أَعاذِلَO reprover بِعتُI sold الجَهلَfolly حَيثُwhere يُباعُit is sold
أَعاذِلَ بِعتُ الجَهلَ حَيثُ يُباعُ
وَأَبرَزتُand I bared رَأسيmy head ماnot عَلَيهِupon it قِناعُa veil
وَأَبرَزتُ رَأسي ما عَلَيهِ قِناعُ
O reprover, I sold folly where it is sold,
I have shunned ignorance wherever it is sold
O blamer, I have sold my folly in the market where it is sold,
And I bared my head, with no veil upon it.
And I have held my head high, though it wears a mask
And I have bared my head; there is no veil remaining upon it.
نَهانيforbade me أَميرُCommander المُؤمِنينِof the Faithful عَنِfrom الصَباyouthful dalliance
نَهاني أَميرُ المُؤمِنينِ عَنِ الصَبا
وَأَمرُand the command أَميرُof the Commander المُؤمِنينِof the Faithful مُطاعُis obeyed
وَأَمرُ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينِ مُطاعُ
The Commander of the Faithful forbade me youthful dalliance,
The Commander of the Faithful has forbidden me from folly
The Commander of the Faithful has forbidden me from youthful passion,
And the Commander of the Faithful's command is obeyed.
And obeying the Commander of the Faithful is imperative
And the command of the Commander of the Faithful must be obeyed.
وَلَهوٍand many a pastime لِتَأنيبِbecause of the rebuke of الإِمامِthe Imam تَرَكتُهُI abandoned it
وَلَهوٍ لِتَأنيبِ الإِمامِ تَرَكتُهُ
وَفيهِand in it لِلاهٍfor a pleasure-seeker مَنظَرٌa sight to behold وَسَماعُand song
وَفيهِ لِلاهٍ مَنظَرٌ وَسَماعُ
And many a pastime I abandoned at the Imam's rebuke,
For fear of the Imam's rebuke, I have forsaken diversion
How many diversions I abandoned due to the Imam's rebuke,
Though it offered the pleasure-seeker sights and song.
In which there is frivolity and entertainment
Though in them, for the reveler, were spectacles and song.
وَرَيّانَand a well-watered one مِنwith ماءِthe water of الشَبابِyouth كَأَنَّماas though
وَرَيّانَ مِن ماءِ الشَبابِ كَأَنَّما
يُظَمّأُhe is made thirsty مِنby ضُمرِthe slenderness of الحَشاthe waist وَيُجاعُand he is made hungry
يُظَمّأُ مِن ضُمرِ الحَشا وَيُجاعُ
And a youth, brimming with the water of youth, as though
Like one who slakes his thirst with the water of youth
And [I left] many a lush youth, fresh with the water of life, as though
Made thirsty and starved by the slenderness of his waist—
From the udder of a fat cow when famished
He were parched and famished by the slenderness of his waist.
قَصَرتُI confined عَلَيهِto him النَفسَmyself دونَrather than مُدامَةٍwine
قَصَرتُ عَلَيهِ النَفسَ دونَ مُدامَةٍ
هِيَit اليَومَtoday حَربٌan enemy وَهيَand it أَمسِyesterday شِياعُfreely shared
هِيَ اليَومَ حَربٌ وَهيَ أَمسِ شِياعُ
I devoted myself to him rather than to wine,
I have curbed my soul without persistent effort
I confined my soul to him alone, apart from the wine,
Which is an enemy today, though yesterday it was freely shared.
For today it wages war and yesterday it was broken to pieces
Which is today a war to me, though yesterday it was an ally.
Sol 6.1