عَهدٌ لِعَلوَةَ بِاللِوى قَد أَشكَلا
ما كانَ أَحسَنُ مُبتَداهُ وَأَجمَلا
A memory of 'Alwa at al-Liwa has grown obscure;
A promise to Alwah in Liwa has become intricate
how lovely its beginning was, how beautiful!
Though its beginning was most beautiful and graceful
أَنسى لَيالينا هُناكَ وَقَد خَلا
مِن لَهوِنا في ظِلِّها ما قَد خَلا
Shall I forget our nights there, though there has passed
Forget our nights there though they're gone
what has passed of our revelry beneath their shade?
And what's passed of our amusement in its shade
عَيشٌ غَريرٌ لَو مَلَكتُ لِما مَضى
رَدّاً إِذاً لَرَدَدتُهُ مُستَقبَلاً
A carefree life! If I could turn what has passed
A fleeting life - if I could own the past
back, I would bring it back as days yet to come.
I would bring it back to make the future more beautiful
لاموا عَلى لَيلي الطَويلِ وَكُلَّما
عادوا بِلَومٍ كانَ لَيلي أَطوَلا
They blamed me for my long night, and whenever
They blamed my long night and the more
they returned with blame, my night grew longer.
They returned with blame, the longer my night became
اِتبَع هَواكَ إِلى الحَبيبِ فَإِنَّهُ
رَشَدٌ وَخَلِّ لِعاذِلٍ أَن يَعذُلا
Follow your desire toward the beloved, for it
Follow your love to the beloved for he is
is right guidance; leave the reproacher to reproach.
Guidance, and leave the blamer to keep blaming
وَاللَهِ لا أَسلو وَلَو جَهِدَ الَّذي
يَلحى وَما عُذرُ المُحِبِّ إِذا سَلا
By God, I shall not cease to love, however hard the one
By God, I won't ask even if the one who
who reproaches me strives; what excuse has a lover if he ceases to love?
Reproaches perseveres, for a lover has no excuse to ask
أَحيا الرَجاءَ وَرَدَّ عادِيَةَ الجَوى
قَولُ الَّذي أَهوى نَعَم مِن بَعدِ لا
Hope was revived and the onslaught of love's anguish repelled
It revived hope and refuted the accusation of passion
by my beloved's 'Yes' after 'No',
The words "yes, after no" from the one I love
وَمِزاجُهُ كَأسي بِريقَتِهِ الَّتي
ثَلَجَت فُؤادَ مُحِبِّهِ فَتَبَلَّلا
and his mingling my cup with his saliva, which
And his disposition is like my cup with its coolness
cooled his lover's heart and left it moistened.
That chilled the heart of his lover, so it dripped
لا تَعجَبي لِمُعَشَّقٍ أَن يَرعَوي
عَن هَجرِهِ وَلِعاشِقٍ أَن يُوصَلا
Do not marvel that a beloved should desist
Don't wonder if a lover acts mad
from his estrangement, and that a lover should be granted union.
Or a lover acts devoted
بِتنا وَلي قَمرانِ وَجهُ مُساعِدي
وَالبَدرُ إِذ وافى التَمامَ وَأَكمَلا
We passed the night, and I had two moons: my willing companion's face
We stayed awake as two moons while the face of my aide shone
and the full moon, when it reached its fullness and was complete.
And the full moon rose to its apex and became complete
لاحَت تَباشيرُ الخَريفِ وَأَعرَضَت
قِطَعُ الغُيومِ وَشارَفَت أَن تَهطِلا
The first signs of autumn appeared, and there spread out
The signs of autumn appeared, and the pieces
patches of clouds, on the verge of pouring down.
Of clouds turned away and were about to pour down
فَتَرَوَّ مِن شَعبانَ إِنَّ وَراءَهُ
شَهراً يُمانِعُنا الرَحيقَ السَلسَلا
So drink your fill in Sha'ban; for after it
So enjoy Sha'ban, for after it is a month
comes a month that denies us smooth-flowing, pure wine.
That will prevent us from sipping the soft nectar
أَحسِن بِدِجلَةَ مَنظَراً وَمُخَيَّماً
وَالغَردِ في أَكنافِ دِجلَةَ مَنزِلا
How lovely the Tigris is as a sight and an encampment,
Dijla is best seen with its tents and camp
and al-Ghard as a dwelling by the Tigris!
And the chirp in the bosoms of Dijla is home
خَضِلُ الفِناءِ مَتى وَطِئتَ تُرابَهُ
قُلتَ الغَمامُ انهَلَّ فيهِ فَأَسبَلا
Its courtyard is moist; whenever you tread its soil,
The grass of the courtyard - when you step on its soil
you say, 'The clouds poured here and showered their rain.'
You'd say the clouds poured down on it, so it flushed
حَشَدَت لَهُ الأَمواجُ فَضلَ دَوافِعٍ
أَعجَلنَ دولابَيهِ أَن يَتَمَهَّلا
The waves mustered for it abundant driving surges
The waves gathered for him, exceeding motivations
that kept its two waterwheels from turning slowly.
Quickened the wheels for him to slow down
تَبيَضُّ نُقبَتُهُ وَيَسطَعُ نورُهُ
حَتّى تَكِلَّ العَينُ فيهِ وَتَنكَلا
Its exterior gleams white, and its light blazes,
Its dome shines white and its light beams
until the eye grows weary of it and shrinks away.
Until eyes tire of it and recoil
كَالكَوكَبِ الدُرِيِّ أَخلَصَ ضَوءَهُ
حَلَكُ الدُجى حَتّى تَأَلَّقَ وَانجَلى
Like a pearly star whose light is purified
Like the brilliant star, it manifests its light
by night's blackness, until it sparkles and shines clear.
The darkness surrounds it until it glitters and shines through
رَفَدَت جَوانِبَهُ القِبابُ مَيامِناً
وَمَياسِراً وَسَفَلنَ عَنهُ وَاعتَلى
Domes supported its sides, to the right
Domes flank its right and left, lowering
and left; they stood lower than it, while it rose above.
Themselves before it, submitting to its reign
فَتَخالُهُ وَتَخالُهُنَّ إِزاءَهُ
مَلِكاً تَدينُ لَهُ المُلوكُ مُمَثَّلا
So you picture it, and picture them before it,
Above it is an overseer who doesn't
as a king portrayed, with kings submitting to him.
Sleep, assigned with turning the winds
وَعَلى أَعاليهِ رَقيبٌ ما يَني
كَلِفاً بِتَصريفِ الرِياحِ مُوَكَّلا
And on its heights a watchman never slackens,
It turns to wherever it turns, seeking its direction
intent upon the shifting winds, entrusted with them.
Doing what a warrior does - it goes forth then turns back
مِن حَيثُ دارَت دارَ يَطلُبُ وَجهَها
فِعلَ المُقاتِلِ جالَ ثُمَّ استَقبَلا
Wherever they turn, he turns, seeking their face,
A miracle upon miracle in generosity that you see
like a fighter who wheels about, then faces his opponent.
Of its affair only the wondrous and astonishing
بِدَعٌ لِبِدعٍ في السَماحَةِ ما تَرى
مِن أَمرِهِ إِلّا عَجيباً مُجذِلا
A marvel for a marvel of generosity—you see
It has excelled people in famous and well-known
nothing in his deeds but wonders that bring joy.
Piety and generosity among people, excelling them
فَضَلَ الأَنامَ أَرومَةً مَذكورَةً
وَتُقىً وَأَنعَمَ في الأَنامِ وَأَفضَلا
He surpassed mankind in renowned ancestry
Caution can hold back its first moves
and piety, and bestowed favors and bounty upon mankind.
And sometimes its resolve would be rash
تَثني بَوادِرَهُ الأَناةُ وَرُبَّما
سارَت عَزيمَتُهُ فَكانَت جَحفَلا
Deliberation curbs his impulses, and sometimes
It inherited from the Prophet a pleasing disposition
his resolve marches forth and becomes a mighty army.
And an approach of moderation in words and deeds
وَرِثَ النَبِيَّ سَجِيَّةً مَرضِيَّةً
وَطَريقَةً قَصَداً وَقَولاً فَيصَلا
He inherited from the Prophet a pleasing character,
So when it resolves complex matters, consecutive
a moderate way, and decisive speech.
Wisdoms come that show you how revelation descended
فَإِذا قَضى في المُشكِلاتِ تَرادَفَت
حِكَمٌ تُريكَ الوَحيَ كَيفَ تَنَزَّلا
So when he judges difficult matters, there follow in succession
O son of the rightly guided leaders, upon whom
words of wisdom that show you how revelation descended.
The foundations of our religion were built and sculpted
يا اِبنَ الهُداةِ الراشِدينَ وَمَن بِهِم
أَرسَت قَواعِدُ دينِنا فَتَأَثَّلا
O son of rightly guided guides, and of those through whom
A persona whose morals have reached a peak, so it rose high
the foundations of our faith were anchored, and it took root!
And the splendor of its face brightened and sparkled
خِرَقٌ سَمَت أَخلاقُهُ فَتَرَفَّعَت
وَأَضاءَ رَونَقُ وَجهِهِ فَتَهَلَّلا
A generous man: his character soared and grew exalted,
When it rises on a fitting occasion and takes pride
and the splendor of his face shone, and he beamed.
In a fatherhood succeeded by the latter over the former
فَإِذا تَرَفَّعَ في المُناسِبِ وَاعتَزى
لِأُبُوَّةٍ يَتلو الأَخيرُ الأَوَّلا
So when he takes pride in his lineage and claims descent
It counts the auspicious stars, qualified
from forefathers, the later following the earlier,
For authority, deputized or sent
عَدَّ النُجومَ الطالِعاتِ مُؤَهَّلاً
لِلأَمرِ أَو مُستَخلَفاً أَو مُرسَلا
he numbers rising stars: one fitted
I accompanied it with my hopes, and the likes of its perfection
for rule, or appointed caliph, or sent as a messenger.
Were generous, giving the seeker what he wished for
أَصحَبتُهُ أَمَلي وَمِثلُ خِلالِهِ
كَرُمَت فَأَعطَت راغِباً ما أَمَّلا
I made my hope his companion; qualities like his
If you wanted, a blessing would come from it and be granted
have proved generous, giving a seeker what he hoped for.
And a request made easy, so it flowed
إِن شِئتَ جاءَت نِعمَةٌ فَتُلُقِّيَت
مِنهُ وَسُهِّلَ مَطلَبٌ فَتَسَهَّلا
If you wish, a favor comes and is received
All that remains is for you to will and it vanishes -
from him; a request is made easy, and becomes easy.
What was delayed or divided will then be separated
لَم يَبقَ إِلّا أَن تَهُمَّ فَيَنقَضي
ما قَد تَطاوَلَ أَو تَجُزَّ فَتَفصِلا
Nothing remains but for you to resolve; then comes an end
I have spoken, so do what you intend for it is the way of
to what has dragged on—or you cut through and sever it.
Your generosity to tell and then act accordingly
قَد قُلتُ فَاِفعَل ما وَأَيتَ وَإِنَّ مِن
عاداتِ جودِكَ أَن تَقولَ فَتَفعَلا
I have spoken: do what you promised, for it is among
And if you hasten what you grant, then that is enough
your generosity's customs to speak and then act.
To attain it, that the granted would have come fast
وَلَئِن عَجِلتَ بِما تُنيلُ فَإِنَّهُ
حَسبٌ لِنَيلِكَ أَن يَكونَ مُعَجَّلا
And if you hasten what you bestow, it is
Live the long lifetime happily
enough for your gift that it should come without delay.
Filled with reign - an everlasting life
عِش مُدَّة الزَمَنِ الطَويلِ مُمَتَّعاً
وَمُمَلَّأً بِالمُلكِ عُمراً مُكمَلا
Live through the long span of time, blessed with joy,
and filled to the brim with sovereignty for a full lifetime.
Sol 6.1