حَشاfilled حشاهُhis heart الأُلىthose who بانواdeparted منfrom الطللِthe ruins
حَشا حشاهُ الأُلى بانوا من الطللِ
فَلَمso did not يزلcease طللاًa ruin يبكيweeping علىover طللِa ruin
فَلَم يزل طللاً يبكي على طللِ
Those who departed from the ruins filled his heart,
The ruins of past joys bid us to weep,
so he remained a ruin, weeping over a ruin.
So they remain as ruins weeping for ruins.
صبٌّan ardent lover إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle شَكىcomplained مغنىthe dwelling of أحبّتهhis beloveds
صبٌّ إِذا ما شَكى مغنى أحبّته
سقماًof sickness سقاهُhe watered it بدمعٍwith tears منهfrom him منهطلِpouring
سقماً سقاهُ بدمعٍ منه منهطلِ
An ardent lover—whenever his beloveds' dwelling complained
When a lover complains of his beloved's sickness,
of sickness, he watered it with tears pouring from him.
His tears become the draught that makes her sick.
وَلاand does not يَجِدfind للهَوىfor love ديناًa creed يدينُhe believes بهِin it
وَلا يَجِد للهَوى ديناً يدينُ بهِ
يقمfulfill بِماaccording to what فيهis in it منof فرضٍprescribed duty وينتفلُand offer voluntary devotions
يقم بِما فيه من فرضٍ وينتفلُ
And he finds no creed for love that he can profess,
The madness of passion finds no religion to follow,
fulfilling its prescribed duties and offering voluntary devotions.
No duties to perform, no creed to profess.
ياO عاذِليmy reproacher فيin الهَوىlove رفقاًgently بمكتئبٍwith a grieving man
يا عاذِلي في الهَوى رفقاً بمكتئبٍ
فيin أذنهِhis ear صممٌdeafness أَضحىhas become عنto العذلِreproach
في أذنهِ صممٌ أَضحى عن العذلِ
O my reproacher in love, be gentle with a grieving man,
O you who reproach me for passion, have mercy
whose ear has grown deaf to reproach.
On a grief-stricken soul, deaf to all rebuke.
أراكI see you ليwith me ياO عنيفَharsh in اللومblame مشتغلاًoccupied
أراك لي يا عنيفَ اللوم مشتغلاً
بِاللومِwith reproach فاِرفقso be gentle فإنّيfor I عنكaway from you مشتغلِam preoccupied
بِاللومِ فاِرفق فإنّي عنك مشتغلِ
I see you occupied with me, O harsh in blame,
I see you busy blaming, be gentle, I implore,
with reproach; be gentle, for I am too absorbed to heed you.
For I am occupied in self-reproach.
كلّيall of me غَداhas become فيin وثاقِthe bonds of الأسرِcaptivity مُرتهناًpledged
كلّي غَدا في وثاقِ الأسرِ مُرتهناً
بكلِّto all أهلِthe dwellers of القبابِthe pavilions البيضwhite والكللِand the curtained canopies
بكلِّ أهلِ القبابِ البيض والكللِ
My whole being has become pledged in captivity's bonds
Chained by captivity, I shall be the thrall tomorrow
to all the dwellers of white pavilions and curtained canopies.
Of every lily-white maid and dark-eyed gazelle.
ماwhat ليwith me وَماand what لسعادwith Suʿād كلّماwhenever سعدتI rejoiced
ما لي وَما لسعاد كلّما سعدت
بالوصلِin union مالتshe turned إِلىtoward الفرقاparting ولمand did not تصلِgrant union
بالوصلِ مالت إِلى الفرقا ولم تصلِ
What is it with me and with Suʿād? Whenever I rejoice
How strange that whenever we meet for union
in union, she turns to parting and grants no union.
Fate intervenes to part us without surcease!
كَمhow many a موتةdeath منهاfrom her يومon the day of البينparting فرقتهاI feared it
كَم موتة منها يوم البين فرقتها
مِنfrom نظرةٍa glance أرسلتهاshe sent it بالردىwith death قبليtoward me
مِن نظرةٍ أرسلتها بالردى قبلي
How many a death from her I feared on the day of parting,
Many a death have I died from her glance on the day we parted,
from a glance she sent my way, bearing death!
The glance she shot at me, pitilessly.
أَبهىmore radiant منَthan القمرِthe moon الوضّاحshining صورتهاher form
أَبهى منَ القمرِ الوضّاح صورتها
وَطعمand the taste of ريقهاher saliva أَحلىsweeter منthan العسلِhoney
وَطعم ريقها أَحلى من العسلِ
Her form is more radiant than the shining moon,
More dazzling than the moon in her brilliance,
and the taste of her saliva is sweeter than honey.
Her face, and the taste of her saliva sweeter than honey.
توليbestow نواظرهاher eyes مِنthrough سحرهاher enchantment عللاًailments
تولي نواظرها مِن سحرها عللاً
وَريقand the saliva of مَبسمهاher smiling mouth يشفيheals منfrom العللِailments
وَريق مَبسمها يشفي من العللِ
Her eyes, through her enchantment, inflict ailments,
Her glances cast spells, and the saliva of her smile
and the saliva of her smiling mouth heals ailments.
Is a cure for all sickness and pain.
تكادُalmost وردةُthe rose of خدَّيهاher two cheeks إِذاwhen لمحتis glimpsed
تكادُ وردةُ خدَّيها إِذا لمحت
تذوبُmelts فيin وجههاher face منfrom صبغةthe tint of الخجلِbashfulness
تذوبُ في وجهها من صبغة الخجلِ
The rose of her cheeks, when glimpsed, almost
When her rosy cheek smiles, the rose upon it
melts into her face from the tint of bashfulness.
Seems to melt into her face for very shame.
تَشكوcomplain خلاخلهاher anklets الساقينthe two calves منfrom غصصٍchoking distress
تَشكو خلاخلها الساقين من غصصٍ
تَشكوcomplain مآزرهاher waist-wraps مِنof فاعمample الكفلِthe rump
تَشكو مآزرها مِن فاعم الكفلِ
Her anklets complain of her calves, in choking distress;
Her swaying hips complain of the weight they bear,
her waist-wraps complain of her ample rump.
Her girdle complains of the pain beneath her dress.
ياO مَنone whom أَرىI see عيشتيmy life فيin وصلِهاunion with her كَمنتlies hidden
يا مَن أَرى عيشتي في وصلِها كَمنت
وَمَنand one whom أَرىI see فيin نواهاher estrangement صفقةthe stroke of الأجلِdeath
وَمَن أَرى في نواها صفقة الأجلِ
O you, in union with whom I see my life lie hidden,
In union with her I see my life assured,
and you, in whose estrangement I see the stroke of death!
In her good will I see triumph over death.
كَمhow much فيكabout you منّيfrom me وفيand about القرمthe noble chief الهمامthe valiant one أبيAbū (father of) الطal-Ṭ… (name fragment)
كَم فيك منّي وفي القرم الهمام أبي الط
طيبṬayyib (name continuation) المتوّجthe crowned one منof مدحٍpraise ومنand of غزلِlove verse
طيب المتوّج من مدحٍ ومن غزلِ
How much I have written of you and the noble, valiant Abū al-
In you and in my father - valiant, noble prince -
Ṭayyib, the crowned one, in praise and love verse!
Is the best of my boasting, my poetry and song,
متوّجa crowned one منfrom بنيthe sons of ماءِMāʾ ('water') السماءal-Samāʾ ('heaven') لهhe has
متوّج من بني ماءِ السماء له
مِنfrom مجدهِhis glory رتبٌranks تعلوrise علىabove زحلِSaturn
مِن مجدهِ رتبٌ تعلو على زحلِ
A crowned one of the sons of Māʾ al-Samāʾ, who has
Crowned by the Most High with glory, your rank
from his glory, ranks that rise above Saturn.
Transcends the star of Saturn in its loftiness.
غيثُrain العفاةِseekers of bounty وليثُand a lion الحربِof war ليسthere is not لهfor him
غيثُ العفاةِ وليثُ الحربِ ليس له
منَof العرينِa lion's lair سوىexcept الخطّيّةthe Khaṭṭī spears الذبلِslender
منَ العرينِ سوى الخطّيّة الذبلِ
Rain for seekers of bounty, and a lion of war, he has
Succor of the needy, lion of war, owning nothing
no lair but slender Khaṭṭī spears.
But the cloak you stand in and the bare hillside.
يَزدادُhe grows بشراًin cheerfulness إِذاwhen حلّarrived الوفودthe delegations بهwith him
يَزدادُ بشراً إِذا حلّ الوفود به
كالشمسlike the sun جوهرهاits essence يزدادgrows فيin الحملِAries
كالشمس جوهرها يزداد في الحملِ
His cheerfulness grows when delegations come to him,
The more embassies crowd your court, the more
like the sun, whose essence grows stronger in Aries.
Your bounty flows, like the sun whose heat grows in Cancer.
دالَتgained ascendancy بهِthrough him دولةthe realm of الإسلامِIslam واِفتخَرتand took pride
دالَت بهِ دولة الإسلامِ واِفتخَرت
بهِin him وَطالتand outstripped مياديناًby racecourses علىover الدولِthe realms
بهِ وَطالت مياديناً على الدولِ
Through him the realm of Islam prevailed and took pride
The state of Islam is exalted by your reign
in him, and outstripped other realms by whole racecourses.
And glories in your wide-flung supremacy.
ياO مَنyou who حكاهlikened him بإنسانٍto a man يماثلهُwho equals him
يا مَن حكاه بإنسانٍ يماثلهُ
اِقصرdesist فَلاso do not تجعلنّever make الجدّearnestness كالهزلِlike jest
اِقصر فَلا تجعلنّ الجدّ كالهزلِ
O you who liken him to a man as his equal,
When you are portrayed as a mortal like other men,
desist; do not equate earnestness with jest.
Forbear, make no idle fancies of sober fact.
لاdo not تشبهنّever liken بهto him فيin جودهِhis generosity بشراًany human
لا تشبهنّ به في جودهِ بشراً
فَالبحرُfor the sea يعلوrises علىabove الضحضاحshallow water والوشلِand trickling water
فَالبحرُ يعلو على الضحضاح والوشلِ
Never liken any human to him in generosity,
Compare him not in generosity to mortal men,
for the sea rises above shallows and trickles.
For the ocean cannot match a little pond.
ياO أفضلَbest of الناسِpeople مِنamong بادٍa nomad ومحتضرٍand a town-dweller
يا أفضلَ الناسِ مِن بادٍ ومحتضرٍ
وَأفخرand most glorious of الخلقcreation مِنamong حافٍa barefoot person ومنتعلِand a shod person
وَأفخر الخلق مِن حافٍ ومنتعلِ
O best of people, whether nomad or townsman,
O noblest of men, dwelling or departed,
and most glorious of creation, whether barefoot or shod!
And proudest of mortals, mounted or on foot!
كَمhow many a وقعةbattle لكof yours فيagainst أعداكyour foes قدindeed نسختeclipsed
كَم وقعة لك في أعداك قد نسخت
بِبأسهاby its might ماwhat جرىhappened فيin وقعةthe Battle of الجملِthe Camel
بِبأسها ما جرى في وقعة الجملِ
How many a battle of yours against your foes has eclipsed
In how many a battle with your foes have you effaced
by its might what took place at the Battle of the Camel!
All memory of the fray of the Camel and others!
لوif بعدafter أحمدAḥmad للرحمنِfor the All-Merciful منany رسلٍmessengers
لو بعد أحمد للرحمنِ من رسلٍ
لَكنتyou would surely be للّهfor God فيناamong us خاتمthe seal of الرسلِthe messengers
لَكنت للّه فينا خاتم الرسلِ
Had the All-Merciful any messengers after Aḥmad,
Were there after Ahmad any prophets sent
you would surely be, among us, God's seal of the messengers.
You would have been the seal of the envoys of God.