أَفَدتَنيyou bestowed on me مِنfrom نَفائِسِthe choicest of الدُرَرِpearls
أَفَدتَني مِن نَفائِسِ الدُرَرِ
ماwhat أَبرَزَتهُbrought it forth غَوائِصُthe divers of الفِكَرِthought
ما أَبرَزَتهُ غَوائِصُ الفِكَرِ
You bestowed on me treasures of precious pearls,
You have bestowed on me, from the choicest pearls,
brought forth by the divers of thought:
what the divers of thought brought forth:
مِنof لَفظَةٍa word قارَنَتjoined نَظيرَتَهاits counterpart
مِن لَفظَةٍ قارَنَت نَظيرَتَها
قِرانَthe union of سُقمِthe languor of الجُفونِthe eyelids لِلحَوَرِwith the eyes' black-white contrast
قِرانَ سُقمِ الجُفونِ لِلحَوَرِ
a phrase matched with its counterpart,
words, each joined to its counterpart,
as languid eyelids are joined to eyes of striking contrast.
as languid eyelids are joined to bright, dark-pupilled eyes.
أَبدَعَهاdevised it خاطِرٌa mind بَدائِعُهُits marvels
أَبدَعَها خاطِرٌ بَدائِعُهُ
فيin النَظمِverse حازَتattained جَلالَةَthe majesty of الخَطَرِhigh rank
في النَظمِ حازَت جَلالَةَ الخَطَرِ
A mind conceived it, whose marvels
A mind devised them whose marvels
in verse attained majestic worth.
in verse have attained exalted worth.
العِطرُfragrance مِنهُfrom it سَرىwafted لَهُit has نَفَسٌa breath
العِطرُ مِنهُ سَرى لَهُ نَفَسٌ
مِنfrom نَفَسِthe breath of الرَوضِthe garden رَقَّgrew delicate فيat السَحَرِthe hour before dawn
مِن نَفَسِ الرَوضِ رَقَّ في السَحَرِ
Its perfume traveled; it carried a breath
Fragrance wafted from it; it has a breath
from the garden’s own breath, delicate at dawn.
from the garden's breath, grown delicate before dawn.
ياO راقِمَembroiderer of الوَشيِthe brocade زانَهُadorned it ذَهَبٌgold
يا راقِمَ الوَشيِ زانَهُ ذَهَبٌ
رَقرَقَshimmered إِذwhen رَفَّgleamed مِنهُfrom it فيin الطُرَرِthe borders
رَقرَقَ إِذ رَفَّ مِنهُ في الطُرَرِ
O embroiderer of brocade adorned with gold,
O embroiderer of brocade adorned with gold,
which shimmered whenever it fluttered along the borders;
which shimmered as it gleamed along its borders;
وَناظِمَand stringer of العَقدِthe necklace نَظمَwith the stringing of مُقتَدِرٍa master
وَناظِمَ العَقدِ نَظمَ مُقتَدِرٍ
يَفصِلُsets apart بَينَbetween العُيونِthe choice gems بِالغُرَرِwith radiant gems
يَفصِلُ بَينَ العُيونِ بِالغُرَرِ
and stringer of the necklace with masterly art,
and stringer of the necklace with a master's skill,
setting radiant beads between its eye-like gems.
placing radiant gems between the choicest ones:
ليI have بِالنِضالِwith the archery contest الَّذيwhich نَشِطَتyou grew eager لَهُfor it
لي بِالنِضالِ الَّذي نَشِطَت لَهُ
عَهدٌan acquaintance قَديمٌold مُعَجَّمُobscure الأَثَرِthe trace
عَهدٌ قَديمٌ مُعَجَّمُ الأَثَرِ
In the contest to which you eagerly sprang, I have
I have, with the archery contest you eagerly took up,
long familiarity, its trace plainly marked.
an old acquaintance, its traces hard to decipher.
هَلshall? أُنصِلُI fit a head to السَهمَthe arrow فيin الجَفيرِthe quiver وَقَدand already
هَل أُنصِلُ السَهمَ في الجَفيرِ وَقَد
تَعَطَّلَتhave fallen idle فوقُهُits nocks مِنَwithout الوَتَرِthe bowstring
تَعَطَّلَت فوقُهُ مِنَ الوَتَرِ
Shall I bare an arrowhead while the arrow remains in the quiver, when
Shall I tip the arrows in the quiver, when
the bow above it hangs idle for want of a string?
their nocks lie idle, bereft of the bowstring?
ماnot الشِعرُpoetry إِلّاexcept لِمَنfor one قَريحَتُهُhis poetic talent
ما الشِعرُ إِلّا لِمَن قَريحَتُهُ
غَريضَةُfresh النورِthe blossom غَضَّةُtender الثَمَرِthe fruit
غَريضَةُ النورِ غَضَّةُ الثَمَرِ
Poetry belongs only to one whose talent
Poetry is only for one whose talent
is newly blossomed, its fruit tender,
is fresh in blossom and tender in fruit,
تَبسِمُsmiles عَنrevealing كُلِّevery زاهِرٍradiant أَرِجٍfragrant
تَبسِمُ عَن كُلِّ زاهِرٍ أَرِجٍ
مِثلَlike الكِمامِthe flower-sheaths اِبتَسَمنَthey smiled open عَنrevealing زَهَرِblossoms
مِثلَ الكِمامِ اِبتَسَمنَ عَن زَهَرِ
smiling forth every fragrant bloom,
smiling to reveal every radiant, fragrant bloom,
like buds smiling open to reveal flowers.
as flower-sheaths smile open upon blossoms.
إِنَّindeed الشَفيعَthe intercessor الهُمامَthe noble, resolute one سَوَّغَهُmay He grant him اللَGod (first part)
إِنَّ الشَفيعَ الهُمامَ سَوَّغَهُ اللَ
هُcompletes 'God' اِتّصالَthe joining of التَأييدِsupport بِالظَفَرِwith victory
هُ اِتّصالَ التَأييدِ بِالظَفَرِ
Indeed, the valiant intercessor—God has granted him
Indeed, the noble intercessor—may God grant him
divine aid continuously joined with victory—
support joined with victory—
الفاضِلُoutstanding in الخُبرِtested worth فيamong المُلوكِthe kings إِذاwhen
الفاضِلُ الخُبرِ في المُلوكِ إِذا
قَصَّرَfalls short خُبرٌtested worth عَنof غايَةِthe height of الخَبَرِreputation
قَصَّرَ خُبرٌ عَن غايَةِ الخَبَرِ
is unsurpassed in experience among kings, whenever
whose tested worth excels among kings, when
report falls short of experience at its furthest reach;
tested worth falls short of the heights of reputation,
نَجلُson of الَّذيthe one whom نُصحُهُdevotion to him وَطاعَتُهُand obedience to him
نَجلُ الَّذي نُصحُهُ وَطاعَتُهُ
كَالحَجِّlike the Hajj تَتلوهُfollows it بَرَّةُpious العُمَرِlesser pilgrimages
كَالحَجِّ تَتلوهُ بَرَّةُ العُمَرِ
scion of him whose counsel and obedience
son of him, devotion and obedience to whom
are like the pilgrimage, followed by lifelong piety.
are like the Hajj followed by pious lesser pilgrimages,
شاهِدُwitness to عَهديmy pledge لَكَto you الصَحيحُthe true one بِإِخwith sincerity (first part)
شاهِدُ عَهدي لَكَ الصَحيحُ بِإِخ
لاصٍcompletes 'sincerity' نَأىis far removed صَفوُهُits purity عَنِfrom الكَدَرِmurk
لاصٍ نَأى صَفوُهُ عَنِ الكَدَرِ
The witness to my sound pledge to you is
is witness to my true pledge to you, given in
devotion whose purity lies far beyond all stain.
sincerity whose purity is far from murk.
مَشَيتُI walked فيin عَذلِيَmy being reproached البَرازَthe open ground لِمَنfor one who
مَشَيتُ في عَذلِيَ البَرازَ لِمَن
لَمdid not يَرضَaccept فيin العُذرِexcuse مِشيَةَa walk الخَمَرِthe cover
لَم يَرضَ في العُذرِ مِشيَةَ الخَمَرِ
I hurried into the arena for one
I took the open path in facing reproach, for one
who would not accept in an excuse the slow gait of wine.
who would not accept the covert path of excuse.
وَقُلتُand I said مَطلُdelay in payment الغَنِيِّthe rich man وِردٌa going to water مِنَof الthe (continued)
وَقُلتُ مَطلُ الغَنِيِّ وِردٌ مِنَ ال
ظُلَمِdarkness يُلَقّىis met with مُلاوِمَreproaches الصَدَرِthe return from watering
ظُلَمِ يُلَقّى مُلاوِمَ الصَدَرِ
And I said: A rich man’s delay is anguish born of
And I said: a rich man's delay is a visit to the waters of
injustice, stirring reproach within the breast.
darkness, met with reproaches on returning.
وَليand I have مَعاذيرُexcuses لَوif تَطَلَّعُthey rose فيin
وَلي مَعاذيرُ لَو تَطَلَّعُ في
لَيلِa night of سِرارٍmoonlessness أَغنَتthey would suffice عَنِin place of القَمَرِthe moon
لَيلِ سِرارٍ أَغنَت عَنِ القَمَرِ
Yet I have excuses which, if they rose within
And I have excuses which, were they to rise in
a moonless night, would make the moon needless.
a moonless night, would make the moon needless.
مَنهاamong them اِتِّقائيmy caution لِأَنlest أَكونَI should be أَناI myself الthe (continued)
مَنها اِتِّقائي لِأَن أَكونَ أَنا ال
جالِبَbringer ماwhat قُلتُهُI said it إِلىto هَجَرِHajar
جالِبَ ما قُلتُهُ إِلى هَجَرِ
Among them is my caution lest I myself become the
Among them is my fear lest I myself should be the
bearer of what I have said to Hajar.
one bringing what I have said to Hajar.
لَكِنbut سَيَأتيكَwill come to you ماwhat يُجَوِّزُهُexcuses it
لَكِن سَيَأتيكَ ما يُجَوِّزُهُ
سَروُكَyour nobility دَأبَas is the habit of المُسامِحِthe forbearing one اليَسَرِthe easygoing one
سَروُكَ دَأبَ المُسامِحِ اليَسَرِ
Yet there shall come to you what your nobility will allow,
Yet you shall receive what will be excused by
as befits the custom of the indulgent and generous.
your nobility, as a forbearing, easygoing man is wont.
فَاِكتَفِso be content مِنهُof it بِنَظرَةٍwith a glance عَنَنٍin passing
فَاِكتَفِ مِنهُ بِنَظرَةٍ عَنَنٍ
لاno حَظَّbenefit فيهِin it لِكَرَّةِfor another turn of النَظَرِthe gaze
لا حَظَّ فيهِ لِكَرَّةِ النَظَرِ
So content yourself with one passing glance at it,
So be content with a passing glance at it;
with no share in it for a second look.
there is no reward in it for a second look.
