مَنwho لِصَبّfor a lovesick lover لَمdid not يَنَلattain أَرَباa desire
مَن لِصَبّ لَم يَنَل أَرَبا
مُستهامcrazed with love رقَّgrew tender وَاِنتَحَباand sobbed
مُستهام رقَّ وَاِنتَحَبا
Who will help a lovesick lover who has not attained his desire?
He who seeks beauty's affection unreturned
Crazed with love, he grew tender and sobbed.
Will weep and moan in anguished distress.
مُستهلّpouring forth الدَمعthe tears ساكبهshedding them
مُستهلّ الدَمع ساكبه
ماnot شَكاhe complained of بُؤساًmisery وَلاnor وَصَباsickness
ما شَكا بُؤساً وَلا وَصَبا
His tears streaming, he pours them out;
With eyes that rain tears he pours out his sorrow,
He complained of neither misery nor sickness.
Not to complain of misery or torment.
ذوpossessed of غَرامpassionate love سامَهُinflicted on him شَجَناsorrow
ذو غَرام سامَهُ شَجَنا
مُشفِقاًapprehensive مِنof بَرحِهِits torment رَهباin dread
مُشفِقاً مِن بَرحِهِ رَهبا
Possessed of a love that inflicted sorrow on him,
Passion so consumed him, deep yearning filled him -
Apprehensive, he dreaded its torment.
Fearing the loss of his loved one, anxiously.
وَهَوىand love for الآرامthe gazelles غالبهovercame him
وَهَوى الآرام غالبه
وَهوَwhile he لاnot يُصغيlistens لِمَنto whoever عَتباreproached
وَهوَ لا يُصغي لِمَن عَتبا
And love of the gazelles overcame him,
While comfort slumbers, beyond his reach,
While he ignores whoever reproaches him.
Deaf to rebuke, he burns in fervent love.
وَاللَواحيand the reproaching women حمّلتهburdened him with عَناhardship
وَاللَواحي حمّلته عَنا
لاعجٌa searing pain مِنfrom وَجدِهِhis longing اِلتَهَباflared up
لاعجٌ مِن وَجدِهِ اِلتَهَبا
And the reproaching women burdened him with hardship;
Suffering burdened him with fiery embers,
A searing pain flared from his longing.
From the flames of passion set ablaze within.
لَمnot يَزَلcease دَوماًalways يُصاحبهaccompanies him
لَم يَزَل دَوماً يُصاحبه
مُصعداًraising أَنفاسَهُhis breaths لَهباas flame
مُصعداً أَنفاسَهُ لَهبا
It never ceased to be his constant companion,
Always following him, his sighing breath
Sending his breaths upward as flame.
Like kindling, fueling love's growing fire.
وَيحalas for قَلبيmy heart ظَلّremained مُرتهناheld in pledge
وَيح قَلبي ظَلّ مُرتهنا
أتقاوىI strive to be strong وَالهَوىwhile passion غَلَباhas prevailed
أتقاوى وَالهَوى غَلَبا
Alas for my heart, which remained held in pledge!
Alas my heart! Still enthralled is it,
I strive to be strong, though passion has prevailed.
Though passion conquered it and rules supreme.
وَالظباand the gazelles تيهاًin haughtiness تُعاقبهpunish it
وَالظبا تيهاً تُعاقبه
وَعَيائيand my helplessness داؤُهُits malady صَعباgrew severe
وَعَيائي داؤُهُ صَعبا
And the gazelles punish it in their haughtiness;
With confusion punishing, testing his will,
And I am helpless—its malady has grown severe.
And my pride worsening his dire condition.
وَغَزالand a gazelle هزّswayed قَدّa figure قَناspear-shafts
وَغَزال هزّ قَدّ قَنا
ذوpossessed of جَمالbeauty زيّنadorned النقباthe veils
ذو جَمال زيّن النقبا
And a gazelle swayed his spear-like figure,
A gazelle, whose slender form sways gracefully,
Possessed of beauty that adorned the veils.
With beauty adorning his elegant neck.
فتنَbewitched الأَلبابَthe minds حاجبُهhis eyebrow
فتنَ الأَلبابَ حاجبُه
وَبلبّيand with my heart طالَماso often لَعِباit toyed
وَبلبّي طالَما لَعِبا
His eyebrow bewitched the minds,
His alluring eyelashes stir hearts to madness,
And how often it toyed with my heart!
And my reason is helpless, captured by him.
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom مِنهُof his بَديعwondrous سَناradiance
بِأَبي مِنهُ بَديع سَنا
لاmay he not نَأىdraw far away عَنّيfrom me وَلاnor غَرباset
لا نَأى عَنّي وَلا غَربا
May my father ransom that wondrous radiance of his!
By his exquisite charm and youthful splendor,
May he never draw far from me, nor set.
Neither distant from me nor far removed.
قَمرa moon تَزهوshine proudly مَواكبُهhis retinues
قَمر تَزهو مَواكبُه
لَوif رَآهit saw him البَدرthe full moon لاِحتَجَباit would veil itself
لَو رَآه البَدر لاِحتَجَبا
A moon whose retinues shine proudly;
A moon who glows with brilliant light around him -
Were the full moon to see him, it would veil itself.
Were the full moon to see him, it would hide in shame.
خَدّهhis cheek الوَرديّrosy طابَgrew sweet جَنىfruit
خَدّه الوَرديّ طابَ جَنى
وَسُقيand was watered ماءwater الحَياmodesty أَدَباin refinement
وَسُقي ماء الحَيا أَدَبا
The fruit of his rosy cheek grew sweet,
His rosy cheeks, the bloom of the rose in bounty,
And was watered with modesty's dew, in grace.
Given to drink the water of vitality.
جَلّhe is exalted عَنabove رَيبsuspicion يُقاربهapproaching him
جَلّ عَن رَيب يُقاربه
فَغَداso became حاليmy state بِهِthrough him عَجَباa marvel
فَغَدا حالي بِهِ عَجَبا
He is too exalted for suspicion to approach him;
Far above any doubt or misgiving,
So my state through him became a marvel.
My state because of him is filled with wonder.
صُنتI guarded عَمَّنfrom whoever لامَنيreproached me أُذناan ear
صُنت عَمَّن لامَني أُذنا
كَمhow many حَسودٍan envious man ناصحan adviser خلباdeceived
كَم حَسودٍ ناصح خلبا
I guarded my ear from whoever reproached me;
Guarded have I been, closing off my hearing
How many an envious adviser has deceived!
From the advice of envious, jealous whisperers.
رَيثماwhile أَنّيthat I أُجانبهkeep away from him
رَيثما أَنّي أُجانبه
مَسمَعيmy hearing عَنfrom نُصحهhis counsel اِجتَنَباturned away
مَسمَعي عَن نُصحه اِجتَنَبا
While I keep my distance from him,
Until I abandon and shun their counsel,
My ear turns away from his counsel.
Deaf I remain to their warning and rebuke.
وَمدامand the wine of الثَغرthe lips كَأسa cup هَناbliss
وَمدام الثَغر كَأس هَنا
هاتbring it ياO مَنyou who مِنهُfrom it قَدalready شَرباdrank
هات يا مَن مِنهُ قَد شَربا
And the wine of his lips is a cup of bliss;
Take it - you who from his drink found bliss before.
Bring it, O you who have already drunk of it!
Is it a fitting match? Can you perceive
أتُرىdo you see نِدّاًan equal يُناسبهmatching it
أتُرى نِدّاً يُناسبه
سكراًsugar أرشفتdid you sip أَمor ضَرباwhite honey
سكراً أرشفت أَم ضَربا
Do you see an equal that can match it?
Whether drunk deeply or just briefly sipped?
Was it sugar you sipped, or white honey?
Beyond what I had hoped and dreamed of attaining,
غَيرexcept ماwhat أَمّلتI hoped for فيهِin him مُنىwishes
غَير ما أَمّلت فيهِ مُنى
مِنfrom جدىbounty آلاءfavors منthe one who وَهَباbestowed
مِن جدى آلاء من وَهَبا
Save the wishes I cherished in him,
From my striving, gifts of favor bestowed.
From the bounty of the giver's favors.
The giver of glory, honor's guarantor
وَأمينand Amin المَجدglory واهبهits bestower
وَأمين المَجد واهبه
ذوpossessed of المَعاليlofty honors سَيّدlord of النجباthe noble
ذو المَعالي سَيّد النجبا
And Amin, the bestower of glory,
Is the eminent lord of all nobility.
Possessor of lofty honors, lord of the noble.
Whose praise when recited in his presence
مَنhe who إِذاwhen أَتلوI recite لَديهِbefore him ثَناpraise
مَن إِذا أَتلو لَديهِ ثَنا
مَدحهُhis praise يَتلوfollows الثَناthe praise كتباbooks
مَدحهُ يَتلو الثَنا كتبا
He before whom, when I recite praise,
Is recorded in writing, line after line.
His praise follows praise in books.
I recited my eulogy of his virtues -
رَتّلتchanted مَدحيmy praise مَناقبهُhis virtues
رَتّلت مَدحي مَناقبهُ
مَنwhoever رأىsaw تَرتيلهits recitation اِعتَجَباmarveled
مَن رأى تَرتيله اِعتَجَبا
His virtues chanted my words of praise;
All who heard my recital voiced astonishment.
Whoever witnessed its recitation marveled.
My delight - though undeserved the bounty gained
أَريحيّopenhanded كَمhow many حَباhe bestowed مِنناfavors
أَريحيّ كَم حَبا مِننا
غَيرnot مَغبونcheated بِماin what اِكتَسَباhe gained
غَير مَغبون بِما اِكتَسَبا
Openhanded—how many favors he bestowed!
From clouds of generosity, rains he poured forth.
Never cheated in what he gained,
Not deeming his unstinting munificence a burden,
مِنfrom ندىbounty جادَتpoured generously سَحائبُهhis clouds
مِن ندى جادَت سَحائبُه
لَمnot يسمهafflict him بَذلهُhis giving كرباanguish
لَم يسمه بَذلهُ كربا
From the bounty his clouds poured down;
While others viewed it as mighty and grand.
His giving never burdened him with anguish.
Every splendid attribute he came to possess
كُلّevery مَعنىquality حازَهُhe possessed it حسناwas beautiful
كُلّ مَعنى حازَهُ حسنا
حينwhen عَمّاfrom what دونَهُbeneath it رَغباhe turned away
حين عَمّا دونَهُ رَغبا
Every quality he possessed was beautiful,
When he aspired beyond what others craved.
When he turned away from what lay beneath it.
As his status became exalted with acclaim,
عِندماwhen باهَتvied in glory مَراتبهُhis ranks
عِندما باهَت مَراتبهُ
طاوَلَتrivaled in height عَلياؤُهُhis eminence الشُهُباthe bright stars
طاوَلَت عَلياؤُهُ الشُهُبا
When his ranks vied in splendor,
His venerable beard turned white with age.
His eminence rivaled the bright stars in height.
He is the rain of righteousness if we are thirsty,
فَهوَfor he is غَيثlife-giving rain البرِّbenevolence إِنif هَتناhe pours down
فَهوَ غَيث البرِّ إِن هَتنا
وَهوَand he is لَيثa lion الغابthe forest إِنif وَثَباhe leaps
وَهوَ لَيث الغاب إِن وَثَبا
For he is the rain of benevolence when he pours,
The forest lion if aggressors pounce to attack.
And the lion of the forest when he leaps.
Brandishing his sword, terror grips his foes -
لَمَعتflashed بَطشاًin assault قَواضبهhis sharp swords
لَمَعت بَطشاً قَواضبه
لِترىso they may see مِنهُfrom him العِداthe foes رُعباterror
لِترى مِنهُ العِدا رُعبا
His sharp swords flashed in fierce assault,
To make them see might and courage from him.
So his foes might see terror at his hands.
He rose never betraying reliance on God,
لاnot اِنبَرىset forth يَلقىto find هناbliss وَمنىand wishes
لا اِنبَرى يَلقى هنا وَمنى
لَمnot يَزَلcease بِاللَهfrom God مُحتسباseeking reward
لَم يَزَل بِاللَه مُحتسبا
He did not set forth to find bliss and wishes fulfilled;
Seeking only what earns divine reward.
He has always sought his reward from God,
Victorious in all affairs he undertakes,
ظافِراًsuccessful فيماin what يُراقبهhe watches for
ظافِراً فيما يُراقبه
غَيرnot مَعصيّdisobeyed بِماin what طَلَباhe requested
غَير مَعصيّ بِما طَلَبا
Successful in what he watches for,
Never disobeying what the Lord decreed.
Never disobeyed in what he asked.
Partial English translation: 59 of 60 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1