لِضَوءِ بَرقٍ ظَلَلتَ مُكتَإِباً

لِضَوءِ بَرقٍ ظَلَلتَ مُكتَإِباً

شَقَّ سَناهُ في الجَوِّ وَاِلتَهَبا

شَقَّ سَناهُ في الجَوِّ وَاِلتَهَبا

At the light of lightning, you remained dejected;

The lightning's gleam saddened you, gloomy one,

At the flash of lightning, you remained cast in gloom, / As its brilliance cleaved the air and blazed into flame.

its radiance cleft the sky and blazed.

It cracked through the air in flames.

It flickers through the laughing teeth of the clouds, / Driven by two winds, the North and the East.

يومِضُ في ضاحِكِ النَواجِذِ مَحـ

يومِضُ في ضاحِكِ النَواجِذِ مَحـ

ـذُوٌّ بِريحَينِ شَمأَلٍ وَصَبا

ـذُوٌّ بِريحَينِ شَمأَلٍ وَصَبا

It flashes in a cloud with grinning molars, borne

It flashes in the cheeks of laughing companions

Upon the horizon, it hung its heavy burden, / And dragged its trailing hem across the high hills.

by two winds, the north wind and the east wind.

Awestruck by the winds of youth and morning.

And a mourner stirred among the boughs at mid-morning, / Calling to one drunk with sleep who turned at the dawn.

نَوَّطَ في الأُفقِ عِبءَ فُرَّقِهِ

نَوَّطَ في الأُفقِ عِبءَ فُرَّقِهِ

وَجَرَّ مِنهُ عَلى الرُبا ذَنَبا

وَجَرَّ مِنهُ عَلى الرُبا ذَنَبا

It hung the burden of its scattered masses on the horizon,

It cast its burden upon the horizon

Invoking a memory by name for the sake of a passion, / Reminding him of a time that was succulent and green.

and dragged a tail from it across the hills.

And dragged its tail over the dunes.

So I spent the night like a stranger in his own land, / Crying out, "Alas for me! Alas for the sorrow!"

وَنائِحٍ هَبَّ في الغُصونِ ضُحىً

وَنائِحٍ هَبَّ في الغُصونِ ضُحىً

لِمُنتَشٍ مَوهِناً إِذا اِنقَلَبا

لِمُنتَشٍ مَوهِناً إِذا اِنقَلَبا

And a wailing bird stirred in the boughs at forenoon,

A mourner wailed at dawn in the branches

With the collar of my shirt torn open, / Casting dust upon my head with a heavy hand.

for a tipsy man when he returned late at night.

Feeble when overturned.

Until, when he had reached the limit of his grief, / And fulfilled the deep longing within his soul,

يَدعو بِذِكرٍ عَلى اِسمِهِ لِهَوىً

يَدعو بِذِكرٍ عَلى اِسمِهِ لِهَوىً

يُذكِرُهُ في زَمانِهِ الرَطَبا

يُذكِرُهُ في زَمانِهِ الرَطَبا

It calls in remembrance, in its own name, out of longing

It calls a beloved's name to mind

He leaned the weight of his back against a support, / Clinging to patience, seeking solace in restraint.

that reminds him of ripe dates in their season.

Remembered in its moist season.

And a company of youths, untouched by dispute, / Pure in their deeds together, and noble in line.

فَبِتُّ مِثلَ المُقيمِ مُغتَرِباً

فَبِتُّ مِثلَ المُقيمِ مُغتَرِباً

يَدعو بِواوَيلَتا وَواحَرَبا

يَدعو بِواوَيلَتا وَواحَرَبا

So I spent the night like one dwelling in exile,

So I sleep like an exile, calling out

Raised upon refinement like opened vessels of musk, / Shared freely among them, taken in turn and seized.

crying, "Alas for me! Oh, my ruin!"

With wails and cries of distress.

Moving among them with the cup is one adorned with pearls, / To whom the desert gazelle has gifted its grace.

مُنقَدَّ جَيبِ القَميصِ يَحثو عَلى الـ

مُنقَدَّ جَيبِ القَميصِ يَحثو عَلى الـ

ـرَأسِ مَلِيّاً بِكَفِّهِ التُرُبا

ـرَأسِ مَلِيّاً بِكَفِّهِ التُرُبا

with his shirtfront torn, heaping upon his

I reach into my torn shirt, grabbing

From a standing vessel whose mouth was sealed tight, / Pouring out liquid gold that settles in the cup.

head, for a long while, dust with his palm,

Dust onto my head with my hand.

A vintage tart and radiant, shining bright, / Where bubbles rise and dance when mixed with water.

حَتّى إِذا ما اِنتَهى لِغايَتِهِ

حَتّى إِذا ما اِنتَهى لِغايَتِهِ

ثَمَّ وَأَمضى في نَفسِهِ أَرَبا

ثَمَّ وَأَمضى في نَفسِهِ أَرَبا

until, when he had reached his limit

Until when I attain my goal

Following one another; as the first creeps forward, / It paves the way for the next to follow in its track.

there, and fulfilled a need within himself,

And fulfill my purpose,

They spoke, reproaching me for shunning the cup, / And for killing the joy with the spread of my grief.

أَلجا قِوى ظَهرِهِ إِلى سَنَدٍ

أَلجا قِوى ظَهرِهِ إِلى سَنَدٍ

مُعتَصِماً بِالعَزاءِ مُحتَسِبا

مُعتَصِماً بِالعَزاءِ مُحتَسِبا

he propped his back's sinews against a support,

I rely for solace on the strength

"What ails you? What calamity has struck? Woe to you! / What has seized you, that you sit alone in gloom?"

clinging to consolation, hoping for divine reward.

Of my back, resigned to fate.

"You have scooped up deep drafts of sorrow and despair, / And gathered all anguish and heartache to yourself."

وَفِتيَةٍ لا الميراءُ يَشمُلُهُم

وَفِتيَةٍ لا الميراءُ يَشمُلُهُم

زَكَوا فَعالاً مَعاً وَمُنتَسَبا

زَكَوا فَعالاً مَعاً وَمُنتَسَبا

And youths untouched by quarrelling,

Noble youths reproach does not touch-

"You have been struck by the bow of every misfortune, / That shot you one day with arrows from close range."

pure alike in their deeds and descent.

Righteous, acting and related.

"Is it because that fawn has shunned you—the one / Whose true name is forgotten since he bore his title?"

شَبّوا عَلى أُدبَةٍ كَأَصوِرَةِ الـ

شَبّوا عَلى أُدبَةٍ كَأَصوِرَةِ الـ

ـمِسكِ مُباحاً تَترى وَمُنتَهَبا

ـمِسكِ مُباحاً تَترى وَمُنتَهَبا

They grew up at a banquet like pouches of

They grew on gentle manners like the scent

"Has your endurance cast you into depression, / Into longing, the strain of trial, and fatigue?"

musk, freely offered in succession and plundered.

Of musk, permitted and emanating.

And a congenial companion whose company I never tire of, / Rose at the appointed time, preparing to depart.

يَسعى عَلَيهِم بِالكَأسِ ذو نُطَفٍ

يَسعى عَلَيهِم بِالكَأسِ ذو نُطَفٍ

أَحذاهُ ظَبيُ الصَريمَةِ اللَبَبا

أَحذاهُ ظَبيُ الصَريمَةِ اللَبَبا

A wearer of pearl earrings serves them with the cup;

One with dangling locks serves them drink,

I chose to spare my prudence from all blame / For my heart's desire, so I embraced the pain.

a gazelle of the sandbank lent him its breast.

Snatching with his mouth the dripping cups.

So he went his way—may well-being never fail him— / While my eyes spent the night estranged from his sight.

مِن ماثِلٍ فُدِّمَت مَضاحِكُهُ

مِن ماثِلٍ فُدِّمَت مَضاحِكُهُ

يَقلِصُ في الكَأسِ بَينَنا الذَهَبا

يَقلِصُ في الكَأسِ بَينَنا الذَهَبا

From an upright vessel whose smiling lips are cloth-bound,

From red wine whose laughs are stained

he draws gold into the cup among us,

He pinches the gold between us in the cup.

مِن قَهوَةٍ مُزَّةٍ مُشَعشَعَةٍ

مِن قَهوَةٍ مُزَّةٍ مُشَعشَعَةٍ

تَرى لَها عِندَ مَزجِها حَبَبا

تَرى لَها عِندَ مَزجِها حَبَبا

from tart wine, diluted with water;

From fragrant, scintillating coffee

you see bubbles upon it when it is mixed,

You see as it's mixed beloved grains.

مَعاً وَتَترى إِذا حَبا أَوَّلٌ

مَعاً وَتَترى إِذا حَبا أَوَّلٌ

مِنهُنَّ وَطّا لِئاخَرٍ فَحَبا

مِنهُنَّ وَطّا لِئاخَرٍ فَحَبا

together and in succession: when a first one creeps forward,

Together, and the first loves to glance

from among them, it makes way for another, which creeps after it.

At the last's loving glance.

قالوا وَقَد أَنكَروا مُراوَغَتي الـ

قالوا وَقَد أَنكَروا مُراوَغَتي الـ

ـكَأسِ وَقَتلي بِبَثِّيَ الطَرَبا

ـكَأسِ وَقَتلي بِبَثِّيَ الطَرَبا

They said, disapproving of my evading the

They said, denying my evasion of the cup

cup and killing joy with my anguish:

And my killing them with my music,

ما لَكَ أَم ما دَهاكَ وَيلُكَ ما

ما لَكَ أَم ما دَهاكَ وَيلُكَ ما

غالَكَ حَتّى اِنفَرَدتَ مُكتَإِبا

غالَكَ حَتّى اِنفَرَدتَ مُكتَإِبا

"What is wrong with you? Or what befell you? Woe to you! What

"What's wrong with you? What possessed you, woe to you,

has assailed you, that you withdrew, dejected?

To make you so gloomy and alone?"

قَدِ اِغتَرَفتَ الهُمومَ وَالبَثَّ وَالـ

قَدِ اِغتَرَفتَ الهُمومَ وَالبَثَّ وَالـ

ـوَجدَ وَهُزتَ الأَحزانَ وَالكُرَبا

ـوَجدَ وَهُزتَ الأَحزانَ وَالكُرَبا

You have scooped up cares and anguish and

You've indulged in worries, distress and ecstasy,

longing, and gathered sorrows and afflictions.

Stirred sorrows and troubles,

رُميتَ عَن قَوسِ كُلِّ فادِحَةٍ

رُميتَ عَن قَوسِ كُلِّ فادِحَةٍ

رَمَتكَ يَوماً بِنَبلِها كَثَبا

رَمَتكَ يَوماً بِنَبلِها كَثَبا

You have been struck from the bow of every calamity

Cast off the bow of every calamity

that ever shot you with its arrows at close range.

That struck you one day with its arrows.

أَإِن جَفاكَ الرَشا الَّذي نَسِيَ الـ

أَإِن جَفاكَ الرَشا الَّذي نَسِيَ الـ

ـناسُ اِسمَهُ مُنذُ لُقِّبَ اللَقَبا

ـناسُ اِسمَهُ مُنذُ لُقِّبَ اللَقَبا

Is it because the fawn shunned you—the one whose

Did the mercy that people forgot its name

name people forgot once he was given his nickname—

Since it was titled abandon you?

أَرذاكَ مَجلودُكَ الكَآبَةَ وَالـ

أَرذاكَ مَجلودُكَ الكَآبَةَ وَالـ

ـشَوقَ وَجُهدَ البَلاءِ وَالنَصَبا

ـشَوقَ وَجُهدَ البَلاءِ وَالنَصَبا

that your fortitude abandoned you to gloom and

Or did your whipped heart's sadness and longing

longing, grievous affliction, and weariness?"

And the toil of affliction and trouble?

وَآنِسٍ لا أَمَلُّ مَجلِسَهُ

وَآنِسٍ لا أَمَلُّ مَجلِسَهُ

قامَ لِوَقتٍ دَنا لِيَنقَلِبا

قامَ لِوَقتٍ دَنا لِيَنقَلِبا

And a companion whose company I never tire of

A companion whose gathering I do not hope

rose when the time drew near for him to return.

Will stand for a time and turn to leave.

آثَرتُ أَن لا يُلامَ حِلمي عَلى

آثَرتُ أَن لا يُلامَ حِلمي عَلى

لَذَّةِ قَلبي فَاِستَشعَرَ الوَصَبا

لَذَّةِ قَلبي فَاِستَشعَرَ الوَصَبا

I prized my forbearance's freedom from blame above

I preferred that my patience not be blamed

my heart's pleasure; so my heart clothed itself in suffering.

For the joy of my heart, so it perceived anguish.

فَراحَ لا عَطَّلَتهُ عافِيَةٌ

فَراحَ لا عَطَّلَتهُ عافِيَةٌ

وَباتَ طَرفي مِن طَرفِهِ جُنُبا

وَباتَ طَرفي مِن طَرفِهِ جُنُبا

So he departed—may good health never forsake him—

So he left while wellness did not detain him,

and my gaze spent the night estranged from his.

And my eye remained beside his.