ألستَare you not تَرىyou see رَكبَthe caravan of الغَمامِthe clouds يُساقُis driven along
ألستَ تَرى رَكبَ الغَمامِ يُساقُ
وأدمُعَهand its tears بينَamong الرِّياضِthe gardens تُراقُare poured out
وأدمُعَه بينَ الرِّياضِ تُراقُ
Do you not see the caravan of clouds being driven,
Do you not see the caravan of clouds being led
and its tears poured out among the gardens?
And its tears flowing between the gardens
وقدand indeed رَقَّgrew thin جلِبابُthe cloak of النَّسيمِthe breeze علىover النَّدىthe dew
وقد رَقَّ جلِبابُ النَّسيمِ على النَّدى
ولكنْand yet جلابيبُthe cloaks of الغُيومِthe clouds صِفاقُthick
ولكنْ جلابيبُ الغُيومِ صِفاقُ
And the breeze's cloak has grown sheer over the dew,
The robe of the breeze has been adorned with dew
yet the clouds' cloaks are thick.
But the robes of clouds are all torn
وعنديand I have منَof الرَّيحانِthe fragrant plants نَوعٌa kind تُحبُّهُyou love it
وعندي منَ الرَّيحانِ نَوعٌ تُحبُّهُ
وكأسٌand a cup كرَقراقِlike the shimmering liquid of الخَلوقِthe saffron perfume دِهاقُbrimming
وكأسٌ كرَقراقِ الخَلوقِ دِهاقُ
And I have a kind of fragrant plant you love,
I have a kind of basil you would love
and a brimming cup like shimmering saffron perfume;
And a cup noisy like the anklets of a beauty
وذوand a man of أدبٍliterary refinement جلَّتwere great صَنائعُthe benefactions of كَفِّهhis hand
وذو أدبٍ جلَّت صَنائعُ كَفِّه
ولكنand yet معانيthe meanings of الشِّعرِpoetry فيهin him دِقاقُsubtle
ولكن معاني الشِّعرِ فيه دِقاقُ
and a man of letters whose hand's benefactions are great,
A man of literature, excellent are the works of his hands
yet his poetic meanings are subtle.
But the meanings of his poetry in him are subtle
لناfor us أبداًalways منfrom نَثرِهِhis prose ونِظامِهand his verse
لنا أبداً من نَثرِهِ ونِظامِه
بَدائِعُwondrous pieces of حَلْيٍjewelry ماnot لَهُنَّfor them حِقاقُjewel-caskets
بَدائِعُ حَلْيٍ ما لَهُنَّ حِقاقُ
From his prose and his verse we always have
We will have from his prose and verse forever
wondrous ornaments with no jewel-caskets to hold them.
Wondrous beauties that have no equal
وأَغْيَدُand a supple youth مُهتَزٌّswaying علىupon صَحْنِthe broad surface of خَدِّهِhis cheek
وأَغْيَدُ مُهتَزٌّ على صَحْنِ خَدِّهِ
غَلائِلُfine robes منof صِبْغِthe tint of الحَياءِmodesty رِقاقُthin
غَلائِلُ من صِبْغِ الحَياءِ رِقاقُ
And a supple, swaying youth, upon the breadth of whose cheek
Over his rosy cheek hangs a dangling earring
lie thin veils of modesty's tint.
Strands dyed with the color of shy modesty
أحاطَتْencircled عيونُthe eyes of العاشقينَthe lovers بِخَصْرِهaround his waist
أحاطَتْ عيونُ العاشقينَ بِخَصْرِه
فهُنَّso they لهfor him دُونَin place of النِّطاقِthe girdle نِطاقُa girdle
فهُنَّ له دُونَ النِّطاقِ نِطاقُ
The lovers' eyes have encircled his waist,
The eyes of lovers have encircled his waist
so they are a girdle for him in place of a girdle.
So they are his belt under the belt
وقدand indeed نُظِمَhas been strung المنثورُthe stock blossoms فهوso it is قلائِدٌgarlands
وقد نُظِمَ المنثورُ فهو قلائِدٌ
عليناupon us وعقدٌand a necklace مُذْهَبٌgilded وخِناقُand a choker
علينا وعقدٌ مُذْهَبٌ وخِناقُ
And the stock blossoms have been strung: they are garlands
Prose has been strung as necklaces over us
upon us, and a gilded necklace, and a choker.
A gilded and ornate necklace
وغُرفَتُناand our chamber بينَamong السَّحائبِthe clouds تلتقيmeet
وغُرفَتُنا بينَ السَّحائبِ تلتقي
لهُنَّtheirs عليهاabove it كِلَّةٌa canopy ورِواقُand an awning
لهُنَّ عليها كِلَّةٌ ورِواقُ
And our chamber is amid the clouds; meeting
Our chamber between the clouds comes together
above it are their canopy and awning.
Over it are porches and a hall
تَقَسَّمَshared out زُوَّارvisitors منَfrom الهِنْدِIndia سقفَهاits roof
تَقَسَّمَ زُوَّار منَ الهِنْدِ سقفَها
خِفافٌlight علىupon قَلبِthe heart of النَّديمِthe drinking companion رِشاقُgraceful
خِفافٌ على قَلبِ النَّديمِ رِشاقُ
Visitors from India have shared out its roof,
Indian visitors shared its ceiling
light upon the drinking companion's heart, and graceful.
Their steps light on the heart of the boon companion
أَعاجِمُforeigners تَلتَذُّdelight in الخِصامَquarreling كأنَّهاas though they were
أَعاجِمُ تَلتَذُّ الخِصامَ كأنَّها
كَواعِبُbudding-breasted women زَنْجٍof the Zanj راعَهُنَّfrightened them طَلاقُdivorce
كَواعِبُ زَنْجٍ راعَهُنَّ طَلاقُ
Foreigners who delight in quarrels, as though they were
Foreigners delight in argument as if they are
budding-breasted Zanj women frightened by divorce.
Sinful Zanj slave girls aroused by separation
أَنِسْنَthey grew familiar بناwith us أُنسَthe familiarity of الإماءِslave women تحبَّبَتْsought affection
أَنِسْنَ بنا أُنسَ الإماءِ تحبَّبَتْ
وَشيمَتُهاand their nature غدرٌtreachery بناtoward us وإباقُand running away
وَشيمَتُها غدرٌ بنا وإباقُ
They have grown familiar with us, like slave women courting affection,
They have made friends with us with the intimacy of slave girls
yet their nature is treachery toward us and running away.
Yet their nature is betrayal and abandonment
مُواصِلَةٌkeeping company والوردُwhile the roses فيon شَجَراتِهtheir bushes
مُواصِلَةٌ والوردُ في شَجَراتِه
مفارِقَةٌparting إنif حانَbecame due منهfrom it فِراقُparting
مفارِقَةٌ إن حانَ منه فِراقُ
Keeping us company while roses are on their bushes,
Being together, and roses on their branches
departing if the time to part from them comes.
Departure, when parting from them happens
فَزُرْso visit فِتْيَةًyoung men بَرْدُthe coolness of الشَّرابِthe wine لَدَيْهِمُin their company
فَزُرْ فِتْيَةً بَرْدُ الشَّرابِ لَدَيْهِمُ
حَميمٌscalding water إذاwhen فارَقْتَهُمyou leave them وغَسَاقِand foul pus
حَميمٌ إذا فارَقْتَهُم وغَسَاقِ
So visit young men; wine, cool in their company,
So visit youths, the coolness of drink is with them
becomes scalding water and foul pus when you leave them.
Intimacy, when you leave them, and separation
إذاwhen اشتهرَتْbecame renowned بالحُسْنِfor goodness أخلاقُthe character of صاحبٍa companion
إذا اشتهرَتْ بالحُسْنِ أخلاقُ صاحبٍ
فليسَthen there is no لخلوقٍfor a courteous man جَفاهُwho shuns him خَلاقِshare of good
فليسَ لخلوقٍ جَفاهُ خَلاقِ
When a companion's character is famed for goodness,
When the morals of a friend become well-known
no courteous man who shuns him has any share of good.
No creature has the right to spurn the Creator
Sol 6.1