قُلSay لِلخَيالِto the phantom إِذاwhenever أَرَدتَyou wish فَعاوِدِthen return
قُل لِلخَيالِ إِذا أَرَدتَ فَعاوِدِ
تُدنِyou bring near المَسافَةَthe distance مِنof هَوىًa love مُتَباعِدِfar away
تُدنِ المَسافَةَ مِن هَوىً مُتَباعِدِ
Say to the phantom: Return whenever you wish;
you bring close the distance of a far-off love.
فَلَأَنتَfor you are فيin نَفسيmy soul وَإِنalthough عَنَّيتَنيyou tormented me
فَلَأَنتَ في نَفسي وَإِن عَنَّيتَني
وَبَعَثتَand you stirred ليfor me الأَشجانَsorrows أَحلىthe sweetest وافِدِvisitor
وَبَعَثتَ لي الأَشجانَ أَحلى وافِدِ
For you are the sweetest visitor to my soul, though you torment me
and stir my sorrows.
باتَتshe spent the night بِأَحلامِin the dreams of النِيامِsleepers تَغُرُّنيdeceiving me
باتَت بِأَحلامِ النِيامِ تَغُرُّني
رودُgraceful التَثَنّىin swaying كَالقَضيبِlike the branch المائِدِthat bends
رودُ التَثَنّى كَالقَضيبِ المائِدِ
She spent the night deceiving me in sleepers’ dreams,
graceful in her swaying, like a bending branch.
ضاهَتshe matched بِحُلَّتِهاwith her robe تَلَهُّبَthe glow of خَدِّهاher cheek
ضاهَت بِحُلَّتِها تَلَهُّبَ خَدِّها
حَتّىuntil اِغتَدَتshe became فيin أُرجُوانٍcrimson جاسِدِdeep-colored
حَتّى اِغتَدَت في أُرجُوانٍ جاسِدِ
Her robe matched the glow of her cheek
until she seemed clothed in deep crimson.
لِتَجُدmay they pour أَهاضيبُmasses of السَحابِthe clouds عَلىupon اللِوىal-Liwa
لِتَجُد أَهاضيبُ السَحابِ عَلى اللِوى
وَعَلىand upon تَناضُرِthe lushness of نَبتِهِits growth المُستَأسِدِflourishing
وَعَلى تَناضُرِ نَبتِهِ المُستَأسِدِ
May the rain clouds pour over al-Liwa
and over its lush, flourishing growth.
كانَwas الوِصالُthe reunion بُعَيدَjust after هَجرٍa separation مُنقَضٍended
كانَ الوِصالُ بُعَيدَ هَجرٍ مُنقَضٍ
زَمَنَin the time of اللِوىal-Liwa وَقُبَيلَand shortly before بَينٍa parting آفِدِapproaching
زَمَنَ اللِوى وَقُبَيلَ بَينٍ آفِدِ
Our meeting came just after a separation had ended,
in the days of al-Liwa, just before another parting approached.
ماit was not كانَexcept إِلّاa glance لَفتَةًfrom مِنan eye that looks ناظِرٍquickly
ما كانَ إِلّا لَفتَةً مِن ناظِرٍ
عَجِلٍquick بِهاwith it أَوor نَهلَةًone drink مِنfrom وارِدِone coming to water
عَجِلٍ بِها أَو نَهلَةً مِن وارِدِ
It was no more than a glance from an eye
quick to look, or a single drink taken by one who came to the water.
هَلwill أَنتَyou مِنfor بَرحِthe anguish of الصَبابَةِlonging عاذِريexcuse me
هَل أَنتَ مِن بَرحِ الصَبابَةِ عاذِري
أَمor أَنتَwill you مِنbecause of شَكوىthe complaint of الصَبابَةِlonging عائِديvisit me
أَم أَنتَ مِن شَكوى الصَبابَةِ عائِدي
Will you excuse me for the anguish of longing,
or will you visit me as I complain of it?
شَوقٌyearning تَلَبَّسَtook hold بِالفُؤادِof the heart دَخيلُهُdeep within it
شَوقٌ تَلَبَّسَ بِالفُؤادِ دَخيلُهُ
وَالشَوقُand yearning يُسرِعُmoves swiftly فيthrough الفُؤادِthe heart الواجِدِof the lovesick one
وَالشَوقُ يُسرِعُ في الفُؤادِ الواجِدِ
A deep-rooted yearning has taken hold of my heart,
and yearning moves swiftly through a lovesick heart.
قَصَدَتheaded لِنَجرانِfor Najran of العِراقِIraq رِكابُناour mounts
قَصَدَت لِنَجرانِ العِراقِ رِكابُنا
فَطَلَبنَand they sought أَرحَبَهاits broadest place مَهَلَّةَthe dwelling of ماجِدِa noble man
فَطَلَبنَ أَرحَبَها مَهَلَّةَ ماجِدِ
Our mounts set out for Najran of Iraq,
seeking its broadest dwelling place, the abode of a noble man.
اَلَيتُI swore لاnot يَثنينَwould they turn back جَدّاًearnestly صاعِداًclimbing
اَلَيتُ لا يَثنينَ جَدّاً صاعِداً
فيin مَطلَبٍa pursuit حَتّىuntil يُنِخنَthey kneel بِصاعِدِbefore Sa‘id
في مَطلَبٍ حَتّى يُنِخنَ بِصاعِدِ
I swore they would not turn back from their earnest climb
in pursuit of their goal until they knelt before Sa‘id.
خِرقٌa generous man أَضافَadded إِلَيهِto him عُلياthe noblest of مَذحِجٍMadhhij
خِرقٌ أَضافَ إِلَيهِ عُليا مَذحِجٍ
حَسَبٌa lineage تَناصَرَthat strengthened كَالشِهابِlike the meteor الواقِدِblazing
حَسَبٌ تَناصَرَ كَالشِهابِ الواقِدِ
A generous man to whom the noblest of Madhhij added
a lineage radiant as a blazing meteor.
كَسَبَhe earned المَخامِدَpraises فيin زَمانٍa time لَمnot يَبِتdid spend the night
كَسَبَ المَخامِدَ في زَمانٍ لَم يَبِت
راجيone hoping in الصَريفِيّنَthe two Sarifis فيهِin it بِحامِدِgrateful
راجي الصَريفِيّنَ فيهِ بِحامِدِ
He earned praise in a time when
those who hoped in the two Sarifis did not go to bed grateful.
أَيهاتَfar from it يَلحَقُcould he catch مِنof غُبارِكِyour dust لَمحَةًa glimpse
أَيهاتَ يَلحَقُ مِن غُبارِكِ لَمحَةً
وَلَوَeven if اَنَّindeed فيin يَدِهِhis hand عِنانَthe reins of الذائِدِthe defender
وَلَوَ اَنَّ في يَدِهِ عِنانَ الذائِدِ
Far from it: who could catch even a glimpse of your dust,
even with the reins of a defender in his hand?
رَغِبَتpreferred بِنَفسِكَyou yourself عَنabove خَساسَةِthe baseness of نَفسِهِhis soul
رَغِبَت بِنَفسِكَ عَن خَساسَةِ نَفسِهِ
شِيَمٌvirtues رَغِبنَthat preferred بِمَخلَدٍMukhlad عَنover خالِدِKhalid
شِيَمٌ رَغِبنَ بِمَخلَدٍ عَن خالِدِ
Your virtues kept you above the baseness of his soul;
those virtues preferred Mukhlad to Khalid.
وَيَرُدُّand checks غَربَthe force of مُساجِليكَyour rivals إِذاwhen غَلَواthey go too far
وَيَرُدُّ غَربَ مُساجِليكَ إِذا غَلَوا
سَعيٌstriving أَطَلتَyou prolonged بِهِthrough it عَناءَthe suffering of الحاسِدِthe envier
سَعيٌ أَطَلتَ بِهِ عَناءَ الحاسِدِ
Your striving checks the force of your rivals when they go too far
and prolongs the envy that they suffer.
جَهِدواthey strove عَلىto أَنthat يَلحَقوكَthey catch you وَأَفحَشُand the harshest الthe
جَهِدوا عَلى أَن يَلحَقوكَ وَأَفحَشُ ال
حِرمانِdeprivation يُقدَرُis allotted لِلحَريصِto the eager one الجاهِدِwho strives
حِرمانِ يُقدَرُ لِلحَريصِ الجاهِدِ
They strove to catch you, and the harshest
deprivation falls to the eager striver.
نَبَّهتَyou roused ديوانَthe bureau of الضِياعِthe estates وَقَدwhen عَلَتhad settled over
نَبَّهتَ ديوانَ الضِياعِ وَقَد عَلَت
أَسبابَهُits affairs سِنَةُthe drowsiness of الحَسيرِthe exhausted one الهاجِدِasleep
أَسبابَهُ سِنَةُ الحَسيرِ الهاجِدِ
You roused the bureau of estates when
its affairs were overcome by the drowsiness of an exhausted sleeper.
بِصَريمَةٍwith resolve كَالسَيفِlike the sword هَزَّbrandished غِرارَهُits edge
بِصَريمَةٍ كَالسَيفِ هَزَّ غِرارَهُ
ماضيbold of الجَنانِheart بِهِwith it طَويلُlong of الساعِدِarm
ماضي الجَنانِ بِهِ طَويلُ الساعِدِ
You did so with resolve like a sword whose edge was brandished
by a bold-hearted man with a long reach.
وَإِذاand when قَسَطتَyou press upon عَلىthe powerful man العَزيزِbends صَغاhim بِهِtoward
وَإِذا قَسَطتَ عَلى العَزيزِ صَغا بِهِ
ذُلٌّhumiliation إِلَيكَtoward you وَطاعَand he obeys غَيرَwithout مُعانِدِresisting
ذُلٌّ إِلَيكَ وَطاعَ غَيرَ مُعانِدِ
When you press upon a powerful man, humiliation bends him
toward you, and he obeys without resistance.
وَإِذاand when طَلَبتَyou demand الفَيءَthe revenue طيرَis sent flying بِقائِمٍwith a standing one
وَإِذا طَلَبتَ الفَيءَ طيرَ بِقائِمٍ
مِمَّنfrom those whom تُطالِبُهُyou call to account وَقيمَand is made to stand بِقاعِدِa seated one
مِمَّن تُطالِبُهُ وَقيمَ بِقاعِدِ
When you demand the revenue, the standing man is sent flying
from among those you call to account, and the seated man is made to rise.
لِلَّهِhow splendid أَنتَyou are ضِياءُthe light of خَطبٍa crisis مُظلِمٍdark
لِلَّهِ أَنتَ ضِياءُ خَطبٍ مُظلِمٍ
حَتّىuntil اِنجَلىit cleared وَصَلاحُand the remedy for أَمرٍan affair فاسِدِtroubled
حَتّى اِنجَلى وَصَلاحُ أَمرٍ فاسِدِ
How splendid you are: the light in a dark crisis
until it clears, and the remedy for a troubled affair.
كَمhow many نِعمَةٍa favor لَكَof yours لَمnot تَخَلهاyou thought it تَلتَويwould wind its way
كَم نِعمَةٍ لَكَ لَم تَخَلها تَلتَوي
باتَتspent the night تَقَلقَلُmoving about طَوعَat the bidding of بَيتٍa verse شارِدِwandering
باتَت تَقَلقَلُ طَوعَ بَيتٍ شارِدِ
How many favors of yours, whose course you could not foresee,
have been set moving by a wandering verse.
سَيَّرتَyou sent forth عاجِلَswift ذِكرِهاnews of it بِغَرائِبٍthrough remarkable poems
سَيَّرتَ عاجِلَ ذِكرِها بِغَرائِبٍ
يَطلُبنَthat seek قاصِيَةَthe farthest reaches of المَدىthe extent المُتَباعِدِfar away
يَطلُبنَ قاصِيَةَ المَدى المُتَباعِدِ
You sent news of them swiftly through remarkable poems
that seek the farthest reaches of the distance.
وَأَرىand I consider المُقِرَّone acknowledging بِنِعمَةٍa favor ماso long as لَمnot يَسِرhas spread
وَأَرى المُقِرَّ بِنِعمَةٍ ما لَم يَسِر
فيamong الناسِpeople حُسنُthe fine account of حَديثِهاit كَالجاحِدِlike one who denies
في الناسِ حُسنُ حَديثِها كَالجاحِدِ
And I regard one who acknowledges a favor, so long as
the good account of it has not spread among people, as one who denies it.
ليfor me ماwhat عَلِمتَyou know مِنَof اِتِّصالِthe continuance of مَوَدَّةٍaffection
لي ما عَلِمتَ مِنَ اِتِّصالِ مَوَدَّةٍ
وَمُقَدِّماتِand the beginnings of رَسائِلٍletters وَقَصائِدِand poems
وَمُقَدِّماتِ رَسائِلٍ وَقَصائِدِ
Between us lies, as you know, an enduring affection
and the beginnings of letters and poems.
وَأَقَلُّand the least ماof what بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكَand between you أَنَّناis that we
وَأَقَلُّ ما بَيني وَبَينَكَ أَنَّنا
نَرميchampion القَبائِلَthe tribes عَنon behalf of قَبيلٍa tribe واحِدِone
نَرمي القَبائِلَ عَن قَبيلٍ واحِدِ
At the very least, there is this between us:
we champion the tribes on behalf of one and the same tribe.
Translation model: Sol 6