ياO اِبنَةَdaughter of العامِرِيِّal-Amiri عَمّاafter قَليلِa short while
يا اِبنَةَ العامِرِيِّ عَمّا قَليلِ
يَأذَنُwill give leave الحَيُّthe tribe فَاِعلَميso know بِالرَحيلِof the departure
يَأذَنُ الحَيُّ فَاِعلَمي بِالرَحيلِ
O daughter of al-Amiri, before long
O daughter of Aamer, soon
the tribe will give leave to depart—know this.
The living will bid farewell, so be ready to depart.
قَدindeed سَمِعتُI have heard الغُرابَthe raven يوعِدُthreaten بَيناًparting
قَد سَمِعتُ الغُرابَ يوعِدُ بَيناً
وَاِنصِراماًand a severing لِحَبلِكِof your cord المَوصولِjoined
وَاِنصِراماً لِحَبلِكِ المَوصولِ
I have heard the raven threaten parting
I heard the raven promise separation
and the severing of your cord of union.
And the untying of your firmly tied bond.
كَيفَhow ليfor me بِالسُلُوِّwith solace لاno كَيفَhow وَالبَيand separation (start)
كَيفَ لي بِالسُلُوِّ لا كَيفَ وَالبَي
نُ(completes 'separation') غَداًtomorrow نازِلٌdescending بِخَطبٍwith a calamity جَليلِgrave
نُ غَداً نازِلٌ بِخَطبٍ جَليلِ
How can I find solace? There is no way, when separation
How can I be tranquil when the abodes
descends tomorrow with a grievous calamity.
Will be occupied tomorrow by mighty events?
إِنَّindeed يَومَthe day النَوىof separation لِيَومٍsurely a day طَويلٍlong
إِنَّ يَومَ النَوى لِيَومٍ طَويلٍ
لَيسَdoes not يَفنىend وَيَومُand a day حُزنٍof sorrow طَويلِlong
لَيسَ يَفنى وَيَومُ حُزنٍ طَويلِ
Indeed, the day of separation is a long day;
Indeed the day of departure is a long day,
it never ends, and a day of sorrow is long.
It does not fade, and it is a day of lasting grief.
ياO هِلالاًa crescent أَوفىrose بِأَعلىat the top of قَضيبٍa branch
يا هِلالاً أَوفى بِأَعلى قَضيبٍ
وَقَضيباًand a branch عَلىupon كَثيبٍa sand dune مَهيلِloosely heaped
وَقَضيباً عَلى كَثيبٍ مَهيلِ
O crescent risen atop a branch,
O crescent, fulfill your duty to the highest pole
and branch upon a dune of loose sand!
And a pole above a lofty dune.
ماnot شِفاءُthe cure المُتَيَّمِof the love-enslaved الصَبِّthe ardent lover إِلّاexcept
ما شِفاءُ المُتَيَّمِ الصَبِّ إِلّا
شُربُهُhis drinking مِنfrom رُضابِكِyour saliva السَلسَبيلِsweet-flowing
شُربُهُ مِن رُضابِكِ السَلسَبيلِ
The lovesick, ardent lover has no cure but
The cure of the lovesick youth is only
to drink of your sweet-flowing saliva.
His drinking from your cascading flow.
لاdo not تَقِفhalt بيwith me عَلىat الدِيارِthe dwellings فَإِنّيfor I
لا تَقِف بي عَلى الدِيارِ فَإِنّي
لَستُI am not مِنof أَربُعٍdwelling sites وَرَسمٍand a trace مُحيلِtime-worn
لَستُ مِن أَربُعٍ وَرَسمٍ مُحيلِ
Do not halt with me at the dwellings, for I
Do not stop me at the abodes for I
am not concerned with dwelling sites and a time-worn trace.
Am not one to change what is decreed.
فيin بُكاءٍweeping عَلىfor الأَحِبَّةِthe loved ones شُغلٌan occupation
في بُكاءٍ عَلى الأَحِبَّةِ شُغلٌ
لِأَخيfor the devotee of الحُبِّlove عَنaway from بُكاءِweeping over الطُلولِthe ruined dwelling sites
لِأَخي الحُبِّ عَن بُكاءِ الطُلولِ
Weeping for loved ones is an occupation
I am preoccupied with weeping for loved ones,
that keeps love's devotee from weeping over the ruins.
My love’s tears hinder those of grief.
وَتَدانيand the nearness of الدارَينِthe two homes أَحسَنُbetter لَوif كاwere (start)
وَتَداني الدارَينِ أَحسَنُ لَو كا
نَ(completes 'were') إِلىto رَدِّbringing back ظاعِنٍa departing traveler مِنany سَبيلِway
نَ إِلى رَدِّ ظاعِنٍ مِن سَبيلِ
And the nearness of the two homes would be better, if there were
And the nearness of the two homes would be best
any way to bring back a departing traveler.
If it led to turning away a defamer.
قَدindeed لَعَمريby my life أَضحىhas become الزَمانُthe age حَميداًpraiseworthy
قَد لَعَمري أَضحى الزَمانُ حَميداً
بِاِبنِthrough the son of طَوقٍTawq مُحَمَّدِMuhammad المَأمولِthe hoped-for one
بِاِبنِ طَوقٍ مُحَمَّدِ المَأمولِ
By my life, the age has indeed become praiseworthy
By my life, time has become auspicious
through Muhammad ibn Tawq, in whom hopes are placed:
Through Ibn Tawq, Muhammad the hopeful,
بِكَريمٍthrough a generous man يَستَغرِقُencompasses all الحَمدَpraise وَالمَجand glory (start)
بِكَريمٍ يَستَغرِقُ الحَمدَ وَالمَج
دَ(completes 'glory') بِمَعروفِهِthrough his beneficence العَريضِbroad الطَويلِfar-reaching
دَ بِمَعروفِهِ العَريضِ الطَويلِ
through a generous man who wins all praise and glory
A generous one who encompasses praise and glory
by his beneficence, broad and far-reaching;
With his vast and abundant virtues,
لِلنَدىof bounty عاشِقٍa lover وَبِالمَجدِand for glory صَبٍّpassionately in love
لِلنَدى عاشِقٍ وَبِالمَجدِ صَبٍّ
مُستَهامٍenraptured وَلِلسَماحِand of openhandedness خَليلِa close friend
مُستَهامٍ وَلِلسَماحِ خَليلِ
a lover of bounty, passionately in love with glory,
One passionate in love, magnanimous and tolerant,
enraptured, and a close friend of openhandedness;
And miserly in honor from whom
وَبخيلٍand miserly بِالعِرضِwith honor تَصدُرُissue مِنهُfrom him
وَبخيلٍ بِالعِرضِ تَصدُرُ مِنهُ
جُمَلُheaps النَيلِof bounty عَنfrom جَوادٍa generous man بَخيلِmiserly
جُمَلُ النَيلِ عَن جَوادٍ بَخيلِ
and miserly with his honor: from him issue
Rivers of bounty flow from a polished soul.
heaps of bounty, from a generous miser;
And perceptive, so when the perceptive incline
وَأَريبٍand a discerning man إِذاwhen الأَريبُthe discerning man تَصَدّاconfronts
وَأَريبٍ إِذا الأَريبُ تَصَدّا
مِنهُfrom him فَهمٌkeen understanding غَداcomes away بِفَهمٍwith understanding صَقيلِpolished
مِنهُ فَهمٌ غَدا بِفَهمٍ صَقيلِ
and a discerning man: when another discerning man encounters
Toward him, they become insightful and polished.
his keen mind, he comes away with a polished understanding.
A king whose traits resemble a meadow
مَلِكٌa king شاكَلَتresembled شَمائِلُهُhis qualities الرَوضَthe meadow الthe
مَلِكٌ شاكَلَت شَمائِلُهُ الرَوضَ ال
مُخَلّىleft untouched جارَneighbor of السَحابِthe clouds المُخيلِpromising rain
مُخَلّى جارَ السَحابِ المُخيلِ
A king whose qualities resemble the meadow,
Adjacent to the billowing clouds.
left untouched, beside the clouds that promise rain.
And is glory, if you consider it,
وَهَلِand is المَجدُglory إِنif تَفَكَّرتَyou reflect فيهِupon it
وَهَلِ المَجدُ إِن تَفَكَّرتَ فيهِ
غَيرُother than رَبعٍan abode مِنthrough فِعلِهِhis deeds مَأهولِinhabited
غَيرُ رَبعٍ مِن فِعلِهِ مَأهولِ
And is glory, if you reflect upon it,
Anything but a quarter of his accomplished acts?
anything but an abode inhabited by his deeds?
Stay and stand at the heights, O Ayyub,
إِبقَremain وَقفاًdevoted عَلىto العُلاeminence يَاO أَباAbu (father of) أَيAyyub (start)
إِبقَ وَقفاً عَلى العُلا يَا أَبا أَي
يوبَ(completes 'Ayyub') فيwithin ظِلِّهاits shade عَلَيكَover you الظَليلِsheltering
يوبَ في ظِلِّها عَلَيكَ الظَليلِ
Remain devoted to eminence, O Abu Ayyub,
In their shade rest in the afternoon.
within its sheltering shade that rests over you.
And generosity has linked your comfort
وَصَلَhas linked الجودُgenerosity راحَتَيكَyour two palms بِإِفراwith excess (start)
وَصَلَ الجودُ راحَتَيكَ بِإِفرا
طِ(completes 'excess') نَدىًbounty خارِجٍoutside عَنِof المَعقولِreason
طِ نَدىً خارِجٍ عَنِ المَعقولِ
Generosity has bound your two palms to an excess
To the giving of gifts beyond measure.
of bounty beyond reason.
As if sorrows split off from your face
وَكَأَنَّand as though الخُطوبَcalamities تَنشَقُّsplit apart مِنthrough رَأcounsel (start)
وَكَأَنَّ الخُطوبَ تَنشَقُّ مِن رَأ
يِكَyour (with end of 'counsel') عَنrevealing صَدرِthe blade of أَبيَضٍa white sword مَصقولِpolished
يِكَ عَن صَدرِ أَبيَضٍ مَصقولِ
And it is as though calamities split apart through your counsel,
From a polished and gleaming chest.
revealing the blade of a white, polished sword.
Your palm has granted favors to the healthy,
أَجزَلَتlavished كَفُّكَyour palm العَطاياthe gifts لِعافيon a petitioner
أَجزَلَت كَفُّكَ العَطايا لِعافي
كَyour فَكافاكَso he repaid you بِالثَناءِwith praise الجَزيلِabundant
كَ فَكافاكَ بِالثَناءِ الجَزيلِ
Your palm lavished gifts on your petitioner,
So it rewarded you with ample praise.
so he repaid you with abundant praise.
Give what you wish, you have the greatest share
جُدbe generous بِماwith whatever شِئتَyou wish أَنتَyou أَوفَرُgreater حَظّاًin share
جُد بِما شِئتَ أَنتَ أَوفَرُ حَظّاً
مِنthan مُرَجّيone hoping for نَوالِكَyour bounty المَبذولِfreely bestowed
مِن مُرَجّي نَوالِكَ المَبذولِ
Give as you will: your share is greater
Of what you hope to obtain from your outpouring.
than that of one who hopes for the bounty you bestow.
So the very generous is not over-generous,
فَكَثيرُfor much العَطاءِgiving غَيرُnot كَثيرٍmuch
فَكَثيرُ العَطاءِ غَيرُ كَثيرٍ
وَقَليلُand little الثَناءِpraise غَيرُnot قَليلِlittle
وَقَليلُ الثَناءِ غَيرُ قَليلِ
For much giving is not much,
And the sparingly praised is not paltry.
and little praise is not little.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.