أَترىdo you think يؤوبwill return زمانُناour time
أَترى يؤوب زمانُنا
غضّاًfresh بأوديةin the valleys of الغَضْاthe ghaḍā trees
غضّاً بأودية الغَضْا
Do you think our time will return,
Will our time return youthful,
fresh in the valleys of ghaḍā trees,
Flowing in the valleys of bloom,
ويعودand will return فيناamong us مقبلاًdrawing near
ويعود فينا مقبلاً
مَنْthe one who كانwas عنّاfrom us معرضاturning away
مَنْ كان عنّا معرضا
and he will return among us, drawing near—
And will he who turned from us
the one who used to turn away from us?
Come back to us welcoming?
قمرٌa moon بصفحةon the surface of خدِّهِhis cheek
قمرٌ بصفحة خدِّهِ
عَضْبُa keen sword المَحاسنِbeauty مُنتَضىunsheathed
عَضْبُ المَحاسنِ مُنتَضى
A moon, upon the surface of whose cheek
A moon, whose cheek dimple
beauty's keen blade is unsheathed.
Is the seat of beauty,
مَلّكْتُهُI made him master of قلبيmy heart وكمْand how often
مَلّكْتُهُ قلبي وكمْ
رَجَعَreclaimed الّذيthe one who قدhad أقرضاlent
رَجَعَ الّذي قد أقرضا
I made him master of my heart—and how often
I gave him my heart, how much
has a lender reclaimed what he lent!
He took, who took as loan.
وَلَقَدand indeed أَقولI say وَكمand how often أرىI see
وَلَقَد أَقول وَكم أرى
عَجباًa wonder قضاهُordained it منthe One who قضىordained
عَجباً قضاهُ من قضى
Indeed I say—and how often I see
And I say, how much I see
a wonder decreed by the One who decrees:
Of wonders fate has ruled.
أَنتَyou الصّحيحُthe healthy one فكمْso how often تكوyou are (continued)
أَنتَ الصّحيحُ فكمْ تكو
ن(completes 'you are') لمنto whoever يحبّكloves you مُمرضاcausing sickness
ن لمن يحبّك مُمرضا
You are healthy—how often you are
You are perfection, so how could
a cause of sickness to whoever loves you!
One who loves you fall ill?
وإذاand when عُشِقتَyou are loved فلاthen never تزاyou cease (continued)
وإذا عُشِقتَ فلا تزا
لُ(completes 'you cease') لأهلِtoward those devoted to عِشقِكlove for you مُبغضاhating
لُ لأهلِ عِشقِك مُبغضا
And when you are loved, you never cease
And if you are loved, do not
hating those who love you.
Remain still hated by your lover.
بَدّلتَyou exchanged رَأسيmy head أسوداًblack
بَدّلتَ رَأسي أسوداً
لمّاwhen هجرتَyou deserted بأبيضاfor a white one
لمّا هجرتَ بأبيضا
You exchanged my head, once black,
You changed my hair black
when you deserted me, for a white one.
When you left white.
ماwhat ضَرّharm would it do راميthe archer at مُهجتيmy heart
ما ضَرّ رامي مُهجتي
لَوif أنّهthat he ليَfor me أنبضاtwanged the bowstring
لَو أنّه ليَ أنبضا
What harm would it have done the archer at my heart
No harm if my love's arrow-pierced one
had he twanged his bowstring for me?
Had in him life remaining.
وَمجدّدَand the renewer of الإعراضِdisdain لوif
وَمجدّدَ الإعراضِ لو
قبلbefore التلاقيmeeting أعرضاhe turned away
قبل التلاقي أعرضا
And the renewer of disdain, had
And renewing disdain, if before
he turned away before we met?
Reunion, turned away again.
مَنwho مبلغٌwill convey عنِّيfrom me الرئيthe chief (continued)
مَن مبلغٌ عنِّي الرئي
سَ(completes 'the chief') مُصرِّحاًplainly ومُعرِّضاand by allusion
سَ مُصرِّحاً ومُعرِّضا
Who will convey my words to the chief,
Who will tell the chief
plainly and by allusion:
Announcing and refusing me?
أنتَyou الّذيthe one who لمّاwhen ظفرwon (continued)
أنتَ الّذي لمّا ظفر
تُI (verb ending) بودِّهhis affection نِلتُI attained الرّضاcontentment
تُ بودِّه نِلتُ الرّضا
You are the one—when I won
You are the one who, when winning
your affection, I attained contentment.
His love, I gained contentment.
وغفرتُand I forgave منof جُرمِthe wrongdoing of الزّماTime (continued)
وغفرتُ من جُرمِ الزّما
نِ(completes 'Time') لأجلهfor his sake ماwhat قدhad مضىpassed
نِ لأجله ما قد مضى
And I forgave the wrongs of Time—
And I forgave time's sin
for his sake—whatever had passed.
For his sake, what had passed.
أَبناءُthe sons of ماMā (part of the name) سرجيسَSarjīs ماnot
أَبناءُ ما سرجيسَ ما
زالواthey ceased الكفاةَthe capable men النُّهَّضاthe vigorous
زالوا الكفاةَ النُّهَّضا
The sons of Mā Sarjīs have never
The valiant sons of Sargis
ceased to be capable, vigorous men,
Remain the excellent aids.
السابقينoutstripping إلىtoward الفضاthe virtues (continued)
السابقين إلى الفضا
ئلِ(completes 'the virtues') كلَّevery سارٍtraveler رُكَّضاgalloping
ئلِ كلَّ سارٍ رُكَّضا
racing toward the virtues ahead of
The early ones, to the merits
every traveler, at a gallop;
Every swift goer raced.
أُسْدٌlions تراهمْyou see them للفراfor prey (continued)
أُسْدٌ تراهمْ للفرا
ئِسِ(completes 'prey') فيamong الفضائلthe virtues رُبّضاcrouching
ئِسِ في الفضائل رُبّضا
lions you see awaiting prey,
Lions that you see them to the cavalry
crouched amid the virtues.
In merits ever ready.
وإذاand when رمىshoots منهمْamong them فتىًa young man
وإذا رمى منهمْ فتىً
يوماًone day أصابhe hits فأغرضاthen hits the target
يوماً أصاب فأغرضا
And if a young man among them shoots,
And if a youth of them one day
on any day, he strikes true and hits the mark.
Threw, he hit and pierced.
وَإِذاand when اِستَغاثَcalls for help بِهمْto them جريa wounded man (continued)
وَإِذا اِستَغاثَ بِهمْ جري
حٌ(completes 'a wounded man') فيin وغىًbattle سدّواthey filled الفضاthe open expanse
حٌ في وغىً سدّوا الفضا
And if a wounded man calls to them for help
And if a wounded man cried out
in battle, they fill the open expanse
To them in tumult, they barred the way
بصواهلٍwith neighing steeds وذوابلٍand slender spears
بصواهلٍ وذوابلٍ
وصوارمٍand keen swords مثلِlike الإضاpools of water
وصوارمٍ مثلِ الإضا
with neighing steeds and slender spears,
With swords and spears
and keen swords like pools of water.
And blades like lightning flash.
حوشيتُfar be it from me أنْto أسلاكمُforget you
حوشيتُ أنْ أسلاكمُ
وأملّكُمْand tire of you أوor أُعرِضاturn away
وأملّكُمْ أو أُعرِضا
Far be it from me to forget you
I fear to make you
and grow weary of you, or turn away,
My friends, or refuse you.
أوor أنْthat أُرىI be seen بسواكُمُwith anyone but you
أو أنْ أُرى بسواكُمُ
متبدّلاًtaking a substitute متعوّضاseeking a replacement
متبدّلاً متعوّضا
or be seen with anyone but you,
Or to see in your absence
taking a substitute, seeking a replacement.
One changed or substituted.
لاmay not حالchange ودٌّaffection بينناbetween us
لا حال ودٌّ بيننا
عُمْرَthroughout the lifetime of الزّمانTime ولاand not اِنقضىend
عُمْرَ الزّمان ولا اِنقضى
May the affection between us never change
No state of affection between us
throughout Time's life, nor come to an end.
Will time or end erase.
وخباءُand the tent of ماwhat أضحىwas there by morning وأمand was there by evening (continued)
وخباءُ ما أضحى وأم
سى(completes 'was there by evening') بينناbetween us ماnot قُوِّضاwas taken down
سى بيننا ما قُوِّضا
And the tent of what has been, morning
And the tent of what dawned and darkened
and evening, between us—may it never be struck.
Between us, nothing demolished.
وَإِذاand if أقمتُI remain فلاthen not أباI care (continued)
وَإِذا أقمتُ فلا أبا
لي(completes 'I care') مَنwhom يرحّلُهُmakes him depart القَضاFate
لي مَن يرحّلُهُ القَضا
And if I remain, I do not care
And if I stay, I care not
whom Fate sends away.
Who fate takes him.
خُذْهاtake it يسوقdrives بهاwith it الوِداaffection (continued)
خُذْها يسوق بها الوِدا
دُ(completes 'affection') إليكtoward you سوقاًa driving مُجهِضاhastening
دُ إليك سوقاً مُجهِضا
Take it: affection drives it
Take it, leading with it
toward you in a headlong rush.
To you a barren escort.
تَكسوit clothes الّذيthe one who لمdid not يَعْرَbecome bare منof
تَكسو الّذي لم يَعْرَ من
هit ولاand not نضارةradiance مَنanyone's نَضاhe stripped away
ه ولا نضارة مَن نَضا
It clothes one who has never been bare
It will clothe what was not graced
of it, nor stripped anyone of their radiance.
From it, nor freshness gained.
لوif رامهاsought it منِّيfrom me سواsomeone other than
لو رامها منِّي سوا
كَyou لباتhe would have spent the night منهاof it مُنفِضاempty-handed
كَ لبات منها مُنفِضا
Had anyone but you sought it from me,
If but for you it came from me
he would have spent the night without it, empty-handed.
It would spend the night cast off.
Sol 6.1