حيتmay greet شآبيبshowers الندىdew
حيت شآبيب الندى
بالمأزمينat al-Ma'zimayn معهداa familiar haunt
بالمأزمين معهدا
May showers of dew greet
Where the young dew
a familiar haunt at al-Ma'zimayn—
Meets the wine-makers,
منازلاdwellings كانwas بهاin them
منازلا كان بها
عيشيmy life رقيقاًgentle رغداeaseful
عيشي رقيقاً رغدا
dwellings where
A dwelling where
my life was gentle and easeful:
My life was soft and plentiful.
عيشa life والabundant اسعفbestowed
عيش وال اسعف
الدهرtime بهwith it وأسعداand brought happiness
الدهر به وأسعدا
a life of plenty, bestowed
A life the days never blessed more,
by time, which made me happy through it.
Nor made happier.
كمhow often غازلتflirted عينيmy eye بهاin them
كم غازلت عيني بها
خشفاًa fawn غريراinnocent اغيداsupple
خشفاً غريرا اغيدا
How often my eye flirted there
How my eyes flirted with it,
with an innocent, graceful fawn,
Bashfully, coquettishly, singing.
اغنsweetly nasal-voiced ساجيlanguid اللحظthe gaze
اغن ساجي اللحظ
فيin اجفانهhis eyelids سيفa sword الردىdeath
في اجفانه سيف الردى
sweet-voiced, with a languid gaze,
The sword of fate sings
the sword of death within his eyelids.
In its eyelids,
ياO منwho رأىhas seen غزيلاa little gazelle
يا من رأى غزيلا
بالطرفwith a glance صادcaptured اسداa lion
بالطرف صاد اسدا
Oh, who has seen a little gazelle
O you who saw a gazelle
capture a lion with a glance?
With a glance that hunted a lion,
يربكbewilders فيin ابتسامهhis smile
يربك في ابتسامه
عقدa necklace جمانpearls نضداarrayed
عقد جمان نضدا
He bewilders with his smile—
Your smile snares
a necklace of pearls, neatly strung.
A string of pearls.
ياO كاملperfect in الحسنbeauty اسقنيgive me to drink
يا كامل الحسن اسقني
رضابكyour sweet saliva المبرداcooled
رضابك المبردا
O you of perfect beauty, give me to drink
O perfect of beauty, give me to drink
your cool, sweet saliva;
Your cooling life-draught,
واطفand quench غليلthe burning thirst مهجةa heart
واطف غليل مهجة
ذابتmelted عليكover you كمداwith grief
ذابت عليك كمدا
and quench the burning thirst of a heart
And quench the fever of my love
that has melted with grief for you.
That melts for you like that candle.
وارثand have pity لصبfor a lovesick man ليلهhis night
وارث لصب ليله
عادbecame عليهfor him سرمداendless
عاد عليه سرمدا
And pity a lovesick man whose night
And inherit the pouring of the night
has become endless for him.
That returned upon it eternally.
فليسfor it is not عدلاfair انthat ابيstart of 'I spend the night'
فليس عدلا ان ابي
تcompletion of 'I spend the night' هائماًlovesick مسهداsleepless
ت هائماً مسهدا
For it is not fair that I should spend
For it is not just that I live
the night lovesick and sleepless,
Wandering, raving, sleepless,
الاexcept لمدحin praise of قاسمQasim
الا لمدح قاسم
نجلson of الهمامthe noble أحمداAhmad
نجل الهمام أحمدا
except in praise of Qasim,
Unless praising Qasim,
son of the noble Ahmad:
Son of the illustrious Ahmad,
المنعمthe benefactor المفضالthe lavishly generous وand
المنعم المفضال و
الشهمthe gallant الكريمnoble محتداin ancestry
الشهم الكريم محتدا
the benefactor, lavishly generous, and
The benefactor, the generous one,
the gallant man, noble in ancestry,
The valiant, steadfast hero.
كالغيثlike the rain والليثand the lion لدىat
كالغيث والليث لدى
يوميthe two occasions of نزالbattle وندىand generosity
يومي نزال وندى
like rain and a lion in
Like rain and lion in
times of battle and bounty.
The day of battle and strife
قدindeed كادalmost يحكيهresembles him الحياthe rain
قد كاد يحكيه الحيا
لوif كانwere يهميpouring down عسجداgold
لو كان يهمي عسجدا
Rain would almost match him,
Life itself would speak of him
if it poured down gold.
If it were able to praise and extol.
والسابقand the forerunner المدركwho attains منof
والسابق المدرك من
شأوthe course العلىglory اقصىthe farthest المدىreach
شأو العلى اقصى المدى
And the forerunner, who has reached
The outstanding one, attaining
the farthest point in the course of glory.
The highest extremity of the lofty goal,
يرويrecounts حديثthe account فضلهhis excellence
يروي حديث فضله
موثقاًauthenticated ومسنداand given a chain of transmission
موثقاً ومسندا
The account of his excellence is recounted,
He relates the narrative of his virtue
authenticated and given a chain of transmission,
Verified and well-founded.
مناقبvirtues كالشهبlike bright stars نوstart of 'light'
مناقب كالشهب نو
راcompletion of 'light' وسناًand radiance وعدداand number
را وسناً وعددا
by virtues like bright stars in
His merits like the stars
light, radiance, and number—
Giving light, numbering, counting.
الفاضلينthe virtuous المحسنينthe beneficent
الفاضلين المحسنين
الحائزينwho have attained السؤدداpreeminence
الحائزين السؤددا
those of the virtuous and beneficent,
The excellent, beneficent ones
who have attained preeminence.
Who prevail and help.
كلevery همامnobleman يطرقbows his head
كل همام يطرق
الناديthe assembly لهbefore him إذاwhen انتدىhe joins the gathering
النادي له إذا انتدى
Every nobleman bows his head
Every protector who enters
before him in the assembly when he attends.
The gathering when he sits
ياO راكباًrider يطوىfolds up الفياstart of 'the desert wastes'
يا راكباً يطوى الفيا
فيcompletion of 'the desert wastes' فدstart of 'a wasteland' فداcompletion of 'a wasteland' ففدthen: start of 'a wasteland' فداcompletion of 'a wasteland'
في فد فدا ففد فدا
O rider who folds up the desert
O rider who crosses the horizon
wastes, waste after waste,
In continual salvation and aid
مدلجاًtraveling by night ينصurges to full speed للمسرىfor the night journey
مدلجاً ينص للمسرى
نجاةa swift she-camel أجداstrong-backed
نجاة أجدا
traveling by night, urging on for the night journey
Bringing to the journey of life
a swift, strong-backed she-camel:
Escape and deliverance.
يممhead toward بهاwith her مغنىthe abode السماstart of 'generosity'
يمم بها مغنى السما
حcompletion of 'generosity' الماجدthe noble المصمداthe one sought for aid
ح الماجد المصمدا
guide her toward the abode of generosity,
With it the heaven of glory
of the noble one sought for aid.
Extols the glorious, steadfast one.
تلقyou will find بهin it بحرa sea الندىgenerosity
تلق به بحر الندى
طاميswelling high العبابsurging waters مزبداfoaming
طامي العباب مزبدا
There you will find a sea of generosity,
Meet him with the sea of dew
with swelling, foaming waves.
Surging with foam.
ياO محسناًbenefactor غادرنيleft me
يا محسناً غادرني
احسانهhis kindness مقيداbound
احسانه مقيدا
O benefactor, I have been left
O benefactor who left me
bound by his kindness
Bound by gratitude for his favors
بشكرby gratitude for نعماهhis favor التيwhich
بشكر نعماه التي
قدindeed غاضebbed away فيهاin it الحسدenvy
قد غاض فيها الحسد
to gratitude for his favor, in which
Which overflowed despite envy.
envy has ebbed away.
He who thanks custom and he who disbelieves
لاnot يستويare equal منone who شكرgave thanks for
لا يستوي من شكر
العرفkindness ومنand one who قدindeed جحداdenied
العرف ومن قد جحدا
They are not equal: one who gives thanks
Are not equal.
for kindness, and one who denies it.
I remain hopeful of attaining glory,
بقيتmay you remain مأمولlooked to for الجدىbounty
بقيت مأمول الجدى
معظماًhonored ممجداglorified
معظماً ممجدا
May you remain the one whose bounty is hoped for,
Revered and glorified,
honored and glorified,
The patron saints are a blessing
للأولياءto friends نعمةa blessing
للأولياء نعمة
ونقمةand a scourge علىupon العدىfoes
ونقمة على العدى
a blessing to friends,
And the enemies a curse.
and a scourge upon foes,
The bird did not rhyme
ماas long as سجعcoos الطائرthe bird فيin
ما سجع الطائر في
اغصانهits branches وغرّداand warbles
اغصانه وغرّدا
so long as the bird coos among
In its branches, and sing.
its branches and warbles.
Partial English translation: 59 of 60 Arabic lines translated.