شيخٌan old man لناof ours منfrom among شيوخِthe elders of بَغدادِBaghdad
شيخٌ لنا من شيوخِ بَغدادِ
أغذَّhe hastened فيinto اللَّهوِrevelry أيَّthe utmost إغذاذِhaste
أغذَّ في اللَّهوِ أيَّ إغذاذِ
An old man of ours, one of Baghdad’s elders,
A sheikh to us from Baghdad's sheikhs
Sped into revelry with the greatest haste.
Indulged in vain amusements galore
رَقَّhe grew soft طِباعاًin temperament ومَنطِقاًand in speech فغَداthen went at dawn
رَقَّ طِباعاً ومَنطِقاً فغَدا
وراحَand went at dusk فيin المُستَشَفِّsheer fabric كاللاّذِlike lādh silk
وراحَ في المُستَشَفِّ كاللاّذِ
He grew soft in temperament and speech, then went out at dawn,
Refined in nature and speech, he turned
And at dusk, in sheer cloth like lādh silk.
A frequenter of every hospital ward
تَطِنُّrings تحتbeneath الأكُفِّthe palms هامُتهhis head
تَطِنُّ تحت الأكُفِّ هامُته
إذاwhen عَلْتهاthey came down on it طَنينَwith the ringing of فُولاذِsteel
إذا عَلْتها طَنينَ فُولاذِ
His head rings beneath the palms,
His turban rumbles beneath his cowl
When they strike it, with the clang of steel.
When clanging with coins it's adorned
قَوَّادُthe pimp of إخوانِهhis companions فإنand if ظَمِئواthey thirst
قَوَّادُ إخوانِه فإن ظَمِئوا
سقاهُمُhe gave them to drink الرَّاحَwine سَقْيَthe serving of نَبَّاذِa wine brewer
سقاهُمُ الرَّاحَ سَقْيَ نَبَّاذِ
He is his companions’ pimp; and if they thirst,
A pimp for his brethren, should they thirst
He gives them wine to drink as a brewer would.
He offers wine, poured without accord
لهhe has علىon الشَّطِّthe riverbank غرفةٌa room جمَعَتْthat has gathered
له على الشَّطِّ غرفةٌ جمَعَتْ
كلَّevery خَليعٍlibertine نَشاwho grew up ببغداذِin Baghdad
كلَّ خَليعٍ نَشا ببغداذِ
He has a room on the riverbank that has gathered
On the riverbank he owns a room
Every libertine who grew up in Baghdad.
That gathered each debauched wretch of Baghdad
أعدَّhe prepared فيهاin it ابنةَthe daughter الشِّباكِof the nets لهمfor them
أعدَّ فيها ابنةَ الشِّباكِ لهم
مَمْقُورَةَpickled الجنْبِin the flank وَابْنَةَand the daughter الداذيof dādhī, a wine additive
مَمْقُورَةَ الجنْبِ وَابْنَةَ الداذي
He prepared there the nets’ daughter for them,
Prepared for them the innkeeper's daughter
Her flank pickled, and dādhī’s daughter;
Plump of hip and loose daughter of taverns
وكَدَّةًand a wench (sense uncertain) منfrom صَباحِthe beauties of قُطْرُبُّلٍQutrubbul
وكَدَّةً من صَباحِ قُطْرُبُّلٍ
وجُؤذُراًand a wild-ox calf منfrom مِلاحِthe beauties of كَلْوَاذِKalwādh
وجُؤذُراً من مِلاحِ كَلْوَاذِ
And a wench from Qutrubbul’s beauties,
And a brandy-nosed wench of Saba Qutrubbul
And a wild-ox calf from Kalwādh’s beauties.
And a hussy of vinegar-sellers from Kallawaz
يقولُhe says للزائرِto the visitor المُلِمِّcalling بهِon him
يقولُ للزائرِ المُلِمِّ بهِ
أَوَصلُis intimacy with هذاthis male أَلذَُmore delightful أَمor هَذيthis female
أَوَصلُ هذا أَلذَُ أَم هَذي
He says to the visitor who calls on him:
He says to the intimate visitor:
Is intimacy with him sweeter, or with her?
"Is this sweeter or is it that?"
وشاعرٌand a poet جوهرُthe jewels of الكلامِspeech لهare his
وشاعرٌ جوهرُ الكلامِ له
مِلْكٌproperty فمنso some are تاركٍone who leaves وأَخَّاذِand an eager taker
مِلْكٌ فمن تاركٍ وأَخَّاذِ
And a poet: the jewels of speech are his
A poet whose words are pure treasure
Property—some leave them, others eagerly take.
A king, yet careless and negligent
كأنَّas though ألفاظَهhis words لرِقَّتِهاfor their delicacy
كأنَّ ألفاظَه لرِقَّتِها
وحُسنِهاand their beauty خمرُwine from طِيزَناباذِṬīzanābādh
وحُسنِها خمرُ طِيزَناباذِ
It is as though his words, for their delicacy
His words are as if they are gentle wine
And beauty, were wine from Ṭīzanābādh.
Of choicest ruby Tokay
تَصُدُّyou recoil عنfrom نكهةٍa breath لهof his خَبُثَتْthat grew foul
تَصُدُّ عن نكهةٍ له خَبُثَتْ
وهيthough they are عِذابٌsweet كُينْعِlike ripe fruit آزاذِof Āzādh dates
وهي عِذابٌ كُينْعِ آزاذِ
You recoil from his breath, grown foul,
That wards off any trace of his vileness
Though his words are sweet as ripe Āzādh dates.
Though it be torment like aloe's acrid taste
كمmany a كَبِدٍliver بالعِراقِin Iraq ناجيةٍsafe
كم كَبِدٍ بالعِراقِ ناجيةٍ
منهاfrom it وأُخرىand another بجَزِّwith the cutting of أفلاذِliver-lobes
منها وأُخرى بجَزِّ أفلاذِ
Many a liver in Iraq is safe
How many hearts in Iraq groaning
From it, while another has its lobes cut away.
And others across the Gulf wailing
قلْsay لعليٍّto ʿAlī سَقتْكَmay it water you غاديةٌa morning raincloud
قلْ لعليٍّ سَقتْكَ غاديةٌ
مُسِفَّةُlow-hanging الوَدْقِwith rain ذاتُbearing إرذاذِfine drizzle
مُسِفَّةُ الوَدْقِ ذاتُ إرذاذِ
Tell ʿAlī: May a morning cloud water you,
Say to Ali, whom the wanton Ghadiya served
Low-hanging with rain, bearing fine drizzle.
Her bowl brimming, droplets spraying
فخيرُfor the best ماwhat فيهis in him أنَّهis that he is رجلٌa man
فخيرُ ما فيه أنَّه رجلٌ
يخدُمُنيserves me الدهرَalways وهوthough he is أُستاذيmy master
يخدُمُني الدهرَ وهو أُستاذي
For the best thing about him is that he is a man
The best thing about him is he's a man
Who serves me always, though he is my master.
Who serves me, and he is my teacher
إذاwhen انتشىhe grows tipsy أقبلتcome forward أناملهhis fingertips
إذا انتشى أقبلت أنامله
تنشرrevive ميتاa dead thing خلالbetween أفخاذيmy thighs
تنشر ميتا خلال أفخاذي
When he grows tipsy, his fingertips come forward,
When he feels frisky, his fingers come
To revive a dead thing between my thighs.
To spread wide my thighs for pleasure
Sol 6.1