تَرَكَتناleft us لَواحِظُsidelong glances الأَتراكِthe Turks بَيbetween (opening fragment)
تَرَكَتنا لَواحِظُ الأَتراكِ بَي
نَcompletion of 'between' مُلقىًone cast down شاكِيَarmed السِلاحِthe weapons وَشاكِand one lamenting
نَ مُلقىً شاكِيَ السِلاحِ وَشاكِ
The Turks’ sidelong glances left us between
The gaze of the beauties has left me torn between
one cast down, fully armed, and one lamenting.
Lamenting for arms and armor and lamenting for
حَرَكاتٌmovements بِهاin them سُكونُstillness فُتورٍlanguor
حَرَكاتٌ بِها سُكونُ فُتورٍ
تَترُكَleave الأُسدَthe lions مابِهاno ... in them مِنof حَراكِmovement
تَترُكَ الأُسدَ مابِها مِن حَراكِ
Movements bearing the stillness of languor
Movements containing the stillness of languor
leave the lions without a stir.
That leaves the lion devoid of movement
مَلَكَتنيpossessed me خُزرُslanting glances العُيونِthe eyes وَإِنand although خِلthought (verb fragment)
مَلَكَتني خُزرُ العُيونِ وَإِن خِل
تُI (verb ending) بِأَنّيthat I لَهاof them مِنَamong المُلّاكِthe owners
تُ بِأَنّي لَها مِنَ المُلّاكِ
The eyes’ slanting glances possessed me, though I thought
The green-eyed beauties have conquered me, even if
that I was among their masters.
I am spared that I am for them a conquered one
كُلُّevery ظَبيٍgazelle فيin أَسرِcaptivity رِقّيmy enslavement وَلَكِنand yet
كُلُّ ظَبيٍ في أَسرِ رِقّي وَلَكِن
ماnot لِأَسريfor my captivity فيin حُبِّهِlove for him مِنany فَكاكِrelease
ما لِأَسري في حُبِّهِ مِن فَكاكِ
Every gazelle is held in bondage to me, yet
Every gazelle is a captive to my gaze, but
there is no release from my captivity in loving him.
My captivity to its love knows no escape
أَينَwhere حُسنُbeauty الأَعرابِthe Bedouin Arabs مِنbeside حُسنُbeauty أُسدَlions
أَينَ حُسنُ الأَعرابِ مِن حُسنُ أُسدَ
أُفرِغَتwere cast فيin قاوالِبِmolds الأَملاكِthe angels
أُفرِغَت في قاوالِبِ الأَملاكِ
What is the Bedouin Arabs’ beauty beside the beauty of lions
Where is the beauty of the nomads in comparison to the beauty of lions
cast in the molds of angels?
Molded in the molds of rulers?
فَإِذاso when غوزِلواthey are wooed فَآرامُthen gazelles سِربٍa herd
فَإِذا غوزِلوا فَآرامُ سِربٍ
وَإِذاand when نوزِلواthey are challenged in combat فَأُسدُthen lions عِراكِbattle
وَإِذا نوزِلوا فَأُسدُ عِراكِ
When wooed, they are gazelles of a herd;
When they whisper, they are wild doves
and when challenged, lions in battle.
And when they alter, they are lions in combat
وَإِذاand when نورُهُمtheir light ثَنىturned اللَيلَthe night صُبحاًinto morning
وَإِذا نورُهُم ثَنى اللَيلَ صُبحاً
أَخَذواthey took ثارَvengeance مَنwhoever ذُكيwas slaughtered بِالمَذاكيby the mature steeds
أَخَذوا ثارَ مَن ذُكي بِالمَذاكي
And when their light turns night into morning,
And when their light turns night to dawn
they avenge whoever was slain by full-grown steeds.
They take revenge on those stung by regret
كُلُّevery طِفلٍchild يَجِلُّis too exalted أَنto يَحكِيَimitate البَدthe full moon (opening fragment)
كُلُّ طِفلٍ يَجِلُّ أَن يَحكِيَ البَد
رَcompletion of 'the full moon' وَلَكِنand yet لَهُfor him البُّدورُthe full moons تُحاكيimitate
رَ وَلَكِن لَهُ البُّدورُ تُحاكي
Every child is too exalted to imitate the full
Every child yearns to recount valor
moon; rather, the full moons imitate him.
But valor itself recounts him
بِثُغورٍwith mouths لَمnot يَعلُهاcover them قَشَفُrough grime النُحthe bees (opening fragment)
بِثُغورٍ لَم يَعلُها قَشَفُ النُح
لِcompletion of 'the bees' وَلَمand not تَجلُهاpolish them يَدٌa hand بِسِواكِwith a tooth-stick
لِ وَلَم تَجلُها يَدٌ بِسِواكِ
With mouths uncoated by the grime of
With moles to which the hand with file has not attained
bees, nor polished by a hand with a tooth-stick.
And eyes in which destruction’s spy resides
وَعُيونٍand eyes كَأَنَّماas though الغُنجُcoquetry فيهاin them
وَعُيونٍ كَأَنَّما الغُنجُ فيها
رائِدُa scout الحَتفِdeath أَوor نَذيرُa herald الهَلاكِdoom
رائِدُ الحَتفِ أَو نَذيرُ الهَلاكِ
And eyes in which coquetry seems
And locks as though the knot of plaited hair
a scout of death, or a herald of doom.
Were tied upon stems of fresh basil
وَقُدودٍand figures كَأَنَّماas though شُدَّwas tied عَقدُthe knot الthe
وَقُدودٍ كَأَنَّما شُدَّ عَقدُ ال
بَندِgirdle مِنهاof them عَلىupon قَضيبِa twig أَراكِarāk
بَندِ مِنها عَلى قَضيبِ أَراكِ
And figures as though the knot of the
I almost escaped from the locks, but
girdle about them were tied around an arāk twig.
A piercing stab caught up with me in them
كِدتُI almost أَنجوescape مِنَfrom القُدودِthe figures وَلَكِنand yet
كِدتُ أَنجو مِنَ القُدودِ وَلَكِن
أَدرَكَتنيthey caught me فيهاin them بِطَعنٍwith thrusts دِراكِsuccessive
أَدرَكَتني فيها بِطَعنٍ دِراكِ
I almost escaped those figures, yet
Say to the one who gazes, you have robbed
they caught me there with thrust upon thrust.
My eye of sleep and went to far in ravaging me
قُلsay لِساجيto the languid one العُيونِthe eyes قَدindeed سَلَبَتhave stolen عَيyour two eyes (opening fragment)
قُل لِساجي العُيونِ قَد سَلَبَت عَي
ناكَcompletion of 'your two eyes' قَلبيmy heart وَأَفرَطَتand went too far فيin اِنتِهاكيviolating me
ناكَ قَلبي وَأَفرَطَت في اِنتِهاكي
Tell the one with dreamy eyes: Your eyes have stolen
So leave me with a thought by which I may weave verse
my heart and gone too far in violating me.
And praise the one in the tavern
فَاَبقِso leave ليfor me خاطِراًa mind بِهِwith it أَسبُكُI cast النَظverse (opening fragment)
فَاَبقِ لي خاطِراً بِهِ أَسبُكُ النَظ
مَcompletion of 'verse' وَأَثنيand I praise عَلىupon فَتىyoung man السُبّاكِal-Subbāk
مَ وَأَثني عَلى فَتى السُبّاكِ
So leave me a mind with which to cast
A ruler who paved the way to justice with
verse, and praise the young man of al-Subbāk.
A penetrating mind and infinite awareness
حاكِمٌa judge مَهَّدَmade firm القَضاءَjustice بِقَلبٍwith a heart
حاكِمٌ مَهَّدَ القَضاءَ بِقَلبٍ
ثاقِبِpiercing الفَهمِunderstanding نافِذِpenetrating الإِدراكِperception
ثاقِبِ الفَهمِ نافِذِ الإِدراكِ
A judge who established justice with a heart
A flash beneath the farthest reach of the cosmos
of piercing understanding and penetrating perception.
And resolve at the pinnacle of the celestial orbits
فِكرَةٌthought تَحتَbeneath مُنتَهىthe furthest limit دَرَكِdepth الأَthe earth (opening fragment)
فِكرَةٌ تَحتَ مُنتَهى دَرَكِ الأَ
ضِcompletion of 'the earth' وَعَزمٌand resolve فيat ذُروَةِthe summit الأَفلاكِthe celestial spheres
ضِ وَعَزمٌ في ذُروَةِ الأَفلاكِ
His thought lies beneath the deepest depths of the
Since the days called him to religion as a crown
earth, and his resolve at the summit of the celestial spheres.
The zealous envied religion through him
مُذsince دَعَتهُcalled him الأَيّامُthe days لِلدينِfor the faith تاجاًa crown
مُذ دَعَتهُ الأَيّامُ لِلدينِ تاجاً
حَسَدَenvied الدينَthe faith فيهِon his account هامُheads السِماكِSimāk
حَسَدَ الدينَ فيهِ هامُ السِماكِ
Since the days named him a crown of the faith,
A rank surpassing the station of the learned
Simāk’s lofty heads have envied the faith for him.
And exceeding the degrees of the pious
رُتبَةٌa rank جاوَزَتsurpassed مَقامَthe station ذَويthose possessed of العِلknowledge (opening fragment)
رُتبَةٌ جاوَزَت مَقامَ ذَوي العِل
مِcompletion of 'knowledge' وَفاقَتand exceeded مَراتِبَthe ranks النُسّاكِthe ascetics
مِ وَفاقَت مَراتِبَ النُسّاكِ
A rank surpassing the station of men of
One of insight who perceived events when
learning, and exceeding the ranks of ascetics.
Their unfolding made the seeker laugh and weep
ذوpossessor of يَراعٍa reed pen راعَawed الحَوادِثَcalamities لَمّاwhen
ذو يَراعٍ راعَ الحَوادِثَ لَمّا
أَضحَكَmade laugh الطَرسَthe page سَعيُهُits labor وَهوَwhile it باكِweeping
أَضحَكَ الطَرسَ سَعيُهُ وَهوَ باكِ
He wields a reed pen that awed calamities when
With meanings that, if they were in bygone ages
its labor made the page laugh while it wept.
Would have silenced the hearing of the critic
بِمَعانٍwith meanings لَوif كُنَّthey had been فيin سالِفِthe bygone العَصthe age (opening fragment)
بِمَعانٍ لَو كُنَّ في سالِفِ العَص
رِcompletion of 'the age' لَسَكَّتwould have deafened مَسامِعَthe ears السِكّاكِal-Sikkāk
رِ لَسَكَّت مَسامِعَ السِكّاكِ
With meanings that, had they existed in an earlier
My worth increased through his love when he saw
age, would have deafened al-Sikkāk’s ears.
People's adherence to loving him and clinging to him
زادَincreased قَدريmy standing بِحُبِّهِthrough loving him إِذwhen رَأىsaw الناthe people (opening fragment)
زادَ قَدري بِحُبِّهِ إِذ رَأى النا
سُcompletion of 'the people' التِزاميmy devotion بِحُبِّهِto loving him وَاِمتِساكيand my adherence
سُ التِزامي بِحُبِّهِ وَاِمتِساكي
My standing rose through loving him, when people saw
A creed from which I have not wavered
my devotion to loving him and my steadfast adherence.
And a religion into which I have admitted no partnership
مَذهَبٌa creed ماnot ذَهَبتُI departed عَنهِfrom it وَدينٌand a faith
مَذهَبٌ ما ذَهَبتُ عَنهِ وَدينٌ
ماnot تَعَرَّضتُI ventured فيهِin it لِلإِشراكِto associating partners
ما تَعَرَّضتُ فيهِ لِلإِشراكِ
A creed I never departed from, and a faith
O most splendid one whose utterance
in which I never ventured to associate any partner.
And superiority among people is dazzling and shining
أَيُّهاO الأَروَعُillustrious one الَّذيwhose لَفظُهُhis speech وَالand the
أَيُّها الأَروَعُ الَّذي لَفظُهُ وَال
فَضلُexcellence بَينَamong الأَنامِmankind زاهٍsplendid وَزاكِand pure
فَضلُ بَينَ الأَنامِ زاهٍ وَزاكِ
O illustrious one, whose speech and
If absent from the gaze of my eye, then for the heart
excellence among mankind are splendid and pure:
There is a gaze quick to realize
إِنif تَغِبyou vanish عَنfrom لِحاظِthe gaze عَينيmy eye فَلِلقَلthen for the heart (opening fragment)
إِن تَغِب عَن لِحاظِ عَيني فَلِلقَل
بِcompletion of 'the heart' لِحاظٌglances سَريعَةُswift الإِدراكِperception
بِ لِحاظٌ سَريعَةُ الإِدراكِ
If you vanish from my eye’s gaze, the heart
You were only absent from my eyes, while my heart
has glances swift to perceive.
Is thankful for your exaltation and the eye is longing
لَمnot تَغِبyou vanished عَنfrom سِوىother than عُيونيmy eyes فَقَلبيso my heart
لَم تَغِب عَن سِوى عُيوني فَقَلبي
شاكِرٌgrateful عَنfor عُلاكَyour eminence وَالطَرفُand the eye شاكِcomplaining
شاكِرٌ عَن عُلاكَ وَالطَرفُ شاكِ
You have vanished only from my eyes; my heart
is grateful for your eminence, while the eye complains.
Partial English translation: 48 of 50 Arabic lines translated.