أضحتbecame علىupon مَفرِقيthe parting of my hair تاجاًa crown وفيand around عُنُقِيmy neck
أضحت على مَفرِقي تاجاً وفي عُنُقِي
تميمةًa talisman منagainst عَوادِيthe assaults of الخطْبِcalamity والعُدُمِand want
تميمةً من عَوادِي الخطْبِ والعُدُمِ
It has become a crown upon the parting of my hair, and at my neck
It became a crown upon my head, and around my neck
an amulet against the assaults of calamity and want.
a talisman against the assaults of calamity and want.
لفظٌspeech أرقُّmore tender منthan الشكوىcomplaint وألطفُand gentler مِلْthan
لفظٌ أرقُّ من الشكوى وألطفُ مِلْ
عُتبىappeasement وأشْهىand more desirable منthan الإِبلالrecovery فيin الأَلَمِpain
عُتبى وأشْهى من الإِبلال في الأَلَمِ
My diction is more delicate than complaint, and gentler than
Speech more tender than complaint, and gentler than
my reproach—and sweeter than recovery amid pain.
appeasement, and more welcome than recovery amid pain.
جرتflowed لطافَتُهُits delicacy منfrom قلبِthe heart of سامِعهِits listener
جرت لطافَتُهُ من قلبِ سامِعهِ
مجرَىthe course of الهَوىlove منfrom فُؤادِthe heart of المغرَمِthe enamored one السَّدِمِthe anguished one
مجرَى الهَوى من فُؤادِ المغرَمِ السَّدِمِ
Its subtle grace runs through its hearer’s heart
Its delicacy coursed through its listener's heart
as passion runs through the heart of a distraught lover.
as love courses through the heart of the anguished lover.
فصاحةٌeloquence أسمعَتْmade hear مَنone who كانَwas ذاpossessed of صَمَمٍdeafness
فصاحةٌ أسمعَتْ مَن كانَ ذا صَمَمٍ
وحُسنُand beauty of معنىًmeaning أفادgave الفَهمَunderstanding ذاone with اللَّمَمِa touch of madness
وحُسنُ معنىً أفاد الفَهمَ ذا اللَّمَمِ
My eloquence made even one stricken with deafness hear,
Eloquence that made the deaf hear,
and the beauty of my two meanings brought understanding to one touched by madness.
and beauty of meaning that gave understanding to one touched by madness.
ووشيُand the embroidery of خَطٍscript حكىresembled زهرَthe flowers of الربيعspring سَرَتْdrew back
ووشيُ خَطٍ حكى زهرَ الربيع سَرَتْ
أكمامُهits calyxes عنfrom بديعِwondrous الفضلِexcellence والحِكَمِand wise sayings
أكمامُه عن بديعِ الفضلِ والحِكَمِ
The brocade of my script mimicked the blossoms of spring, whose calyxes opened
And embroidered script mirrored spring flowers, whose
to reveal marvels of excellence and wisdom.
calyxes drew back to reveal wondrous excellence and wise sayings.
لوif كانwere حالِكُهits blackness لونَthe color of الشّبابِyouth لَمَاwould not
لو كان حالِكُه لونَ الشّبابِ لَمَا
حالَتchanged نَضارَتُهits freshness بالشَّيبِwith gray hair والهَرَمِand old age
حالَت نَضارَتُه بالشَّيبِ والهَرَمِ
Had its deep black been the hue of youth, never
Were its blackness the hue of youth, never
would its bloom have faded into gray hair and decrepitude.
would its freshness fade with gray hair and old age.
يزيدُincreases سامِعَهاits listener تكرارُهاits repetition شغَفاًpassion
يزيدُ سامِعَها تكرارُها شغَفاً
بهاfor it وكمand how much جَلَبَbrought التّكريرُrepetition منof سَأَمِweariness
بها وكم جَلَبَ التّكريرُ من سَأَمِ
Its repetition leaves its listener ever more enamored
Its repetition increases its listener's passion
of it—though how much weariness repetition has brought!
for it—yet how much weariness repetition has brought!
ياO مُوجدَbringer forth of الفضلِexcellence والإفضالِand generosity إذwhen عُدِمَاboth were lost
يا مُوجدَ الفضلِ والإفضالِ إذ عُدِمَا
حتىuntil لقدindeed أصبحَاboth became نارينtwo fires فيon عَلَمِa mountain
حتى لقد أصبحَا نارين في عَلَمِ
O you who called excellence and beneficence into being when both had vanished,
O you who brought forth excellence and generosity when both were lost,
until indeed they became two beacon-fires upon a landmark height—
until they became two fires upon a mountain!
مملوكُكَyour slave الأصغرُthe lowliest القِنُّthe bondsman المبالِغُstriving to the utmost فيin الthe
مملوكُكَ الأصغرُ القِنُّ المبالِغُ في ال
إخلاصِdevotion والسّيرُand the strap مقدودٌcut منfrom الأَدَمِleather
إخلاصِ والسّيرُ مقدودٌ من الأَدَمِ
your lowliest slave, the utter bondsman, going to the utmost in
Your lowliest slave, your bondsman, unstinting in
devotion; and the strap is fashioned from leather.
devotion—and the strap is cut from leather—
لوif نَالgained ماwhat يتَمنىhe desires مِنfrom مشيئتِهhis will
لو نَال ما يتَمنى مِن مشيئتِه
مشَىwould walk إليكto you خُضوعاًin submission مِشيةَwith the gait of القَلمِthe pen
مشَى إليك خُضوعاً مِشيةَ القَلمِ
If by his own will he could attain what he longs for,
if he could gain what he desires through his own will,
he would walk humbly to you, with the gait of the pen.
would walk to you in submission, with a pen's gait.
Sol 6.1