أهواكَis it love for you أمor جمرُembers الغَضاthe ghada tree
أهواكَ أم جمرُ الغَضا
أمor حدُّthe edge of سَيفٍa sword يُنتَضىis unsheathed
أم حدُّ سَيفٍ يُنتَضى
Is it love for you, or the embers of the ghada tree,
Or the edge of a sword unsheathed?
ماwhy لِلظِّباءِfor the gazelles يَقِفنَthey stand ليfor me
ما لِلظِّباءِ يَقِفنَ لي
أبَداًalways عَلىupon طُرقِthe paths of القَضاdeath
أبَداً عَلى طُرقِ القَضا
Why do the gazelles stand waiting for me
Always upon the paths of death?
واصَلَننيthey granted me union فرَأيتُand so I saw لَيnight (continued)
واصَلَنني فرَأيتُ لَي
لَcompletes 'night' البيضِthe fair women لَيلاًa night أبيَضاwhite
لَ البيضِ لَيلاً أبيَضا
They granted me union, and I saw the night
Of the fair women as a white night.
حتَّىuntil إذاwhen أَعرَضنَthey turned away صِرbecame (continued)
حتَّى إذا أَعرَضنَ صِر
تُI (verb ending) لماto what تَرىyou see مُتَعرِّضاexposed
تُ لما تَرى مُتَعرِّضا
Until, when they turned away, I became
Exposed to what you see.
ولقيتُand I encountered مِنfrom أجفانِهِنtheir eyelids (continued)
ولقيتُ مِن أجفانِهِن
نَcompletes 'their eyelids' مُقاتِلاًa fighter ومُحرِّضاand an inciter
نَ مُقاتِلاً ومُحرِّضا
And in their eyelids I encountered
A fighter and an inciter.
وكأنَّهنَّand as though they were الصافِناthe poised steeds (continued)
وكأنَّهنَّ الصافِنا
تُcompletes 'the poised steeds' يَقودُهنَّhe leads them أبوAbu (father of) الرِّضاal-Riḍā (contentment)
تُ يَقودُهنَّ أبو الرِّضا
And they seemed like the poised steeds,
Led by Abu al-Riḍā.
ياO ابنَson of الصَّوارِمthe keen swords والعَزاand firm resolves (continued)
يا ابنَ الصَّوارِم والعَزا
ئِمcompletes 'resolves' كالصَّوارِمlike keen swords فيin المَضاsharpness
ئِم كالصَّوارِم في المَضا
O son of keen swords and of resolves
Like keen swords in their sharpness!
لِلَّهِto God (exclamation of praise) أنتَyou إذاwhen غُباdust (continued)
لِلَّهِ أنتَ إذا غُبا
رُcompletes 'dust' النَّقعِthe battle dust سُدَّwas filled بهwith it الفَضاthe open space
رُ النَّقعِ سُدَّ به الفَضا
How splendid you are when the dust
Of battle fills the open air:
ضُرِبَتwere pitched عليكَover you خِيامُهits tents
ضُرِبَت عليكَ خِيامُه
فصَبرتَand so you stood firm حتَّىuntil قوَّضاit dismantled them
فصَبرتَ حتَّى قوَّضا
Its tents are pitched above you,
And you stand firm until it takes them down.
ورَضيتَand you were content بالنَّفسwith the soul النَّفيprecious (continued)
ورَضيتَ بالنَّفس النَّفي
سَةِcompletes 'precious' شُكرَهاgratitude for it مُتَعرِّضاseeking
سَةِ شُكرَها مُتَعرِّضا
And you were content to stake your precious life,
Seeking gratitude for it.
وإذاand when تَجودُyou give generously سَبقتَyou outpaced وَعpromise (continued)
وإذا تَجودُ سَبقتَ وَع
دَكَyour promise (completion) خيفةًfor fear أنthat يُقتَضىit be demanded
دَكَ خيفةً أن يُقتَضى
And when you give, you outpace your promise,
For fear its fulfillment might be demanded.
شيمُtraits الفُصيصِيِّينthe Fuṣayṣīs قَبbefore (continued)
شيمُ الفُصيصِيِّين قَب
لَكَyou (completing 'before you') منthose who أقامَremained ومنand those who مَضىpassed on
لَكَ من أقامَ ومن مَضى
Such are the traits of the Fuṣayṣīs before you—
Those who remain and those who have passed on.
فوِّضentrust it إليَّto me أكُنI shall be إلَيto (continued)
فوِّض إليَّ أكُن إلَي
كَyou (completing 'to you') بِماwith what أَقولُI say مُفَوّضاentrusting
كَ بِما أَقولُ مُفَوّضا
Entrust it to me, and I shall
Entrust to you what I say.
وانهَضand raise up بِمَنthe one whom قَعَدheld back الزَّماTime (continued)
وانهَض بِمَن قَعَد الزَّما
نُcompletes 'Time' بِهِhim (object of 'held back') عَسىhopefully أَنthat يَنهَضاhe may rise
نُ بِهِ عَسى أَن يَنهَضا
And lift the one whom Time has brought low,
In the hope that he may rise.
Translation model: Sol 6.1