ياO ابنَson of المُسَيَّبِal-Musayyab عشتmay you live فيamid نِعَمٍblessings
يا ابنَ المُسَيَّبِ عشت في نِعَمٍ
وسَلمتَand may you be safe منfrom هُلْكٍruin ومنand from عَطَبِdestruction
وسَلمتَ من هُلْكٍ ومن عَطَبِ
O Ibn al-Musayyab, may you live amid blessings,
O son of al-Musayyab, you lived in luxury
and be safe from ruin and destruction.
And were spared ruin and affliction.
ياO شاعرَpoet of العَجَمthe non-Arabs الكرامِthe noble كماjust as
يا شاعرَ العَجَم الكرامِ كما
أنَّthat ابنَson of حُجْرٍHujr شاعرُthe poet of العربِthe Arabs
أنَّ ابنَ حُجْرٍ شاعرُ العربِ
O poet of the noble non-Arabs, just as
O poet of the noble non-Arabs, as
Ibn Hujr is the poet of the Arabs;
Ibn Hujr was the poet of the Arabs.
ياO قائدَleader of الظرفاءthe refined لاnot كذباًfalsely
يا قائدَ الظرفاء لا كذباً
ياO قدوةَexemplar of الأدباءmen of letters فيin الأدبِliterature
يا قدوةَ الأدباء في الأدبِ
O leader of the refined—no falsehood—
O leader of the refined, not falsely,
O model for men of letters in their art!
O exemplar of the literary in literature.
أدرِكْrescue ثقاتكَyour trusted companions إنهمfor they وقعواhave fallen
أدرِكْ ثقاتكَ إنهم وقعوا
فيamid نَرْجسٍnarcissus معهwith it ابنةُthe daughter of العنبِthe grape
في نَرْجسٍ معه ابنةُ العنبِ
Rescue your trusted companions: they have fallen
Reach your comrades, they have fallen
amid narcissus, with the grape’s daughter beside it.
Into narcissus, with it the grape's daughter.
فهُمso they بحالٍin a state لوif بَصُرْتَyou caught sight بهاof it
فهُم بحالٍ لو بَصُرْتَ بها
سبَّحتَyou would glorify God منfrom عُجبٍadmiration ومنand from عَجبِwonder
سبَّحتَ من عُجبٍ ومن عَجبِ
So they are in a state that, were you to see it,
They are in a state, if you could see it,
you would cry “Glory to God!” in admiration and wonder.
You would praise in wonder and wonder.
رَيْحانُهمtheir fragrant blossoms ذهبٌgold علىupon دُررٍpearls
رَيْحانُهم ذهبٌ على دُررٍ
وشرابُهمand their drink دُرٌّpearls علىupon ذهبِgold
وشرابُهم دُرٌّ على ذهبِ
Their fragrant blossoms are gold upon pearls,
Their basil is gold on pearls
and their drink is pearls upon gold.
And their drink is pearls on gold.
كأسٌa cup إذاwhen ماever (emphasis) الماءُwater واقَعهاcouples with it
كأسٌ إذا ما الماءُ واقَعها
صاغit fashions الحُلَىjewelry منهاfrom it بلاwithout تعبِeffort
صاغ الحُلَى منها بلا تعبِ
A cup: whenever water couples with it,
A cup, when water hits it,
it fashions jewelry from it without effort.
Pours pearls from it without effort.
فيin روضةٍa garden شَتويةwintry رَضِعتhas suckled
في روضةٍ شَتوية رَضِعت
دِرَرَcopious flows الحياthe rain حَلباًa milking علىupon حلبِa milking
دِرَرَ الحيا حَلباً على حلبِ
In a winter garden that has suckled
In a winter garden milked
the rain’s copious flow, milking after milking—
The pearls of life's milk on milk.
منof زهرةٍblossoms قدalready حفَّهاhas encircled it شجرtrees
من زهرةٍ قد حفَّها شجر
للطيرfor the birds فيهاin it أَيُّماsuch great لَجبِclamor
للطير فيها أَيُّما لَجبِ
a garden of blossoms encircled by trees,
From a blossom a tree covered
where the birds raise such a clamor!
For the birds in it every playfulness.
تتنفسُbreathe الأنوارُthe blossoms فيهin it لهاfor them
تتنفسُ الأنوارُ فيه لها
فيهيجُand surges منهاfrom them أيُّماsuch طربِrapture
فيهيجُ منها أيُّما طربِ
The blossoms breathe there for them,
The lights breathe in it, arousing
and from them surges such rapture;
From it whichever rapture.
فتظلُّso they spend the day فيهin it بخيرin the best مُصْطَحَبٍcompany
فتظلُّ فيه بخير مُصْطَحَبٍ
وكأنهاand as though they فيin شرِّthe worst مُصْطَحَبِcompany
وكأنها في شرِّ مُصْطَحَبِ
so they spend the day there in the best company,
So it remains in the best company
yet seem to be in the worst company.
As if it were in the worst company.
والعودُand the lute يصخَبُclamors كيso that تُجاوبهshe answers it
والعودُ يصخَبُ كي تُجاوبه
مَوْموقةٌcherished معشوقةٌbeloved for الصَّخَبِthe clamor
مَوْموقةٌ معشوقةٌ الصَّخَبِ
And the lute clamors so that it may be answered
The lute resounds so that it may answer it
by a cherished woman, beloved for her clamor.
A infatuated, beloved twittering.
واليومُand the day مدجونٌovercast فَحُرَّتُهُso its noble lady
واليومُ مدجونٌ فَحُرَّتُهُ
فيهin it بمُطَّلَعٍin view ومحتجبِand hidden
فيه بمُطَّلَعٍ ومحتجبِ
And the day is overcast, so its noble lady
The day is buried, so its heat
is now in view, now hidden:
In it with a rising and setting.
شمسٌa sun تساترناveils herself from us وقدand has already بعثتsent
شمسٌ تساترنا وقد بعثت
ضوءاًlight يُلاحظناcasts sidelong glances at us بلاwithout لهبِflame
ضوءاً يُلاحظنا بلا لهبِ
a sun that veils herself from us, though she has sent
A sun that hides us, and it sent
light that casts sidelong glances at us without flame.
A light that observes us without flame.
ياO نرجِسَnarcissus of الدنياthe world أقمْremain أبداًforever
يا نرجِسَ الدنيا أقمْ أبداً
للإقتراحِfor requesting ودائمِand continual النُّخَبِchoice selections
للإقتراحِ ودائمِ النُّخَبِ
O narcissus of the world, remain forever,
O narcissus of the world, stay forever
to be sought after and chosen without cease.
For proposing and constant refinement.
ذَهبَgold of العيونِthe eyes إذاwhen مَثلتyou appear لناbefore us
ذَهبَ العيونِ إذا مَثلت لنا
دُرَّpearls of الجفونthe eyelids زَبَرْجدemerald of القُضُبِthe stems
دُرَّ الجفون زَبَرْجد القُضُبِ
Golden-eyed whenever you appear before us,
The eyes' gold when you represent to us
pearl-lidded, emerald-stemmed!
The pearls of eyelids, emerald of bezels.
لاmay you not زلتcease to be شَفْعَthe partner of الراحwine إنكماfor you two
لا زلت شَفْعَ الراح إنكما
سَكَنُthe solace of القلوبِhearts ومُنتهىand the ultimate object of الطلبِdesire
سَكَنُ القلوبِ ومُنتهى الطلبِ
May you always be wine’s partner, for you two
Still you are half of comfort, you two
are the solace of hearts and the ultimate object of desire.
Are the hearts' tranquility and the goal of desires.
وأرىand I see السماعَmusic مُثلِّثاًmaking a third لكماfor you two
وأرى السماعَ مُثلِّثاً لكما
كابنٍlike a son لأمٍّto a mother حُرّةٍfreeborn وأبِand a father
كابنٍ لأمٍّ حُرّةٍ وأبِ
And I see music making a third with you two,
And I see listening making you two triple,
like a son to a freeborn mother and a father.
Like a son to a free mother and father.
Sol 6.1