أَحاطَencircled بوردِaround the rose of وجنتهِhis cheek الجنيfreshly picked
أَحاطَ بوردِ وجنتهِ الجني
بنفسجُthe violet of خطthe line of down on عارضهِhis cheek الطّريtender
بنفسجُ خط عارضهِ الطّري
The fresh-plucked rose of his cheek is encircled
The fresh-picked rose of his cheek was encircled
by the violet line of down upon his tender face.
by the violet line of down on his tender cheek.
وجالَand moved وشاحُهُhis sash فيin الخصرِthe waist منهof him
وجالَ وشاحُهُ في الخصرِ منه
مجالَlike the movement of الوهمِfancy فيwithin السرِّthe secret الخفيِّhidden
مجالَ الوهمِ في السرِّ الخفيِّ
His sash wandered about his waist,
And his sash moved about his waist,
as fancy wanders through a secret kept hidden.
as fancy moves within a hidden secret.
وجاذبَand struggled with حِقْفَهُhis dune-like haunch غصنٌa bough قصيفٌfragile
وجاذبَ حِقْفَهُ غصنٌ قصيفٌ
فياso, oh وَيْحَalas for الضّعيفِthe weak one منat the hands of القويِّthe strong one
فيا وَيْحَ الضّعيفِ من القويِّ
A brittle bough vied with his two dune-curved flanks—
And a fragile bough struggled with his dune-like haunch;
ah, woe is me, the weak one before the strong!
so, alas for the weak at the hands of the strong!
يؤاخذُcalls to account طرفُهُhis gaze بالذَّنبِfor sin قلبيmy heart
يؤاخذُ طرفُهُ بالذَّنبِ قلبي
فياso, oh جَوْرَthe injustice of السّقيمِthe ailing one علىtoward البريِّthe innocent one
فيا جَوْرَ السّقيمِ على البريِّ
His glance calls my heart to account for sin—
His gaze calls my heart to account for sin;
ah, the injustice of the languishing one toward the innocent!
so, what injustice from the ailing toward the innocent!
يفيدُprofits العاقلُthe wise man اليقظَalert التّغابيfeigning folly
يفيدُ العاقلُ اليقظَ التّغابي
ليُدركَso he may obtain فيin الغنىwealth حظَّthe share of الغبيِّthe fool
ليُدركَ في الغنى حظَّ الغبيِّ
The vigilant man of sense profits by feigning folly,
The wise, alert man profits by feigning folly,
that amid riches he may secure a fool’s share.
to gain the fool's share of wealth.
ولمand would not تُصبhit the mark السّهامُthe arrows علىdespite اعتدالٍstraightness
ولم تُصب السّهامُ على اعتدالٍ
بهاin them لولاwere it not for اعوجاجٌcurvature فيin القِسِيِّthe bows
بها لولا اعوجاجٌ في القِسِيِّ
Arrows would not strike their mark straight,
And arrows would not hit their mark, however straight
straight though they are, but for the curvature of bows.
they are, were it not for the curvature of bows.
فقلْso tell للدَّهرِto Time يُقْصِرُto desist عنfrom عناديopposing me
فقلْ للدَّهرِ يُقْصِرُ عن عنادي
أماdoes ... not هوit يتّقيfear بأْسَthe might of التّقيِّthe God-fearing one
أما هو يتّقي بأْسَ التّقيِّ
So tell Fate to cease contending with me:
So tell Time to cease opposing me:
does it not fear the might of the God-fearing?
does it not fear the might of the God-fearing?
حلفْتُI swore بربِّby the Lord of مكّةَMecca والمصلّىand the prayer ground
حلفْتُ بربِّ مكّةَ والمصلّى
وثاويand the one resting in تربthe soil of طيبةَTayba والغريِّand al-Ghari
وثاوي ترب طيبةَ والغريِّ
I swear by the Lord of Mecca and the sanctuary of prayer,
I swore by the Lord of Mecca and the prayer ground,
and by him who rests in Tayba’s soil, and him in al-Ghari:
and by those resting in the soil of Tayba and al-Ghari:
لأَنتمsurely you ياO بنيsons of أَيوبAyyub خيرُthe best of الthe
لأَنتم يا بني أَيوب خيرُ ال
ورىmankind بعدَafter الإمامِthe Imam المستضيِّal-Mustadi
ورى بعدَ الإمامِ المستضيِّ
Indeed you, O sons of Ayyub, are the best of
surely you, O sons of Ayyub, are the best of
humankind after Imam al-Mustadiʾ.
mankind, after the Imam al-Mustadi.
