فرحاتُFarhat ياO خِدنَcompanion of الصِّباyouth
فرحاتُ يا خِدنَ الصِّبا
وأخاand brother in الدِّراسةstudy منsince قَديمِlong ago
وأخا الدِّراسة من قَديمِ
Farhat, O companion of my youth,
Joys, O cheeks of youth
and brother in study from long ago,
And brother of study from the past
وخليلَand intimate friend of أَيَّامdays مرَرْpassed
وخليلَ أَيَّام مرَرْ
نthey (feminine-plural verb ending) بناover us أرقَّgentler منthan النسيمthe breeze
ن بنا أرقَّ من النسيم
and dear friend of days that passed
And friend of days gone by
over us more gently than the breeze,
That were more gentle with us than the breeze
فيin ظلِّthe shade of «مدرسةthe School of القـthe judiciary (continued)
في ظلِّ «مدرسة القـ
ـضاءcompletion of ‘the judiciary’»، وفيand in حمىthe sanctuary of «دارHouse of العلومthe Sciences»
ـضاء»، وفي حمى «دار العلوم»
in the shade of the School of
In the shade of the “Law School”, and under the care of the “House of Knowledge”
the Judiciary, and in Dar al-Ulum's sanctuary.
I overcame you, and separation may overwhelm
غالَبتُI vied فيكconcerning you، وقدthough perhaps يُغَاgoes too far (continued)
غالَبتُ فيك، وقد يُغَا
ليcompletion of ‘goes too far’ الخلُّthe friend فيconcerning الخلِّthe friend الحميمthe intimate
لي الخلُّ في الخلِّ الحميم
I vied in praising you, though a friend may
Me with intimate sorrow
go too far in praising an intimate friend.
I deemed your poetry to be some
حسبتُI thought شعرَكyour poetry بعضَsome of ماwhat
حسبتُ شعرَك بعضَ ما
تركَleft behind الأوائلُthe ancients منof تَميمTamim
تركَ الأوائلُ من تَميم
I thought your verse part of what
Of what the ancients left from (the tribe of) Tameem
the ancients of Tamim left behind.
God bless your poetry! It is
للهto God (expressing admiration) شعرُكyour poetry! إِنهindeed it
لله شعرُك! إِنه
لَمِنَsurely of العُروبةِArabness فيin الصميمthe very core
لَمِنَ العُروبةِ في الصميم
God bless your verse! It is
Indeed from the essence of Arabism
truly Arab to its very core.
Not spun with rambling
لاnot بالمُهَلهَلat all loosely woven نَسجُهits weave
لا بالمُهَلهَل نَسجُه
عندupon السَّماعِhearing، ولاnor السَّقيمfeeble
عند السَّماعِ، ولا السَّقيم
Its weave is neither loose
When heard, nor with fatigue
when heard, nor feeble.
God bless your prose, refined
للهto God (expressing admiration) دُرُّكyour excellence راصفًاas a composer
لله دُرُّك راصفًا
لبقًاskillful! ودرُّكand your excellence منas a حكيمsage
لبقًا! ودرُّك من حكيم
God bless you as a composer,
And graceful! And your prose from a sage
so deft—and bless you as a sage!
You taught the youth good
علَّمتyou taught بالشرthrough evil (as written) الشباthe young (continued)
علَّمت بالشر الشبا
بَcompletion of ‘the young’ مبادئَprinciples of الخُلُقِcharacter القويمupright
بَ مبادئَ الخُلُقِ القويم
Through evil you taught the young
Principles of righteous morals
the principles of upright character,
And instilled in their souls
وطبعتَand you molded أنفُسهمtheir souls بهwith it
وطبعتَ أنفُسهم به
طبعًاa shaping علىaccording to الذَّوقtaste السليمsound
طبعًا على الذَّوق السليم
and with it you molded their souls,
A taste for proper discernment
shaping them according to sound taste.
I swear, the love of beauty is not
أَقسمتُI swore، ماnot حَبُّbeads of الجُماpearls (continued)
أَقسمتُ، ما حَبُّ الجُما
نِcompletion of ‘pearls’ يُصاغُare fashioned فيin العقدِthe necklace النظيمwell-strung
نِ يُصاغُ في العقدِ النظيم
I swear: neither beads of
Woven into a well-crafted necklace
pearl, fashioned into a well-strung necklace,
No, nor is the glittering cup of wine in the hand of a boon companion
كلاindeed not، ولاnor الكأسُthe cup المشَعـdiluted (continued)
كلا، ولا الكأسُ المشَعـ
ـشَعَةُcompletion of ‘diluted’ الطِّلاwine بيدin the hand of النديمthe drinking companion
ـشَعَةُ الطِّلا بيد النديم
no, nor the cup
Dearer than the meaning of a generous man composed in eloquent words
of diluted wine in the drinking companion's hand,
بأحبّany dearer منthan معنىa meaning كريـnoble (continued)
بأحبّ من معنى كريـ
ـمٍcompletion of ‘noble’ صِيغwas cast فيin لفظٍwording كريمِnoble
ـمٍ صِيغ في لفظٍ كريمِ
are dearer than a noble meaning
cast in noble words.
Partial English translation: 23 of 26 Arabic lines translated.