ظُلمٌan injustice لِذاto this اليَومِday وَصفٌa description قَبلَbefore رُؤيَتِهِseeing it
ظُلمٌ لِذا اليَومِ وَصفٌ قَبلَ رُؤيَتِهِ
لاnot يَصدُقُis true الوَصفُthe description حَتّىuntil يَصدُقُis true النَظَرُsight
لا يَصدُقُ الوَصفُ حَتّى يَصدُقُ النَظَرُ
To describe this day before seeing it does it an injustice.
Oppression is attributed to this day before beholding it
To describe this day unseen is an injustice; description rings false until the eye bears witness.
No description is true until sight proves true.
The description is not to be believed until the gaze proves true
The army crowded close until I found no path; neither ear nor eye could reach your royal carpet.
تَزاحَمَcrowded together الجَيشُthe army حَتّىuntil لَمdid not يَجِدfind سَبَباًa way
تَزاحَمَ الجَيشُ حَتّى لَم يَجِد سَبَباً
إِلىto بِساطِكَyour carpet ليof mine سَمعٌhearing وَلاnor بَصَرُsight
إِلى بِساطِكَ لي سَمعٌ وَلا بَصَرُ
The army thronged until no way could be found
The army crowded in until they could find no path
I was the most present of friends, yet the most absent; an eyewitness whose sight was wholly hearsay.
to your carpet by either my hearing or my sight.
To reach your presence; I had hearing but no sight
Today the King of the Romans lifts his gaze, for your pardon is, to him, a victory won.
فَكُنتُso I was أَشهَدَthe most present مُختَصٍّa favored intimate وَأَغيَبَهُand the most absent of them
فَكُنتُ أَشهَدَ مُختَصٍّ وَأَغيَبَهُ
مُعايِناًan eyewitness وَعِيانيand my witnessing كُلُّهُall of it خَبَرُhearsay
مُعايِناً وَعِياني كُلُّهُ خَبَرُ
So I was the most present of favored intimates, and the most absent,
So I witnessed an expert yet was absent from him
And should you answer but a trifle of his letters, he would forever boast above all other kings.
an eyewitness, yet all my witnessing was hearsay.
My witnessing and my own eyes were all hearsay
Their necks have rested for a time from swords, while the rest of the host lies in wait.
اليَومَtoday يَرفَعُraises مَلكُking الرومِthe Romans ناظِرَهُhis gaze
اليَومَ يَرفَعُ مَلكُ الرومِ ناظِرَهُ
لِأَنَّbecause عَفوَكَyour pardon عَنهُof him عِندَهُin his view ظَفَرُa victory
لِأَنَّ عَفوَكَ عَنهُ عِندَهُ ظَفَرُ
Today the king of the Romans lifts his gaze,
Today the King of Rome lifts up his gaze
You may yet replace them with another folk, that the heads and necks of the people may recover.
for he sees your pardon of him as a victory.
For your pardon of him is for him a triumph
Likening your bounty to the morning clouds is a second bounty your hand bestows upon the rain.
وَإِنand if أَجَبتَyou reply بِشَيءٍwith anything عَنin reply to رَسائِلِهِhis letters
وَإِن أَجَبتَ بِشَيءٍ عَن رَسائِلِهِ
فَماso he does not يَزالُcease عَلىover الأَملاكِthe kings يَفتَخِرُhe boasts
فَما يَزالُ عَلى الأَملاكِ يَفتَخِرُ
And if you give any answer to his letters,
And if you answer anything regarding his messages
The rising sun acquires its light from you, just as the moon derives its radiance from the sun.
then he never ceases to vaunt himself above other kings.
He will still boast of power over the kingdoms
قَدِindeed اِستَراحَتhave rested إِلىuntil وَقتٍa time رِقابُهُمُtheir necks
قَدِ اِستَراحَت إِلى وَقتٍ رِقابُهُمُ
مِنَfrom السُيوفِthe swords وَباقيand the rest of القَومِthe people يَنتَظِرُwaits
مِنَ السُيوفِ وَباقي القَومِ يَنتَظِرُ
Their necks have found respite for a time
Their necks have rested for a time
from the swords, while the rest of the people wait.
From swords, while the rest of the people wait
وَقَدand perhaps تُبَدِّلُهاyou give them in exchange بِالقَومِin place of the people غَيرُهُمُothers than them
وَقَد تُبَدِّلُها بِالقَومِ غَيرُهُمُ
لِكَيso that تَجِمَّmay rest رُؤوسَheads القَومِof the people وَالقَصرُand the necks
لِكَي تَجِمَّ رُؤوسَ القَومِ وَالقَصرُ
And you may give the swords others in their place,
You may exchange them for other people
so that these people's heads and necks may rest.
To gather together the heads of the people and the palace
تَشبيهُlikening جودِكَyour generosity بِالأَمطارِto the rains غادِيَةًfalling in the morning
تَشبيهُ جودِكَ بِالأَمطارِ غادِيَةً
جودٌa gift لِكَفِّكَof your palm ثانٍsecond نالَهُreceived it المَطَرُthe rain
جودٌ لِكَفِّكَ ثانٍ نالَهُ المَطَرُ
Comparing your generosity to morning rains
Likening your generosity to rains coming down
is a second gift from your hand, bestowed upon the rain.
Generosity from your palm, which rain attained
تَكَسَّبُgains الشَمسُthe sun مِنكَfrom you النورَlight طالِعَةًrising
تَكَسَّبُ الشَمسُ مِنكَ النورَ طالِعَةً
كَماjust as تَكَسَّبَgained مِنهاfrom it نورَهُits light القَمَرُthe moon
كَما تَكَسَّبَ مِنها نورَهُ القَمَرُ
The sun gains light from you as it rises,
The rising sun borrows its light from you
just as the moon gained its light from the sun.
As the moon borrowed its brightness from it
Partial English translation: 9 of 18 Arabic lines translated.