سَرَتshe passed by night كَذُكاءٍlike Dhuka (the sun) عِندَat مُنبَلِجِthe breaking of الصبحdawn
سَرَت كَذُكاءٍ عِندَ مُنبَلِجِ الصبح
وَإِلّاand otherwise كَبَدرِlike the full moon of التَمّfullness أَشرَقَshone فيin جُنحِthe dark of night
وَإِلّا كَبَدرِ التَمّ أَشرَقَ في جُنحِ
She passed by night like Dhuka, the sun, at the breaking of dawn,
She came gracefully at dawn's first light,
Or else like the full moon shining in the dark of night.
Radiant as the full moon in the dark of night.
وَحَيَّتand she greeted فَأَحيَتso she revived مَيِّتَone dead from الصَدِّrejection وَالجَفاand estrangement
وَحَيَّت فَأَحيَت مَيِّتَ الصَدِّ وَالجَفا
وَمُنجَدِلاًand lying prostrate فيin مَهمَهِthe wilderness of العَذلِreproach وَالنَصحِand counsel
وَمُنجَدِلاً في مَهمَهِ العَذلِ وَالنَصحِ
And she gave a greeting, reviving one dead from rejection and estrangement,
She greeted me and brought my soul to life,
And lying prostrate in the wilderness of reproach and counsel.
Reviving this broken heart so full of strife.
فَلَبَّيتُso I answered داعيthe call of حُسنِهاher beauty بَعدَafter أَوبَتيmy return
فَلَبَّيتُ داعي حُسنِها بَعدَ أَوبَتي
وَجَدّدتُand I renewed إِجلالاًin reverence لَهاfor her عُقدَةَthe bond of الصلحِpeace
وَجَدّدتُ إِجلالاً لَها عُقدَةَ الصلحِ
So I answered her beauty's call after my return,
I heeded her call after my misgivings,
And, in reverence for her, renewed the bond of peace.
And with her renewed the bond of peace.
وَقُلتُand I said لِشَيبٍto gray hair قَدalready أَلَمَّhad appeared بِلِحيَتيin my beard
وَقُلتُ لِشَيبٍ قَد أَلَمَّ بِلِحيَتي
وُوَيدَكَgently, you فيin ظُلميwronging me وَعَطفَكَand your kindness فيin فَضحيexposing me
وُوَيدَكَ في ظُلمي وَعَطفَكَ في فَضحي
And I said to the gray hair that had come upon my beard:
And to greying hair that now dons my face,
Go gently in wronging me, and be kind in exposing me.
I said: Have patience and stay your pace,
تَرَفَّقbe gentle قَليلاًa little بيwith me وَقِفand pause ليَfor me ساعَةًa while
تَرَفَّق قَليلاً بي وَقِف ليَ ساعَةً
لَعَلّيperhaps I أَرىmay see تَكرارَthe repetition of يَوميَmy day بِالصَرحِat the palace
لَعَلّي أَرى تَكرارَ يَوميَ بِالصَرحِ
Be gentle with me a little, and pause for me a while,
Give me but an hour to see the light of day,
Perhaps I may see my day at the palace return,
That I may glimpse my youth before decay.
وَعَلّيand perhaps I أَرىmay see بَلقَيسَهُits Bilqis فَوقَupon عَرشِهِits throne
وَعَلّي أَرى بَلقَيسَهُ فَوقَ عَرشِهِ
فَأسلواso I may forget بِهاthrough her أَولَيتَor would that عَنabout لَيلَةِthe night of السَفحِthe slope
فَأسلوا بِها أَولَيتَ عَن لَيلَةِ السَفحِ
And perhaps see its Bilqis upon its throne,
Let me see the queen atop her throne,
So through her I may forget—if only I could—the night on the slope,
To ask of the night she left me alone,
وَعَنand about لَيلَةٍa night جادَتgave generously بِجَمعِwith a gathering of أَحِبَّتيmy loved ones
وَعَن لَيلَةٍ جادَت بِجَمعِ أَحِبَّتي
وَأَولَتand bestowed سُروراًjoy قَدindeed شَفىhealed القَلبَthe heart مِنof لَفحscorching heat
وَأَولَت سُروراً قَد شَفى القَلبَ مِن لَفح
And a night that generously gathered my loved ones,
The night she brought all those I hold dear,
And bestowed joy that healed the heart of its scorching heat.
And happiness that cured my somber fear.
وَهَيهاتَand far beyond reach أَنthat يأتيshould come الزَمانُtime بِمِثلِهاwith its like
وَهَيهاتَ أَن يأتي الزَمانُ بِمِثلِها
فَأَخلاَقُهُfor its ways وَقفٌreserved solely عَلىfor البُخلِmiserliness وَالشحِّand avarice
فَأَخلاَقُهُ وَقفٌ عَلى البُخلِ وَالشحِّ
And never will time bring its like,
Alas, such a day will never come again,
For its ways are given over to miserliness and avarice.
For time is spent in greed and selfish gain.
جَلَوناwe burnished بِهاin it الأَذهانthe minds بِالنَغمَةِwith the melody الَّتيthat
جَلَونا بِها الأَذهان بِالنَغمَةِ الَّتي
أَنافَتrose higher عَلىthan إِسحاقَIshaq فيin جودَةِthe excellence of الصَدحِsinging
أَنافَت عَلى إِسحاقَ في جودَةِ الصَدحِ
We burnished our minds that night with the melody that
That night our minds were freed by song,
Surpassed Ishaq in excellence of singing.
Far better than Isaac's gift so strong.
وَسامَرتُand I conversed by night with إِخواناًbrothers تَفوقُsurpass نُجومُهاits stars
وَسامَرتُ إِخواناً تَفوقُ نُجومُها
مَعاليهِمُtheir lofty merits وَالرَوضَand the garden فيin طَيِّبِthe sweetness of النَفحِfragrance
مَعاليهِمُ وَالرَوضَ في طَيِّبِ النَفحِ
And I conversed by night with brothers: that night's stars are surpassed
With brothers I conversed, their stars so bright,
By their lofty merits, as is the garden in sweetness of fragrance.
Noble men exuding gentle light.
حُليّornaments of الدنىthe worlds فَخرَthe pride of اليَراعِthe pen وَمَنand those who لَهُمthey have
حُليّ الدنى فَخرَ اليَراعِ وَمَن لَهُم
شُفوفٌpreeminence عَلىabove هامِthe crowns of الثرَيّاthe Pleiades مَعَwith النَطحِal-Nath
شُفوفٌ عَلى هامِ الثرَيّا مَعَ النَطحِ
Ornaments of the worlds, pride of the pen, men who have
The pearls of this world, pride of all the land,
Preeminence above the crowns of the Pleiades and al-Nath.
Yet humble, bowing heads to God's command.
إِذاwhen هَزَّbrandishes عَسّالَthe supple lance of اليَراعَةِthe reed pen مِنهُمُfrom among them
إِذا هَزَّ عَسّالَ اليَراعَةِ مِنهُمُ
كَميّa champion كَفىsuffices مِنfrom غَيرother than طَعنٍthrusting وَلاnor جَرَحِwounding
كَميّ كَفى مِن غَير طَعنٍ وَلا جَرَحِ
When one of them brandishes the reed pen's supple lance,
When shaken, their spears suffice alone,
A champion, he suffices without thrusting or wounding,
Without a stab or blood they seize the throne.
وَأَقنىand bestows possessions وَأَغنىand removes need عَنfor حُسامٍa keen sword وَصارِمٍand a cutting blade
وَأَقنى وَأَغنى عَن حُسامٍ وَصارِمٍ
بِحُسنٍwith beauty وَإِحسانand beneficence غَنيّbeyond need عَنِof المَدحِpraise
بِحُسنٍ وَإِحسان غَنيّ عَنِ المَدحِ
And bestows possessions, dispensing with keen sword and cutting blade,
With kindness and grace they rule supreme,
With beauty and beneficence beyond any need of praise.
No need for sword, beyond all praise they seem.
وَلاand not سيَّماthe like of حَسّانُHassan وَهوَand he is حَسونَةٌHassuna
وَلا سيَّما حَسّانُ وَهوَ حَسونَةٌ
حَفيدُthe grandson of الأَديبِthe man of letters البارِعِaccomplished الماجِدِnoble السَمحِgenerous
حَفيدُ الأَديبِ البارِعِ الماجِدِ السَمحِ
And especially Hassan, who is Hassuna,
None more than Hassaan, a sapling of might,
The grandson of the accomplished, noble, generous man of letters.
Grandson of the master poet outright.
فَتىًa youth فاقَsurpassed فيamong أَقرانِهِhis peers كُلّevery عاكِفٍone devoted
فَتىً فاقَ في أَقرانِهِ كُلّ عاكِفٍ
عَلىto الدَرسِstudy وَالتَقريرِand exposition وَالمَتنِand the core text وَالشَرحِand commentary
عَلى الدَرسِ وَالتَقريرِ وَالمَتنِ وَالشَرحِ
A youth who surpassed, among his peers, everyone devoted
A youth superior to his every peer,
To study, exposition, the core text, and commentary.
In study, teaching, books, and commentary.
وَنالَand attained مِنَin الآدابِletters أَشمَخَthe loftiest رُتبَةٍrank
وَنالَ مِنَ الآدابِ أَشمَخَ رُتبَةٍ
وَإِنَّand indeed مِنَfrom السَعدانِthe sa‘dan plant نابِتَةُa shoot of الطَلحِacacia
وَإِنَّ مِنَ السَعدانِ نابِتَةُ الطَلحِ
And attained the loftiest rank in letters,
He reached the highest peak of scholarship grand,
And indeed, from the sa‘dan plant comes an acacia shoot.
A palm tree sprouting tall out of the sand.
وَأَحرَزَand secured مِنfrom خِدرِthe secluded chamber of القَريضِpoetry خَريدَةًa maiden
وَأَحرَزَ مِن خِدرِ القَريضِ خَريدَةً
تُزانُshe is adorned بِعِقدٍwith a necklace مِنof تَهانٍcongratulations وَمِنand of مَدحِpraise
تُزانُ بِعِقدٍ مِن تَهانٍ وَمِن مَدحِ
And won from poetry's secluded chamber a maiden,
From the purse of verse a prize he withdrew,
Adorned with a necklace of congratulations and praise.
Worthy to be weighed against the finest few.
أَتَتنيshe came to me عَلىin وَهنٍweakness فَسُرَّتso was gladdened قَريحَتيmy poetic gift
أَتَتني عَلى وَهنٍ فَسُرَّت قَريحَتي
بِتَقريضِهاin praising her نَقضاًin rebuttal عَلىagainst الرَدِّrejection وَالقَدحِand disparagement
بِتَقريضِها نَقضاً عَلى الرَدِّ وَالقَدحِ
She came to me in my weakness, and my poetic gift rejoiced
To my weary mind the poem he brought,
In praising her, rebutting rejection and disparagement.
Countering criticism with careful thought.
فَماfor not وَأَناand I وَالحالُand the state of things المُشاهَدُevident شاهِدٌa witness
فَما وَأَنا وَالحالُ المُشاهَدُ شاهِدٌ
يُعارِضُcounters جدّthe earnestness of القَولِspeech بِالهَزلِwith frivolity وَالمَزحِand jest
يُعارِضُ جدّ القَولِ بِالهَزلِ وَالمَزحِ
For one does not—I and the evident state of things bear witness—
I remain as you wish, may you stay the same,
Counter earnest speech with frivolity and jest.
And find the strength to withstand critic's aim.
بَقيتَmay you remain كَماas تَرضىyou wish وَدُمتَand may you endure مُؤَمَّلاًlooked to with hope
بَقيتَ كَما تَرضى وَدُمتَ مُؤَمَّلاً
وَساعَدَكَand may it aid you الإِسعافُsuccor بِالوَبلِwith heavy rain وَالسَحِّand pouring showers
وَساعَدَكَ الإِسعافُ بِالوَبلِ وَالسَحِّ
May you remain as you wish, and ever be looked to with hope,
And may succor aid you with heavy rain and pouring showers.
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.