أتىcame زائراas a visitor وَهْناًlate at night ولمand did not يَخْشَfear عاذِلاa reproacher
أتى زائرا وَهْناً ولم يَخْشَ عاذِلا
ونورُand the light of ذُكاءِDhukāʾ (the sun) الأُفْقِthe horizon سارtraveled مَراحِلاَstages
ونورُ ذُكاءِ الأُفْقِ سار مَراحِلاَ
He came to visit late at night, fearing no reproacher.
He came as a visitor, weak and unafraid of censure,
And the light of Dhukāʾ, the horizon’s sun, had traveled through stages.
And the light of the horizon's brilliance progressed in stages,
وجادَand gave generously بِماwith what لوif رُمْتُهI sought it منfrom خيالهِhis phantom
وجادَ بِما لو رُمْتُه من خيالهِ
لكانthen it would have been لماwith what أوْلَىhe bestowed مِنof الوصْلِunion باخِلاَmiserly
لكان لما أوْلَى مِن الوصْلِ باخِلاَ
And he generously gave what, had I sought it from his phantom,
He was generous with imaginings which, had I aimed them at him
his phantom would have begrudged the union he bestowed.
Would have made the stingiest cling to reconciliation.
حبيبٌa beloved لَوif أنَّthat البدرَthe full moon أصْبَحbecame حائزاًpossessing
حبيبٌ لَو أنَّ البدرَ أصْبَح حائزاً
ضِياءَthe radiance of مُحيَّاهُhis face لماit would not زالcease to be كامِلاَfull
ضِياءَ مُحيَّاهُ لما زال كامِلاَ
A beloved—had the full moon come to possess
A beloved, if the full moon gained possession
the radiance of his face, it would never have ceased to be full.
Of the radiance of his beauty, it would remain perfect.
رَشِيقٌslender كخُوطِlike a shoot of الخَيْزُرانةِbamboo ماnever انْثَنَىhe bent
رَشِيقٌ كخُوطِ الخَيْزُرانةِ ما انْثَنَى
وماand never مالَhe swayed إلاّexcept وانثنىand bent القلْبُthe heart مائلاswaying
وما مالَ إلاّ وانثنى القلْبُ مائلا
Slender as a bamboo shoot, he never bent
Graceful as the lines of tattoos, he did not bend,
nor swayed without the heart bending and swaying too.
And nothing swayed him unless the heart inclined.
يُحرِّكُhe stirs بالأعْطافِwith his flanks أجْنحِةَthe wings of الهوَىpassion
يُحرِّكُ بالأعْطافِ أجْنحِةَ الهوَى
إذاwhen حرَّكَتْthey moved منfrom فَوْقهِنَّabove them الغلائلاthe sheer robes
إذا حرَّكَتْ من فَوْقهِنَّ الغلائلا
He stirs the wings of passion with his flanks,
With glances he moves the wings of passion.
when they flutter the sheer robes above them.
When the braids above them were stirred.
فبِتُّso I spent the night أُعاطِيهِI exchange drinks with him سُلافَthe choicest of مُدامةٍwine
فبِتُّ أُعاطِيهِ سُلافَ مُدامةٍ
تَرُدُّturns الدَّياجيthe dark nights منthrough سَناهُhis radiance أصائِلاَlate afternoons
تَرُدُّ الدَّياجي من سَناهُ أصائِلاَ
So I spent the night sharing with him the choicest wine,
I spend the night giving him a drink of wine
which, through his radiance, turns dark nights into late afternoons.
That makes the darkness recede from his teeth in rays.
إذاwhen بَزَغَتْit rose مِنfrom راحَتَيْهِhis two palms بَداappeared مِنَof السَّـthe joy (first part)
إذا بَزَغَتْ مِن راحَتَيْهِ بَدا مِنَ السَّـ
ـرُورِjoy (continuation) لناfor us ماwhat كانhad been مِنfrom قَبْلُbefore آفِلاَset
ـرُورِ لنا ما كان مِن قَبْلُ آفِلاَ
When it rose from his palms, a joy dawned
When dawn rose from his palm, some of the joy
for us that had previously set.
That was hidden before appeared to us.
إلىuntil أنthat نَضَاshed ثَوْبَthe robe of الشَّبابِyouth الدُّجَىthe darkness وقَدْand already
إلى أن نَضَا ثَوْبَ الشَّبابِ الدُّجَى وقَدْ
غدتْhad become زُهْرُهits bright stars إلاexcept قَليلاًa few أوافِلاَsetting
غدتْ زُهْرُه إلا قَليلاً أوافِلاَ
Until the darkness shed its robe of youth, and already
Until the cloak of youth was stripped at dusk
its bright stars, save a few, were setting.
And its flowers faded, all but a few.
وذُوand the one with الرَّعَثاتِthe wattles الحُمْرِred هَبَّsprang up كأنَّماas though
وذُو الرَّعَثاتِ الحُمْرِ هَبَّ كأنَّما
عليهover him ضَياءُthe light of الفَجْرِdawn شامَdrew مَناصِلاَblades
عليه ضَياءُ الفَجْرِ شامَ مَناصِلاَ
And the red-wattled one sprang up, as though
Dishevelled, the redness of dawn poured over him
the light of dawn had drawn blades over him.
As if the light of morning had continued unbroken.
فكبَّرso he magnified مَولاهُhis Lord وهلَّلand proclaimed God’s oneness إذْwhen رأَىhe saw
فكبَّر مَولاهُ وهلَّل إذْ رأَى
هَزِيعَa watch of الدُّجىthe night’s darkness الزِّنْجِيِّZanj-black أدْبرturned away راحِلاَdeparting
هَزِيعَ الدُّجى الزِّنْجِيِّ أدْبر راحِلاَ
So he magnified his Lord and proclaimed His oneness when he saw
He glorified his Master and cried “God is great” when he saw
the Zanj-black watch of night turn away and depart.
The blackness of night retreat and depart.
وقامand he stood بجَيْشٍwith an army مِنof ذَوِيهhis kin كأنهas though he
وقام بجَيْشٍ مِن ذَوِيه كأنه
وإياهمand with them كِسْرَىKisrā يحُثُّurges on القبائِلاَthe tribes
وإياهم كِسْرَى يحُثُّ القبائِلاَ
And he stood with an army of his kin, as though he,
He stood with his tribe about him as though he
together with them, were Kisrā urging the tribes onward.
And they were Kisra marching with the tribes.
علىon قُضُبِrods of العِقْيآنِpure gold يَمْشِيhe walks مُجَلْبَباًcloaked
على قُضُبِ العِقْيآنِ يَمْشِي مُجَلْبَباً
جلاَبِيبَrobes مثْلَlike الرَّوْضthe garden مازالever remaining حافِلاَluxuriant
جلاَبِيبَ مثْلَ الرَّوْض مازال حافِلاَ
On rods of pure gold he walks, cloaked
He walked proudly robed on the meadows
in robes like a garden ever luxuriant.
His robes like a garden that was still flowering.
فَسرْناso we went إلىto نادٍa gathering-place رَحِيبٍspacious سماؤُهits sky
فَسرْنا إلى نادٍ رَحِيبٍ سماؤُه
تُرِيكَshows you بُدُوراًfull moons مُشْرِقاتٍradiant كَوامِلاَfull
تُرِيكَ بُدُوراً مُشْرِقاتٍ كَوامِلاَ
So we went to a spacious hall whose sky
We went to a spacious grove with a sky
shows you radiant moons, all full.
That showed you shining full moons.
إلىto منْزلٍan abode للأُنْسِfor convivial delight فيهin it منازلٌabodes
إلى منْزلٍ للأُنْسِ فيه منازلٌ
بِهنَّthrough them غَدَاit became حُسْناًin beauty يفُوقُsurpasses المنازِلاَthe abodes
بِهنَّ غَدَا حُسْناً يفُوقُ المنازِلاَ
To an abode of delight, with abodes within it,
To a dwelling where the halting-places of company
through which it came to surpass other abodes in beauty.
Had made it more lovely than any halting-place.
حكَىresembled دَنِفاًa lovesick person أحْشاؤُهhis innards قدalready تَضَرَّمتْblazed
حكَى دَنِفاً أحْشاؤُه قد تَضَرَّمتْ
بنارِwith the fire of الأسَىsorrow لوif كانit were يشْكُوcomplaining of البَلابلاَwoes
بنارِ الأسَى لو كان يشْكُو البَلابلاَ
It would resemble a lovesick man, whose innards had blazed
He told of a meadow whose innards were cracked
with sorrow’s fire, if it could complain of its anguish.
By the fire of sorrow as though he complained to nightingales.
بهin it يبْذُلُhe offers الحسنَthe beauty المصُونَguarded لمنto whoever بِهِin it
به يبْذُلُ الحسنَ المصُونَ لمن بِهِ
وفيand in غيرهother than it لوif كانhe were ماnot كانhe would be باذلاَoffering
وفي غيره لو كان ما كان باذلاَ
In it, he offers his guarded beauty to those within;
In it he lavishes hidden beauty on one who deserves it
and were he elsewhere, he would not offer it.
While with others, had he done so, he would not have been so open-handed.
ترَىyou see جُدْرَهits walls كالعاشقينlike lovers منfrom الجوَىlove’s anguish
ترَى جُدْرَه كالعاشقين من الجوَى
غَداةَon the morning of النَّوَىseparation تُبْدِيshow دُموعاًtears هَواطِلاَstreaming
غَداةَ النَّوَى تُبْدِي دُموعاً هَواطِلاَ
You see its walls, like lovers in burning grief,
You can see his walls like lovers after estrangement
on the morning of parting, shedding streaming tears.
Shedding copious tears at dawn.
لقدindeed شادَهُhe built it نَجْمُNajm (Star) الهدايةِal-Hidāya (Guidance) واحدُone of الـthe
لقد شادَهُ نَجْمُ الهدايةِ واحدُ الـ
ـأفاضِلeminent men فيin الشَّهْباءِal-Shahbāʾ طَوْلاًbounty ونائِلاَand largesse
ـأفاضِل في الشَّهْباءِ طَوْلاً ونائِلاَ
Indeed, Najm al-Hidāya built it, one of the
The star of guidance and the unique pearl
eminent men in al-Shahbāʾ for bounty and largesse.
Among the Pleiades raised him high.
وكمand how often نَمَّقَتْadorned أفكارُهhis thoughts غَلَسَin the gloom of الدُّجىnight
وكم نَمَّقَتْ أفكارُه غَلَسَ الدُّجى
رياضاًgardens سقَاهاwatered them الفضْلُexcellence طَلاًّdew ووَابِلاَand downpours
رياضاً سقَاها الفضْلُ طَلاًّ ووَابِلاَ
And how often his thoughts, in the night’s gloom, adorned
How his ideas have plumbed the darkness of night
gardens that excellence watered with dew and downpours.
To irrigate gardens that learning has watered with new and plentiful rain;
حدائقُgardens لمdid not يكْسُclothe الهجيرُthe noonday heat نَظِيرَهاtheir like
حدائقُ لم يكْسُ الهجيرُ نَظِيرَها
ذُبُولاًwithering وقدand perhaps تْلقىyou find الرياضَthe gardens ذَوابلاَwilted
ذُبُولاً وقد تْلقى الرياضَ ذَوابلاَ
Gardens whose like the noonday heat has never clothed
Gardens the hot wind has not withered
in withering, though you may find gardens wilted.
As plots turned to gardens in the spring.
عَرائِسُbrides تلْقاهاyou meet them بضَافِيin ample ثِيابِهَاtheir robes
عَرائِسُ تلْقاها بضَافِي ثِيابِهَا
فإنْso if لاَحَappeared ماwhat فيهنَّinside them قُلْتَyou would say ثَواكِلاَbereaved mothers
فإنْ لاَحَ ما فيهنَّ قُلْتَ ثَواكِلاَ
Brides you encounter in their ample robes;
Brides whom he met in the train of his cloak –
but if what lies within them shows, you call them bereaved mothers.
When glimpsed what they hid I said, “Bashful!”
تُجِيبُكَthey answer you عَمَّاabout what رُمْتَyou sought وَهْيَwhile they are صَوامِتٌsilent
تُجِيبُكَ عَمَّا رُمْتَ وَهْيَ صَوامِتٌ
ومَنand who ذَاis it that رَأَىhas seen خُرْساًmute ones تُجِيبanswer المُسائِلاَthe questioner
ومَن ذَا رَأَى خُرْساً تُجِيب المُسائِلاَ
They answer you about what you seek, though they are silent;
They answer you though silent
and who has seen the mute answer a questioner?
And who ever saw mutes answer questions?
بدائعُmarvels فِكْرٍof thought للأواخِرِfor later generations وَطَّدتْestablished
بدائعُ فِكْرٍ للأواخِرِ وَطَّدتْ
محاسِنَthe glories of ذِكْرٍrenown تسْتقِلُّdeems lesser الأوَائِلاَthe earlier generations
محاسِنَ ذِكْرٍ تسْتقِلُّ الأوَائِلاَ
Marvels of thought that secured for later generations
Rarities of thought have confirmed for later times
a splendid renown that makes earlier generations seem slight.
Beauties of recollection that rival early achievements.
Sol 6.1