لاdo not تسأَلَنever ask فيin الحبَّlove عنabout أشجانهhis sorrows
لا تسأَلَن في الحبَّ عن أشجانه
فشأنُهُfor his condition مُخَبِّرٌtelling عنof شانهhis plight
فشأنُهُ مُخَبِّرٌ عن شانه
Never ask, in love, about his sorrows;
Do not ask about his sorrows in love;
his very plight declares the truth of his condition.
for his condition speaks of his plight.
وإنand though يكنit may be ماnot فاهَhe spoke بالشكرwith thanks فقدyet indeed
وإن يكن ما فاهَ بالشكر فقد
أغنىhas sufficed لسانُthe tongue الدمعof tears عنin place of لسانهِhis tongue
أغنى لسانُ الدمع عن لسانهِ
And if what he uttered was a complaint, then
And though he has spoken no thanks, yet
the tongue of tears has made his own tongue needless.
the tongue of tears has sufficed in place of his tongue.
فعزُّهُfor his honor الذلُّabasement الذيwhich أبَيتهyou refused it
فعزُّهُ الذلُّ الذي أبَيته
فيin حقهhis case والربحُand gain فيin خُسرانهِhis loss
في حقه والربحُ في خُسرانهِ
For his glory is the humiliation over which you made him weep
For his honor lies in the abasement you refused
in loving him—and gain lies in his loss.
for him, and gain lies in his loss.
فارقَhe parted from منsince يومthe day الفراقof parting نفسهhis soul
فارقَ من يوم الفراق نفسه
فليتَso, if only لوif عادتit returned إلىto جُثمانهِhis body
فليتَ لو عادت إلى جُثمانهِ
Since separation’s day, his soul has parted from him;
Since the day of parting, he has been parted from his soul;
if only it would return to his body!
so, if only it would return to his body!
وأعجبُand the strangest الأشياءof things أنَّthat قلبَهُhis heart
وأعجبُ الأشياء أنَّ قلبَهُ
سارَdeparted وماand did not حنَّyearn إلىfor أوطانهِits homelands
سارَ وما حنَّ إلى أوطانهِ
Stranger than all else is that his heart
And the strangest thing is that his heart
journeyed away, yet never yearned for its homelands.
departed, yet did not yearn for its homelands.
أظنُّهُI think that it لماwhen رأىit saw رَسماًa trace عَفَاhad faded
أظنُّهُ لما رأى رَسماً عَفَا
أنكرit disowned ماwhat قدalready كانhad been منof عِرفانهِits recognition
أنكر ما قد كان من عِرفانهِ
I suppose that, when it saw a campsite trace effaced,
I think that when it saw a faded trace,
it disowned what once had been familiar to it.
it disowned what it had once recognized.
صَبَاhe yearned لعزلانfor the gazelles (apparent typo) النَّقاthe sandhill وكلُّand everyone منwho
صَبَا لعزلان النَّقا وكلُّ من
حَلَّdwells on النَّقاthe sandhill يَصبُوyearns إلىfor غَزلانهِits gazelles
حَلَّ النَّقا يَصبُو إلى غَزلانهِ
He yearned for the gazelles of the sandhill; and everyone who
He yearned for the gazelles of the sandhill, and everyone who
camps upon the sandhill yearns for its gazelles.
dwells on the sandhill yearns for its gazelles.
ماnot إنat all (emphatic) لهُfor him منany مُشبهٍequal فيin حُسنهِhis beauty
ما إن لهُ من مُشبهٍ في حُسنهِ
ولاnor لصَدرِfor Sadr الدينِal-Din (the faith) فيin إحسَانِهِhis generosity
ولا لصَدرِ الدينِ في إحسَانِهِ
No one at all can match him in his beauty,
He has no equal in his beauty,
nor can anyone match Ṣadr al-Dīn in his beneficence.
nor does Sadr al-Din in his generosity.
إذاif احتبىhe sits with knees drawn up فيupon دَستهhis seat of honor يَوماًone day فَمنthen who
إذا احتبى في دَسته يَوماً فَمن
كِسرىKhosrow أنوAnu- (name element) شروانُ-shirvan (name element) فيin إيوانِهِhis audience hall
كِسرى أنو شروانُ في إيوانِهِ
When, one day, he sits on his throne with knees drawn up, who then
If one day he sits, knees drawn up, upon his seat of honor, then who is
is Khosrow Anūshirwān within his palace hall?
Khosrow Anushirvan in his audience hall?
يُصَرِّفُhe directs الأقدارَdestinies فيthrough أحكامهhis judgments
يُصَرِّفُ الأقدارَ في أحكامه
علماًknowing بأنَّthat الدهرَTime منamong غِلمانِهِhis pages
علماً بأنَّ الدهرَ من غِلمانِهِ
He disposes the fates by his decrees,
He directs destinies through his judgments,
knowing full well that Time is one of his pages.
knowing that Time is among his pages.
