عدلhas been just الحبيبthe beloved فمنso who يجورُwill act unjustly
عدل الحبيب فمن يجورُ
ودناand he drew near فأينso where بناwith us يسيرُdoes he travel
ودنا فأين بنا يسيرُ
The beloved is just—who, then, will be unjust?
And he has drawn near—where will he take us?
عوضتI was given in exchange منin place of عيسwhite camels تدوroam (fragment)
عوضت من عيس تدو
رcompletes 'roam' بيwith me الفلاthe desert wastes كأسa cup تدورgoes round
ر بي الفلا كأس تدور
I was given, instead of white camels roaming
the wastes with me, a cup that goes round.
وشربتand I drank ماwhat وسعheld الصغيthe small one (fragment)
وشربت ما وسع الصغي
رcompletes 'small' وزدتand I added ماwhat حملcontained الكبيرthe large one
ر وزدت ما حمل الكبير
And I drank what the small cup held,
and added what the large one bore.
نبهتI awakened ندمانيmy drinking companions وقدwhen already
نبهت ندماني وقد
عبرتhad passed بناover us الشعرىSirius العبورthe Crossing Star
عبرت بنا الشعرى العبور
I roused my drinking companions, when
Sirius, the Crossing Star, had passed over us.
والبدرand the full moon فيin أفقthe horizon of السماthe sky (fragment)
والبدر في أفق السما
ءcompletes 'sky' كروضةlike a meadow فيهاwithin it غديرa pool
ء كروضة فيها غدير
The full moon on the sky's horizon
was like a meadow with a pool within.
هبواarise! فقدfor indeed عييhas grown weary الرقيthe watcher (fragment)
هبوا فقد عيي الرقي
بcompletes 'watcher' ونامand fell asleep وانتبهand awakened السرورjoy
ب ونام وانتبه السرور
Arise! The watcher has grown weary
and slept, while joy has awakened.
وأشارand offered counsel إبليسIblis فقلso said (fragment)
وأشار إبليس فقل
ناwe (verb suffix) كلناall of us نعمexcellent is المشيرthe counselor
نا كلنا نعم المشير
And Iblis gave counsel; then
we all said, 'How excellent a counselor!'
صرعىfallen as if slain بمعركةon a battlefield تعshun (fragment)
صرعى بمعركة تع
فcompletes 'shun' الوحشwild beasts عنهاit والنسورand vultures
ف الوحش عنها والنسور
Fallen upon a battlefield that
wild beasts and vultures shun.
نوارthe blossoms of روضتناour meadow خدوcheeks (fragment)
نوار روضتنا خدو
دcompletes 'cheeks' والغصونand the branches بهاwithin it خصورwaists
د والغصون بها خصور
Our meadow's blossoms are cheeks,
and its branches are waists.
والعيشand life أسترmost concealed ماas يكوit can be (fragment)
والعيش أستر ما يكو
نcompletes 'can be' إذاwhen تهتكتare torn apart الستورthe veils
ن إذا تهتكت الستور
And life is most closely veiled
when the veils are torn away.
هبواarise! الىto شربdrinking المداwine (fragment)
هبوا الى شرب المدا
مcompletes 'wine' فإنماfor ... is only الدنياthe world غرورdelusion
م فإنما الدنيا غرور
Arise to drink the wine,
for this world is only delusion.
طافwent round السقاةthe cupbearers بهاwith it كماjust as
طاف السقاة بها كما
أهدتpresented الصيدthe quarry الصقورthe falcons
أهدت الصيد الصقور
The cupbearers carried it round, as
falcons bring their quarry.
عذراءa virgin wine يكتمهاconceals her المزاthe mixing water (fragment)
عذراء يكتمها المزا
جcompletes 'mixing water' كأنهاas though she were فيهwithin it ضميرa hidden thought
ج كأنها فيه ضمير
A virgin, concealed by the mixing water,
as though she were a hidden thought within it.
وتظنand you imagine تحتbeneath حبابهاher bubbles
وتظن تحت حبابها
خداًa cheek تقبلهkiss it ثغورmouths
خداً تقبله ثغور
And beneath her bubbles you might imagine
a cheek kissed by mouths.
حتىuntil سجدناwe prostrated ourselves والإماand the imam (fragment)
حتى سجدنا والإما
مcompletes 'imam' أمامناbefore us بمthe bass lute-string وزيرand the treble lute-string
م أمامنا بم وزير
Until we bowed in worship, with our imam
before us: the bass string and the treble.
وإذاand when صحوناwe sober up فاللساthen the tongue (fragment)
وإذا صحونا فاللسا
نcompletes 'tongue' العذبsweet والفكرand thought الغزيرabundant
ن العذب والفكر الغزير
And when we sober, our speech is
sweet, our thought abundant.
نفتضwe deflower معنىa meaning أوor يولدis born
نفتض معنى أو يولد
بينناamong us مثلthe like of وزيرa vizier
بيننا مثل وزير
We deflower a meaning, or there is born
among us the like of a vizier;
أوor يمدحis praised الملكthe king الجليmajestic (fragment)
أو يمدح الملك الجلي
لcompletes 'majestic' السيدthe lord الفردpeerless الخطيرof lofty rank
ل السيد الفرد الخطير
or the majestic king is praised,
the peerless lord of lofty rank.
ماnot عزهproved beyond him شيءanything بغاhe sought (fragment)
ما عزه شيء بغا
هit (object suffix) فكيفso how أعوزهeluded him النظيرa peer
ه فكيف أعوزه النظير
Nothing he sought ever proved beyond him—
how, then, has a peer eluded him?
وغداةand on a morning of أنسdelight بشرتannounced glad tidings to (fragment)
وغداة أنس بشرت
كyou (object suffix) بهاof it المعازفmusical instruments والخمورand wines
ك بها المعازف والخمور
And on a morning of delight, heralded
to you by music and wine,
إذwhen ماءwater of وردroses غيثناour rain
إذ ماء ورد غيثنا
والارضand the earth تربتهاits soil عبيرfragrant perfume
والارض تربتها عبير
when rosewater was our rain
and the earth's soil was perfume,
تغريyou urge بصبto the pouring of الماءwater ياO
تغري بصب الماء يا
ملكاًking أناملهhis fingertips بحورseas
ملكاً أنامله بحور
you urged the pouring of water, O
king whose fingertips are seas.
ويقولand says سيبكyour bounty هكذاthus
ويقول سيبك هكذا
صبتwere poured علىupon العافىthe suppliant البدورpurses of money
صبت على العافى البدور
And your bounty says: 'Thus
were money-purses poured upon the suppliant.'
ويقولand says سيفكyour sword هكذاthus
ويقول سيفك هكذا
تحرىseeks out إذاwhen غضبgrew angry النحورthroats
تحرى إذا غضب النحور
And your sword says: 'Thus
it seeks out throats when angered.'
هيهاتhow impossible! تبتسمshould smile الثغوmouths (fragment)
هيهات تبتسم الثغو
رcompletes 'mouths' ولمand not تسدwere secured بكthrough you الثغورthe frontiers
ر ولم تسد بك الثغور
How could mouths have smiled
had the frontiers not been secured through you?
قدindeed أذعنتhas submitted أرضthe land of العدthe enemy (fragment)
قد أذعنت أرض العد
وcompletes 'enemy' وجاءand has come بالنصرwith victory البشيرthe bearer of glad tidings
و وجاء بالنصر البشير
The enemy's land has submitted,
and the herald has come with victory.
هذيthese الأمانيwishes ليfor me عبيslaves (fragment)
هذي الأماني لي عبي
دcompletes 'slaves' والسرورand joy معيwith me اجيرa hireling
د والسرور معي اجير
These wishes are my slaves,
and joy is a hireling in my service.
لاقيتهI met him فغضضتso I lowered طرmy gaze (fragment)
لاقيته فغضضت طر
فىcompletes 'my gaze' إذwhen بداappeared القمرthe moon المنيرradiant
فى إذ بدا القمر المنير
I met him and lowered my gaze
when the radiant moon appeared.
وجررتand I trailed اذياليmy hems بمجin his presence (fragment)
وجررت اذيالي بمج
لهcompletes 'in his presence' وقلتand I said فمنwho, then جريرJarir
له وقلت فمن جرير
And I trailed my hems in his presence,
and said, 'Who, then, is Jarir?'
وكأنand it was as though عاماًa year عشتهI lived through it
وكأن عاماً عشته
فيin ظلةsheltering shade يومa day قصيرbrief
في ظلة يوم قصير
And it was as though a year I lived
in sheltering shade were a brief day.
Sol 6.1