وَجَليسٍand a companion حَسَنِpleasant المَحthe company (first part)
وَجَليسٍ حَسَنِ المَح
ضَرِcompany (completion) مَأمونَtrustworthy المَغيبِabsence
ضَرِ مَأمونَ المَغيبِ
And a companion of gracious
And a companion, pleasant in
presence, trustworthy when absent;
company, trustworthy in absence:
مَيِّتٌdead يُخبِرُinforms حَيّاًa living person
مَيِّتٌ يُخبِرُ حَيّاً
بِخَفِيّاتِof the secrets of الغُيوبِthe unseen
بِخَفِيّاتِ الغُيوبِ
a dead thing that tells the living
dead, yet telling the living
of mysteries hidden from sight;
of the secrets of the unseen;
أَبلَهٌwitless غَيرَnot لَبيبٍwise
أَبلَهٌ غَيرَ لَبيبٍ
وَهوَand it فيin حالِthe state of اللَبيبِthe wise person
وَهوَ في حالِ اللَبيبِ
a fool, no sage,
witless, not wise,
yet standing in the wise man’s stead;
yet in the role of the wise;
جاهِلٌignorant غَيرَnot أَديبِa man of letters
جاهِلٌ غَيرَ أَديبِ
وَهوَand it عَونٌa helper لِلأَديبِto the man of letters
وَهوَ عَونٌ لِلأَديبِ
an ignorant thing, no man of letters,
ignorant, no man of letters,
yet a help to the man of letters;
yet a helper to the man of letters;
أَخرَسٌmute غَيرَnot خَطيبِan orator
أَخرَسٌ غَيرَ خَطيبِ
وَلَهُand it has لَفظُthe words of الخَطيبِthe orator
وَلَهُ لَفظُ الخَطيبِ
mute, no orator,
mute, no orator,
yet possessed of an orator’s speech;
yet possessing an orator’s words;
مُفحَمٌunable to compose verse يَنظُمُcomposes شِعراًpoetry
مُفحَمٌ يَنظُمُ شِعراً
مِثلَlike إِقبالِthe approach of الحَبيبِthe beloved
مِثلَ إِقبالِ الحَبيبِ
tongue-tied, yet stringing verse
unable to make verse, yet composing poetry
like the beloved’s approach;
like the beloved’s approach;
ساكِتٌsilent يَرويrecounts حَديثاًa tale
ساكِتٌ يَروي حَديثاً
مِثلَlike إِعراضِthe turning away of الرَقيبِthe watcher
مِثلَ إِعراضِ الرَقيبِ
silent, yet relating a tale
silent, recounting a tale
like the watcher’s turning away;
like the watcher’s turning away.
نَمَّقَتهُembellished it الكَفُّthe hand حَتّىuntil
نَمَّقَتهُ الكَفُّ حَتّى
هُوَit كَالوَشيِlike brocade القَشيبِnew
هُوَ كَالوَشيِ القَشيبِ
the hand embellished it until
The hand embellished it until
it became like fresh brocade,
it was like new brocade,
مِنof سَوادٍblackness وَبَياضٍand whiteness
مِن سَوادٍ وَبَياضٍ
كَشَبابٍlike youth وَمَشيبِand graying hair
كَشَبابٍ وَمَشيبِ
fashioned of black and white,
of black and white,
like youth and hoary age.
like youth and graying hair.
فيهِin it إِمتاعٌdelight لِأَبصاfor eyes (first part)
فيهِ إِمتاعٌ لِأَبصا
رٍeyes (completion) وَأُنسٍand solace لِلقُلوبِfor hearts
رٍ وَأُنسٍ لِلقُلوبِ
Within it is delight for the
In it is delight for the
eyes, and companionship for hearts.
eyes, and solace for hearts.
دَبَّcrept فيهِنَّthrough them دَبيبُcreeping creatures
دَبَّ فيهِنَّ دَبيبُ
كانَwas مِنamong شَرِّthe worst of الدَبيبِcreeping creatures
كانَ مِن شَرِّ الدَبيبِ
Within them something crept,
Creeping creatures crept through them,
the vilest of creeping things:
among the worst of creeping creatures,
مِنof صَغيراتِsmall جُسومٍbodies
مِن صَغيراتِ جُسومٍ
وَكَبيراتِand great الذُنوبِsins
وَكَبيراتِ الذُنوبِ
small in body,
tiny in body,
but great in sin.
and great in sins.
أَخَذَتtook مِنهاfrom them نَصيباًa share
أَخَذَت مِنها نَصيباً
فَاِلتَوىso became distorted مِنهاof them نَصيبيmy share
فَاِلتَوى مِنها نَصيبي
They took a portion from it,
They took a share of them,
and thereby my portion was mangled.
so my share of them was spoiled.
أَفرَحَتgladdened قَلبَthe heart of جَهولٍan ignoramus
أَفرَحَت قَلبَ جَهولٍ
وَكَوَتand seared قَلبَthe heart of لَبيبِa wise person
وَكَوَت قَلبَ لَبيبِ
It gladdened the heart of a fool
They gladdened an ignoramus’s heart,
and seared the heart of a sage.
and seared a wise man’s heart.
وَيلَalas for هاتيكَthose المَعانيmeanings
وَيلَ هاتيكَ المَعاني
مِنof بَديعٍthe wondrous وَغَريبِand the rare
مِن بَديعٍ وَغَريبِ
Alas for those meanings—
Alas for those meanings,
the marvelous and the rare—
wondrous and rare,
وَأَفانينَand varieties of كَلامٍspeech
وَأَفانينَ كَلامٍ
بَينَbetween سَهلٍsimple وَصَليبِand rugged
بَينَ سَهلٍ وَصَليبِ
and those modes of speech,
and varied forms of speech,
ranging from easy to difficult,
ranging from simple to rugged,
مِنof بَديعٍthe wondrous وَفَصيحٍand the eloquent
مِن بَديعٍ وَفَصيحٍ
وَصَحيحٍand sound وَمُصيبِand accurate
وَصَحيحٍ وَمُصيبِ
from novel and eloquent
wondrous and eloquent,
to sound and unerring!
sound and accurate.
بَدَّلَreplaced الإِفصاحَclear expression مِنهُنof them (continued)
بَدَّلَ الإِفصاحَ مِنهُن
نَthem (pronoun completion) بِإِفسادٍwith corruption عَجيبِastonishing
نَ بِإِفسادٍ عَجيبِ
It replaced the clear expression drawn from
Their eloquence was replaced
them with a wondrous corruption.
with astonishing corruption.
فَنُجومُso the stars of العِلمِknowledge وَالفَهand understanding (first part)
فَنُجومُ العِلمِ وَالفَه
مِunderstanding (completion) تَهاوَتtumbled لِلغُروبِtoward setting
مِ تَهاوَت لِلغُروبِ
Then the stars of knowledge and
So the stars of knowledge and
understanding tumbled toward their setting.
understanding tumbled toward their setting.
كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing سَوفَwill يَفنىperish
كُلُّ شَيءٍ سَوفَ يَفنى
عَنafter بَعيدٍa long time وَقَريبِand a short time
عَن بَعيدٍ وَقَريبِ
Everything shall perish,
Everything shall perish,
sooner or later.
sooner or later.
