1. They were eight of the closest companions -
The finest of friends in an assembly.
١. كَانُوا ثَمَانِيَةٌ مِنَ النُّدَمَاءِ
مُتَآلِفِينَ كَأَحْسَنِ الرُّفَقَاءِ
2. Their youth had shielded their gathering
From all except the elite.
٢. فِي مَجْلِسٍ حَجَبَ الشَّبَابُ بِأَمْرِهِمْ
أَبْوَابَهُ إِلاَّ عَلَى السَّرَّاءِ
3. Conversing, as only the refined would -
Speaking of beauty and joy.
٣. مُتُحَدِّثينَ وَلاَ يَطِيبُ لِمِثْلِهِمْ
إِلاَّ حَدِيثُ الحُسْنِ وَالحَسْنَاءِ
4. When darkness fell and was shredded
By their lights in profusion,
٤. حَتَّى إِذَا اعْتَكَرَ الظَّلامُ وَمُزِّقَتْ
أَحْشَاؤُهُ فَدَمِينَ بِالأَضْوَاءِ
5. Their vigor did fade, their spirits lightened
By the intoxication of youth.
٥. وَتَثَاقَلَتْ أَشْبَاهُهمْ وتَخَفَّفتْ
أَرْوَاحُهُمْ مِنْ نَشْوَةِ الصَّهبَاءِ
6. Hear the bold words of one of those lads -
Impetuous in the spring of his life:
٦. أَصْغُوْا لِقَوْلِ فَتىً جَرِيءٍ مِنْهُمُ
غَضِّ الشَّبيبَةِ جَامِحِ الأَهْوَاءِ
7. "My friends, I hear women close by
At a party, singing their melodies.
٧. يَا أَيُهَا الإِخْوَانُ أَسْمَعُ نِسْوَةً
بِجِوَارِنَا فِي حَفْلَةٍ وَغِنَاءِ
8. Let's devise a clever scheme to bring them here,
For what joy without the company of ladies?"
٨. فَهَلُمَّ نَحْتَلْ حِيلَةً فَيَجِئْنَنَا
لاَ خَيْرَ فِي أُنْسِ بِغَيْرِ نِسَاءِ
9. They asked: "What's your scheme?" He replied:
"I'll pretend that I suddenly passed away.
٩. قَالُوا فَما هِيَ قَالَ أَرْقُدُ مُوهِماً
أَنِّي قَضَيْتُ مُعَاجَلاً بِقَضَاءِ
10. When you start wailing, they will come to mourn,
And I'll rise from my shroud for our union."
١٠. فَإذَا انْتَحَبْتُمْ جِئْنَكُمُ فَبَرَزْتُ مِنْ
كَفَنِي وَفُزْنَا بِاجْتِمَاعِ صَفَاءِ
11. So they cried out as though grieving his loss,
And the women came rushing in sadness
١١. فَنَعَاهُ نَاعٍ رَاعَهُنَّ فَجِئْنَ فِي
هَرَجٍ لِتَوْدِيعِ الفَقِيدِ النَّائِي
12. To bid farewell to the absent dear one,
Weeping for him intensely.
١٢. وَبَكَيْنَهُ حَتَّى إِذا أَدْرَكْنَ مَا
كَادُوا لَهُنَّ وَثَبْنَ وَثْبَ ظِبَاءِ
13. But when they discerned the men's ploy
They leapt up with the speed of gazelles.
١٣. يَضحَكْنَ أَشْبَاهَ الشُّمُوسِ تَأَلَّقَتْ
عَقِبَ الحَيَا وَضَّاءَةَ الَّلأْلاَءِ
14. Their radiant faces glowed
With life and beauty refulgent.
١٤. وَحَفَلنْ حَوْلَ سَرِيرِهِ يَنْهَرْنَهُ
لَكِنْ أحَطْنَ بِصَخْرَةٍ صَمَّاءِ
15. They crowded around his bed, scolding him,
But found only an unhearing rock.
١٥. فَرَفَعْنَ عَنْهُ غَطَاءَهُ فَوَجَدْنَهُ
بِالمَيْتِ أَشْبَهَ مِنْهُ بِالأَحْيَاءِ
16. Lifting his cover, they discovered him
More dead-like than the living.
١٦. عَالَجْنَهُ جُهْدَ العِلاَجِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ
شَيْءٌ لِيُوقِظَهُ مِنَ الإِغْمَاءِ
17. They tried every treatment to revive him
But nothing could rouse him from his stupor,
١٧. حَتَّى إِذَا دُعِيَ الطَّبيبُ فَجَاءَهُمْ
رَاعَ القُلُوبَ بِنَفْيَ كُلِّ رَجَاءِ
18. Until the doctor was called and dashed
All hopes with his prognosis.
١٨. فَتَبَدَّلَتْ أَفْرَاحُهُمْ فِي لَحْظَةٍ
بِمَنَاحَةٍ وَسُرُورُهُمْ بِبُكَاءِ
19. In an instant their joy turned
To grieving, their laughter to tears.
١٩. وَأَبَاتَهُمْ هَذَا المِزَاحُ مِنَ الرَّدَى
فِي شَرِّ مَا يُبْكِي مِنَ الأَرْزَاءِ
20. This joke had led to their friend's demise -
The cruelest cause for weeping.
٢٠. لُوْ عَاشَ صَاحِبُهُمْ لَعَاشَ رَهِينَةً
مِنْ بَعْدِهَا لِلهَجْعَةِ السَّوْدَاءِ
21. Had he lived, he'd be haunted ever after
By melancholy's black cloud.
٢١. وَكَذَا الْحَقِيقَةُ جِدُّهَا وَمِزَاحُهَا
سِيَّانِ في الإِشْقَاءِ وَالإِفْنَاءِ