لمdid not يُبقِleave بينُكِyour parting منof جمالكِyour beauty منسماa trace
لم يُبقِ بينُكِ من جمالكِ منسما
لمنfor whom الذهابdeparture وفيwhile in طِلابكِseeking you منone who سماrose high
لمن الذهاب وفي طِلابكِ من سما
Your parting has left no trace of your beauty.
No trace of your beauty remains for me
Who would depart, when some rise in pursuit of you?
To whom shall I go, while seeking you in the sky?
أفكلthen, is every مشتاقٍyearning lover تسالمهmake peace with him الظُباthe sword-blades
أفكل مشتاقٍ تسالمه الظُبا
ياO ظبيةgazelle القناصof the hunter تقتلهkill him الدمىthe doll-like beauties
يا ظبية القناص تقتله الدمى
Is every yearning lover whom sword-blades spare,
Does every longing one greeted by a gazelle
O hunter's gazelle, slain by doll-like beauties?
Get killed by its tears, oh hunter's gazelle?
رديdrive back بزورتكwith your visit الصدودestrangement مثلَّماًblunted
ردي بزورتك الصدود مثلَّماً
لنعودso we may return فيin حرمthe sanctuary المودةof affection مِثْلَماjust as
لنعود في حرم المودة مِثْلَما
With your visit, drive estrangement back, its edge blunted,
Give me back your reflection fragmented
So we may return to love's sanctuary as before.
So we can return to the shrine of affection as we were
واَلقيand cast off اللثامthe veil عنfrom الملثمthe veiled face بالبهاin beauty
واَلقي اللثام عن الملثم بالبها
لنرىso we may see الصبوحthe radiant face بنورهin its light متلثماveiled
لنرى الصبوح بنوره متلثما
And cast the veil from the face veiled in beauty,
And remove the veil from the veiled with splendor
So we may see the radiant face veiled in its own light.
To see the dawn in its light veiled
ونذوقَand we may taste منfrom فيكyour mouth الشفوقِtender مدامةًwine
ونذوقَ من فيك الشفوقِ مدامةً
تسنيmakes forget (apparently تُنسي) حلاوتُهاits sweetness المشوقَthe yearning lover العلقماbitter colocynth
تسني حلاوتُها المشوقَ العلقما
And taste, from your tender mouth, a wine
And taste the passion in you, a drink
Whose sweetness makes the yearning lover forget bitter colocynth.
Whose sweetness brings joy to the ardent
أنسيتِhave you forgotten وعدكyour promise ياO مهفهفةslender beauty الحمىof the preserve
أنسيتِ وعدك يا مهفهفة الحمى
بوفاقto be reconciled with صبكyour ardent lover والتكرُّمِand being generous باللمىwith dark-tinted lips
بوفاق صبك والتكرُّمِ باللمى
Have you forgotten your promise, O slender beauty of the preserve,
Have you forgotten your feverish promise
To be reconciled with your lover and generous with your dark lips?
Of loyalty's fulfillment and kindness with sorrow?
أينwhere الوفاfidelity أفكانwas it then معناهits meaning الجفاestrangement
أين الوفا أفكان معناه الجفا
والريand thirst's relief أينwhere أكانwas مغزاهits intent الظماthirst
والري أين أكان مغزاه الظما
Where is fidelity—did it mean estrangement?
Where is the loyalty, was its meaning disloyalty?
And where is thirst's relief—was its intent thirst?
And irrigation, what was its purpose, thirst?
لاno شكdoubt أنthat الغانياتthe beautiful women صخورهاtheir rocks
لا شك أن الغانيات صخورها
بصدورهاin their breasts وخصورهاand their waists ماءwater السماof heaven
بصدورها وخصورها ماء السما
No doubt the beauties' rocks lie
No doubt, singers are like granite rock
Within their breasts, while their waists are water from heaven.
With their chests and figures like rain from the sky
وفؤادand the heart كلof every وليِّholder أمرٍof authority جائرٌunjust
وفؤاد كل وليِّ أمرٍ جائرٌ
إلّاexcept فؤادthe heart الملكof the king دامmay he remain معظماexalted
إلّا فؤاد الملك دام معظما
And every ruler's heart is unjust,
Except for the heart of the just king may he
Except the king's heart—may he remain exalted.
Be glorified, virtuous and protected from evil
بطلa hero تتوجwas crowned بالكمالwith perfection وسادand led إقadvancement (first fragment)
بطل تتوج بالكمال وساد إق
بالadvancement (final fragment) الرجالof men تمدُّناًin civilization وتقدماand progress
بال الرجال تمدُّناً وتقدما
A hero crowned with perfection, who led the advance
A hero you crown with perfection, excelling
Of men in civilization and progress.
Men’s minds with sophistication and progress
فاكرِمthen, how noble بهwith him بطلاًas a hero إذاwhen سفكhe sheds الدِماblood
فاكرِم به بطلاً إذا سفك الدِما
أغضىhe averted his gaze وعفand refrained عنfrom الجآذرthe wild-ox calves والدُمىand the doll-like beauties
أغضى وعف عن الجآذر والدُمى
How noble a hero he is! When he sheds blood,
So honor with him a hero, when he spills blood
He averts his gaze and spares the wild-ox calves and doll-like beauties.
He forgives and pardons the wicked and victims
خضعتbowed جبابرةthe tyrants الزمانof the age لبأسهto his might
خضعت جبابرة الزمان لبأسه
ومنand who الذيis the one who يعصيdefies القضاءthe decree المبرماirrevocable
ومن الذي يعصي القضاء المبرما
The tyrants of the age bowed to his might;
The tyrants of time submitted to his might
And who can defy the irrevocable decree?
And who dares disobey the unavoidable decree?
وزهاand exulted اليراعthe reed pen بكفهin his palm لماwhen رأىit saw الthe
وزها اليراع بكفه لما رأى ال
ملكينtwo angels تنقلcopying عنهfrom him سحراًa spell مفحماleaving speechless
ملكين تنقل عنه سحراً مفحما
And the reed pen exulted in his palm when it saw the
He grabbed the two kings with his hand when he saw
Two angels copying from him a spell that leaves one speechless.
Sorcery move from him, defeating sorcery
ياO منyou who تخوفfeared دهرهhis times ثقtrust أنهthat he is الthe
يا من تخوف دهره ثق أنه ال
حرزrefuge الحريزwell-fortified ولذand take shelter بهwith him مستعصماseeking protection
حرز الحريز ولذ به مستعصما
O you who have feared your times, trust that he is the
O you who makes time fear him, trust that he is
Well-fortified refuge; take shelter with him for protection.
A sanctuary and take refuge in him
واعلمand know بأنthat الأمنsafety فيin عرصاتهhis precincts
واعلم بأن الأمن في عرصاته
حطhas set down الرحالthe baggage وعارضُand the raincloud النعمىof bounty همىhas poured
حط الرحال وعارضُ النعمى همى
And know that safety, within his precincts,
And know that safety is in his domains
Has set down its baggage, and the raincloud of bounty has poured.
So rest and turn away worry and distress
وظليمَand the male ostrich ظلمِof injustice الناسِof people أدبرretreated قائلاًsaying
وظليمَ ظلمِ الناسِ أدبر قائلاً
لاmay not عاشlive فيعورٌa jackal يقاومthat challenges ضيغماa lion
لا عاش فيعورٌ يقاوم ضيغما
And the ostrich of human injustice retreated, saying:
And the injustice of people, say farewell
May no jackal live that challenges a lion!
No harm remains that resists elimination
فطناًdiscerning أعدhe prepared لحلِّto resolve كلِّevery ملمّةٍcalamity
فطناً أعد لحلِّ كلِّ ملمّةٍ
رأياًa plan بهwith it عقدhe bound اللواءthe banner المحكماfirmly secured
رأياً به عقد اللواء المحكما
With insight he prepared, to resolve every calamity,
Be wise and prepare for solving every dilemma
A plan with which he firmly bound the banner.
A plan through which you raise the solid banner
لوif شاءwished نابليونNapoleon يبطلُto annul عهدةًa covenant
لو شاء نابليون يبطلُ عهدةً
ودعاهand summoned him أبطلهاhe annulled it وشادand established الأقوماthe sounder one
ودعاه أبطلها وشاد الأقوما
If Napoleon wished to annul a covenant,
If Napoleon wished he could abolish a covenant
And summoned him, he would annul it and establish the sounder one.
And invited him to abolish and build a better one
أنسيتمُhave you all forgotten يومthe day الشآمof al-Sham وقدand indeed نفىhe banished الthe
أنسيتمُ يوم الشآم وقد نفى ال
ظلَّامَoppressors واجتاحand swept away الخبيثthe vile one الأظلماthe most unjust
ظلَّامَ واجتاح الخبيث الأظلما
Have you forgotten the day of al-Sham, when he banished the
Have you forgotten the day of Sham when he banished
Oppressors and swept away the vile, most unjust one?
Injustice and the wickeder darkness was swept?
تلكthat المهابةُawe فوقexceeds صولةthe charge فيلقٍof a legion
تلك المهابةُ فوق صولة فيلقٍ
يغشىentering المعامعthe battle's turmoil ضاحكاًlaughing متبسماsmiling
يغشى المعامع ضاحكاً متبسما
That awe exceeds the charge of a legion
That awe above the roar of a brigade
Entering the battle's turmoil laughing and smiling.
That overwhelms glittering lights with a smile
ياO قائدcommander الجيشof the army العرمرمvast يتقيone guards oneself
يا قائد الجيش العرمرم يتقي
بكthrough you صولةthe onslaught الدنياof the world وأخطارand the dangers السماof heaven
بك صولة الدنيا وأخطار السما
O commander of the vast army, one guards oneself
O leader of the formidable army, through you
Through you against the world's onslaught and heaven's perils.
The world's perils and sky's clamors are blocked
خاطبتناyou addressed us متكرماًgraciously ودهمتناand came upon us
خاطبتنا متكرماً ودهمتنا
متبسماًsmiling وصرفتand you turned away عناfrom us اللُّوَّماthe reproachers
متبسماً وصرفت عنا اللُّوَّما
You addressed us graciously and came upon us
You addressed us generously and attacked us
Smiling, and turned the reproachers away from us.
With a smile and diverted harm from us
فحللتso you untied بالنقدينwith gold and silver عقدa knot مضرةٍof harm
فحللت بالنقدين عقد مضرةٍ
ماnot حلwould have loosened منfrom أجيادناour necks لولاهماwithout them both
ما حل من أجيادنا لولاهما
So with gold and silver you untied a knot of harm
So you undid with two currencies a knot of harm
That would not have loosened from our necks without them both.
That none of our heroes could undo except them
فاسلمso remain safe لرضوانfor the favor الصدارةof high office كوكباًas a star
فاسلم لرضوان الصدارة كوكباً
ولصولةand for the might الملكof the king المعظمthe exalted مخذماa keen sword
ولصولة الملك المعظم مخذما
So may you live unharmed, a star for the favor of high office,
So surrender willingly to the approval of the prime
And a keen sword for the exalted king's might.
And to the might of the supreme glorious king