تكشّفَlifted ظلُّthe shadow of العَتْبِreproach عنfrom غُرّةِthe radiant brow of العهدِthe covenant
تكشّفَ ظلُّ العَتْبِ عن غُرّةِ العهدِ
وَأَعدىand gave victory اِقتِرابُthe approach of الوصلِreunion مِنّاto us علىover البُعدِdistance
وَأَعدى اِقتِرابُ الوصلِ مِنّا على البُعدِ
The shadow of reproach lifted from the radiant brow of the covenant,
The shade of reproach revealed the innocence of our pact,
And reunion's approach to us overcame distance.
And the nearness of reunion made distance harder to bear.
تجنّبنيshunned me منone who لستُI am not عنof بعضِsome of هجرهِhis desertion
تجنّبني من لستُ عن بعضِ هجرهِ
صفوحاًforgiving ولاnor فيunder قسوةٍharshness منهfrom him بالجَلْدِsteadfast
صفوحاً ولا في قسوةٍ منه بالجَلْدِ
One shunned me whose desertion, even in part, I cannot
Avoid me not, though you're wearied of my estrangement;
Forgive, nor can I bear his harshness with fortitude.
Be forgiving, not harsh, lest affection depart.
نَضَتْهُdrew him free يدُthe hand of الإعتابِappeasement عمّاfrom what سَخِطتُهُI resented it
نَضَتْهُ يدُ الإعتابِ عمّا سَخِطتُهُ
كماas ينتضىis drawn العضبُthe keen sword الجُرازُcleaving منfrom الغِمْدِthe sheath
كما ينتضى العضبُ الجُرازُ من الغِمْدِ
The hand of appeasement drew him free of what I resented,
Reproach smoothed what angered you,
As a keen, cleaving sword is drawn from its sheath.
As a sword is eased from its sheath.
وكنتُand I was علىdespite ماwhat جرّهbrought it about الهجرُestrangement مُمسِكاًholding fast
وكنتُ على ما جرّه الهجرُ مُمسِكاً
بحبلِto a cord of وفاءٍfidelity غيرnot منفصمbroken العَقْدِthe knot
بحبلِ وفاءٍ غير منفصم العَقْدِ
And despite what estrangement brought, I held fast
Though estrangement pulled me along,
To a cord of fidelity whose knot remained unbroken.
I held to a rope of fealty, its knot unbroken.
أمينَtrustworthy نواحيthe recesses of السِّرِّsecrecy لمdid not تَسْرِcreep غَدرَةٌa betrayal
أمينَ نواحي السِّرِّ لم تَسْرِ غَدرَةٌ
ببالِيthrough my mind ولمand did not أحفِلْI heed بداعيةِto a prompting toward الصَّدِّrejection
ببالِي ولم أحفِلْ بداعيةِ الصَّدِّ
Trustworthy in every recess of secrecy; no treachery crept
True to the quarters of my soul, no deceit
Through my mind, nor did I heed any prompting to turn away.
Could enter my mind, heedless of slander's voice.
تَلينُsoften علىat مسِّthe touch of الإخاءbrotherhood مَضاربيmy striking edges
تَلينُ على مسِّ الإخاء مَضاربي
وإنْeven though كنتُI have been فيamong الأقوامmen مُستخشنَdeemed rough الحدِّthe edge
وإنْ كنتُ في الأقوام مُستخشنَ الحدِّ
My striking edges soften at the touch of brotherhood,
My tent is welcoming if kinship is touched,
Though among men I have been deemed rough-edged.
Though among men I'm known for my keen sword.
وَلَمَّاand when اِستمرَّpersisted البينseparation فيin عُدَوائِهِits hostile course
وَلَمَّا اِستمرَّ البين في عُدَوائِهِ
تَغوّلdevoured عَفويmy easy reserves أوor ترقّىclimbed إلىto جُهدِيmy utmost strength
تَغوّل عَفوي أو ترقّى إلى جُهدِي
And when separation persisted in its hostile course,
As estrangement dragged on with enmity,
It devoured what I could freely give, or climbed to my utmost strength.
My pardon overflowed, or was limited by my means.
أُصاحبُI keep company with حسنَgoodness of الظنِّopinion والشكُّand doubt مُقبلٌturning
أُصاحبُ حسنَ الظنِّ والشكُّ مُقبلٌ
بِوَجهيwith my face إِلىtoward حيثُwhere اِسترثّتْgrew frayed عُراthe bonds of الوُدِّaffection
بِوَجهي إِلى حيثُ اِسترثّتْ عُرا الوُدِّ
I keep company with trusting thoughts, while doubt turns
I think well of others, while doubt approaches me
My face toward where the bonds of affection have frayed.
And steals the intimacy friendship once knew.
إِذاwhen اِتّسَعَتْranges widely فيwithin خُطِّةِthe course of الصدّrejection فِكرتيmy thought
إِذا اِتّسَعَتْ في خُطِّةِ الصدّ فِكرتي
تجلَّلنيshrouds me همٌّa sorrow يضيقgrows tight بهwith it جِلدِيmy skin
تجلَّلني همٌّ يضيق به جِلدِي
When my thought ranges wide over the course of rejection,
When the path of estrangement widens in my plan,
A sorrow shrouds me, too great for my skin to contain.
Worry seizes me, grinding my skin.
وَإِنand if ناكرتِيopposed me خلَّةٌa trait منamong خِلالِهِhis traits
وَإِن ناكرتِي خلَّةٌ من خِلالِهِ
تعرّضsteps forward قلبيmy heart يَفتَديهاransoms it منَfrom الحِقْدِrancor
تعرّض قلبي يَفتَديها منَ الحِقْدِ
And if a trait among his traits proves hostile to me,
If a moment of heedlessness makes me forget you,
My heart steps forward to ransom it from rancor.
My heart ransoms itself from rancor.
تخالsuppose رجالٌmen ماwhat رأواthey saw لضلالةٍthrough delusion
تخال رجالٌ ما رأوا لضلالةٍ
ولنْand will not تُستَشَفَّbe seen clearly الشمسُthe sun بالأعينِthrough eyes الرُّمدِinflamed
ولنْ تُستَشَفَّ الشمسُ بالأعينِ الرُّمدِ
Men, in their delusion, misjudge what they have seen;
Men imagine guidance cannot go astray,
Nor will the sun be seen clearly through inflamed eyes.
Yet the sun is not discerned by blinded eyes.
وكمand how many a مُظهرٍone displaying سِيماthe sign of الودادِaffection يرونَهthey deem him
وكم مُظهرٍ سِيما الودادِ يرونَه
حميداًpraiseworthy وماwhile what يُخفيhe hides بعيدٌfar منfrom الحمدِpraise
حميداً وما يُخفي بعيدٌ من الحمدِ
And how many a man displaying affection's signs they deem
How excellent they think a show of affection,
Praiseworthy, though what he hides is far from praise!
While its truth is far from praiseworthy.
وحوشيتُand may I be spared أنْto ألقاكmeet you سبطاًsmooth بظاهريin my outward self
وحوشيتُ أنْ ألقاك سبطاً بظاهري
وَأنand that كنتُI was مطويّاًfolded علىaround باطنٍan interior جَعْدِcurled
وَأن كنتُ مطويّاً على باطنٍ جَعْدِ
And far be it from me to meet you outwardly smooth,
I fear meeting you openly while folded within,
While folded around a twisted inner self.
Like a coat hiding a rough interior.
إذاif تَركتْleaves يُمنىthe right one of يديكyour two hands تعلُّقِيmy clinging
إذا تَركتْ يُمنى يديك تعلُّقِي
فياthen oh ليتَwould that شعرِيmy knowledge مَنْwhom تمسَّكُit holds fast مِنْfrom بعديafter me
فيا ليتَ شعرِي مَنْ تمسَّكُ مِنْ بعدي
If your right hand lets go of my grasp,
If your right hand leaves its clasp on me,
Then would that I knew whom it would hold fast after me!
Who then can I hope will hold me after?
إياباًreturn! فلمfor did not نُشرِفْwe draw near علىto غايةِthe limit of النّوىseparation
إياباً فلم نُشرِفْ على غايةِ النّوى
ولمand did not تَنْأَyou stray كلَّall النأْيَthe distance عنfrom سَنَنِthe path of القصْدِrectitude
ولم تَنْأَ كلَّ النأْيَ عن سَنَنِ القصْدِ
Come back, for we have not approached separation's utmost limit,
We turned back before reaching our goal,
Nor have you strayed altogether from the path of rectitude.
And distance did not end as we intended.
فَللدرّfor pearls have نَثرٌa scattering لَيسis not يُدفعdenied حُسنُهُits beauty
فَللدرّ نَثرٌ لَيس يُدفع حُسنُهُ
وليسand it is not كماas ضمّتْهُgathered them ناحيةُa section of العِقْدِthe necklace
وليس كما ضمّتْهُ ناحيةُ العِقْدِ
For scattered pearls have a beauty none can deny,
Sorrows have a beauty not diminished
Yet not as when a strand of the necklace gathers them.
When gathered, as pearls held on a string.
وَلَوand if لَمnot يلاقِbrings together القَدْحُfire-striking زنداًa fire-stick بمثلِهِwith its like
وَلَو لَم يلاقِ القَدْحُ زنداً بمثلِهِ
كَماas اِنبَعثتburst forth شُهبُthe flares of الشّرارِsparks منfrom الزَّنْدِthe fire-stick
كَما اِنبَعثت شُهبُ الشّرارِ من الزَّنْدِ
And had striking not brought a fire-stick against its like,
Had the wine cup not met its match,
Blazing sparks would not have burst from the fire-stick as they did.
Sparks would not have leapt forth from the flint.
وَقدand already غاضَebbed سخطاناًin anger فَهلso is there منany صبابةٍlingering love
وَقد غاضَ سخطاناً فَهل من صبابةٍ
برأيكin your view إنّيindeed I قدalready تصرّمran out ماwhat عندِيI have
برأيك إنّي قد تصرّم ما عندِي
And it has ebbed in anger—is any drop of love left,
Anger flared, but can good company
In your view? As for me, all I had is spent.
Temper it? I have offered what I can.
هَلُمَّcome! نُعِدْlet us restore صفوَthe purity of الودادِaffection كَماas بداit first appeared
هَلُمَّ نُعِدْ صفوَ الودادِ كَما بدا
إعادةَthe restoration of مَنْone who لمdid not يلفِfind عنfrom ذاكthat منany بُدِّescape
إعادةَ مَنْ لم يلفِ عن ذاك من بُدِّ
Come, let us restore affection's purity as it first appeared,
Come, let us restore the sweetness of affection
Restoring it as one who finds no escape from that.
That came before this, with no ill intent.
ونَغتَنِمُand let us seize الأيّامَthe days وَهْيَwhile they are طوائشٌfickle
ونَغتَنِمُ الأيّامَ وَهْيَ طوائشٌ
تؤاتيthey comply بلاwithout قصدٍpurpose وتأبىand refuse بلاwithout عَمْدِintent
تؤاتي بلا قصدٍ وتأبى بلا عَمْدِ
And let us seize the days, fickle as they are—
Let us seize the heedless days
They yield without purpose and refuse without intent.
That come and go with neither plan nor aim.
وَمثلُكَand one like you أَهدىbetter guided أنْto يعادَbe brought back إلىto الهُدىguidance
وَمثلُكَ أَهدى أنْ يعادَ إلى الهُدى
وأَرشدُand wiser أنْto ينحازَturn aside عنfrom جهةِthe direction of القَصْدِrectitude
وأَرشدُ أنْ ينحازَ عن جهةِ القَصْدِ
And one like you is too well-guided to need leading back to guidance,
And one like you is best guided back to guidance,
And too wise to turn aside from the right course.
Most prudent in turning from the wayward path.
Sol 6.1