ذاتُ الجَمالِ وَذاتُ الحَلْيِ والحُللِ
وَرَبّةُ الكُحلِ في العَينَينِ والكَحَلِ
Possessor of beauty, of jewelry and fine robes,
The one with beauty, finery, and robes
And mistress of kohl in both eyes and of naturally dark lids,
The mistress of kohl in the eyes and eyeliner
سَحّارةٌ لنُهى العُشّاقِ سالِبةٌ
وَلَم تَكُن تَعرِفُ المَرِّيخ من زُحَلِ
An enchantress who steals the minds of lovers,
An enchantress binding the hearts of lovers
Yet she could not tell Mars from Saturn.
Who knew not the difference ‘twixt Mars and Saturn
تَهتزّ قَدّاً وَما في القدّ مُنعَطِفاً
ما في الغُصونِ وَما في السّمرِ والأسَلِ
Her figure sways; what is in that figure as it bends
Swaying with hips containing no twist
Is what is in branches, tawny spears, and slender lances.
Nor in the branches, the berries, or honey
تَفتَرُّ عَن جَوهَرٍ يُغنيكَ مَبسِمُهُ
عَنِ الحَرامِ وَما في الخَمرِ وَالعسلِ
She smiles to reveal jewels whose smile leaves you no need
Gleaming with an essence that satisfies you
Of the forbidden, or of what wine and honey hold.
Against what is forbidden, like wine or honey
غَزالَةٌ صَحَّ لي مِن غَزلِ مُقلَتِها
نَسجُ النّسيبِ مِنَ التّشبيبِ وَالغزلِ
A gazelle: the spinning of her eye enabled me
A gazelle, truthful in the spinning of her glance’s strand
To weave a love-prelude from amorous praise and verse.
Weaving affection with flirtation and love
عَلِقتُها مِن مهاةِ الغيدِ غانِيَة
حَوراءَ كم أسكَرت لِلعقلِ بِالشكلِ
I loved her, an oryx among graceful maidens, a beauty
I hung upon her intoxicated with passion
Dark-eyed—how often her looks have intoxicated the mind!
My God! How she intoxicates reason with her form
لَو أَقبَلَت لَرَأَيتَ الشّمسَ رَأد ضحى
أَو أَدبَرَت لَرَأَيت الشّمسَ في الطفلِ
If she approached, you would see the sun at the height of morning;
If she came, you’d see the sun rise at dusk
Or if she turned away, you would see the sun at dusk.
If she left, you’d see the sun in the west
لا فَرقَ في حالَةٍ حتّى تُمازَ بِها
وَالشّمسُ في الحوتِ غَيرُ الشّمسِ في الحمَلِ
No difference in her state allows her to be distinguished,
No difference in her state until aligned with her
Though the sun in Pisces is unlike the sun in Aries.
The sun in Pisces not like the sun in Aries
فَدَيتُها بِفُؤادٍ وَهيَ تَرشُقهُ
بِنَبلِ جَفنٍ أَراه مِن بَني ثُعَلِ
I ransomed her with a heart, while she shot at it
I'd sacrifice myself when her glance showers me
With arrows from an eyelid I deem one of the sons of Thu'al.
With arrows from eyelids I see as Tha’lab’s clan
عَنها نَأَيت فَوا شَوقي وَيا لَهَفي
إِلى الدّيارِ ويا بُعدي عَنِ الأمَلِ
Far from her I went—oh, my longing and yearning
I shun her, oh my longing and burning
For the dwellings, and oh, my distance from hope!
For home, oh my remoteness from hope
وَقَد عَزَمتُ أُريدُ السّيرَ مُمتَطِياً
شَمليلَ عَزمي عَلى ضَربٍ مِنَ العجلِ
And I resolved, wishing to journey astride
I decided to travel riding
The fleet camel of my resolve, with a measure of haste.
My resolve weak for hastiness
وَجَّهتُ وَجهي إِلى عكّاءَ مُجتَهِداً
وَمَقصدي حَسَنٌ حَيثُ المرادُ علي
I turned my face toward Acre, striving earnestly;
I set my face toward Acre exerting effort
My aim is good, for Ali is the one I seek.
My intent being good, wherever the goal Ali
رَبُّ البشاشَةِ وَالمَعروفِ في كَرَمٍ
مِن بَحرِ كفٍّ مِنَ الإِمساكِ فيه خَلي
Master of cheerfulness and kindness, with generosity
Lord of cheerfulness, kindness and nobility in generosity
From a hand's sea, in which he withholds nothing.
From a sea of palm whose grasping holds nothing
ما البحرُ مِنها لدَيهِ حتّى يَبذلهُ
إِلّا يَراهُ كَمِثلِ الطّلِّ والبللِ
The sea from that hand, even when he gives it away,
The sea has naught for him, so he gives it
He sees as nothing but dew and moisture.
As if it were but dew and dampness
كَريمُ طيٍّ إِياس الفَهمِ حاذقُهُ
وَأَحنَفُ الحِلمِ لا ذو الطيشِ والجهَلِ
Tayy's generous one, an Iyas, master of understanding,
Noble, brilliant, sharp of mind
And an Ahnaf in forbearance, not a man of rashness and ignorance.
Upright, wise, not foolhardy or ignorant
في رَأيِهِ اِنعَقَدَ الحقّ الصوابُ فَلا
يَعروهُ شَيءٌ مِنَ الإِخلالِ والخللِ
In his judgment, truth and rightness are settled, so no
In his view, truth and right are perfected
Failing or flaw ever touches it.
Nothing affects them of flaw or defect
الضيغَمُ الفَحلُ والقَرْمُ المَهيبُ ومَنْ
عِندَ الوغى غَيرُ هَيّابٍ ولا وَكِلِ
The mighty male lion, the awe-inspiring chieftain, and one
The mighty warrior and formidable hero
Who in battle is neither fearful nor helpless.
In fray, not cowardly or apathetic
وَمَن إِذا جالَ في الهَيجاءِ مُبتَدِراً
حَصَّنته بَطلاً بِاللّه مِن بَطَلِ
And when he ranges through the fray, rushing forward,
And when raging in the clash, attacking
I invoke God's protection for him, a hero, against another hero.
God fortifies him from any hero
لا يَعرِفُ الفَرَّ في الهَيجا فيفعلهُ
إِذ لَيسَ يَعرِفُ طَعمَ الجبنِ والبخلِ
He knows no flight in battle, and thus never practices it,
He knows no fleeing when raging, so he does it not
For he knows not the taste of cowardice or miserliness.
For he knows not the taste of cowardice or stinginess
خِدْنُ الإِمارَةِ ما أَحلى سِياسَتَهُ
قَد عَرَّجَت عَن طَريقِ الزَّيغِ والزللِ
An intimate of rulership—how sweet his governance!
The prince's glory, how sweet is his rule
It has turned away from the path of deviation and missteps.
It has swerved from the path of deviance and error
لا يُخلِفُ الوَعدَ في قَولٍ ولا عملٍ
إِذ لَيسَ يَعلمُ مَعنى الغدرِ والحِيَلِ
He never breaks a promise, in word or deed,
He does not break a promise in word or deed
For he knows not the meaning of treachery or guile.
For he knows not the meaning of betrayal or tricks
Sol 6.1