ياO نَسيمَbreeze الصَّباthe east wind تَحَمَّلcarry وَماand not زِلceased (first part)
يا نَسيمَ الصَّبا تَحَمَّل وَما زِل
تَyou (verb ending) مُعَنّىwearied فيin خِدمَةِthe service of العُشّاقِlovers
تَ مُعَنّى في خِدمَةِ العُشّاقِ
O breeze of the east wind, carry—you have always
toiled in the service of lovers—
حاجَةa request خَفَّwas light حملُهاits burden وَلَهاand it has
حاجَة خَفَّ حملُها وَلَها
مِنsome ثَقيلٍsomething heavy يَبقىremains عَلىupon الأَعناقِthe necks
مِن ثَقيلٍ يَبقى عَلى الأَعناقِ
a request, light to bear, yet with
a weight that remains upon the neck.
وَتَعَرَّضand call بِمَنزِلٍat a house فيin كفرKafr طاTab (first part)
وَتَعَرَّض بِمَنزِلٍ في كفر طا
بTab (completion) كَثيرhaving many الزُّوّارِvisitors وَالطُّراقِand night callers
ب كَثير الزُّوّارِ وَالطُّراقِ
And call at a house in Kafr Tab,
with many visitors and callers by night.
كَيفَhow يُستَطلقُare freed المُنىwishes مِنfrom يَدِthe hand of الدthe (beginning of 'Time')
كَيفَ يُستَطلقُ المُنى مِن يَدِ الد
دَهرِTime (completion) وَتَبغىand are sought نَشائِدُlost things sought الأَرزاقِof sustenance
دَهرِ وَتَبغى نَشائِدُ الأَرزاقِ
How are wishes freed from the hand of
Time, and lost shares of sustenance sought?
فاقرَso convey مِنّيfrom me لَهُto him السَّلامَgreetings فَقَدfor indeed قيwas said (first part)
فاقرَ مِنّي لَهُ السَّلامَ فَقَد قي
لَwas said (completion) بَلاغُconveying السَّلامِgreetings بَعضُa part of التَّلاقيmeeting one another
لَ بَلاغُ السَّلامِ بَعضُ التَّلاقي
So convey my greetings to him, for it has been
said: conveying greetings is a kind of meeting.
ثُمَّthen قُلsay ياO بَنيsons of كِنانَةَKinanah ماhow أَسswift (first part)
ثُمَّ قُل يا بَني كِنانَةَ ما أَس
رَعَswift (completion) ماthat (exclamatory) حِلتُمُyou turned away عَنِfrom الميثاقِthe covenant
رَعَ ما حِلتُمُ عَنِ الميثاقِ
Then say: O sons of Kinanah, how
swiftly you have turned away from the covenant!
لَوif وَفَيتُمyou kept faith واصَلتُموناyou maintained ties with us عَلىwith عَمintent (first part)
لَو وَفَيتُم واصَلتُمونا عَلى عَم
دٍintent (completion) وَكانَand would have been التِقاؤناour meeting بِاتفاقِby mutual agreement
دٍ وَكانَ التِقاؤنا بِاتفاقِ
Had you kept faith, you would have maintained ties with us
deliberately, and we would have met by mutual accord,
لاnot بِأَمرِat the command of السُّلطانِthe ruler قَسراًby force إِذاwhen استدsummoned (first part)
لا بِأَمرِ السُّلطانِ قَسراً إِذا استد
عىsummoned (completion) بَنيsons of جَعفَرٍJa'far إِلىto الإنفاقِspending
عى بَني جَعفَرٍ إِلى الإنفاقِ
not at the ruler's command, under compulsion, when he
summoned the sons of Ja'far to spend,
أَوor بِحُكمِunder the obligation of المُوَدِّعينَthose bidding farewell إِذاwhen عَنoccurred (first part)
أَو بِحُكمِ المُوَدِّعينَ إِذا عَن
نَoccurred (completion) لَهُto him أَنto يَسيرَtravel نَحوَtoward العِراقِIraq
نَ لَهُ أَن يَسيرَ نَحوَ العِراقِ
or as required of those bidding farewell, when it
occurred to him to journey toward Iraq.
كَلَفٌinfatuation يُخجِلُshames القُلوبَhearts بِدَعواwith a claim (word continues)
كَلَفٌ يُخجِلُ القُلوبَ بِدَعوا
هُits (completing 'its claim') وَشَوقand yearning عادٍstraying away عَنِfrom الأَشواقِyearnings
هُ وَشَوق عادٍ عَنِ الأَشواقِ
An infatuation that shames hearts with its claim,
and a yearning far removed from other yearnings,
وَاحتِراقand burning فيin العَقلِthe mind قَدindeed كادَnearly أَنto يُمbe mingled (first part)
وَاحتِراق في العَقلِ قَد كادَ أَن يُم
زَجَbe mingled (completion) عِنديin my view أَخلاقُهُمtheir character بِالنِّفاقِwith hypocrisy
زَجَ عِندي أَخلاقُهُم بِالنِّفاقِ
and a burning in the mind—I have almost
come to see their character as mingled with hypocrisy.
ثُمَّthen ياO صاحِبَperpetrator of الجِنايَةِthe wrongdoing مِنهُمamong them
ثُمَّ يا صاحِبَ الجِنايَةِ مِنهُم
قَدindeed لَقيناwe have suffered فيin البُعدِseparation ماwhat لَمnot تُلاقِyou have encountered
قَد لَقينا في البُعدِ ما لَم تُلاقِ
Then, O culprit among them,
we have suffered in separation what you have not.
كَيفَhow تَرضىyou are content بِمُقلَةٍwith an eye تَألَفُis accustomed to النَّوsleep (first part)
كَيفَ تَرضى بِمُقلَةٍ تَألَفُ النَّو
مَsleep (completion) وَدَمعٌand tears يُصانُare kept safe فيin الآماقِthe inner eye-corners
مَ وَدَمعٌ يُصانُ في الآماقِ
How can you be content with an eye accustomed to
sleep, and tears kept safe in the eyes' inner corners,
وَزَمانُand the season of الصِّباyouth يَمُرُّpasses وَقَدand already أَنspent (first part)
وَزَمانُ الصِّبا يَمُرُّ وَقَد أَن
فَقَspent (completion) أَيّامَهُits days زَمانُthe season of الفِراقِseparation
فَقَ أَيّامَهُ زَمانُ الفِراقِ
while youth's season passes, its days
spent by the season of separation?
وَاللَّياليand the nights تَمضيpass سِراعاswiftly وَماand not يُقis accepted (first part)
وَاللَّيالي تَمضي سِراعا وَما يُق
بَلُis accepted (completion) مِنهاfrom them إِحالَةًa transfer فيinto البَواقيthe remaining nights
بَلُ مِنها إِحالَةً في البَواقي
The nights speed by, and no
transfer from them to those remaining is accepted.
فاجرِso run فيin حَلبَةِthe racecourse of الخَلاعَةِwanton abandon ماas long as دُمremain (first part)
فاجرِ في حَلبَةِ الخَلاعَةِ ما دُم
تَyou (verb ending) بِحُكمِunder the rule of الشَّبابِyouth شَرطُthe prerequisite of السِّباقِracing
تَ بِحُكمِ الشَّبابِ شَرطُ السِّباقِ
So run in the racecourse of abandon, so long
as youth still rules you—the prerequisite for racing.
وَاعتَمِدand follow مَذهَبَthe way of الشَّريفِal-Sharif فَقَدfor indeed قاsaid (first part)
وَاعتَمِد مَذهَبَ الشَّريفِ فَقَد قا
لَsaid (completion) النَّصابيunclear; possibly 'youthful dalliance' رِياضَةُtraining الأَخلاقِof character
لَ النَّصابي رِياضَةُ الأَخلاقِ
And follow al-Sharif's way, for he has
said: 'Youthful dalliance [uncertain reading] is the training of character.'
Translation model: Sol 6.1