أمّاas for الزمانُtime فقدso indeed لانتsoftened حَواشِيهِits fringes
أمّا الزمانُ فقد لانت حَواشِيهِ
وقامand arose يدعوcalls إلىto اللّذّاتِpleasures داعِيهِits herald
وقام يدعو إلى اللّذّاتِ داعِيهِ
As for time, its fringes have indeed softened.
Time's edges have become blunt,
And its herald arose, calling to pleasures.
Its caller calls to pleasures,
ولاحَand shone مجدُthe glory of مَعَدٍّMa‘add فوقَabove غُرتهِits brow
ولاحَ مجدُ مَعَدٍّ فوقَ غُرتهِ
حتّىuntil أنارتshone بهthrough him حسْناًwith beauty لياليهits nights
حتّى أنارت به حسْناً لياليه
And Ma‘add’s glory shone above its brow,
Al-Ma'adi's glory shone above its peak,
until, through him, its nights shone with beauty.
Lighting up beautifully its nights.
فالدهرُso time غَضٌّtender نَؤُومsleepy عنaway from حوادِثهِits calamities
فالدهرُ غَضٌّ نَؤُوم عن حوادِثهِ
كأنّماas though عادbecame معنىًa quality مِنamong معانِيهِhis qualities
كأنّما عاد معنىً مِن معانِيهِ
So time is tender and drowsy, heedless of its calamities,
Fate is grieving, sorrowful of its events,
as though it had become one of his qualities.
As if its meanings have returned anew.
رقّتsoftened طِباعُthe natures of الّلياليthe nights منذُever since عَنَّappeared لهاto them
رقّت طِباعُ الّليالي منذُ عَنَّ لها
رقيقُthe gentleness of طَبْعِكَyour nature فاقتادتْso they yielded لِماto what فِيهِis in it
رقيقُ طَبْعِكَ فاقتادتْ لِما فِيهِ
The nights’ natures softened ever since there appeared to them
The nights' natures softened since you made delicate
the gentleness of your nature, so they yielded to what it contains.
Your delicate nature, so it followed what pleased it.
إنّيindeed I وإنand although فُتُّI outstripped منْthose who يَجْريrace إلىtoward أمَدٍa goal
إنّي وإن فُتُّ منْ يَجْري إلى أمَدٍ
معيwith me برقّةِthrough the delicacy of تبيِينيmy expression وتشبِيهيand my similes
معي برقّةِ تبيِيني وتشبِيهي
Indeed, though I have outstripped those racing toward a goal
And even if I get carried away by what flows to hope,
beside me, through the delicacy of my expression and my similes,
I have with me the delicateness of my clarity and my likening.
ماnot عاجَturned شِعْريmy poetry علىtoward علياكَyour eminence يَنظِمُهاto weave it into verse
ما عاجَ شِعْري على علياكَ يَنظِمُها
إلاّexcept that انثنَىturned back وعُلاكَwhile your glories الغُرّradiant تُعْييهdefeat it
إلاّ انثنَى وعُلاكَ الغُرّ تُعْييه
my poetry has never turned to your eminence to weave it into verse
My poetry did not struggle to compose your height,
without recoiling, your radiant glories defeating it.
Except it bent away as your eminence tired it.
إنّيindeed I أُحِبُّكَI love you حُبَّthe love of المستفِيدِone who gains بهthrough it
إنّي أُحِبُّكَ حُبَّ المستفِيدِ به
إصابةattainment of الُّرشدِright guidance لاnot حُبّاًa love أُداجِيهI feign it
إصابة الُّرشدِ لا حُبّاً أُداجِيه
Indeed, I love you as one who gains through that love
I love you with the love of one who benefits
right guidance—not with a love I feign.
From hitting proper guidance, not a love I pretend.
وذاكَand that أَنَّكbecause you أنتyou yourself المستحِقُّthe deserving one لهof it
وذاكَ أَنَّك أنت المستحِقُّ له
بالفضلِthrough excellence لاnot بنَدىًthrough bounty أصبحتَyou have come to تولِيهِyou bestow it
بالفضلِ لا بنَدىً أصبحتَ تولِيهِ
And that is because you yourself deserve it
That is because you deserve it
through your excellence, not through bounty you now bestow.
Through merit, not a dew you started to give.
أضحتْhave become قلوبُthe hearts of جميعِall الناسِpeople كلّهِمall of them
أضحتْ قلوبُ جميعِ الناسِ كلّهِم
تُسِرُّconceal حُبَّكlove for you والرحمانُand the All-Merciful يُبْدِيهِreveals it
تُسِرُّ حُبَّك والرحمانُ يُبْدِيهِ
The hearts of all people, every one of them, have come
The hearts of all people, all of them,
to conceal their love for you, while the All-Merciful reveals it.
Have become happy with loving you, and the Merciful shows it.
سأجهدI shall exert النفسَmyself حتىuntil أَغتْديI become وأُرَىand I am seen
سأجهد النفسَ حتى أَغتْدي وأُرَى
عبداًa servant لمولايَto my master يَرضاهhe accepts him ويُرِضْيهِand he makes him content
عبداً لمولايَ يَرضاه ويُرِضْيهِ
I shall exert myself until I become—and am seen as—
I will exert myself until I gain and see myself
a servant to my master—one he accepts and makes content.
A servant of my Master, pleasing and pleased by Him.
Sol 6.1