قَدindeed نَحَرْناwe slaughtered الزِّقَّthe wineskin يومَthe day العيدِof Eid نَحْراa slaughter
قَد نَحَرْنا الزِّقَّ يومَ العيدِ نَحْرا
وأَذَبناand we melted بلُجَينin the silver الكأسof the cup تبراraw gold
وأَذَبنا بلُجَين الكأس تبرا
On Eid we have slaughtered the wineskin outright,
and melted raw gold in the silver of the cup.
وتخيَّلناand we imagined الحميّاthe potent wine لهباًa flame
وتخيَّلنا الحميّا لهباً
وحسِبناand we thought أنَّهاthat it بالماءwith water تورىis kindled
وحسِبنا أنَّها بالماء تورى
And we imagined the potent wine to be a flame,
and thought that water set it alight.
قالhe said ليto me الساقيthe cupbearer وقدand already طافhe went around بهاwith it
قال لي الساقي وقد طاف بها
هيit خمرٌwine وتراهاand you see it أَنْتَyou جمراembers
هي خمرٌ وتراها أَنْتَ جمرا
The cupbearer said to me as he passed it round:
"It is wine, yet you yourself see it as embers."
ياO نديماًdrinking companion قدalready سَقانيgave me to drink كأسَهhis cup
يا نديماً قد سَقاني كأسَه
إسقنيهاgive it to me to drink فيin الهوىlove أخرىanother وأخرىand another
إسقنيها في الهوى أخرى وأخرى
O drinking companion who has given me his cup,
give me that cup in love, another and another.
إنَّtruly أحلىthe sweetest العيشlife ماthat which مرَّpassed علىupon
إنَّ أحلى العيش ما مرَّ على
روضةa garden غنَّاءlush والكاساتand the cups تترىfollow in succession
روضة غنَّاء والكاسات تترى
Truly, the sweetest life is that spent in
a luxuriant garden, with cups following one another.
ويدand the hand المزنof rain clouds وأزهارand the blossoms الرُّباof the hills
ويد المزن وأزهار الرُّبا
نُشِرَتْwere unfolded منfrom بعدafter ذاكthat الطيّfolding نشراan unfolding
نُشِرَتْ من بعد ذاك الطيّ نشرا
And the rain clouds' hand and the blossoms of the hills
have unfolded fully after that folding.
فأدِرْهاso pass it round قرقفاًwine إنif مُزِجتit is mixed
فأدِرْها قرقفاً إن مُزِجت
كَلَّلَتْit crowned ياقوتهاits ruby بالمزجthrough mixing درّاpearls
كَلَّلَتْ ياقوتها بالمزج درّا
So pass it round—a wine that, if mixed,
crowns its ruby with pearls through the mingling.
لاdo not تَخَفْfear منof وِزْرِهاits sin فيin شربهاdrinking it
لا تَخَفْ من وِزْرِها في شربها
أوor تخشىfear معwith عفوthe pardon اللهof God وزراa sin
أو تخشى مع عفو الله وزرا
Do not fear its sin when you drink it,
or dread guilt in the face of God's pardon.
راحةthe solace الأرواحof souls بالراحin wine الَّتيwhich
راحة الأرواح بالراح الَّتي
لمdid not تدعleave للهمّfor sorrow فيin الأحشاءthe inward parts ذكراa memory
لم تدع للهمّ في الأحشاء ذكرا
The solace of souls lies in the wine that
has left no memory of sorrow in the depths of the heart.
وبأهليand with my kin as ransom ذلكthat الظبيgazelle وإنand even though
وبأهلي ذلك الظبي وإن
أوْسَعَhe lavished upon المغرمthe lovesick lover إعراضاًrejection وهجراand estrangement
أوْسَعَ المغرم إعراضاً وهجرا
And let my kin be ransom for that gazelle, even though
he lavished rejection and estrangement on the lovesick lover.
غَرَّنيbeguiled me فيin حبّهlove for him ذوone possessing هيفa slender waist
غَرَّني في حبّه ذو هيف
كلّماwhenever لامreproached بهover him العاذلthe censurer أغرىspurred on
كلّما لام به العاذل أغرى
A slender-waisted one beguiled me into loving him;
whenever the censurer reproached me for him, he spurred me on.
صالhe charged باللحظwith a glance علىagainst عشاقهhis lovers
صال باللحظ على عشاقه
ولَكَمand how many منof كرّةٍa charge فيin الحبlove كرّاhe charged
ولَكَم من كرّةٍ في الحب كرّا
He charged upon his lovers with a glance,
and how many a charge he made in love!
قدindeed مضىwas decreed فيin الحبّlove أنthat أقضيI should perish بهthrough it
قد مضى في الحبّ أن أقضي به
وقضاياand the decrees حبّهof love for him صغرىminor وكبرىand major
وقضايا حبّه صغرى وكبرى
It has been decreed in love that I should die of it,
and the decrees of love for him are minor and major.
ماwhat عليهis upon him فيin الهوىlove صيَّرَhe made ليfor me
ما عليه في الهوى صيَّرَ لي
كبداًa liver حرّىburning وقلباًand a heart ماnot استقرّاfound rest
كبداً حرّى وقلباً ما استقرّا
What is it to him that, in love, he has left me
a burning liver and a heart that has never rested?
ياO زماناًtime حَذرتI feared أخطارهits dangers
يا زماناً حَذرت أخطاره
نحنwe لمdid not نأخذtake منagainst الأيامthe days حذراprecaution
نحن لم نأخذ من الأيام حذرا
O time whose perils I have feared,
we have taken no precautions against the days.
أَنْتَyou منfrom دونapart from النقيبthe chief القرمthe noble lord لاnot
أَنْتَ من دون النقيب القرم لا
تَمْلِكُyou command اليومَtoday لناfor us نَفعاًbenefit وضَرّاand harm
تَمْلِكُ اليومَ لنا نَفعاً وضَرّا
You, without the chief, that noble lord, cannot
bring us any benefit or harm today.
سيّدٌa lord أمَّاas for نَداهhis bounty فالحياthen the rain
سيّدٌ أمَّا نَداه فالحيا
دونهbeneath him جوداًin generosity وأدنىand lesser منهthan him وفراin abundance
دونه جوداً وأدنى منه وفرا
A lord—as for his bounty, the rain
is below him in generosity and falls short of his abundance.
هكذاthus منone who كانَwas تجريflows كفّهhis hand
هكذا من كانَ تجري كفّه
نايلاًgifts وفراًabundant وإحساناًand kindness وبرّاand goodness
نايلاً وفراً وإحساناً وبرّا
Such is one whose hand flows
with abundant gifts, kindness, and goodness.
وإذاand when ماemphatic particle المُعوِلthe pleading one العافيthe seeker of bounty أتىcomes
وإذا ما المُعوِل العافي أتى
بابهhis door العاليlofty اغتنىbecame well-off فيهwithin it وأثرىand grew rich
بابه العالي اغتنى فيه وأثرى
And whenever the pleading petitioner comes
to his lofty door, he prospers there and grows rich.
باليدwith the hand البيضاءwhite كمhow often أمطرناhe showered us
باليد البيضاء كم أمطرنا
منfrom غواديmorning showers جودهاits bounty بيضاًwhite coins وصُفراand yellow coins
من غوادي جودها بيضاً وصُفرا
With his white hand, how often he has showered us
with white and yellow coins from the morning showers of its bounty.
وَرَدواthey came to البحرthe sea أُناسٌpeople قبلناbefore us
وَرَدوا البحر أُناسٌ قبلنا
لاnot وَرَدناwe came to غيرother than تلكthat اليدhand بحراa sea
لا وَرَدنا غير تلك اليد بحرا
Others came to the sea before us;
we have come to no sea but that hand.
نَتَحرّىwe seek كلَّevery آنٍmoment جودَهاits bounty
نَتَحرّى كلَّ آنٍ جودَها
وهوand he بالفضلfor generosity وبالمعروفand for kindness أحرىmost fitting
وهو بالفضل وبالمعروف أحرى
We seek its bounty at every moment,
and generosity and kindness befit him best.
وإذاand when مُدَّتit is extended إلىtoward أعدائهاits enemies
وإذا مُدَّت إلى أعدائها
جزَرَتْهمit slaughtered them بالمواضيwith sharp blades البيضgleaming جزراa slaughter
جزَرَتْهم بالمواضي البيض جزرا
And when it is stretched toward its enemies,
it slaughters them outright with sharp, gleaming blades.
هوhe ربّthe lord الكَرمof generosity المحضِpure الَّذيwho
هو ربّ الكَرم المحضِ الَّذي
لاnot يرىregards الإقلالlack of means يومthe day الجودof giving عذراan excuse
لا يرى الإقلال يوم الجود عذرا
He is the lord of pure generosity, who
does not regard lack of means as an excuse on the day of giving.
وإذاand when أولاكَhe bestowed upon you منsome of إحسانهhis kindness
وإذا أولاكَ من إحسانه
ساعةًan hour فيin عمرهhis life أغناكhe enriched you دهراfor an age
ساعةً في عمره أغناك دهرا
And when he bestows some of his kindness upon you
in one hour of his life, he enriches you for an age.
فيميناًso I swear كلَّماwhenever شاهدتهI beheld him
فيميناً كلَّما شاهدته
قلتI said فيهof him إنَّindeed بعدَafter العسرhardship يسراease
قلت فيه إنَّ بعدَ العسر يسرا
So I swear: whenever I have beheld him,
I have said of him, "Indeed, after hardship comes ease."
سيٍّدٌa lord سهلٌgentle فيin بأوقاتat the times النَّدىof giving
سيٍّدٌ سهلٌ في بأوقات النَّدى
وبأَيَّامِand on the days الوغىof battle لاnot زالَceased to be وعراformidable
وبأَيَّامِ الوغى لا زالَ وعرا
A lord, gentle in times of giving,
and may he ever be formidable on days of battle.
يصنعhe does المعروفkindness معwith كلّevery امرئٍperson
يصنع المعروف مع كلّ امرئٍ
وهوand he لاnot يبغيseeks علىfor المعروفِkindness أجراa reward
وهو لا يبغي على المعروفِ أجرا
He does good to every person,
and seeks no reward for his good deeds.
لمْhas not يَخِبْbeen disappointed فيamong النَّاسpeople يوماًever آمِلٌa hopeful seeker
لمْ يَخِبْ في النَّاس يوماً آمِلٌ
جاعِلٌmaking آلthe family رسولMessenger اللهGod ذخراa treasure
جاعِلٌ آل رسول الله ذخرا
No hopeful seeker among mankind has ever been disappointed
who takes the family of God's Messenger as his treasure.
نَثرَhe scattered المالَwealth علىupon وُفَّادِهhis visitors
نَثرَ المالَ على وُفَّادِه
فشكرناso we thanked فضلهhis bounty نظماًin verse ونثراand in prose
فشكرنا فضله نظماً ونثرا
He scattered wealth upon his visitors,
so we thanked his bounty in verse and prose.
سيِّديmy lord والفضلُand generosity لولاكَbut for you عفاfaded away
سيِّدي والفضلُ لولاكَ عفا
فجزاكso may he reward you اللهGod عنon behalf of عافيكyour petitioner خيراwith good
فجزاك الله عن عافيك خيرا
My lord, but for you, generosity would have vanished;
so may God reward you with good on behalf of your petitioner.
بأبيwith my father as ransom أَنْتَyou وأُمٍّيand my mother ماجدٌa noble man
بأبي أَنْتَ وأُمٍّي ماجدٌ
قادرٌّpowerful هوhe أعلىhighest النَّاسpeople قدراin rank
قادرٌّ هو أعلى النَّاس قدرا
My father and mother be ransom for you—a noble man,
a powerful man, highest among people in rank.
مَلَكتْtook possession of رقِّيَmy bondage منهfrom him أنعمٌfavors
مَلَكتْ رقِّيَ منه أنعمٌ
بعدَafter ماthat كنتُI was وأيمand I swear by اللهGod حرَّاfree
بعدَ ما كنتُ وأيم الله حرَّا
His favors have claimed me as their slave,
after I had been—by God—free.
أَيُّwhich نعمائكof your favors يقضيrepays حقّهاits due
أَيُّ نعمائك يقضي حقّها
أيُّهاO السَّيِّدlord هذاthis العبدservant شكراin gratitude
أيُّها السَّيِّد هذا العبد شكرا
Which of your favors can be duly repaid,
O lord, by this servant's thanks?
إنَّماonly الفخرhonor الَّذيwhich طُلْتَyou excelled بهthrough it
إنَّما الفخر الَّذي طُلْتَ به
شرحَopened wide اللهGod بهthrough it للمجدfor glory صدراa breast
شرحَ الله به للمجد صدرا
It is the honor through which you excelled
that God has used to open wide the breast of glory.
ولقدand indeed جاوَزْتَyou surpassed حدًّاa limit فيin العُلىeminence
ولقد جاوَزْتَ حدًّا في العُلى
رَجَعَتْturned back منfrom دونهshort of it الأَبصارthe eyes حسرىexhausted
رَجَعَتْ من دونه الأَبصار حسرى
And you have indeed passed a threshold in eminence
short of which eyes have turned back exhausted.
فاهناso enjoy بالعيدat Eid ودمand remain مبتهجاًjoyful
فاهنا بالعيد ودم مبتهجاً
ناحِرُslaughtering الحاسِدِthe envier بالنّعْمَةِwith blessings نحراa slaughter
ناحِرُ الحاسِدِ بالنّعْمَةِ نحرا
So enjoy Eid and remain joyful,
you who slaughter the envier outright with blessings.
Sol 6.1