows.
أتُوقُI yearn إلىfor تلكthose الدِّيارِlands ومَنand those who بِهاare in them
أتُوقُ إلى تلك الدِّيارِ ومَن بِها
وهيهاتِand how far off ماليI have no فيin اللقاءِmeeting مَطامِعُhopes
وهيهاتِ مالي في اللقاءِ مَطامِعُ
I yearn for those lands and those who dwell there,
I yearn for those lands and those in them,
And alas, I have no hope of meeting them.
Yet hopes of reunion are vain fantasies.
إذاif قيلَit is said إنَّthat المُستحيلَthe impossible ثلاثةٌthree
إذا قيلَ إنَّ المُستحيلَ ثلاثةٌ
فهذاthen this لهاتِيكَto those الثَلاثةِthree رابعُa fourth
فهذا لهاتِيكَ الثَلاثةِ رابعُ
If it is said that impossibilities are three,
When it is said the impossible is three things,
Then this is a fourth to add to those three.
This to those three is a fourth.
Sol 6.1