بداية داء الصب في حبه الجفا

بداية داء الصب في حبه الجفا

وغايته شكوي المعنى المعنفا

وغايته شكوي المعنى المعنفا

Estrangement is the beginning of the lover's sickness in love,

The beginning of love's affliction is cruelty in love,

and its end is the complaint of the tormented, harshly treated lover.

And its end is complaining of harsh meaning.

فمن ادخل الأدواء من قبل الهوى

فمن ادخل الأدواء من قبل الهوى

على قلبه فلييأسن من الشفا

على قلبه فلييأسن من الشفا

Whoever lets love's maladies enter

So whoever lets love's illnesses enter his heart,

his heart must surely despair of a cure.

Should despair of being cured.

وما اختار للنفس الهلاك محكما

وما اختار للنفس الهلاك محكما

عليها ظلوم اللحظ من كان منصفا

عليها ظلوم اللحظ من كان منصفا

None has chosen ruin for his soul, giving mastery

And whoever chooses destruction for himself firmly,

over it to a tyrannous glance, if he was fair-minded.

The glances' injustice is not just upon him.

وهل جرد الأعداء في حومة الوغى

وهل جرد الأعداء في حومة الوغى

على باسل امضى من الحب مرهفا

على باسل امضى من الحب مرهفا

Have enemies ever drawn, in the thick of battle,

Did enemies strip themselves for battle fury,

against a valiant man a blade keener than love?

Against a hero firmer than love sharpened?

وما بنت كرم ساس كسرى فروعها

وما بنت كرم ساس كسرى فروعها

براحته حفظاً لها وتلطفا

براحته حفظاً لها وتلطفا

No daughter of a vine whose branches Chosroes tended

The palm tree of generosity did not build its branches

with his own hand, protecting it and caring for it gently,

With its tranquility, protecting it and being gentle.

وحاز الذي يختاره من قطافها

وحاز الذي يختاره من قطافها

وناهيك ما يختار منه تقطفا

وناهيك ما يختار منه تقطفا

gathering what he chose from its harvest—

And whoever it chooses of its harvest, picks it

and enough for you is what he chose to pluck from it—

Let alone whoever it drops for him picked.

واودعه في الدن عشرين حجة

واودعه في الدن عشرين حجة

لكي يتحساها بفيه ترشفا

لكي يتحساها بفيه ترشفا

and storing it in the wine jar for twenty years,

And it deposited in the world twenty justifications

so that he might sip it with his mouth in little draughts,

For one to sense it with the mouth savored.

فجاءت كعطر الشحر فض ختامه

فجاءت كعطر الشحر فض ختامه

اريجا وعين الديك في كاسها صفا

اريجا وعين الديك في كاسها صفا

till it emerged like perfume of al-Shihr whose seal was broken,

So it came like the meadow's perfume, its seal opened,

in fragrance, and clear as a rooster's eye in its cup,

Fragrant, and the rooster's eye clear in its cup.

بأذهل للألباب من سحر جفنه

بأذهل للألباب من سحر جفنه

وافتك من فيه على الشرب قرقفا

وافتك من فيه على الشرب قرقفا

is more bewildering to minds than the spell of his eyelid,

It amazed minds more than the magic of his eyelid,

nor, as wine, deadlier to drinkers than his mouth.

And snatched away from it whoever drinks it addicted.

نصحتك عن علم بما لست عالما

نصحتك عن علم بما لست عالما

به فاتخذني مسعداً لك مسعفا

به فاتخذني مسعداً لك مسعفا

I advised you from knowledge of what you do not know;

I advised you with knowledge of what you don't know,

so take me as a helper, ready to come to your aid.

So make me a bringer of good news to you and aide.

إذا سأل اللَه الوقاية فليعذ

إذا سأل اللَه الوقاية فليعذ

به سائل ان لا يشاهد اهيفا

به سائل ان لا يشاهد اهيفا

When someone asks God for protection, let him seek refuge

If one asks God for protection, then let

in Him, asking never to behold a slender beloved.

A questioner seek it, not to see fearful.

فكم صبوة من دل عزة ذلّلت

فكم صبوة من دل عزة ذلّلت

فتى كان لا يلقى سوى العز مألفا

فتى كان لا يلقى سوى العز مألفا

How many a passion born of ʿAzza's coquetry has humbled

So how many self-respects of a guided one were humbled,

a youth who knew no familiar abode but honor!

By a youth who would not find but honor congenial.

بسائل اطلالاً اطلت دموعه

بسائل اطلالاً اطلت دموعه

دماء وربعاً عفت سائله عفا

دماء وربعاً عفت سائله عفا

With one who questions ruins, whose tears have vainly shed

With a questioner whose tears have wept

blood, and an abode erased, its questioner erased too.

Blood, and a quarter whistled, its questioner whistled.

محاها البلى محو الولوع برسمها

محاها البلى محو الولوع برسمها

من الوجد فالمضنى يخاطب مدنفا

من الوجد فالمضنى يخاطب مدنفا

Decay erased them as their ardent lover is erased

Oblivion erased it, erasing ardor for its trace,

by longing: the wasted one addresses another stricken one.

From passion, so the blamer addresses complaining.

ولو كان يمحو الصد رجع صدائها

ولو كان يمحو الصد رجع صدائها

لسار إليها كل صب واوجفا

لسار إليها كل صب واوجفا

If the return of their echo could erase rejection,

If forgetting could erase the echo, its echo would

every passionate lover would journey to them and hurry.

Return to it, every lover visiting and raving.

ولكنها اوهام قلب إلى الهوى

ولكنها اوهام قلب إلى الهوى

هفا فأضلته وقد ضل من هفا

هفا فأضلته وقد ضل من هفا

But they are the illusions of a heart that toward desire

But they are fantasies of a heart led to love's madness,

strayed; they misled it, and whoever strays is lost.

Led astray, and whoever is led astray is mad.

وبي عبرة الرائي لو اعتبر الورى

وبي عبرة الرائي لو اعتبر الورى

بعبرة من اذري الدموع وأذرفا

بعبرة من اذري الدموع وأذرفا

In me is a lesson for the beholder, if people would take heed

In me is a lesson for the seer if the people considered

from the tears of one who scatters and pours them out.

The lesson of one whose tears flow and pours.

هوي يطبيني من عقابيل مسه

هوي يطبيني من عقابيل مسه

جوى يستحيل الصبر فيه تلهفا

جوى يستحيل الصبر فيه تلهفا

Love draws me; among the aftereffects of its touch

It plunges me in the deep valleys of oblivion

is heartache in which patience turns into yearning.

An environment in which patience is impossible and ardently sought.

وفرط اسى يعيي الأساة يسيره

وفرط اسى يعيي الأساة يسيره

علاجاً ومن يبرى الأسى والتأسفا

علاجاً ومن يبرى الأسى والتأسفا

And an excess of sorrow, its slightest share defeating healers

And excessive anguish exhausts anguish leading it

in treatment—and who can cure sorrow and regret?

As remedy, and who can cure anguish and regret?

الا ليت ايام الصبا كصبابتي

الا ليت ايام الصبا كصبابتي

بقاء ويا ليت العواذل كالوفا

بقاء ويا ليت العواذل كالوفا

Ah, would that the days of youth were like my passion

If only the days of youth lasted like my youth,

in endurance, and would that reproachers were like fidelity!

Remaining, and if only gazelles lasted like loyalty.

وليت الأماني كالمنايا سريعة

وليت الأماني كالمنايا سريعة

بنا والنوي لو كان ظبيا مشنفا

بنا والنوي لو كان ظبيا مشنفا

And would that wishes were swift as deaths

And if only wishes were like death, quick

in reaching us—and that separation were an earringed gazelle!

To us, and if only intention was like a leaping gazelle.

فما تبعد الدنيا رقيباً امله

فما تبعد الدنيا رقيباً امله

قريبا ولا تدنى الحبيب المهفهفا

قريبا ولا تدنى الحبيب المهفهفا

The world will not send away a watchman I find wearisome

So the world would not go far, its hopes near,

when near, nor bring the slender beloved close.

Nor would the beloved draw near, coquetting.

ومن سأل الأيام تغيير وضعها

ومن سأل الأيام تغيير وضعها

كمن سأل الشيعي ان يتحنفا

كمن سأل الشيعي ان يتحنفا

Whoever asks the days to change their disposition

And whoever asks the days to change their ways

is like one asking a Shiite to become Hanafi.

Is like one who asks a Shiite to become Sunni.

يكلفها ما لم يكن من طباعها

يكلفها ما لم يكن من طباعها

وما كان طبعاً لا يزول تكلفا

وما كان طبعاً لا يزول تكلفا

He demands of them what was never among their traits;

It burdens them with what was not of their nature,

what is innate cannot vanish through forced effort.

And what was innate will not change, burdened.

ولائمةٍ واللوم يثقل مسمعي

ولائمةٍ واللوم يثقل مسمعي

ويسمعني منه الكلام محرفا

ويسمعني منه الكلام محرفا

A reproachful woman—reproach weighs upon my hearing,

Blamer, and blame weighs down my hearing,

and makes me hear its words distorted—

And I hear from it words twisted.

يقول اتصبو بعدما اشتعل الصبلا

يقول اتصبو بعدما اشتعل الصبلا

وابقى بفوديك الرماد وخلفا

وابقى بفوديك الرماد وخلفا

says, 'Do you still yearn after youth's fire has blazed

It says, "Do you remain passionate after passion is ignited

and left ashes behind upon your temples?

And the ashes and embers remain?"

ويغريك ان ابصرت طائفة الهوى

ويغريك ان ابصرت طائفة الهوى

على صنم كالجاهلية عكفا

على صنم كالجاهلية عكفا

Are you enticed when you behold love's company

"And does it tempt you when you see a band

attending an idol like people of the Age of Ignorance?

Prostrate to an idol like pre-Islamic times?"

وقد خط من آيات شيبك ناسخ

وقد خط من آيات شيبك ناسخ

الشبيبة في قرطاس رأسك احرفا

الشبيبة في قرطاس رأسك احرفا

The effacer has already inscribed, with signs of your gray hair,

"And gray hair has inscribed, repealing

letters on your head's parchment, blotting out youth.

Youth, in the parchment of your head, letters."

وآن بأن يتلو انحناؤك مفصحاً

وآن بأن يتلو انحناؤك مفصحاً

لسمعك من تلقين ضعفك مصحفا

لسمعك من تلقين ضعفك مصحفا

It is time for your stooping to recite clearly

"It is time your bending articulate, explaining

to your ear a scripture dictated by your weakness.

To your hearing, the dictation of your weakness, a transcript."

وحتام لا تسلو حشاً واراك لا

وحتام لا تسلو حشاً واراك لا

تخاف الردى والحزم ان تتخوفا

تخاف الردى والحزم ان تتخوفا

How long will your heart find no solace? I see you do not

"And certainly you must not beg foolishly and if you see harm,

fear death, though prudence is to take alarm.'

You do not fear loss, and fear to dread."

فقلت لها أو تسأمي اللوم خطة

فقلت لها أو تسأمي اللوم خطة

ونيل العلا رب الفضائل مصطفي

ونيل العلا رب الفضائل مصطفي

I said to her, 'Or will you weary of reproach as a practice?'

So I said to it, "Or do you tire of blaming, a method?

And the winning of eminence—the lord of virtues, Muṣṭafā [wording unclear].

And attaining glory, the Lord of all virtues chose it.

أخو الكرم المحض الذي لا يشوبه

أخو الكرم المحض الذي لا يشوبه

بوعد ولا يعطيك فيه التسوفا

بوعد ولا يعطيك فيه التسوفا

A man of pure generosity, which he never dilutes

The brother of complete pure generosity that no

with a promise, nor gives you procrastination in its place;

Promise corrupts, nor gives you in it procrastination.

وذو النعم الزاهي عليك نعيمها

وذو النعم الزاهي عليك نعيمها

كأن قد كسيت الروض منها مفوفا

كأن قد كسيت الروض منها مفوفا

a giver of favors whose bounty shines upon you,

"And the one whose apparent bounties, its bliss

as though through them you were clothed in a many-patterned garden;

Covers you, as if the meadow was enveloped.

وكاشف اغماض العلوم بفطنة

وكاشف اغماض العلوم بفطنة

بها فضل الكشاف فضلا عن الشفا

بها فضل الكشاف فضلا عن الشفا

an unveiler of learning's obscurities, with an insight

"And discloser of the ambiguities of knowledge, with insight

by which he surpasses al-Kashshāf, let alone al-Shifāʾ.

Through which the exegete's superiority is clear."

لقد كان جود الغير اسماً منكراً

لقد كان جود الغير اسماً منكراً

وممتنعاً في الصرف ان يتصرفا

وممتنعاً في الصرف ان يتصرفا

Others' generosity had been an indefinite noun,

"And he built the pillars of righteousness and the guide of misguidance

barred from declension, unable to be inflected.

A floor from which it became evened."

فأدخل لام الذل مع الف اللها

فأدخل لام الذل مع الف اللها

عليه بأعراب النوال فعرفا

عليه بأعراب النوال فعرفا

He inserted the lām of humility with the alif of gifts

"O son of the high ones, his glorious deeds

into it, making it definite through the inflection of giving.

Remain for us, traces to good we pursue."

ومن السوي فعلا ثقيلا مشددا

ومن السوي فعلا ثقيلا مشددا

فصيره حرفاً ليخفي لخففا

فصيره حرفاً ليخفي لخففا

From others it was a heavy, doubled verb;

"Clemency to his glory's enviers whom no

he made it a particle, to conceal it, and lightened it [wording unclear].

Solace satisfies except pain for them and no clemency."

الا أيها الحبر الذي بحر علمه

الا أيها الحبر الذي بحر علمه

يقلدنا الدر الثمين المرصفا

يقلدنا الدر الثمين المرصفا

O learned sage, whose ocean of knowledge

Since they kept the heat of rancor, themselves anguished,

adorns our necks with precious, neatly arranged pearls;

And the soul's sickness remained to the soul destructive.

ومن اسس العليا بناءً على هدي

ومن اسس العليا بناءً على هدي

وتقوى وبنيان الشقي على شفا

وتقوى وبنيان الشقي على شفا

who founded eminence as an edifice upon guidance

"And he tired God's creation staying up nights

and piety, while the wretch's building stands upon a brink;

And observed the stars therein to eclipse."

وشيد اركان الرشاد ومعلم الغواية

وشيد اركان الرشاد ومعلم الغواية

قاعاً منه اصبح صفصفا

قاعاً منه اصبح صفصفا

who raised the pillars of right guidance, while error's landmark

"For you is the good you have not broken a promise of mine

became through him a level, barren plain;

And none like me leaves promises unfulfilled."

ويا ابن الألى ابقت مآثر فضلهم

ويا ابن الألى ابقت مآثر فضلهم

لنا الدهر آثارا إلى الخير تقتفي

لنا الدهر آثارا إلى الخير تقتفي

O son of those whose glorious deeds of excellence left

"And I am not like one who is quick to consent to a matter

us through the ages traces to follow toward goodness:

Then sits from it out of fear and evasion."

عفاءً على حساد مجدك لارضى

عفاءً على حساد مجدك لارضى

الا له لهم يعنو ولا عنهم عفا

الا له لهم يعنو ولا عنهم عفا

Ruin upon the enviers of your glory! May no favor

"And I have no incapacity or suspicion,

of God yield to them, nor may He pardon them.

And one with incapacity or suspicion has no concealment."

إذ قوا حميم الغيظ انفسهم اسى

إذ قوا حميم الغيظ انفسهم اسى

وما زال داء النفس للنفس متلفا

وما زال داء النفس للنفس متلفا

They made their souls taste the boiling water of rage, in sorrow [reading uncertain],

"But my time has prevented my goals,

and the soul's disease has always been destructive to the soul.

Unjust, and the way of time is to oppress me."

واتعب خلق الله من سهر الدجى

واتعب خلق الله من سهر الدجى

وراقب فيه النيرات لتكسفا

وراقب فيه النيرات لتكسفا

The most wearied of God's creatures is one who stays awake through darkness

"My hand grew weary of carrying the banner carefully

and watches its bright stars, hoping they will be eclipsed.

And the well-groomed pen grew tired."

لك الخير ما اخلفت وعدك عن قلى

لك الخير ما اخلفت وعدك عن قلى

وما كان مثلي للمواعيد مخلفا

وما كان مثلي للمواعيد مخلفا

May good be yours! I did not break my promise to you out of aversion,

"And my fingers grew bored of writing's method

and one like me has never been a breaker of appointments.

And I was not of those who paused compositions."

ولست كمن يثاب للأمر مسرعا

ولست كمن يثاب للأمر مسرعا

فيقعد عنه خيفة وتخلفا

فيقعد عنه خيفة وتخلفا

Nor am I like one who rushes quickly to a task,

"And whoever feeds the concern, the determination of himself

then holds back from it in fear and delay.

And inhabits the heart's house extravagantly."

وما بي من عجز ولا في ريبة

وما بي من عجز ولا في ريبة

وليس بذي عجز وذي ريبة خفا

وليس بذي عجز وذي ريبة خفا

There is no incapacity in me, nor any doubt;

"There is much preoccupation with an ocean of paper

one possessed of incapacity or doubt cannot remain hidden.

So how can one dictate to me a book composed?"

ولكن دهري عن مرامي ممانع

ولكن دهري عن مرامي ممانع

عسوف ودأب الدهر ببدي التعسفا

عسوف ودأب الدهر ببدي التعسفا

But my fortune obstructs my aims,

"So present them - may the star guide you -

oppressive; time's habit is to show injustice.

And make famous my house and the gazelle most affectionate."

تمل يدي حمل اليراع مراعة

تمل يدي حمل اليراع مراعة

وكانت تقل السمهري المثقفا

وكانت تقل السمهري المثقفا

My hand, alarmed, wearies of carrying the reed pen,

"And the lights of spring's blossoms, our beauties

though once it bore the straightened Samharī spear.

And the bending of the garden's branches bending."

وتسأم من رسم الكتابة انملي

وتسأم من رسم الكتابة انملي

وما كنت من عاف الكتائب موقفا

وما كنت من عاف الكتائب موقفا

My fingers tire of tracing letters,

"And the melodies of lutes and prepared,

though I never shunned a stand amid the battle ranks.

The voices of singers and cooing doves' chirping."

ومن كان يغذي الهم همة نفسه

ومن كان يغذي الهم همة نفسه

ويسكنه بيت الفؤاد مسجفا

ويسكنه بيت الفؤاد مسجفا

Whoever feeds sorrow the resolve of his soul

"Special praise in a paper of praise

and houses it in his curtained heart

Prose which flatters one who composes prose."

لفي شغل من ان بحر ورقة

لفي شغل من ان بحر ورقة

فكيف بأن يملي كتابا مؤلفا

فكيف بأن يملي كتابا مؤلفا

is too occupied even to [write?] a sheet;

"In which the harvest of the monastery is your longing

how, then, could he dictate a composed book?

And the affliction of one who seeks acceptance, your anticipation."

فدونكها تهدى لك النجم نيرا

فدونكها تهدى لك النجم نيرا

وعرف شذا دارين والظبي اوطفا

وعرف شذا دارين والظبي اوطفا

Take it, then: it offers you the shining star,

"To unload it from the abundance of your merit a stream

the fragrant scent of Dārīn, and the long-lashed gazelle;

And acquaint it with your forbearance's personality most upright."

ونوار ازهار الربيع محاسنا

ونوار ازهار الربيع محاسنا

واعطاف اغصان الرياض تعطفا

واعطاف اغصان الرياض تعطفا

spring blossoms' radiance in beauty,

"Remaining the remaining of praise in you eternalized

and the bending garden boughs in tender inclination;

And you continued the continuity of merit from you exalted."

والحان اتار القريض ومعبد

والحان اتار القريض ومعبد

وضوت الاغاني والحمائم هتفا

وضوت الاغاني والحمائم هتفا

the melodies of poetry's strings and of Maʿbad,

"And you still receive safety in the hearing of one frightened

the sound of songs and of cooing doves.

Like the reception of sin in the well, Joseph."

خريدة حمد في جريدة مدحةٍ

خريدة حمد في جريدة مدحةٍ

تروق ثناء من قريض مصنفا

تروق ثناء من قريض مصنفا

A maiden of praise in a scroll of eulogy,

"For you are from people whose glory, when estimated

delighting as praise fashioned from composed verse;

Settled stable, or their good deed's estimation evaporated."

بها غلة الصادي إليك تشوقا

بها غلة الصادي إليك تشوقا

وعلة من رام القبول تشوفا

وعلة من رام القبول تشوفا

within it is the thirsty one's burning longing for you,

"They are the sublime in rank

and the ailment of one eagerly seeking acceptance,

And they are the best of the world, and other than them bowed."

لتوردها من فيض فضلك جعفراً

لتوردها من فيض فضلك جعفراً

وتشهدها من شخص حلمك احنفا

وتشهدها من شخص حلمك احنفا

that you may bring it to a river—a Jaʿfar—from your overflowing bounty,

"It suffices one who prays to repel blame

and let it behold an Aḥnaf in the person of your forbearance.

And it satisfies you in the occurrence of blame, he who sufficed."

بقيت بقاء الحمد فيك مخلداً

بقيت بقاء الحمد فيك مخلداً

ودمت دوام الفضل منك مشرفا

ودمت دوام الفضل منك مشرفا

May you remain immortal as long as praise of you endures,

"I remained with praise's survival in you immortalized

and abide honored as long as excellence flows from you.

And you remained with merit's continuity from you exalted."

ولا زلت تلقي الأمن في سمع خائف

ولا زلت تلقي الأمن في سمع خائف

كملق عداك الاثم في الجب يوسفا

كملق عداك الاثم في الجب يوسفا

May you ever cast reassurance into the ear of one afraid,

"And you still find safety in the hearing of one scared

like one casting Joseph into the well—may sin pass you by!

As Joseph received sin at the bottom of the well."

فأنك من قوم إذا سيم مجدهم

فأنك من قوم إذا سيم مجدهم

رسا راسياً أو سيم معروفهم طفا

رسا راسياً أو سيم معروفهم طفا

For you belong to a people whose glory, when challenged,

"For they are a people whose glory, when valued

stands firmly anchored, while their kindness, when sought, rises to the surface.

Settled steadily, or their good deed’s appraisal rose high."

هم العلبيون رتبة

هم العلبيون رتبة

وهم أوجه الدنيا وغيرهم قفا

وهم أوجه الدنيا وغيرهم قفا

They are the ʿAlabiyyūn in rank [reading uncertain],

the faces of the world, while others are its nape.

كفاية من يدعو لدفع ملمة

كفاية من يدعو لدفع ملمة

وحسبك في وقع الملمة من كفى

وحسبك في وقع الملمة من كفى

They suffice for whoever calls to avert a calamity,

and when calamity strikes, enough for you is one who suffices.