مَضىwent before اِمرُؤُImru’ القَيسِal-Qays فيin دينِthe faith of الهَوىlove سَلَفاًas a forerunner
مَضى اِمرُؤُ القَيسِ في دينِ الهَوى سَلَفاً
سَنَّinstituted الوُقوفُhalting عَلىat رَبعِthe dwelling of الهَوىlove فَقِفاso halt, you two
سَنَّ الوُقوفُ عَلى رَبعِ الهَوى فَقِفا
Imru’ al-Qays went before us, a forerunner in the faith of love.
He made halting at love’s dwelling a custom; so halt, you two.
نَبكيlet us weep فَياso, ah لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether تُراهُyou suppose it دَرىwas aware
نَبكي فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تُراهُ دَرى
هُنالِكَthere الرَبعُthe dwelling مِثليlike me اليَومَtoday أَمor ذَرَفاshed tears
هُنالِكَ الرَبعُ مِثلي اليَومَ أَم ذَرَفا
Let us weep—ah, would that I knew: was it aware, do you think—
that dwelling there—as I am today, or did it shed tears?
قِفاhalt, you two نَكُنlet us be فيin الهَوىlove وَالدَمعِand the tears نَنثُرُهُwe scatter it
قِفا نَكُن في الهَوى وَالدَمعِ نَنثُرُهُ
وَالشِعرِand verse نَنظِمُهُwe string it together مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him خَلَفاsuccessors
وَالشِعرِ نَنظِمُهُ مِن بَعدِهِ خَلَفا
Halt, you two; let us be, in love and the tears we scatter,
and the verse we string together, successors after him.
كانَwas السُكوتُsilence غِطاءًa veil كُنتُI used to أُسبِلُهُlet it fall
كانَ السُكوتُ غِطاءً كُنتُ أُسبِلُهُ
حَتّىuntil تَكَلَّمَspoke دَمعُthe tears of العَينِthe eye فَاِنكَشَفاso it was lifted
حَتّى تَكَلَّمَ دَمعُ العَينِ فَاِنكَشَفا
Silence was a veil I used to let fall,
until the eye’s tears spoke, and it was lifted.
لَوhad أَنَّthat أَتباعَthe followers of آثارِthe footsteps of الهُداةِthe guides مَشَواwalked
لَو أَنَّ أَتباعَ آثارِ الهُداةِ مَشَوا
كَماas مَشَيناwe walked عَلىalong الآثارِthe traces ماnot اِختُلِفاdisagreement would have arisen
كَما مَشَينا عَلى الآثارِ ما اِختُلِفا
Had those who follow the guides’ footsteps walked
as we walked along the traces, no disagreement would have arisen.
أَمّاas for المَشيبُgray hair فَلاthen no بُعداًbanishment لِأَبيَضِهِfor its whiteness
أَمّا المَشيبُ فَلا بُعداً لِأَبيَضِهِ
لَعَلَّperhaps أَبيَضَهُits whiteness أَنto يُعدِيَinfect الصُحُفاthe pages
لَعَلَّ أَبيَضَهُ أَن يُعدِيَ الصُحُفا
As for gray hair, may its whiteness not be banished;
perhaps its whiteness will spread to the pages.
هَذاthis الجَنىthe fruit مِنfrom عِتابِthe reproach of الشَيبِgray hair أَورَدَهُbrought it
هَذا الجَنى مِن عِتابِ الشَيبِ أَورَدَهُ
سَمعيmy hearing فَأَصغيso it inclined إِلَيهِtoward it العِطفُthe side فَاِنعَطَفاand it bent
سَمعي فَأَصغي إِلَيهِ العِطفُ فَاِنعَطَفا
This fruit of gray hair’s reproach was conveyed
by my hearing; my side inclined toward it and bent.
وَمَجلِسُand the assembly of المُلكِkingship لَمdid not أَركَعI bow لِمالِكِهِto its master
وَمَجلِسُ المُلكِ لَم أَركَع لِمالِكِهِ
دالاًlike the letter dāl وَإِنand even though قامَhe rose ليfor me مِنfrom دَستِهِhis seat of honor أَلِفاlike the letter alif
دالاً وَإِن قامَ لي مِن دَستِهِ أَلِفا
And in the royal assembly, I did not bow to its master,
bent like a dāl, though he rose for me from his seat, straight as an alif.
Translation model: Sol 6.1