بَعضَless of تَصابيكَyour youthful dalliance عَلىwith زَينَبٍZaynab
بَعضَ تَصابيكَ عَلى زَينَبٍ
لاno خَيرَgood فيin الصَبوَةِinfatuation لِلأَشيبِfor the gray-haired
لا خَيرَ في الصَبوَةِ لِلأَشيبِ
Less of your youthful dalliance with Zaynab;
Some of your windows overlook Zainab
there is no good in infatuation for the gray-haired.
Youthfulness is no good for the elderly
أَبَعدَis it after خَمسينَfifty تَقَضَّيتَهاyou have spent them
أَبَعدَ خَمسينَ تَقَضَّيتَها
وافِيَةًin full تَصبوyou yearn إِلىfor الرَبرَبِthe herd of wild cows
وافِيَةً تَصبو إِلى الرَبرَبِ
After fifty years you have lived through
After fifty have passed you by
in full, do you still yearn for the herd of wild cows—
Still overflowing towards folly
كُلِّeach رَداحِample الرَدفِin the rump خُمصانَةٍslender-waisted
كُلِّ رَداحِ الرَدفِ خُمصانَةٍ
كَالمُهرَةِlike a filly الضامِرِslender لَمnot تُركَبِit was ridden
كَالمُهرَةِ الضامِرِ لَم تُركَبِ
each full-rumped, slender-waisted woman,
Every plump part of the buttocks
like a slender filly never ridden,
Like an unmounted, skinny mare
أَوor دُرَّةٍa pearl ساعَةَat the moment ماwhen اِستُخرِجَتit was extracted
أَو دُرَّةٍ ساعَةَ ما اِستُخرِجَت
لَمnot تُمتَهَنit was put to use بَعدُyet وَلَمand not تُثقَبِit was pierced
لَم تُمتَهَن بَعدُ وَلَم تُثقَبِ
or a pearl at the moment it was extracted,
Or a pearl in the moment it was extracted
not yet put to use, nor pierced,
Before it was defiled or pierced
مَشرَبَةَsuffused اللَونِwith color مُتوعِat the height of الضُحىforenoon
مَشرَبَةَ اللَونِ مُتوعِ الضُحى
صَفراءَyellow بِالآصالِin the late afternoons كَالمُذهَبِlike something gilded
صَفراءَ بِالآصالِ كَالمُذهَبِ
suffused with color at the height of forenoon,
Pale yellow in color, radiant in the morning
yellow in the late afternoon, as though gilded?
Golden brown, like gilded
مَنwho مُبلِغٌwill convey عَنّيon my behalf إِمامَthe imam الهَدىof guidance
مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي إِمامَ الهَدى
الوارِثthe inheritor of المَجدglory أَباًfather عَنfrom أَبِfather
الوارِث المَجد أَباً عَن أَبِ
Who will carry my words to the imam of guidance,
Who will convey from me to the Imam of guidance
the heir to glory, father after father:
The heir of glory, father from father
إِنّيindeed I إِذاwhen أَطنَبَspoke at length مُدّاحَهُhis panegyrists
إِنّي إِذا أَطنَبَ مُدّاحَهُ
قَصَدتُI was moderate فيin القَولِspeech فَلَمand did not أُطنَبِI elaborate
قَصَدتُ في القَولِ فَلَم أُطنَبِ
I, when his panegyrists speak at length,
When I speak extensively praising him
keep my speech measured and do not elaborate.
I am moderate in speech, not excessive
لاmay not فَكَّrelease عَنّيfrom me اللَهُGod إِنif لَمnot تَكُنyou have been
لا فَكَّ عَنّي اللَهُ إِن لَم تَكُن
أَذكَرتَناyou reminded us مِنof عُمرَʿUmar الطَيبِthe good
أَذكَرتَنا مِن عُمرَ الطَيبِ
May God never release me, if you have not
May Allah release me, if you were not
reminded us of good ʿUmar.
The most pleasant of our time
وَأَصبَحَand has become المَشرِقُthe East مِنfrom شَوقِهِits longing
وَأَصبَحَ المَشرِقُ مِن شَوقِهِ
إِلَيكَfor you قَدindeed حَنَّhas yearned إِلىfor المَغرِبِthe West
إِلَيكَ قَد حَنَّ إِلى المَغرِبِ
And the East, in its longing
And the East longs for you in the morning
for you, has come to yearn for the West.
Yearning for you to the West
مِنبَرهُits pulpit يَهتِفُcries out مِنfrom وَجدِهِits ardor
مِنبَرهُ يَهتِفُ مِن وَجدِهِ
إِلَيكَto you بِالسَهلِwith welcome وَبِالمِرحَبِand with greetings
إِلَيكَ بِالسَهلِ وَبِالمِرحَبِ
Its pulpit cries out in its ardor
Its pulpit exclaiming in ecstasy for you
to you with welcome and greetings.
With ease and welcome
أَطرَبَهُdelighted it الوَقتُthe time الَّذيwhich قَدalready دَناhas drawn near
أَطرَبَهُ الوَقتُ الَّذي قَد دَنا
وَكانَand it had been مِنfrom قَبلِكَbefore you لَمnot يَطرَبِit rejoiced
وَكانَ مِن قَبلِكَ لَم يَطرَبِ
The time drawing near has delighted it,
The time which has drawn near delighted it
and before you it had never known delight.
And before you it was not delighted
هَفاbore aloft بِهِwith it الوَجدُpassion فَلَوso if مِنبَرٌa pulpit
هَفا بِهِ الوَجدُ فَلَو مِنبَرٌ
طارَflew لِوافيit would arrive خَطفَةَin the flash of الكَوكَبِthe star
طارَ لِوافي خَطفَةَ الكَوكَبِ
Passion bore it aloft; if a pulpit
Passion transported it, and if it were only a pulpit
could fly, it would arrive as swiftly as a star's flash,
It would have flown to you rapidly like a shooting star
إِلىto جَميلِfair الوَجهِof face ذيpossessing هَيبَةٍfearsome majesty
إِلى جَميلِ الوَجهِ ذي هَيبَةٍ
لَيسَتis not لِحاميpossessed by the guardian of الغابَةِthe forest المُغضَبِthe enraged one
لَيسَت لِحامي الغابَةِ المُغضَبِ
to the fair-faced one, whose fearsome majesty
To the beautiful, majestic face
the enraged guardian of the forest does not possess.
Not terrifying like the angry forest guardian
لاnot يُمكِنُhe permits الناظِرthe beholder مِنof رُؤيَةٍa sight
لا يُمكِنُ الناظِر مِن رُؤيَةٍ
إِلّاexcept اِلتِماحَa fleeting glance الخائِفِthe fearful one المُذنِبِthe guilty one
إِلّا اِلتِماحَ الخائِفِ المُذنِبِ
He allows the beholder no sight
The onlooker cannot see
but the fleeting glance of one fearful and guilty.
Except a glance, fearful and guilty
إِنif تُرِدِyou desire المالَwealth فَإِنّيthen I اِمرِؤٌam a man
إِن تُرِدِ المالَ فَإِنّي اِمرِؤٌ
لَمnot أَجمَعِI amassed المالَwealth وَلَمand not أَكسَبِI earned
لَم أَجمَعِ المالَ وَلَم أَكسَبِ
If you desire wealth, then I am a man
If you want money, I am a man
who has neither amassed wealth nor earned it.
Who has not amassed nor earned money
إِذاwhen أَخَذتُI took الحَقَّwhat is due مِنّيfrom me فَلاthen do not
إِذا أَخَذتُ الحَقَّ مِنّي فَلا
تَلتَمِسyou seek الرِبحَprofit وَلاand do not تَرغَبِyou covet
تَلتَمِس الرِبحَ وَلا تَرغَبِ
If I take what is due from myself, then do not
When you take the truth from me, do not
seek profit or covet it.
Seek profit or be greedy
قَدindeed أَحسَنَhas been kind اللَهُGod إِلَيناto us مَعاًboth
قَد أَحسَنَ اللَهُ إِلَينا مَعاً
أَنin that كانَwas رَأسُthe principal of المالِthe wealth لَمnot يَذهَبِit vanished
أَن كانَ رَأسُ المالِ لَم يَذهَبِ
God has been kind to us both,
God has been good to both of us
in that the capital has not been lost.
That the capital did not diminish
Sol 6.1