ماnot استَجْهَلَتْكroused you to folly مَعالمٌlandmarks ورُسُومُand traces
ما استَجْهَلَتْك مَعالمٌ ورُسُومُ
إلاّexcept لِيُعْلَنَso that it may be revealed سِرُّكَyour secret المكتُومُconcealed
إلاّ لِيُعْلَنَ سِرُّكَ المكتُومُ
The landmarks and traces have not roused you to folly
Neither have the landmarks and customs made you ignorant
Except to make your hidden secret known.
Except to reveal your concealed secret
أوَand is there بَعدَafter نَاهِيةِthe warning of المشيبِgray hair جَهالةٌfolly
أوَ بَعدَ نَاهِيةِ المشيبِ جَهالةٌ
يأبىforbids الوقارُdignity عليكَto you والتّحلِيمُand cultivated forbearance
يأبى الوقارُ عليكَ والتّحلِيمُ
And after gray hair's warning—still folly?
Or after the end of gray hair, ignorance
Dignity and cultivated forbearance forbid it to you.
Dignity and wisdom refuse you
مَاnot جُرتَyou strayed فيin داجِيthe darkness of الشّبابِyouth فكيفَso how إذْwhen
مَا جُرتَ في داجِي الشّبابِ فكيفَ إذْ
وَضَحَتْshone بِفَودِكat your temple للمشيبof gray hair نُجومُstars
وَضَحَتْ بِفَودِك للمشيب نُجومُ
You did not stray in youth's darkness—how could you now, when
How did you behave in the darkness of youth, so how when
Stars of gray hair have shone at your temple?
The stars on your cheeks shone for the gray hair
أعوَاذِليO my reproachers كُفّواdesist فَليسfor it is not بِمُسمعِيable to make me listen
أعوَاذِلي كُفّوا فَليس بِمُسمعِي
نُصْحٌcounsel وبعضُand some النّاصحينَcounselors مَلُومُblameworthy
نُصْحٌ وبعضُ النّاصحينَ مَلُومُ
O my reproachers, desist: I will not heed
My friends stopped me, so I don't hear
Counsel; and some counselors themselves deserve blame.
Advice, and some advisers are blamed
وَقَرَتْdeafened دَواعيthe calls of البَينِseparation سَمعِيَmy hearing بَعدهُمafter their departure
وَقَرَتْ دَواعي البَينِ سَمعِيَ بَعدهُم
فَلِمَنso whom يُعنِّفُrebukes ناصحٌa counselor ويَلومُand blames
فَلِمَن يُعنِّفُ ناصحٌ ويَلومُ
The calls of separation deafened my hearing after they left;
And the motives of separation deafened my hearing after them
So whom does a counselor rebuke and blame?
So who would blame and scold an adviser?
ليI have كلّevery يومٍday رَوعةٌa shock بمودَّعٍat someone bid farewell
لي كلّ يومٍ رَوعةٌ بمودَّعٍ
ونَوىًand separation فَهمِّيso my sorrow طارِفٌnew وقديمُand old
ونَوىً فَهمِّي طارِفٌ وقديمُ
Each day brings me a shock at someone's farewell,
Every day I have a horror from one bidding farewell
And at separation; my sorrow is new and old.
And my anxious mind is gentle and old
وعَلَىand upon الرّكائبِthe riding camels مَاطلٌone delaying payment بِديُونِنَاin paying debts owed us
وعَلَى الرّكائبِ مَاطلٌ بِديُونِنَا
عَسِرُreluctant القَضَاءِrepayment معdespite اليَسارِwealth ظَلُومُunjust
عَسِرُ القَضَاءِ مع اليَسارِ ظَلُومُ
And on the riding camels is one who defers our dues,
And on the mounts, one who delays with our debts
Reluctant to repay despite his wealth, unjust.
The difficulty of repayment with ease is oppressive
مُتَبَسِّمٌsmiling عَنto reveal ذيpossessing غُروبٍsharp tooth-edges واضحٍbright
مُتَبَسِّمٌ عَن ذي غُروبٍ واضحٍ
يُعزَىis ascribed إليهto it اللؤْلُؤُpearls الْمنظومُstrung
يُعزَى إليه اللؤْلُؤُ الْمنظومُ
Smiling to reveal a bright mouth with sharp-edged teeth,
Smiling at one whose sunset is clear
To which strung pearls trace their lineage.
To him the strung pearls are consoled
فيin وجْهِهِhis face ماءُthe water of الملاَحةِbeauty حَائرٌpooled
في وجْهِهِ ماءُ الملاَحةِ حَائرٌ
فقلوبُناso our hearts الظّمأىthirsty عليهover it تَحومُhover
فقلوبُنا الظّمأى عليه تَحومُ
In his face the water of beauty lies pooled,
In his face the water of salinity wanders
So our thirsty hearts hover over it.
And our thirsty hearts hover over him
أتْبَعتُهمI followed them قَرحَىsore الجفونِthe eyelids كليلةًweary
أتْبَعتُهم قَرحَى الجفونِ كليلةً
تُصحِيclears بدَمعِيwith my tears تَارةًat times وتَغيمُand clouds over
تُصحِي بدَمعِي تَارةً وتَغيمُ
I followed them with a weary eye, its eyelids sore,
I followed them with the wounds of eyelids one night
Now clearing with my tears, now clouding over,
Sometimes my tears wake and sometimes cloud
مَسْمُولَةًgouged out بمَدَامعٍby tears حالَتturned into دماًblood
مَسْمُولَةً بمَدَامعٍ حالَت دماً
فكأنّماso it is as though إنسانُهاits pupil مَكلُومُwounded
فكأنّما إنسانُها مَكلُومُ
Gouged out by tears that have turned to blood,
With tears that turned into blood
So it is as though its pupil were wounded.
As if their human was tortured
ياO نَازِحاًfar-off one ضَنّwas miserly الزّمانُTime بقُربهِwith his nearness
يا نَازِحاً ضَنّ الزّمانُ بقُربهِ
وجْدِيmy longing عليكَfor you وإنand even though رَحلتَyou departed مُقِيمُabiding
وجْدِي عليكَ وإن رَحلتَ مُقِيمُ
O distant one, whose nearness Time has withheld,
Oh you who moved away, time was stingy with his nearness
My longing for you abides, though you have departed.
My liver longs for you even if you left resident
ليI have مقلَةٌan eye قَذِيَتْbecame gritty ببُعدِكَby your distance بَرَّهاtreated it kindly
لي مقلَةٌ قَذِيَتْ ببُعدِكَ بَرَّها
فيضُthe flood of الدّموعِtears وعقَّهاand mistreated it التّهويمُdrowsing
فيضُ الدّموعِ وعقَّها التّهويمُ
I have an eye, gritty with your absence, tended by
I have an eyelid that was hurt by your distance
The flood of tears, but mistreated by drowsing.
The outpouring of tears and the cooing of grief
ساوَىmade equal بِعادُكyour distance ليلَهاits night ونَهارَهاand its day
ساوَى بِعادُك ليلَها ونَهارَها
كلٌّeach كماas قَضَتِdecreed الهمومُsorrows بَهيمُpitch-dark
كلٌّ كما قَضَتِ الهمومُ بَهيمُ
Your distance has made its night and day alike;
Your absence equalized its night and day
Each is pitch-black, as sorrows have decreed.
Each as worries decreed, confused
كمhow often أنشأتْhas stirred ذِكرَاكَthe memory of you بينbetween جَوانِحيmy ribs
كم أنشأتْ ذِكرَاكَ بين جَوانِحي
منof زَفرةٍa deep sigh قَلبِيmy heart بهاby it مَوسُومُbranded
من زَفرةٍ قَلبِي بها مَوسُومُ
How often the memory of you has stirred between my ribs
How many times did your remembrance create in my feelings
A sigh with which my heart is branded!
A sigh from my heart, branded with it
نَفَسٌa breath يقومُstraightens لهfor it إعوجاجُthe curvature of أضالعيmy ribs
نَفَسٌ يقومُ له إعوجاجُ أضالعي
ويَضيقُand is too narrow عنfor نَزَواتِهits surges الحيزُومُthe chest
ويَضيقُ عن نَزَواتِه الحيزُومُ
A breath that straightens the curve of my ribs,
A breath that the crookedness of my ribs stands for
And my chest is too narrow for its surges.
And the pericardium is too narrow for its whims
مَاnot أخْطأتْhas departed from فيكَwith you النّوىseparation عادَاتِهاits habits
مَا أخْطأتْ فيكَ النّوى عادَاتِها
لكنَّbut تَقْرِيفَpicking scabs from الكُلومِwounds أليمُpainful
لكنَّ تَقْرِيفَ الكُلومِ أليمُ
Separation has not abandoned its habits with you,
The intentions did not make a mistake in you
But picking the scabs from wounds is painful.
But the reproach of blamers is painful
Sol 6.1