مَنwho لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick man أَدنىbrought near البُعادُseparation وَفاتَهُhis death
مَن لِصَبٍّ أَدنى البُعادُ وَفاتَهُ
إِذsince عَداهُpassed him by وَصلُunion الحَبيبِthe beloved وَفاتَهand eluded him
إِذ عَداهُ وَصلُ الحَبيبِ وَفاتَه
Who will help a lovesick man whose death separation has brought near,
He who is closest suffers the farthest when parted
since union with the beloved passed him by and eluded him?
When he passes by, missing his beloved parts them
فاتَهُeluded him مِنfrom لِقاmeeting الأَحِبَّةِthe loved ones عَيشٌa life
فاتَهُ مِن لِقا الأَحِبَّةِ عَيشٌ
كانَhe used to يَخشىfear قَبلَbefore الوَفاةِdeath فَواتَهits loss
كانَ يَخشى قَبلَ الوَفاةِ فَواتَه
A life of meeting loved ones eluded him,
Missing the life of being with loved ones parts him
whose loss he feared before death.
From what he had feared losing before death parts him
كانَhe was ثَبتاًsteadfast قَبلَbefore التَفَرُّقِparting لَكِنbut
كانَ ثَبتاً قَبلَ التَفَرُّقِ لَكِن
زَعزَعَتshook رَوعَةُthe terror الفِراقِof separation ثَباتَهhis steadfastness
زَعزَعَت رَوعَةُ الفِراقِ ثَباتَه
He was steadfast before parting, but
Firm he was before the separation but
the terror of separation shook his steadfastness.
The intense pangs of parting shook his firmness
سَرَّهُdelighted him جَمعُreuniting شَملِهِhis company بِلِقاهُمُby meeting them
سَرَّهُ جَمعُ شَملِهِ بِلِقاهُمُ
فَقَضىthen decreed حادِثُa calamity الزَمانِof time شَتاتَهhis dispersal
فَقَضى حادِثُ الزَمانِ شَتاتَه
Reunion through meeting them delighted him,
Gladdened by their union, fate’s events
then a calamity of time decreed his dispersal.
Then scattered what had been his wholeness
ماnot عَصىhe disobeyed الحُبَّlove حينَwhen أَطنَبَتِspoke at length الواthe slanderers (first part)
ما عَصى الحُبَّ حينَ أَطنَبَتِ الوا
شونَcompletion of 'slanderers' فيهِمabout them وَلاnor أَطاعَhe obeyed وُشاتَهhis slanderers
شونَ فيهِم وَلا أَطاعَ وُشاتَه
He did not disobey love when the slanderers spoke at length
Love disobeyed not when they urged him
about them, nor did he obey his slanderers.
Nor obeyed the spies’ prodding toward madness
سَرَّهُdelighted him ذِكرُهُمmention of them وَقَدand indeed ساءَهُdistressed him اللَوreproach (first part)
سَرَّهُ ذِكرُهُم وَقَد ساءَهُ اللَو
مُcompletion of 'reproach' فَأَحياهُso revived him عَذلُهُمtheir rebuke وَأَماتَهand killed him
مُ فَأَحياهُ عَذلُهُم وَأَماتَه
Their mention delighted him, though reproach distressed him;
Their mention pained yet remembering them revived him
so their rebuke revived him and killed him.
While their blame killed and their censure animated him
أَظهَرواthey displayed ليto me تَمَلُّقاًflattery وَاِكتِئاباًand sorrow
أَظهَروا لي تَمَلُّقاً وَاِكتِئاباً
هُوَit عِنديin my view تَهَكُّمٌmockery وشَماتَهand gloating
هُوَ عِندي تَهَكُّمٌ وشَماتَه
They displayed flattery and sorrow toward me,
They feigned courtesy and melancholy toward me
which to me are mockery and gloating.
To me it seems mocking and gloating over him
فَصَمَتsnapped شِدَّةُthe intensity الهُمومِof cares عُرىthe bonds القَلthe heart (first part)
فَصَمَت شِدَّةُ الهُمومِ عُرى القَل
بِcompletion of 'heart' وَأَصدىand rusted مَرأىthe sight العِدىof enemies مِرآتَهits mirror
بِ وَأَصدى مَرأى العِدى مِرآتَه
The weight of cares snapped the bonds of the heart,
The intensity of sorrows silenced his heart’s bonds
and the sight of enemies rusted its mirror.
And the sight of enemies echoed his mirror’s image
كَيفَhow تَفريrend الهُمومُcares حَدَّthe edge اِصطِباريof my endurance
كَيفَ تَفري الهُمومُ حَدَّ اِصطِباري
بَعدَماafter فَلَّتِblunted الخُطوبُcalamities شَباتَهits sharp point
بَعدَما فَلَّتِ الخُطوبُ شَباتَه
How can cares rend the edge of my endurance
How can sorrows exceed the limit of my patience
after calamities have blunted its point?
After calamities made his youth scatter
كُنتُI was مُستَنصِراًseeking victory بِأَسيافِwith the swords صَبريof my patience
كُنتُ مُستَنصِراً بِأَسيافِ صَبري
فَنَبَتbut they failed to cut بَعدَafter فُرقَةِparting from اِبنِIbn (son of) نُباتَهNubātah
فَنَبَت بَعدَ فُرقَةِ اِبنِ نُباتَه
I sought victory through the swords of my patience,
I was seeking aid from my patience’s swords
but they failed to cut after parting from Ibn Nubātah.
But after we parted, doubt sprouted its seeds
فاضِلٌa man of merit أَلَّفَunited الفَصاحَةَeloquence وَالعِلand knowledge (first part)
فاضِلٌ أَلَّفَ الفَصاحَةَ وَالعِل
مَcompletion of 'knowledge' وَضَمَّتand gathered آراؤُهُhis insights أَشتاتَهits scattered parts
مَ وَضَمَّت آراؤُهُ أَشتاتَه
A man of merit who united eloquence and knowledge,
A virtuous man who joined eloquence and knowledge
and whose insights gathered its scattered parts.
And his diverse views embraced each other
وَهَبَتهُbestowed on him العَلياءُglory هِمَّةَresolve قَلبٍa heart
وَهَبَتهُ العَلياءُ هِمَّةَ قَلبٍ
طَهَّرَتpurified مِنof شَوائِبِthe taints العَيبِof fault ذاتَهhis being
طَهَّرَت مِن شَوائِبِ العَيبِ ذاتَه
Glory bestowed on him a heart's resolve
The exalted granted him a heart’s ambition
that purified his being of the taints of fault.
That purified his essence from the flaws of blame
رُبَّmany a شِعرٍpoem لَمdid not يَتَّبِعfollow ماwhat رَوىrecounted الغاthe misguided (first part)
رُبَّ شِعرٍ لَم يَتَّبِع ما رَوى الغا
وُونَcompletion of 'the misguided' لَكِنbut بِالفَضلِthrough excellence يَهديguides غُواتَهits misguided followers
وُونَ لَكِن بِالفَضلِ يَهدي غُواتَه
Many a poem has not followed what the misguided recounted,
Some poetry does not follow what’s been told
but through excellence guides its misguided followers.
But with merit, it guides its straying
وَمَعانٍand meanings تُضيءُshine فيwithin قالَبِthe mold اللَفof expression (first part)
وَمَعانٍ تُضيءُ في قالَبِ اللَف
ظِcompletion of 'expression' فَيَجلوso makes gleam مِصباحُهاtheir lamp مِشكاتَهits niche
ظِ فَيَجلو مِصباحُها مِشكاتَه
And meanings shine within the mold of expression,
With meanings that shine in the mold of words
so their lamp makes its niche gleam.
Clearing the lamp of its darkness
وَإِذاand when هَذَّبَrefine الرُواةُthe transmitters قَريضاًa poem
وَإِذا هَذَّبَ الرُواةُ قَريضاً
فيهِin his case قَدindeed هَذَّبَhas refined القَريضُpoetry رُواتَهits transmitters
فيهِ قَد هَذَّبَ القَريضُ رُواتَه
And when transmitters refine a poem,
And if editors refine a poem’s composition
in his case, poetry has refined its transmitters.
The composition has refined its transmitters
صارِمٌa keen sword فيin مَعارِكِthe battles اللَفظِof expression وَالفَضand excellence (first part)
صارِمٌ في مَعارِكِ اللَفظِ وَالفَض
لِcompletion of 'excellence' حَمِدناwe praised اِنغِمادَهُits sheathing وَاِنصِلاتَهand its unsheathing
لِ حَمِدنا اِنغِمادَهُ وَاِنصِلاتَه
A keen sword in the battles of expression and excellence,
Firm in the battles of diction and merit
we have praised its sheathing and its unsheathing.
We praise his inclining and his connection
قَدindeed سَبَرناwe tested حَدَّيهِits two edges فيin النَظمِverse وَالنَثand prose (first part)
قَد سَبَرنا حَدَّيهِ في النَظمِ وَالنَث
رِcompletion of 'prose' فَكانَتso were بَتّاكَةًcleaving بَتّاتَهits cuts
رِ فَكانَت بَتّاكَةً بَتّاتَه
We have tested its two edges in verse and prose,
We have probed its limits in verse and prose
and its strokes cut clean through.
And found its composition intricately interwoven
ياO جَمالَJamāl الدينِal-Dīn الَّذيwho أَحرَزَwon السَبthe lead (first part)
يا جَمالَ الدينِ الَّذي أَحرَزَ السَب
قَcompletion of 'the lead' وَلاand not يُعثِرُmake stumble الجِيادُthe noble steeds أَناتَهhis measured pace
قَ وَلا يُعثِرُ الجِيادُ أَناتَه
O Jamāl al-Dīn, who has won the lead,
O Jamal al-Din, who attained precedence
and whose measured pace noble steeds cannot make falter.
While steeds stumble not over his lead
أَنتَyou قَوتُsustenance القُلوبِof hearts لَوif only كُنتَyou had أَعطَيgiven (first part)
أَنتَ قَوتُ القُلوبِ لَو كُنتَ أَعطَي
تَcompletion of 'you gave' لِحُبٍّto a lover مَنof أُنسِكُمyour company ماwhat فاتَهeluded him
تَ لِحُبٍّ مَن أُنسِكُم ما فاتَه
You are the nourishment of hearts—if only you had given
You are the hearts’ strength—had you given
a lover what he missed of your company.
To a love from your company, nothing would be lost to him
وَرَسولٌand a messenger مِنكُمfrom you تَعَجَّبتُI was amazed مِنهُat him
وَرَسولٌ مِنكُم تَعَجَّبتُ مِنهُ
حينَwhen حانَتoccurred مِنّيfrom me إِلَيهِtoward him التَفاتَهa glance
حينَ حانَت مِنّي إِلَيهِ التَفاتَه
And a messenger from you amazed me
A messenger came from you, I wondered at him
when I happened to turn toward him.
When he glanced my way and turned to me
جاءَhe came يُهديbringing as gifts إِلىto الصِحابِthe companions طُروساًwritten sheets
جاءَ يُهدي إِلى الصِحابِ طُروساً
لَيسَthere was not لِلعَبدِfor the servant بَينَهُنَّamong them حُناتَهa scrap
لَيسَ لِلعَبدِ بَينَهُنَّ حُناتَه
He came bringing written sheets to the companions,
Bringing to friends generous gifts
yet among them there was not a scrap for your servant.
While I have no intimacy between them and me
فَتَأَمَّلتُso I studied فيin يَديهِhis two hands خُطوطاًlines of writing
فَتَأَمَّلتُ في يَديهِ خُطوطاً
أَذكَرَتنيreminded me مِنof رَبَّهاtheir master أَوقاتَهhis times
أَذكَرَتني مِن رَبَّها أَوقاتَه
So I studied the lines of writing in his hands,
I looked at the lines in his hand
which recalled to me times spent with their master.
Reminding me of times with their sender
لَوif بَعَثتُمyou had sent لِلعَبدِto the servant فيهاamong them سَحاةًa strip of paper
لَو بَعَثتُم لِلعَبدِ فيها سَحاةً
لَأَعادَتit would surely restore بَعدَafter المَماتِdeath حَياتَهhis life
لَأَعادَت بَعدَ المَماتِ حَياتَه
If you had sent your servant a strip of paper among them,
Had you sent through them a greeting to your servant
it would surely have restored his life after death.
It would have, after death, restored his life
فَتَفَضَّلso graciously bestow بِالأُنسِwith company وَاِهدِand send as a gift إِلىto عَبservant (first part)
فَتَفَضَّل بِالأُنسِ وَاِهدِ إِلى عَب
دِكَcompletion of 'your servant' مِنof مِسكِكَyour musk الزَكِيَّpure فُتاتَهits crumbs
دِكَ مِن مِسكِكَ الزَكِيَّ فُتاتَه
So graciously grant your company, and send to your servant
So favor me with intimacy, and send to your servant
crumbs of your pure musk.
Some fragments of your generous musk
لَكَyou possess مِنof وافِرِabundant العُلومِlearning نِصابٌan alms-liable amount
لَكَ مِن وافِرِ العُلومِ نِصابٌ
فَاِجعَلِso make الرَدَّthe reply لِلجَوابِas an answer زَكاتَهits alms
فَاِجعَلِ الرَدَّ لِلجَوابِ زَكاتَه
You hold a share of abundant learning on which alms are due,
You have abundant knowledge, be generous
so make an answering reply its alms.
And make responding to answers its alms
Sol 6.1