هنيئاًpleasant مريئاًwholesome غيرwithout داءillness مخامِرٍlurking
هنيئاً مريئاً غير داء مخامِرٍ
مُواقعةencountering الشَّبّوطِthe shabbout fish للمتفرِّدِfor the solitary diner
مُواقعة الشَّبّوطِ للمتفرِّدِ
Pleasant and wholesome, with no lurking illness,
A bright welcome, free from the wine's affliction
be the lone diner's encounter with the shabbout.
Rivaling the youth in excelling alone
ولاand may not تبعدنْyou perish منwhat a أكلةmeal سبقتْtook the lead بهاwith it
ولا تبعدنْ من أكلة سبقتْ بها
يداthe two hands of سابقa champion فيin حَلْبةthe racecourse of المجدِglory مبعدِfar ahead
يدا سابق في حَلْبة المجدِ مبعدِ
Long live that meal, first offered by
And do not distance yourself from one preceded by
the hands of a champion far ahead in glory's race.
A hand preceding in the arena of glory, distancing
ولاand not كانwas he فيin استبدادهhis keeping it to himself متعمداًintentional
ولا كان في استبداده متعمداً
وماand not كنتُwas I فيin الإخلالneglect بالمتعمدِat all deliberate
وما كنتُ في الإخلال بالمتعمدِ
He did not mean to keep it all to himself,
Nor was he deliberately obstinate in his domination
nor did I mean to be remiss.
And I was not deliberately violating
خلاexcept أنthat هذاthis البخْتَluck يجريruns مبلّداًsluggishly
خلا أن هذا البخْتَ يجري مبلّداً
بصاحبهwith its rider طوْراًat times وغيرand not مبلَّدِsluggish
بصاحبه طوْراً وغير مبلَّدِ
Only this luck runs sluggishly
Except that this luck flows innately
with its rider at times, and at others without sluggishness.
With its companion, sometimes and not innately
وينْدُرand it darts forth فيat الأحيانtimes جِدَّthe zeal of مُحَرَّرٍone set free
وينْدُر في الأحيان جِدَّ مُحَرَّرٍ
ويندرand is scarce فيat الأحيانtimes جِدُّthe zeal of مُبَرَّدِone grown cold
ويندر في الأحيان جِدُّ مُبَرَّدِ
At times it darts forth with unfettered zeal,
And it rarely occurs very much liberated
and at times a chilled one's zeal is scarce.
And it rarely occurs very much relaxed
فبُعْداًso away لهwith it منas a طالبٍseeker مُتمنِّعٍplaying hard to get
فبُعْداً له من طالبٍ مُتمنِّعٍ
وسُحْقاًand perdition لهto it منas one راغبdesiring متزهِّدِfeigning asceticism
وسُحْقاً له من راغب متزهِّدِ
Away with it—a seeker playing hard to get!
So stay away O desisting seeker
To perdition with it—one eager, yet posing as an ascetic!
And perish O contented aspirer
فلاso may not يَبْعدِperish الشبُّوطُthe shabbout fish منas one متلبِّسٍclad in
فلا يَبْعدِ الشبُّوطُ من متلبِّسٍ
ظِهارتهits outer coat الحسنىthe beautiful ومنand as one مُتجَرِّدِstripped bare
ظِهارته الحسنى ومن مُتجَرِّدِ
Long live the shabbout, whether clad
So the youth does not distance from the well-dressed
in its lovely outer coat or stripped bare,
His good appearance or the bare
إذاwhen نَشَّit sizzles فيon سفُّودهits spit عندat نُضْجِهِits doneness
إذا نَشَّ في سفُّوده عند نُضْجِهِ
وأخرجand is drawn out منfrom سربالهits tunic المتوَرّدِthe rose-colored
وأخرج من سرباله المتوَرّدِ
when it sizzles on its spit as it cooks,
When he smiles in his plumpness at his prime
and is drawn from its rosy tunic.
And brings out from his cloak the well-tailored
فَتيٌّa youth رعىgrazed مَرْعىًa pasture بدجلةin the Tigris مُخْصِباًlush
فَتيٌّ رعى مَرْعىً بدجلة مُخْصِباً
أبىrefused أنthat يراهsee him رائدٌa pasture-scout غيرَnot مُحْمِدِpraising
أبى أن يراه رائدٌ غيرَ مُحْمِدِ
A youth who grazed a lush pasture in the Tigris,
A young man who grazed a fertile pasture by the Tigris
who let no scout behold him without praise,
Refused to be seen by any guide but the praised
إلىuntil أنthat أصابتهbefell him منfrom الدهرtime نوبةٌa turn of misfortune
إلى أن أصابته من الدهر نوبةٌ
وقدand already صارhad become أقصىthe utmost مُنيةَdesire of المتجَوِّدِthe connoisseur
وقد صار أقصى مُنيةَ المتجَوِّدِ
until a turn of fate befell him,
Until he was struck by fate's affliction
when he had become the connoisseur's utmost desire.
And had reached the end of the wandering
فأصدرهso he drew him away الصَّيادthe fisherman عنfrom خيرthe best مَوْرِدٍwatering place
فأصدره الصَّياد عن خير مَوْرِدٍ
وأوردهand brought him to الشَّوَّاءُthe roaster أخبثَthe foulest مورِدِwatering place
وأورده الشَّوَّاءُ أخبثَ مورِدِ
The fisherman drew him from the finest watering place,
So the hunter removed him from the best creek
and the roaster brought him to the foulest watering place.
And theException: rendezvous brought him to the worst creek
وجاءand came بهwith him الحمَّالُthe porter أطيبَthe tastiest مطعَمٍfare
وجاء به الحمَّالُ أطيبَ مطعَمٍ
إلىto الطيِّبthe kindly one المِنْفاقthe lavish spender غيْرِnot المصرِّدِthe stinting giver
إلى الطيِّب المِنْفاق غيْرِ المصرِّدِ
The porter brought him, the tastiest fare,
And the carrier brought him to the most delicious food
to the kindly, lavish spender who never stints.
To the generous spending one, not the hoarder
وياand oh حبذاhow delightful إمعانُناour wholehearted indulgence فيهin it ناضجاًwell cooked
ويا حبذا إمعانُنا فيه ناضجاً
كماjust as جاءit came منfrom تَنُّورِهits oven المتوقِّدِthe blazing
كما جاء من تَنُّورِه المتوقِّدِ
How delightful our wholehearted feasting on it, cooked through,
And how excellent is our pleasure in it when ripe
just as it came from its blazing oven!
As it came from its lit oven
وإنيand indeed I لمشتاقtruly longing إلىfor عَوْدِa return of مثلهits like
وإني لمشتاق إلى عَوْدِ مثله
وإنand although كنتُI was أُبديshowing صفحةthe face of المتجلِّدِone bearing up
وإن كنتُ أُبدي صفحة المتجلِّدِ
Indeed, I long for another like it,
And I long for a return to its like
though I put on the face of one who bears up.
Even if I pretend to turn a cold shoulder
فهلso is there ياO أخيmy brother منany مِنَّةٍfavor بتغمُّدٍthrough pardon
فهل يا أخي من مِنَّةٍ بتغمُّدٍ
فماfor never زلتhave you ceased تسْديbestowing منَّةَthe favor of المتغمِّدِone who pardons
فما زلت تسْدي منَّةَ المتغمِّدِ
So, my brother, will you grant the favor of pardon?
So O brother is there any reproach in covering up
You have always bestowed a pardoner's favor.
You still perform the favor of the coverer
وإنand if تكare عَوْدَاتيmy repeated returns قِباحاًugly فلمthen not يكنwas
وإن تك عَوْدَاتي قِباحاً فلم يكن
لمعتادِهِنَّfor one accustomed to them الذنبُthe blame دونto the exclusion of المعَوِّدِthe one fostering the habit
لمعتادِهِنَّ الذنبُ دون المعَوِّدِ
If my repeated returns are shameful, the blame is not
And if your returns are ugly, it was not
the returner's alone, but his encourager's too.
The fault of their usual comer, besides the promiser
صفحتَyou forgave فعاودناso we returned وطالand grew prolonged دلالُناour fond presumption
صفحتَ فعاودنا وطال دلالُنا
وكمand how many مُسْتَذِمٍّone courting blame فيin ذُراthe shelter of مُتحمِّدِone earning praise
وكم مُسْتَذِمٍّ في ذُرا مُتحمِّدِ
You forgave, so we returned; our fond presumption grew.
You forgave so we returned and our flirtation was long
How many a man courting blame shelters with one earning praise!
And how many repentants in the spinning of the praiser
فأنتso you شريكيmy partner فيin الذيwhat قدindeed جَنيتهI committed it
فأنت شريكي في الذي قد جَنيته
وإنand although كنتُI was عينَthe very الجارِمِculprit المتمرِّدِthe rebellious one
وإن كنتُ عينَ الجارِمِ المتمرِّدِ
So you are my partner in what I have committed,
So you are my partner in what I have reaped
though I am the very rebellious culprit.
Even if I am the eye of the defiant trespasser
وقدand indeed أمَّلتْhas hoped نفسيmy soul لديكwith you إقالةًa pardon
وقد أمَّلتْ نفسي لديك إقالةً
فهلso is there ماجدٌa noble man مستهدفٌoffering himself as a target للمُمَجِّدِfor the panegyrist
فهل ماجدٌ مستهدفٌ للمُمَجِّدِ
My soul has hoped for pardon from you;
And my soul hoped for acquittal from you
is there a noble man to offer himself as a target for the panegyrist?
So is there a glorious one targeted by the glorifier?
وكمand how many قائلٍa speaker فيin مثلهاsuch a case وهوwhile he طالبٌis a petitioner
وكم قائلٍ في مثلها وهو طالبٌ
فهلthen is there ساقطٌa base man مستهدِفٌoffering himself as a target لمفنِّدِfor a faultfinder
فهل ساقطٌ مستهدِفٌ لمفنِّدِ
Many a petitioner in such a case has said:
And how many speakers in the like of it while seeking
'Is there a wretch to offer himself as a target for a faultfinder?'
So is there a fallen one targeted by the refuter?
وأنتand you امرؤa man فيin ظلthe shade of كلevery مُسَمَّحٍgenerous giver
وأنت امرؤ في ظل كل مُسَمَّحٍ
فَسَمِّحْso be generous ونكِّبْand turn aside عنfrom طريقthe path of المنكّدِthe grudging giver
فَسَمِّحْ ونكِّبْ عن طريق المنكّدِ
You are a man in every generous giver's shade;
And you are a man in the shadow of every permitter
so be generous, and shun the grudging giver's path.
So permit and ignore the path of the frowner
وإنand if لاnot تكنyou are ليto me سيداًa lord فيin إقالتيpardoning me
وإن لا تكن لي سيداً في إقالتي
فليthen I have منin أبيAbu العباسal-Abbas أكرمُthe most generous سَيِّدِlord
فلي من أبي العباس أكرمُ سَيِّدِ
And if you will not be my lord in pardoning me,
And if you are not my master in my acquittal
in Abu al-Abbas I have the most generous of lords.
Then for me is the most generous master
Sol 6.1