اللهGod! منof, introducing an exclamation ظبيa gazelle غداhas come to be
الله من ظبي غدا
يلهوhe toys بلبّيwith my wits أبداforever
يلهو بلبّي أبدا
God! A gazelle has come to
The gazelle of morning frolics
toy forever with my wits.
Playing with my affliction forever
مهفهفslender-waisted كغصنlike a bough of بأbā- (beginning of bān-tree)
مهفهف كغصن بأ
ن-n (completes bān-tree) قدهhis figure تاوداswayed gently
ن قده تاودا
Slender as a bān-tree bough,
Swaying like the breeze-stirred branch
his figure gently swaying.
Its supple body bending over
ياO أيهاyou الظبيgazelle الذيwho
يا أيها الظبي الذي
بالطرفwith a glance يصميstrikes fatally الكبداthe liver
بالطرف يصمي الكبدا
O gazelle who
O gazelle with the glancing eyes
with a glance strikes the liver dead!
That pierce my liver like an arrow!
ياO تاركone leaving الصَّبّthe lovelorn lover سُدىabandoned
يا تارك الصَّبّ سُدى
علمتyou taught جفنيmy eyelid السهداsleeplessness
علمت جفني السهدا
O you who leave the lover abandoned,
O you who left the springtime’s bloom
you taught my eyelid sleeplessness.
To teach these lids such bitter sorrow!
أماwere you not رضيتcontent الهجرwith estrangement ليfor me
أما رضيت الهجر لي
حتىthat you even بعثتsent الكَمَداanguish
حتى بعثت الكَمَدا
Were you not content with forsaking me,
Were you not content to leave me thus,
that you also sent me anguish?
That you should rouse the dying embers?
تهstrut proudly كيفhow ماever شئتyou wish فقدfor indeed
ته كيف ما شئت فقد
جاوزتyou have surpassed فيin الحسنbeauty الهدىguidance (possibly a misprint for bounds)
جاوزت في الحسن الهدى
Strut however you wish, for
Do as you will, for you have gone
in beauty you have passed all bounds.
Beyond all loveliness, all splendors.
تعرفyou know ماwhat تعرفyou know منof
تعرف ما تعرف من
قتليslaying me إلاexcept القَوَداretaliatory execution
قتلي إلا القَوَدا
You know what you know of
You know how love has ravaged me,
slaying me—save the retribution.
No medicine can offer solace.
علمتنيyou taught me العشقpassionate love وماbut did not
علمتني العشق وما
علمتنيyou taught me التجلداendurance
علمتني التجلدا
You taught me passionate love, but never
’Twas love that taught me passion’s ways
taught me endurance.
Not patience, self-restraint, or wisdom.
ياO مانحَone granting الغصنthe bough القواstature (apparently truncated)
يا مانحَ الغصن القوا
والغزالand the gazelle الجَيَداthe neck
والغزال الجَيَدا
O you who give the bough its stature,
O you who give the boughs their leaves
and the gazelle its neck!
And clothe the fawn with spotted splendor!
قمrise فاجلُand unveil فيin جنحthe wing of الدجىnight-darkness
قم فاجلُ في جنح الدجى
فجنحهfor its wing قدhas already برداgrown cool
فجنحه قد بردا
Rise, and unveil in night's wing—
Come, walk the dusky shadows’ paths
for its wing has grown cool—
Before the shadows lose their luster.
صفراءa yellow draught لوif كانتit were سوىother than الthe (article continued next line)
صفراء لو كانت سوى ال
خمرwine لكانتit would surely be عسجداgold
خمر لكانت عسجدا
a yellow draught which, were it anything but
Though yellow like the wine it holds
wine, would be gold.
This morn’s first rain is pure as heaven
أماdo you not ترىsee الغيثَthe rain وقدand already
أما ترى الغيثَ وقد
أسدىbestowed إلىupon الروضthe meadow يداa hand; a favor
أسدى إلى الروض يدا
Do you not see the rain, how it has
See how the showers spread their gift
extended a helping hand to the meadow,
Of emerald ornament on the garden.
مُذَهِّباgilding مفضِّضاsilvering
مُذَهِّبا مفضِّضا
موِّشحاadorning with sashes معمِّداmarking with pillar-like stripes
موِّشحا معمِّدا
gilding and silvering it,
The lightning flash makes all more lush -
decking it with sashes and pillar-like stripes?
New grown greenery a servant tending
موَّردُrose-tinted البرقِlightning يضاrivals (first part)
موَّردُ البرقِ يضا
هيcompletion of rivals نبتَهits growth الموَّرداrose-tinted
هي نبتَه الموَّردا
The rose-red lightning rivals
This tender grass - while thunder pours
its rose-red growth.
As from a pitcher never-ending.
كأنماas though غدرانهits pools
كأنما غدرانه
إذwhen كسِيَتthey were clothed تجعداin ripples
إذ كسِيَت تجعدا
It is as though its pools,
Their spears made ready, the clouds assumed
when clothed in ripples,
A coat of mail and took the field, opposing
خفنthey feared سهامthe arrows of مزنةٍa rain-cloud
خفن سهام مزنةٍ
فقدand so already لبسنthey donned الزرداchain mail
فقد لبسن الزردا
had feared a rain-cloud's arrows,
The sun - the crown the king of all created beings wears,
and so had donned chain mail,
Most glorious, set with hyacinths and rubies.
لبسthe donning العِداof foes إنwhen ذكرواthey mention
لبس العِدا إن ذكروا
تاجthe crown of الملوكkings الأصيَداproud; head held high
تاج الملوك الأصيَدا
as foes don theirs when they recall
O paragon of generosity, courage, virtue!
the proud crown of kings:
Fount of grace, magnanimity, glory!
فتىa gallant youth الصّفاحof sword-blades والرماand spears (first part)
فتى الصّفاح والرما
حcompletion of spears والسماحand generosity والندىand bounty
ح والسماح والندى
a youth of blades and spears,
Noble one, who walks the path
and of generosity and bounty,
Of lofty deeds and lives life boldly,
الذائِبflowing; melting الجودgenerosity إذاwhen
الذائِب الجود إذا
كفّthe palm of البخيلthe miser جَمَداfroze
كفّ البخيل جَمَدا
whose generosity flows when
Better than one who gathers up
the miser's palm lies frozen.
His strength to hoard for days ahead.
أكرمthe noblest منof those who راحwent forth at evening علىfollowing
أكرم من راح على
دِينthe faith of المعاليlofty deeds وغداand went forth at dawn
دِين المعالي وغدا
The noblest to go forth at evening in
Praise shakes his frame even as
the faith of high deeds, and at dawn;
The lion shakes its shaggy head.
وخيرand the best منof those who يُجعَلُare made مِنfrom
وخير من يُجعَلُ مِن
ذخرstored treasure for ِ اللياليthe nights سَنَداa mainstay
ذخر ِ الليالي سَنَدا
and the best to be chosen from
He threads the ways of bounty, new
the treasures stored for nights, as a mainstay.
And old, counting their number, keeping
يهزهit stirs him المدحpraise كماas
يهزه المدح كما
هزتit brandished يهhis hand (text defective) مهنداan Indian-made sword
هزت يه مهندا
Praise stirs him as
Safe their honor. His intimates traverse
his hand brandishes an Indian blade.
The battle's dust as if a plain unending.
سالكtreading طرقthe paths of المكرماnoble deeds (first part)
سالك طرق المكرما
تcompletion of noble deeds وعثهاtheir rugged stretches والجدداand the level stretches
ت وعثها والجددا
Treading the paths of noble deeds,
His pavilions are erected by
their rugged and their level stretches.
The spear shafts raised up row on row.
وربand many a جيشarmy كالنجوlike the stars (first part)
ورب جيش كالنجو
مcompletion of stars عدداin number وعدداand in armaments
م عددا وعددا
And many an army, like the stars
All this he did to overcome
in number and in armaments,
His foes, defeats on them bestowing.
تخوضthey wade منهwithin it المقرباthe prized steeds (first part)
تخوض منه المقربا
تcompletion of prized steeds الجردsleek-coated بحراa sea مزبداfoaming
ت الجرد بحرا مزبدا
within which the prized steeds wade,
A rock, pure white yet ruddy-dark,
sleek-coated, through a foaming sea.
Unswerving, keen, and battle-scarred,
ترفعthey raise أعوادthe shafts of الرماthe spears (first part)
ترفع أعواد الرما
حcompletion of spears صرحهits lofty edifice المسرداtightly interlinked
ح صرحه المسردا
The spear-shafts uphold
With four strong legs whose hooves strike sparks
its tightly woven edifice.
Of fire as they fly forward.
أعدتتyou readied (text defective) ماwhat أعددتهyou readied it
أعدتت ما أعددته
فيهwithin it لارغامto humble العِداthe foes
فيه لارغام العِدا
You readied all that you readied
Surely he outstrips all racers in speed,
within it to humble the foes:
Distance gains with utmost striving.
أبيضَa bright sword مطرورsharpened الشَّباat the edges
أبيضَ مطرور الشَّبا
واسمراand a brown spear مطّرداstraight
واسمرا مطّردا
a bright sword with sharpened edges,
Woe to him who faulted me,
and a straight brown spear,
Attacked my poems, disparaging!
ونثرةًand a coat of mail مسرودةclosely interlinked
ونثرةً مسرودة
زعفاsupple and ample ونهداand a powerful horse أجرداsleek-coated
زعفا ونهدا أجردا
and a closely linked coat of mail,
Woe to him! Before he drank
supple, and a powerful, sleek-coated horse,
My words like wine, and they inebriated,
ذاpossessing أربَعٍfour hooves يلقيsets علىupon الthe (article continued next line)
ذا أربَعٍ يلقي على ال
جلمدhard rock منهاfrom among them جلدماa rock-hard hoof
جلمد منها جلدما
with four hooves, setting upon the
Before my sparks fell on him, flaring,
rock a rock-hard hoof from among them.
And burned him, till his rage abated!
لاno مريةdoubt فيabout أنهits being
لا مرية في أنه
أسبقthe swiftest عدّاءٍrunner عَداthat ran
أسبق عدّاءٍ عَدا
There is no doubt that it is
I who till now have praised none
the swiftest runner ever to run.
But you, till even praise was tedious,
ويحwoe to الذيthe one who قالhe said وقاand he said (first part)
ويح الذي قال وقا
لcompletion of said فيabout قريضيmy poetry واعتدىand he overstepped
ل في قريضي واعتدى
Woe to him who talked and talked
Nor lingered at another’s door,
of my poetry, and overstepped!
Going there once, or going twice.
ياO ويحهwoe to him منfrom قبلbefore أنthat
يا ويحه من قبل أن
يشربhe drinks خمراwine عربداhe ran riot
يشرب خمرا عربدا
Ah, woe to him! Even before
Today of him I say the same
drinking wine, he ran riot;
Words yesterday I spoke of you.
منfrom قبلbefore أنthat تلفَحَهit scorches him
من قبل أن تلفَحَه
شرارتيmy spark توقّداhe flared up
شرارتي توقّدا
before he was scorched by
In all people, none but you I see,
my spark, he burst into flame.
Created for my sacrifice.
أناI الذيthe one who لمdid not أمتدحI praise
أنا الذي لم أمتدح
سواكanyone other than you حتىuntil أكسداI become unsought
سواك حتى أكسدا
I am the one who has never praised
Give! Give unstintingly! For you
any but you, until I went unsought;
Are far above their meager ration.
ولمand did not أرحI depart عنfrom بابهhis gate
ولم أرح عن بابه
مردداrebuffed مردداrepeating
مرددا مرددا
nor have I left his gate
I have transcended their domain,
rebuffed, repeating myself—
And none can reach imagination!
أقولI say فيهof him اليومtoday ماwhat
أقول فيه اليوم ما
أقولهI say it فيكof you غداtomorrow
أقوله فيك غدا
saying of him today what
I would say of you tomorrow.
يفيكmay they be your ransom (text defective) مَنthose who ماnot خلقواthey were created
يفيك مَن ما خلقوا
فيamong الناسmankind إلاexcept للفداfor sacrifice
في الناس إلا للفدا
May those be your ransom who were made
among mankind for sacrifice alone.
منّواthey bestowed favors فمنّواand so bestowed favors خلَّباrainless lightning
منّوا فمنّوا خلَّبا
أعطواthey gave فاعطواand so they gave ثَمَداscant water
أعطوا فاعطوا ثَمَدا
They granted favors, but granted rainless lightning;
they gave, but gave only scant water.
علوتyou rose عنbeyond شأوِهمtheir reach
علوت عن شأوِهم
ومنand who ينالcan reach الفرقَداal-Farqad, a star
ومن ينال الفرقَدا
You have risen beyond their reach;
and who can reach al-Farqad?
Partial English translation: 72 of 80 Arabic lines translated.