ويحَalas for العواذِلthe reproachers لاno خَلاقَshare of goodness لهُمfor them
ويحَ العواذِل لا خَلاقَ لهُم
وَهِمُواthey were mistaken ولمand did not تَصدُقْهُمprove true for them الفِكَرُthe thoughts
وَهِمُوا ولم تَصدُقْهُم الفِكَرُ
Alas for the reproachers—no share of goodness is theirs!
Alas for the fickle folk, honor is not theirs
They were mistaken, and their thoughts did not prove true.
They schemed but their minds could not make the schemes materialize
قَالواthey said فتىًa youth تسموsoar بهwith him هِمَمٌambitions
قَالوا فتىً تسمو به هِمَمٌ
مُستصْغَرٌdeemed small فيat جَنبهاtheir side الخَطَرُperil
مُستصْغَرٌ في جَنبها الخَطَرُ
They said: a youth whom ambitions lift aloft,
They talked of a gallant youth with lofty aspirations
beside which peril is deemed small,
Yet in face of peril he seemed of small worth
لاnot يَنْثنيhe turns aside عمّاfrom what يَهِمُّhe is intent بِهِon it
لا يَنْثني عمّا يَهِمُّ بِهِ
أوunless يَنْثَنيbends الصّمصامَةُthe keen-edged sword الذّكَرُhard-tempered
أو يَنْثَني الصّمصامَةُ الذّكَرُ
who does not turn aside from what he intends,
He does not flinch from what he is bent on
unless the hard-tempered sword itself should bend.
Nor does the firm-rooted male palm bend
غرّتهshe beguiled him دنياهُhis world بزَهرتهاwith her bloom
غرّته دنياهُ بزَهرتها
فَصَبَاso he became enamored ومنand among عادَاتِهَاher habits الغَرَرُdeceit
فَصَبَا ومن عادَاتِهَا الغَرَرُ
His world beguiled him with her bloom,
The world deluded him with its bloom
so he became enamored—and deceit is one of her ways.
So he reveled, for delusion is its wont
فأرَتهُso she showed him مثلَlike الشمسِthe sun طالِعةًrising
فأرَتهُ مثلَ الشمسِ طالِعةً
غرّاءَradiant يعشَىgrows dim دُونَهاbefore her البَصرُsight
غرّاءَ يعشَى دُونَها البَصرُ
So she showed herself to him like the rising sun,
It showed him the rising sun, radiant
radiant, before whom sight grows dim.
Dazzling, before which sight is dimmed
وبدَتْand she appeared لهto him عُطُلاًunadorned كأحسنِlike the fairest ماway in which
وبدَتْ له عُطُلاً كأحسنِ ما
يَبدُوappears لعينِto the eye of المُدلِجِthe night-traveler القَمرُthe moon
يَبدُو لعينِ المُدلِجِ القَمرُ
And she appeared to him unadorned, as lovely as
And it seemed to him a vision of utmost beauty
the moon ever appears to a night-traveler's eye.
As the moon appears to the watcher's eye
حتىuntil إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle الحُبُّlove أوقَفَهُheld him fast
حتى إذا ما الحُبُّ أوقَفَهُ
حَيرانَbewildered لاno وِردٌapproach to water ولاand no صَدَرُreturn from water
حَيرانَ لا وِردٌ ولا صَدَرُ
Until, when love had held him fast,
Until when love halted him, perplexed
bewildered, neither reaching water nor turning back,
Neither progressing nor turning back
ضَمِنَتْshe pledged لهto him منof وَصلِهَاunion with her عِدَةًa promise
ضَمِنَتْ له من وَصلِهَا عِدَةً
إنif نَالَهاhe attains it فَلْيَهنِهِthen may it gladden him الظَّفَرُtriumph
إن نَالَها فَلْيَهنِهِ الظَّفَرُ
she gave him a promise of union with her.
It promised him union's delight
If he attains it, may triumph bring him joy;
If he attained his goal, but triumph is fickle
أوor كانshould be ذَاكthat لِحَتْفِهof his death سبَباًa cause
أو كان ذَاك لِحَتْفِه سبَباً
فَدَمُthen the blood of الفَتَىthe youth فيfor مِثلَهاone like her هَدَرُunavenged
فَدَمُ الفَتَى في مِثلَها هَدَرُ
or if that should be the cause of his death,
Or that would be the cause of his doom
then a youth's blood, for one like her, goes unavenged.
For the blood of youth like him is cheap
Sol 6.1