سَيِّديmy master أَنتَyou لَيسَis not كُلevery (partial)
سَيِّدي أَنتَ لَيسَ كُل
لُcompletion of 'every' صَديقٍfriend بِصادِقِtruly sincere
لُ صَديقٍ بِصادِقِ
You are my master; not every
My Lord, you are not like
friend is sincere.
Every faithful friend
كَمmany a لِسانٍtongue دَناdrew near إِلَيto
كَم لِسانٍ دَنا إِلَي
كَyou بِقَلبٍwith a heart مُنافِقِhypocritical
كَ بِقَلبٍ مُنافِقِ
Many a tongue has drawn near to
How many a tongue has flattered me
you with a hypocritical heart!
With a hypocrite's heart
كَيفَhow تُنميyou nurture الوَفاءَloyalty وَالخِand the friend (partial)
كَيفَ تُنمي الوَفاءَ وَالخِ
لُّcompletion of 'friend' غَيرُnot المُوافِقِone in accord
لُّ غَيرُ المُوافِقِ
How can you nurture loyalty when the friend
How can loyalty and affection grow
is not in accord?
Except with one who agrees
سِرتَyou journeyed بِالشَوقِwith longing وَاِلتَفَand you turned (partial)
سِرتَ بِالشَوقِ وَاِلتَفَ
تَّcompletion of 'you turned' إِلىtoward غَيرِone not وامِقِloving
تَّ إِلى غَيرِ وامِقِ
You journeyed in longing and turned
You yearned with passion and inclined
toward one who does not love,
Towards none but the true
مُستَريحٍuntroubled مِنَby الجَوىlove's anguish
مُستَريحٍ مِنَ الجَوى
كاذِبِfalse in الوُدِّaffection ماذِقِinsincere; adulterating affection
كاذِبِ الوُدِّ ماذِقِ
untroubled by love's anguish,
At peace from the burning of
false in affection, insincere.
The lying, sweet-tasting friend
أَنتَyou لاnot غَيرُكَanyone other than you الهَوىlove; passion
أَنتَ لا غَيرُكَ الهَوى
مِنamong جَميعِall الخَلائِقِcreated beings
مِن جَميعِ الخَلائِقِ
You, and no other, are my love
You alone, none other, are my love
among all created beings.
Of all creation
لاnot يَرانيsees me العَدوُّthe enemy إِexcept (partial)
لا يَراني العَدوُّ إِ
لّاcompletion of 'except' بِعَينِwith the eye of المُسارِقِone stealing glances
لّا بِعَينِ المُسارِقِ
The enemy does not see me
No enemy sees me
except with a furtive eye.
Except with a thief's eye
أَناI لَولاكَbut for you ماnot ظَفِرwon (partial)
أَنا لَولاكَ ما ظَفِر
تُI (verb ending) بِقَلبٍa heart مُصادِقِfriendly; befriending
تُ بِقَلبٍ مُصادِقِ
But for you, I would never have won
Without you I'd not have won
a friendly heart.
A faithful heart
أَناI مَولىmaster of العِدىthe enemies وَإِنalthough
أَنا مَولى العِدى وَإِن
كُنتُI was عَبدَa slave to الأَصادِقِtrue friends
كُنتُ عَبدَ الأَصادِقِ
I am master of my enemies, though
I am a master of generosity though
I am a slave to true friends.
I'm a servant of the truthful
مَنزِليmy dwelling لاnot يَزالُceases يَدdraws near (partial)
مَنزِلي لا يَزالُ يَد
نوcompletion of 'draws near' إِلىto كُلِّevery طارِقِvisitor; one who knocks
نو إِلى كُلِّ طارِقِ
My dwelling never ceases to draw
My abode will ever incline
near to every visitor,
Towards each knocking
بِظَلامِin the darkness of الغُروبِsunset أَوor
بِظَلامِ الغُروبِ أَو
بِضِياءِin the brightness of المَشارِقِthe eastern horizons
بِضِياءِ المَشارِقِ
in the darkness of sunset or
In the darkness of sunset or
in the brightness of the eastern horizons.
The glow of daybreak
وَشِفاهُand the lips of الغَمامِthe clouds تَجunveils (partial)
وَشِفاهُ الغَمامِ تَج
لوcompletion of 'unveils' ثُغورَthe teeth; mouths of البَوارِقِthe lightning flashes
لو ثُغورَ البَوارِقِ
And the lips of the clouds unveil
With the clouds' lips revealing
the teeth of the lightning flashes.
The lightning's flashes
وَأَعُقُّand I defy الغُرابَthe raven بَيbetween (partial)
وَأَعُقُّ الغُرابَ بَي
نَcompletion of 'between' بَروقٍa she-camel feigning pregnancy وَفارِقِand a she-camel in labor
نَ بَروقٍ وَفارِقِ
And I defy the raven amid
I startle the raven amidst
camels feigning pregnancy and camels in labor,
Lightning and thunder
بِظُبىًwith blade-edges تَخلُطُthat mingle الجُزوthe slaughter-camels (partial)
بِظُبىً تَخلُطُ الجُزو
رَcompletion of 'slaughter-camels' بِضَربِwith striking المَفارِقِthe crowns of heads
رَ بِضَربِ المَفارِقِ
with blades that mingle the slaughter of camels
With rain mixing hail
with blows to the crowns of heads.
In swift, heavy showers
أَناI لِلجودِfor generosity مُذsince خُلِقwas created (partial)
أَنا لِلجودِ مُذ خُلِق
تُI (verb ending) وَوَحَّدتُand I affirmed the oneness of خالِقيmy Creator
تُ وَوَحَّدتُ خالِقي
I have been devoted to generosity since I was created
I was created for munificence
and affirmed my Creator's oneness.
And made one with my Creator
خُلُقيmy nature ذاكَthat وَالتَخَand affectation (partial)
خُلُقي ذاكَ وَالتَخَ
لُّقُcompletion of 'affectation' ضِدُّthe opposite of الخَلائِقِinnate dispositions
لُّقُ ضِدُّ الخَلائِقِ
That is my nature; affectation
Such is my nature, yet contrasting
is contrary to innate dispositions.
The ways of man
أُحرِزُI acquire; secure المالَwealth لِلعَطاfor giving (partial)
أُحرِزُ المالَ لِلعَطا
ءِcompletion of 'giving' بِجَرِّby leading الفَيالِقِthe legions
ءِ بِجَرِّ الفَيالِقِ
I acquire wealth for giving
I hoard wealth but to give
by leading legions.
With hands that split the earth
وَأَرىand I regard جَمعِيَmy amassing الثَراwealth (partial)
وَأَرى جَمعِيَ الثَرا
ءَcompletion of 'wealth' اِتِّهاماًan accusation لِرازِقيagainst my Provider
ءَ اِتِّهاماً لِرازِقي
And I regard my amassing wealth
And see my gathered riches
as an accusation against my Provider.
As blame toward my Sustainer
ماhow أَعَزُّdignified; mighty الرِجالَmen لَوif only
ما أَعَزُّ الرِجالَ لَو
قَنِعواthey were content بِالحَقائِقِwith realities
قَنِعوا بِالحَقائِقِ
How dignified men would be, if only
How honored were men if
they were content with realities!
Content with the truth
ليI have مِنَfrom الدَهرِtime; fortune ماwhat يُشَescorts (partial)
لي مِنَ الدَهرِ ما يُشَ
يِّعُنيme (completes 'escorts me') فيin البَوائِقِcalamities; perils
يِّعُني في البَوائِقِ
From fortune I have what escorts
I have what will solace me
me through calamities:
In direst straits
فَرَسٌa horse يَلحَقُovertakes الأَياthe flanks (partial)
فَرَسٌ يَلحَقُ الأَيا
طِلَcompletion of 'flanks' مِنfrom نَسلِthe line of لاحِقِLahiq
طِلَ مِن نَسلِ لاحِقِ
a horse that overtakes the flanks of others,
A steed overtakes the bolters
descended from Lahiq;
Born of the swift
وَنَحيلُand a slender spear الكُعوبِthe shaft-joints فيat
وَنَحيلُ الكُعوبِ في
رَأسِهِits head مِثلُthe likeness of بارِقِa lightning flash
رَأسِهِ مِثلُ بارِقِ
and a slender-jointed spear, with
Slim of ankle, his head
the likeness of lightning at its head;
Like lightning's gleam
وَصَقيلُand a polished sword الذُبابِthe blade's point يَقarrests (partial)
وَصَقيلُ الذُبابِ يَق
بِضُcompletion of 'arrests' لَحظَthe gaze of المَرامِقِwatching eyes
بِضُ لَحظَ المَرامِقِ
and a sword whose polished point arrests
Smooth as a dragonfly, grasping
the watchers' gaze.
The glance of maidens' eyes
أَتَحَدّىI challenge بِهِwith it الرَدىdeath
أَتَحَدّى بِهِ الرَدى
فيon ظُهورِthe backs of السَوابِقِswift steeds
في ظُهورِ السَوابِقِ
With it I challenge death
With him I challenge fate
on the backs of swift steeds,
In the lead of racers
يَومَon the day of قَودِleading الجِيادِthe fine horses خَprancing (partial)
يَومَ قَودِ الجِيادِ خَ
طّارَةًcompletion of 'prancing' فيacross السَمالِقِthe bare level plains
طّارَةً في السَمالِقِ
on the day the fine horses are led,
The day stallions were yoked, prancing
prancing across the bare plains,
In thrilling gallops
تَتَنَزّىleap; toss رُؤوسُهاtheir heads
تَتَنَزّى رُؤوسُها
مِنfrom جُنوبِthe sides of العَلائِقِthe reins; tether-straps
مِن جُنوبِ العَلائِقِ
their heads leaping
Their heads aloof from
from beside their reins.
The sway of litters
أَرتَقيI ascend to غايَةَthe utmost height of الكُهوthe mature men (partial)
أَرتَقي غايَةَ الكُهو
لِcompletion of 'mature men' بِسِنِّat the age of المُراهِقِthe youth nearing adulthood
لِ بِسِنِّ المُراهِقِ
I rise to the utmost heights of mature men
I ascend the peak of glory
at the age of a youth.
In the prime of youth