السّقمsickness فيin اللحّظthe gaze السقيمailing; languid
السّقم في اللحّظ السقيم
والبرءُand healing فيin اللّفظthe speech الرخيمِmellow; soft-toned
والبرءُ في اللّفظ الرخيمِ
Sickness lies in the sickly gaze,
The sickness in the sickly moment,
and healing in the mellow speech.
And the health in the gentle word,
وقيامةُand the resurrection العشّاقof the lovers بيbetween (first part)
وقيامةُ العشّاق بي
نbetween (completion) الخدّthe cheek والقَدّand the figure القويمupright; well-shaped
ن الخدّ والقَدّ القويم
And the lovers’ resurrection lies between
And the resurrection of lovers in me,
the cheek and the upright figure.
Between the cheek and the strong stature.
قمرa moon تفرّعrose atop غُصنa bough of باbān tree (first part)
قمر تفرّع غُصن با
نٍbān tree (completion) فيin نَقَاa sand dune كَفَلٍa rump عميمample
نٍ في نَقَا كَفَلٍ عميم
A moon crowns a bough of bān,
The moon branched out a twig of a radiant palm,
set in the sand-dune of an ample rump.
In the fullness of an all-encompassing shoulder.
أغنتmade needless لواحظthe glances طرفهِof his eye
أغنت لواحظ طرفهِ
فيin السكرintoxication عنin place of كأسthe cup النديمof the drinking companion
في السكر عن كأس النديم
His eye’s glances have made needless,
It sang to an admirer whose glance,
for intoxication, the drinking companion’s cup.
In intoxication, turned away from the cupbearer's cup.
أشكوI complain إلىto متظلِّمaggrieved; complaining of injustice الthe
أشكو إلى متظلِّم ال
وَجَناتcheeks ذيpossessed of نظرٍa gaze ظَلومcruel; unjust
وَجَنات ذي نظرٍ ظَلوم
I complain to one with aggrieved
I complain to the frowning one of the gardens,
cheeks, whose gaze is cruel.
With a grudging gaze.
ولقدand indeed شكوتI lamented هواهlove for him لوif only
ولقد شكوت هواه لو
أشكوI lament هواهlove for him إلىto رحيمsomeone merciful
أشكو هواه إلى رحيم
And indeed I have lamented my love for him—if only
And I have complained of his love, if only
I could lament my love for him to someone merciful!
I could complain of his love to the Merciful.
قدُّthe figure القضيبof the bough وطلعةُand the face الthe
قدُّ القضيب وطلعةُ ال
بدرfull moon المنيرshining وعينُand the eye ريمof a gazelle
بدر المنير وعينُ ريم
A bough’s figure, and the face of the
The rod is straight and the rising of the
shining full moon, and a gazelle’s eye.
Full moon is bright, and the eye of Reem.
قلsay للإمامto the imam ابنson of الإماthe imam (first part)
قل للإمام ابن الإما
مِthe imam (completion) نزارٍNizār المَلِكِthe king الكريمgenerous; noble
مِ نزارٍ المَلِكِ الكريم
Say to the imam, son of the imam,
Say to the Imam son of the Imam,
Nizār, the generous king:
Nizar the noble king.
ياO بانيَbuilder of الشرفhonor الحديnew (first part)
يا بانيَ الشرف الحدي
ثnew (completion) ووارثَand heir to الشرفhonor القديمancient
ث ووارثَ الشرف القديم
O builder of new honor,
O builder of modern honor and heir of ancient honor,
and heir to ancient honor,
You have an ambition that aspires only to the greatest matter.
لكyours; for you همّةٌhigh resolve ماnot هَمُّهاits concern
لك همّةٌ ما هَمُّها
إلاّexcept إلىtoward الأمرthe undertaking الجسيمmighty; momentous
إلاّ إلى الأمر الجسيم
yours is a resolve whose aim is nothing
So if you climbed to the stars, you would attain what is above the stars,
but a mighty undertaking.
And likewise, if you seek eminence, you would attain what is beneath the eminences.
فلوso if ارتقيتَyou ascended إلىto النجوthe stars (first part)
فلو ارتقيتَ إلى النجو
مِthe stars (completion) لنلتyou would surely attain ماwhat فوقabove النجومthe stars
مِ لنلت ما فوق النجوم
So, were you to ascend to the stars,
You are wise when the mind of the wise departs from wisdom,
you would attain what lies above the stars.
You are knowledgeable of all that the mind of the knowledgeable comprehends.
وكذاكand likewise لوif تبغيyou seek التُّخوthe bounds (first part)
وكذاك لو تبغي التُّخو
مَthe bounds (completion) لنلتَyou would surely attain ماwhat تحتbeneath التُّخومِthe bounds
مَ لنلتَ ما تحت التُّخومِ
And likewise, if you sought the earth’s bounds,
We are the plebeians while you are the most
you would attain what lies beneath those bounds.
Sublime of those who herded what the Director herded.
أنتyou الحكيمُthe sage إذاwhen نَبَاfell short
أنت الحكيمُ إذا نَبَا
عنof; away from حكمةwisdom ذهنُthe mind of الحكيمthe sage
عن حكمة ذهنُ الحكيم
You are the sage when
O noble king, your beauty is too majestic
the sage’s mind falls short of wisdom.
For the full moon in the gloom of the fearsome night.
أنتyou العليمthe learned one بكلّin all ماthat which
أنت العليم بكلّ ما
تعياare baffled بهby it فِطَنthe keen wits of العليمthe learned one
تعيا به فِطَن العليم
You are learned in all that
Nay, the rainclouds have no generosity compared to your generosity of rainclouds.
baffles the keen wits of the learned.
And you gathered what was scattered of knowledge, so you are the embodiment of all knowledge.
نحنwe السَّوامthe grazing herd وأنتand you أرgentlest (first part)
نحن السَّوام وأنت أر
فَقُgentlest (completion) منof those who رعىtended شاءَthe sheep of المُسِيمthe grazier
فَقُ من رعى شاءَ المُسِيم
We are the grazing herd, and you are the gentlest
The fragrance of your memory satisfies the heartsick,
of those who tend the grazier’s sheep.
Saving them from the nagging of worries.
يأيهاO you المَلِكthe king الوسيhandsome (first part)
يأيها المَلِك الوسي
مُhandsome (completion) جَلَلتَyou are exalted عنbeyond حُسْنthe beauty of الوسيمthe handsome
مُ جَلَلتَ عن حُسْن الوسيم
O handsome king,
And it hummed away from the pipes,
you are exalted beyond the beauty of the handsome.
The melodies of their gentle tuning.
ماnot البدرُthe full moon أبهَجُmore splendid منكthan you نوradiance (first part)
ما البدرُ أبهَجُ منك نو
راًradiance (completion) فيin دجىthe darkness of الليلthe night البهيمpitch-black
راً في دجى الليل البهيم
The full moon is no more splendid than you in radiance,
O offspring of the family of Muhammad,
amid the darkness of the pitch-black night.
And offspring of the lineage of lineages.
كلاَّno indeed ولاnor للغَيثِfor the rain جُوbounty (first part)
كلاَّ ولا للغَيثِ جُو
دُbounty (completion) يديكof your two hands بالجودwith generosity السَّجومpouring forth
دُ يديك بالجود السَّجوم
No; nor has the rain the bounty
You are the straight path, from the straight path,
of your two hands, pouring forth generosity.
O you who sprang from the fragrant wellspring.
وجمعتَand you gathered مفترقthe scattered parts of العلوthe sciences (first part)
وجمعتَ مفترق العلو
مthe sciences (completion) فأنتso you مجتمَعُthe meeting place of العلومthe sciences
م فأنت مجتمَعُ العلوم
And you have gathered scattered fields of knowledge,
You have accustomed me to blessings that clothed
so you are the meeting place of all knowledge.
My inclinations in the garb of bliss.
يُغنيsuffices for النِّدامىthe drinking companions طِيبُthe sweetness of ذكremembrance of you (first part)
يُغني النِّدامى طِيبُ ذك
رِكremembrance of you (completion) عَنْin place of مُجاجاتِthe juices of الكُرومthe vines
رِك عَنْ مُجاجاتِ الكُروم
Sweet remembrance of you lets drinking companions dispense
with the juices of the vines,
وعنand in place of المثَانيthe lute strings رخَّمتْhave softened
وعن المثَاني رخَّمتْ
نَبَراتthe tones of منطقِهاtheir speech الرخيمِmellow
نَبَرات منطقِها الرخيمِ
and with the lute strings that have softened
the tones of their mellow speech.
ياO قَرْمَchief of آلِthe house of محمّدٍMuhammad
يا قَرْمَ آلِ محمّدٍ
والقَرْمُand a chief مِنfrom نَسْلthe stock of القُرومِchiefs
والقَرْمُ مِن نَسْل القُرومِ
O chief of Muhammad’s house—
and a chief is born of chiefs’ stock.
أنتyou الصراطthe path المستقيstraight (first part)
أنت الصراط المستقي
مُstraight (completion) منfrom الصراطthe path المستقيمstraight
مُ من الصراط المستقيم
You are the straight path,
from the straight path.
يأيّهاO you الفَرْعthe branch; scion الّذيthat; who
يأيّها الفَرْع الّذي
قدindeed طابَgrew noble منfrom طيبِthe goodness of الأُرومthe roots; ancestral stock
قد طابَ من طيبِ الأُروم
O branch that
has grown noble from the nobility of its roots,
عوّدتنيyou accustomed me نِعَماًblessings كستclothed
عوّدتني نِعَماً كست
عِطْفَيَّboth my sides أثوابَthe robes of النعيمbliss
عِطْفَيَّ أثوابَ النعيم
you have accustomed me to blessings that clothed
both my sides in robes of bliss.
Partial English translation: 38 of 50 Arabic lines translated.