ماnot أَدهَشَتناastonished us مِنَfrom النَجمِيِّal-Najmi قافِيَةًa rhyme
ما أَدهَشَتنا مِنَ النَجمِيِّ قافِيَةً
كَأَنَّهاas though it were الغادَةَthe young maiden الحَسناءَthe beautiful فيat العُرُسِthe wedding
كَأَنَّها الغادَةَ الحَسناءَ في العُرُسِ
A rhyme from al-Najmi has not taken us by surprise;
it is like a beautiful young maiden at a wedding.
لَهاit has سَوابِقُpredecessors قَدalready جاءَتhave come مُسَلسَلَةًin an unbroken chain
لَها سَوابِقُ قَد جاءَت مُسَلسَلَةً
عَلىin keeping with اِطِرادِregular succession كُعوبِthe joints الذُبَّلِthe slender spears الدُعُسِthe piercing ones
عَلى اِطِرادِ كُعوبِ الذُبَّلِ الدُعُسِ
It has predecessors that came in an unbroken chain,
like the regularly spaced joints of slender, piercing spears.
قُلspeak فيof حَبيبٍHabib وَبَشّارٍand Bashshar وَرَهطِهِماand their company
قُل في حَبيبٍ وَبَشّارٍ وَرَهطِهِما
وَالبُحتُرِيِّand al-Buhturi وَلاand do not تُضَنِّنُbe sparing بِهِwith him وَقِسِand compare
وَالبُحتُرِيِّ وَلا تُضَنِّنُ بِهِ وَقِسِ
Speak of Habib, Bashshar, and their company,
and al-Buhturi; do not stint him, and compare.
هَيهاتَimpossible أَفرِقُI distinguish إِعجابيmy admiration بِأَيِّهِماfor which of the two
هَيهاتَ أَفرِقُ إِعجابي بِأَيِّهِما
مِنfrom تِلكُمُthat (addressing you all) النَفسِthe soul أَمor مِنfrom ذَلِكَthat النَفسِthe breath
مِن تِلكُمُ النَفسِ أَم مِن ذَلِكَ النَفسِ
I cannot tell which of the two my admiration springs from:
from that soul, or from that breath.
شُعوبِهِhis branches تُسكِرintoxicate ُ الأَلبابَthe minds سائِحَةًroaming
شُعوبِهِ تُسكِر ُ الأَلبابَ سائِحَةً
كَماjust as تُسافِرُjourneys بِنتُthe daughter الحانِof the tavern بِالجُلُسِwith those seated
كَما تُسافِرُ بِنتُ الحانِ بِالجُلُسِ
His roaming branches intoxicate minds,
as the tavern’s daughter takes those seated on a journey.
لاnot يَعرِفُknows السامِعَthe listener الوَلهانِthe enraptured نَشوَتُهُhis intoxication
لا يَعرِفُ السامِعَ الوَلهانِ نَشوَتُهُ
مِنfrom سَبكِهِhis casting الجَزلَthe robust أَمor مِنfrom نَسجِهِhis weaving السَلِسِthe smooth
مِن سَبكِهِ الجَزلَ أَم مِن نَسجِهِ السَلِسِ
The enraptured listener cannot tell whether his intoxication
comes from his robust casting or his smooth weaving.
رَوَيُّهُhis rhyme-letter العَذبُthe sweet فيin تَحكيمِjudging مَوقِعِهِits placement
رَوَيُّهُ العَذبُ في تَحكيمِ مَوقِعِهِ
مِنfrom أَوَّلِthe beginning الشَطرِof the hemistich يَدريknows غَيرَnot مُلتَبِسِambiguous
مِن أَوَّلِ الشَطرِ يَدري غَيرَ مُلتَبِسِ
His sweet rhyme-letter, when judging its placement,
one knows from the hemistich’s opening, without confusion.
لاmay not يُحرِمُdeprive اللَهَGod حِزبَthe party الحَقِّof truth طائِفَةًa band
لا يُحرِمُ اللَهَ حِزبَ الحَقِّ طائِفَةً
إِنif تَنَصَّلتَit breaks free فيin مَجالِthe field الكَرِّof attack تَفتَرِسِit devours
إِن تَنَصَّلتَ في مَجالِ الكَرِّ تَفتَرِسِ
May God never deprive the party of truth of a band
that, if it breaks free on the field of attack, devours.
قَدindeed آنَthe time has come لِلظُلمِfor oppression أَنto يَنجابَpart عَنfrom فَرَجِrelief
قَد آنَ لِلظُلمِ أَن يَنجابَ عَن فَرَجِ
لَمhas not يَبرَحِceased الفَجرَthe dawn مُشتَقّاًspringing forth مِنَfrom الغَلَسِthe predawn gloom
لَم يَبرَحِ الفَجرَ مُشتَقّاً مِنَ الغَلَسِ
The time has come for oppression to part and reveal relief;
dawn has never ceased to emerge from the predawn gloom.
Translation model: Sol 6.1