فَغَابَAnd he was absentعَنَّاfrom us
And he was absent from us
عِشْرِينَtwentyيَوْماًdays
twenty days
لَاnotنَلْتَذِهُنَّ،we enjoying them,
we not enjoying them,
ثُمَّthenنَحْنُwe
then we
يَوْماًone dayمُجْتَازُونَpassingفِيinالرُّصَافَةِAl-Rusafa
were one day passing in Al-Rusafa
فَإِذَاwhenبِهِsuddenlyوَقَدْhe hadطَلَعَappeared
when suddenly he appeared
فِيinمَوْكِبٍa processionنَبِيلٍnoble
in a noble procession
وَزِيٍّand attireجَلِيلٍmajestic
and majestic attire.
فَحَيْثُSo whenبَصُرَhe sawبِنَاus
So when he saw us
انْحَطَّhe dismountedعَنْfromدَابَّتِهِhis mount
he dismounted from his mount
وَانْحَطَّand dismountedغِلْمَانُهُhis servants
and his servants dismounted
ثُمَّthenقَالَ:he said:
then he said:
يَاOإِخْوَتِيmy brothers
O my brothers
مَاdid notهَنَأَنِيbring joy to meعَيْشٌlifeبَعْدَكُمْafter you
life has not brought me joy after you
وَلَسْتُand I am notأُمَاطِلُكُمْdelaying youبِحَدِيثِيwith my storyوَخَبَرِيand my news
and I will not delay you with my story and news
حَتَّىuntilنَبْلُغَwe reachالْمَسْتَقَرَ،the destination,
until we reach the destination,
ثُمَّthenمَالَhe turnedبِنَاusإِلَىtowardمَسْجِدٍa mosque
then he turned us toward a mosque
فَقَالَ:and said:
and said:
أُعَرِّفُكُمْI make known to youأَوَّلاًfirstنَفْسِي،myself,
I make known to you first about myself,
أَنَاI amالْعَبَّاسُAl-Abbasبْنُson ofالْأَحْنَفِAl-Ahnaf
I am Al-Abbas ibn Al-Ahnaf
وَكَانَand it wasمِنْofخَبَرِيmy news
and the story of my news was
أَنِّيthat Iانْصَرَفْتُdepartedمِنْfromعِنْدِكُمْyour presence
that when I departed from your presence
إِلَىtoمَنْزِلِيmy home
to my home
وَالْمُسَوَّدَةُand the guards (or black-garbed troops)قَدْhadأَحَاطَتْsurroundedبِيme
the guards had surrounded me
فَمُضِيَّand I was takenبِيwithإِلَىtoدَارِthe house ofأَمِيرِthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithful
and I was taken to the house of the Commander of the Faithful
فَصِرْتُand I cameإِلَىtoيَحْيَىYahyaبْنِson ofخَالِدٍKhalid
and I came to Yahya ibn Khalid
فَقَالَ:and he said:
and he said:
وَيْحَكَWoe to youيَاOعَبَّاسُAbbas
Woe to you, O Abbas,
إِنَّمَاtrulyاخْتَرْتُكَI chose youمِنْfrom amongظُرَفَاءِthe wittyالشُّعَرَاءِpoets
I only chose you from among the witty poets
لِقُرْبِfor the closeness ofمَأْخَذِكَyour approachوَحُسْنِand the beauty ofتَأْتِّيكَ!your skill!
for the closeness of your approach and the beauty of your skill!
وَإِنَّAnd indeedالَّذِيthat whichنَدَبْتُكَI summoned youلَهُfor it
And that which I summoned you for
مِنْis part ofشَأْنِكَ،your affair,
is part of your affair,
وَقَدْand you haveعَرَفْتَknownخَطَرَاتِthe moods/whims ofالْخُلَفَاءِ،the Caliphs,
and you have known the moods of the Caliphs,
وَإِنِّيand Iأُخْبِرُكَinform youأَنَّthatمَارِدَةَMarida
and I inform you that Marida
هِيَsheالْغَالِبَةُis the dominant oneعَلَىoverأَمِيرِthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithful
is the dominant one over the Commander of the Faithful
وَقَدْand there hasجَرَىoccurredبَيْنَهُمَاbetween themعَتْبٌa reproach
and there has occurred between them a reproach
وَهِيَand sheبِعِزَّةِwith the pride ofدَلَالَةِcoquetry ofالْمَعْشُوقِthe beloved
and she, with the pride and coquetry of the beloved,
تَأْبَىrefusesأَنْtoتَعْتَذِرَapologize
refuses to apologize
وَهُوَwhile heبِعِزَّةِwith the pride ofالْخِلَافَةِthe Caliphateوَشَرَفِand the nobility ofالْمُلْكِkingship
while he, with the pride of the Caliphate and the nobility of kingship,
يَأْبَىrefusesذَلِكَ،that,
refuses that,
وَقَدْand I haveرُمْتُattemptedالْأَمْرَthe matterمِنْfromقِبَلِهِمَاtheir direction
and I have attempted the matter from their direction
فَأَعْيَانِيand it wearied me
and it wearied me
وَهُوَand itأَحْرَىis more fittingأَنْthatتَسْتَفِزَّهُit excite himالصَّبَابَةُ،passionate love,
and passionate love is more likely to excite him,
فَقُلْso sayشِعْراًpoetryتُسَهِّلُby which you facilitateبِهِwith itهَذَاthisالسَّبِيلَ،path,
so compose poetry by which you facilitate this path,
فَقَضَىSo he finishedكَلاَمَهُ،his speech,
So he finished his speech,
ثُمَّthenدَعَاهُhe called himأَمِيرُthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithful
then the Commander of the Faithful summoned him
فَصَارَand he wentإِلَيْهِ،to him,
and he went to him,
وَأُعْطِيتُand I was givenقِرْطَاساًa sheet of paperوَدَوَاةًand an inkwell
and I was given a sheet of paper and an inkwell.
فَاعْتَرَانِيThen came over meالزَّمَعُtrembling/anxiety
Then trembling came over me
وَنَفَرَand fledعَنِّيfrom meكُلُّeveryشَيْءٍthingمِنَofالْعَرُوضِprosody
and every aspect of prosody fled from me
ثُمَّthenانْفَتَحَopened upلِيfor meشَيْءٌsomethingمِنَofالْأَشْيَاءِthings
then something of inspiration opened up for me
وَالرُّسُلُwhile the messengersلَاnotتَغُبُّنِيleaving me alone / visiting frequently
while the messengers were constantly visiting me
فَجَاءَتْنِيso there came to meأَرْبَعَةُfourأَبْيَاتٍverses
and four verses came to me
رَضِيتُهَاI was pleased with them
I was pleased with them
وَوَقَعَتْand they turned outصَحِيحَةَsound inالْمَعْنَىmeaning
and they turned out sound in meaning,
سَهْلَةَeasy inالْأَلْفَاظِwording
easy in wording,
مُلَائِمَةًsuitableلِمَاto whatطُلِبَwas requestedمِنِّي،from me,
suitable to what was requested from me,
فَقُلْتُso I saidلِأَحَدِto oneالرُّسُلِ:of the messengers:
so I said to one of the messengers:
أَبْلِغِConvey toالْوَزِيرَthe Vizier
Convey to the Vizier
قَدْI haveقُلْتُsaidأَرْبَعَةَfourأَبْيَاتٍverses
that I have said four verses
فَإِنْso ifفِيهَاin themمَقْنَعٌ.there is sufficiency.
and if in them there is sufficiency.
وَفِيAnd inقَدْرِthe span ofذَهَابِthe going ofالرَّسُولِthe messengerوَمَجِيئِهِand his return
And in the span of the messenger's going and returning
حَضَرَنِيthere occurred to meبَيْتَانِtwo versesمِنْother thanغَيْرِother thanذَلِكَthatالرَّوِيِّ،rhyme,
there occurred to me two verses in other than that rhyme,
فَكَتَبْتُso I wroteالْأَرْبَعَةَthe fourالْأَبْيَاتِversesفِيatصَدْرِthe top ofالرُّقْعَةِthe note
so I wrote the four verses at the top of the note
وَعَقَّبْتُand I followed themبِالْبَيْتَيْنِwith the two verses
and followed them with the two verses
فَكَتَبْتُ:and wrote:
and wrote:
الْعَاشِقُونَThe loversكِلَاهُمَاboth of themمُتَغَضِّبُare angry
The lovers, both of them are angry
وَكِلَاهُمَاand both of themمُتَوَجِّدٌare painedمُتَجَنِّبُand avoiding
and both of them are pained and avoiding
صَدَّتْShe turned awayمُغَاضِبَةًin angerوَصَدَّand he turned awayمُغَاضِباًin anger
She turned away in anger and he turned away in anger
وَكِلَاهُمَاand both of themمِمَّاfrom whatيُعَالِجُhe/she suffersمُتْعَبُis fatigued
and both of them are fatigued by what they suffer
رَاجِعْReturn toأَحِبَّتَكَyour loved onesالَّذِينَwhomهَجَرْتَهُمْyou forsook
Return to your loved ones whom you forsook
إِنَّtrulyالْمُتَيَّمَthe infatuated loverقَلَّrarelyمَاdoesيَتَجَنَّبُavoid
truly the infatuated lover rarely avoids
إِنَّIndeedالتَّجَنُّبَavoidanceإِنْifتَطَاوَلَit prolongsمِنْكُمَاbetween you two
Indeed, if avoidance is prolonged between you two
دَبَّcreepsالسُّلُوُّforgetfulness/consolationلَهُto itفَعَزَّand difficult becomesالْمَطْلَبُthe objective
forgetfulness creeps into it and the objective becomes difficult
ثُمَّThenكَتَبْتُI wroteتَحْتَbeneathذَلِكَ:that:
Then I wrote beneath that:
لَاThere is noبُدَّescapeلِلْعَاشِقِfor the loverمِنْfromوَقْفَةٍa pause
There is no escape for the lover from a pause
تَكُونُthat isبَيْنَbetweenالْوَصْلِunionوَالصَّرْمِand severance
that is between union and severance
حَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenالْهَمُّworryتَمَادَىprolongsبِهِwith him
until when worry prolongs with him
رَاجَعَhe returns toمَنْthe one whoيَهْوَىhe lovesعَلَىdespiteرَغْمٍreluctance
he returns to the one he loves despite reluctance