لامَنيblamed me العاذِلthe reproacher الجهولignorant وصالاand assailed
لامَني العاذِل الجهول وصالا
عندَماwhen قاربdrew near to الحَبيبthe beloved الوصالاunion
عندَما قارب الحَبيب الوصالا
The ignorant reproacher blamed me and assailed me,
When the beloved drew near to union.
لاreproaching (initial fragment) حياreproaching (remaining fragment) لاnever يَزالceases بالعذلwith reproach يؤذىhe torments
لا حيا لا يَزال بالعذل يؤذى
كلall منwho يعشقloves البهاsplendor وَالجمالاand beauty
كل من يعشق البها وَالجمالا
Reproaching, he never ceases to torment with blame
Everyone who loves splendor and beauty.
لاnot يدعhe leaves راحةrest لأَهلfor those given to التَصابيyouthful dalliance
لا يدع راحة لأَهل التَصابي
عَنfrom يَمينthe right يؤزهمhe harries them وَشِمالاand the left
عَن يَمين يؤزهم وَشِمالا
He leaves no peace to those given to youthful dalliance,
Harrying them from right and left.
لاحَappeared ليto me الحبthe beloved عندat فقدthe absence of اللواحيthe reproachers
لاحَ لي الحب عند فقد اللواحي
فغداso he became كالهِلالlike the crescent moon يَبدوappearing جمالاin beauty
فغدا كالهِلال يَبدو جمالا
The beloved appeared to me when the reproachers were gone,
And became like the crescent moon, revealing his beauty.
لاdo not تقلsay عطفهhis flank الرَطيبsupple تثنىswayed
لا تقل عطفه الرَطيب تثنى
انماonly البانthe bān tree فيin الحدائِقthe gardens مالاleaned
انما البان في الحدائِق مالا
Do not say his supple flank swayed;
It was only the bān tree in the gardens that leaned.
لاtoyed with (initial fragment) عبتtoyed with (remaining fragment) قدهhis figure الشمالthe north wind فأَضحىso he became
لا عبت قده الشمال فأَضحى
منfrom شمولthe wine of الصباthe east wind يَميسhe sways دلالاcoquettishly
من شمول الصبا يَميس دلالا
The north wind toyed with his figure, and he became
Coyly swaying from the east wind's wine.
لانَgrew supple قداin stature وَضآءradiant صلتاsmooth وخداand of cheek
لانَ قدا وَضآء صلتا وخدا
فَحَكىand so resembled البدرthe full moon بهجةin splendor وَكَمالاand perfection
فَحَكى البدر بهجة وَكَمالا
He grew supple in stature, radiant and smooth of cheek,
And resembled the full moon in splendor and perfection.
لاحقfleet steed الصبرpatience فيin مجالthe arena of التَصابيyouthful dalliance
لاحق الصبر في مجال التَصابي
قدhas كباstumbled وَالوصالand union أَضحىbecame محالاimpossible
قد كبا وَالوصال أَضحى محالا
Patience's fleet steed, in the arena of youthful dalliance,
Has stumbled, and union has become impossible.
لاعجthe searing pang of الشوقlonging عندamid فرطthe intensity of اِشتغاليmy absorption
لاعج الشوق عند فرط اِشتغالي
بالغَوانيin fair women الحسانbeautiful أَبدىshowed اِشتعالاa blaze
بالغَواني الحسان أَبدى اِشتعالا
The searing pang of longing, amid my intense absorption
In beautiful maidens, flared into flame.
لامعgleaming الثغرthe mouth مذsince بداit appeared للحاظىto my gaze
لامع الثغر مذ بدا للحاظى
سحٌpoured down دَمعيmy tears مثلlike السحابclouds وَسالاand flowed
سحٌ دَمعي مثل السحاب وَسالا
When the gleaming mouth appeared before my eyes,
My tears poured down like clouds and flowed.
لائمreproacher of الصبthe lovesick كَيفَhow تَرجوdo you hope for فلاحاًsuccess
لائم الصب كَيفَ تَرجو فلاحاً
هَلquestion marker رأَيتyou have seen الهدىright guidance يصيرbecomes ضلالاerror
هَل رأَيت الهدى يصير ضلالا
You who reproach the lovesick, how can you hope to prosper?
Have you seen right guidance turn into error?
لازمclung to الصدّrejection والملالand weariness قَديماlong since
لازم الصدّ والملال قَديما
مثلlike ماwhat لازمclung to الوَزيرthe minister القتالاbattle
مثل ما لازم الوَزير القتالا
He has long clung to rejection and weariness,
Just as the minister has clung to battle.
لابسclad in الفضلvirtue احمدmost praiseworthy الناسpeople خلقاin character
لابس الفضل احمد الناس خلقا
وَهُوَand he محمودpraised منطقاin speech وَفعالاand deeds
وَهُوَ محمود منطقا وَفعالا
Clad in virtue, he is the most praiseworthy of men in character,
And praised in speech and deeds.
لاnever يَزَلceases يمنحto grant العفاةpetitioners عطآءgifts
لا يَزَل يمنح العفاة عطآء
منfrom يديهhis two hands وَلَمand did not يخفfear اقلالاimpoverishment
من يديه وَلَم يخف اقلالا
He never ceases to bestow gifts on petitioners
From his hands, without fearing impoverishment.
لاnot يملtire الوفودthe delegations منfrom نهبplundering جودgenerosity
لا يمل الوفود من نهب جود
منwho رأَىhas seen لِلكَريمin a generous person يَوماًever ملالاweariness
من رأَى لِلكَريم يَوماً ملالا
The delegations never tire of plundering his bounty;
Who has ever seen a generous man grow weary?
لابسencountered الفقرpoverty كفهhis palm فبراهso he cut it down
لابس الفقر كفه فبراه
بحسامwith the sword of الندىgenerosity وأَجلىand banished السؤالاbegging
بحسام الندى وأَجلى السؤالا
Poverty encountered his palm, and he cut it down
With generosity's sword, and banished begging.
لاطفtreated kindly القاصدينthose seeking جدوىthe bounty of يديهhis two hands
لاطف القاصدين جدوى يديه
وَحَباهمand gifted them وَعمهمand encompassed them افضالاwith generosity
وَحَباهم وَعمهم افضالا
He kindly treated those seeking the bounty of his hands,
And gifted them, extending his generosity to them all.
لاحظcared for العادمينthe destitute حتّىuntil دَعاهمhe summoned them
لاحظ العادمين حتّى دَعاهم
لَيسَnot يَشكونthey complain فيamong الوَرىhumankind اذلالاhumiliation
لَيسَ يَشكون في الوَرى اذلالا
He cared for the destitute until he summoned them;
They complain of no humiliation among humankind.
لاdo not تقسcompare عزمهhis resolve بملكwith a king جَليلmighty
لا تقس عزمه بملك جَليل
هَلquestion marker تضاهىmatch الثَعالِبfoxes الأَشبالاlion cubs
هَل تضاهى الثَعالِب الأَشبالا
Do not compare his resolve with that of a mighty king;
Can foxes match lion cubs?
لاصقclung to السيفthe sword كفهhis palm باتصالwith unbroken contact
لاصق السيف كفه باتصال
وَلبذلand to bestow النضارgold أَبدىhe showed انفصالاparting
وَلبذل النضار أَبدى انفصالا
The sword clung inseparably to his palm,
Yet, in bestowing gold, he readily parted with it.
لاذsought refuge قومsome people منamong الوَرىhumankind بحماهin his protection
لاذ قوم من الوَرى بحماه
فَحَماهمso he protected them وَزالَand departed عنهمfrom them نكالاpunishment
فَحَماهم وَزالَ عنهم نكالا
Some among humankind sought refuge in his protection,
So he sheltered them, and punishment left them.
لايمmatched الغيثthe rain كفهhis palm فَلِهَذاso for this reason
لايم الغيث كفه فَلِهَذا
هُوَhe بالمالwith wealth لَمnot يَزَلhas ceased هطالاpouring copiously
هُوَ بالمال لَم يَزَل هطالا
Rain found its match in his palm, and therefore
He has never ceased to rain down wealth.
لائحاshining فيin الوَغىbattle دعىhe challenged الخصمthe foe حتّىuntil
لائحا في الوَغى دعى الخصم حتّى
فرfled فيin البيدdeserts خشيةin fear وانذهالاand bewilderment
فر في البيد خشية وانذهالا
Shining amid battle, he challenged the foe until
He fled through the deserts in fear and bewilderment.
لاقَتencountered الخيلthe horses منهfrom him عزماًa resolve شَديداًfierce
لاقَت الخيل منه عزماً شَديداً
نزحdrained البحرthe sea ثمthen دكَّcrushed الجِبالاthe mountains
نزح البحر ثم دكَّ الجِبالا
The horses found in him a fierce resolve
That drained the sea, then crushed the mountains.
لاهياًheedless لاnot يَزالَceases عَنof كلevery فحشindecency
لاهياً لا يَزالَ عَن كل فحش
والىand toward الخيرgood لَمnot يَزَلhas ceased ميالاinclined
والى الخير لَم يَزَل ميالا
Ever turning away from every indecency,
And ever inclined toward good.
لافِظاًuttering بالصَوابwith correctness فيat كلevery وقتtime
لافِظاً بالصَواب في كل وقت
وَبماand on what قالhe said لَمnot يَزَلhas ceased فعالاacting
وَبما قال لَم يَزَل فعالا
Uttering what is right at every moment,
And ever acting on what he has said.
لاقِطاًseizing للبغاةthe rebels حتّىuntil نَفاهمhe banished them
لاقِطاً للبغاة حتّى نَفاهم
وَمحاهمand erased them فأَصبحواso they became أَمثالاcautionary examples
وَمحاهم فأَصبحوا أَمثالا
Seizing the rebels until he banished them,
And wiped them out, so they became cautionary examples.
لاnot أَرىI see فيamong المُلوكkings مثلlike مَليكيmy king
لا أَرى في المُلوك مثل مَليكي
غمرflooded الكونthe universe وَالأَنامand humankind نوالاwith bounty
غمر الكون وَالأَنام نوالا
I see none among kings like my king;
He flooded the universe and humankind with bounty.
لاعداهmay it never pass him by السرورjoy ماas long as لاحَshone نجمa star
لاعداه السرور ما لاحَ نجم
فيin دجاthe darkness of اللَيلnight ثمthen صبحdawn تلالاgleamed
في دجا اللَيل ثم صبح تلالا
May joy never pass him by, so long as a star shines
In the night's darkness, and then dawn gleams.