أَمِنَis it from المُدامَةِwine تَنْثَنيyou sway سُكْراin drunkenness
أَمِنَ المُدامَةِ تَنْثَني سُكْرا
أَمor قدalready سَقْتكhave given you to drink جُفونُهاher eyelids خَمراwine
أَم قد سَقْتك جُفونُها خَمرا
Is it wine that makes you sway with drunkenness,
or have her eyelids given you wine to drink?
نثرَتْshe scattered فَريدَpearls الدَّمْعِtears حينَwhen رَأَتْshe saw
نثرَتْ فَريدَ الدَّمْعِ حينَ رَأَتْ
صَبّاًa lovesick man يُقادُbeing led إلىto الرَّدىdeath نَثراin a scattering
صَبّاً يُقادُ إلى الرَّدى نَثرا
She scattered the pearls of tears when she saw
a lover being led to death—scattering them profusely.
إنَّindeed الوَداعَparting وإنeven though سَعِدْتُI rejoiced بِهin it
إنَّ الوَداعَ وإن سَعِدْتُ بِه
لَيَزيدُsurely increases كامنَthe hidden لوعتيmy anguish حَرَّاin heat
لَيَزيدُ كامنَ لوعتي حَرَّا
Parting, though I found happiness in it,
surely makes my hidden anguish burn hotter.
لمَّاwhen رَأَتْshe saw للبَيْنِof separation رائِعَةًa terrifying sight
لمَّا رَأَتْ للبَيْنِ رائِعَةً
تَطْويfolding away الوِصالَunion وتَنشُرُand unfurling الهَجْراestrangement
تَطْوي الوِصالَ وتَنشُرُ الهَجْرا
When she saw the terror of separation
folding away union and unfurling estrangement,
ضاقَتْgrew too narrow بأدمُعِهاfor her tears الجفونُthe eyelids كَماjust as
ضاقَتْ بأدمُعِها الجفونُ كَما
ضاقَwas constricted المودِّعُthe one bidding farewell بالهَوىby love صَدْراin his breast
ضاقَ المودِّعُ بالهَوى صَدْرا
her eyelids could scarcely hold their tears, just as
the man bidding farewell felt his breast constrict with love.
وإذاand if رَأَيْتَyou find نوالَهمtheir bounty ثَمَداًa scant pool
وإذا رَأَيْتَ نوالَهم ثَمَداً
فالحظُّthen look toward بينَamid طِلابِكَyour seeking البَحراthe sea
فالحظُّ بينَ طِلابِكَ البَحرا
And if you find their bounty a scant pool,
then, in your searching, look toward the sea.
أكفُفْkeep back يَدَيْكyour two hands عَنِfrom اللِّئامِthe ignoble ولوeven if
أكفُفْ يَدَيْك عَنِ اللِّئامِ ولو
أضحَتْbecame يَداكَyour two hands منof الغِنىwealth صِفْراempty
أضحَتْ يَداكَ من الغِنى صِفْرا
Keep your hands away from the ignoble, even if
your hands should become empty of wealth.
وإلىand to الأميرِthe emir سَريْتُI traveled by night مُرتَدياًclothed
وإلى الأميرِ سَريْتُ مُرتَدياً
بعزيمَةٍin a resolve تَدَعُthat makes الدُّجىthe darkness فَجْراdawn
بعزيمَةٍ تَدَعُ الدُّجى فَجْرا
To the emir I journeyed by night, clothed
in a resolve that turns darkness into dawn,
وأَغَرَّand a white-blazed horse نهدٍsturdy لوif طَلبتُI sought بهon him
وأَغَرَّ نهدٍ لو طَلبتُ به
شأوَthe pace of الجنائبِthe led steeds بَذَّهاhe outstripped them حُضْراat a gallop
شأوَ الجنائبِ بَذَّها حُضْرا
and mounted on a sturdy, white-blazed horse—had I sought on him
to match the led steeds' pace, he would have outgalloped them—
طِرْفاًa noble steed إذاwhen ماever اختالَhe pranced خِلْتَyou thought بهin him
طِرْفاً إذا ما اختالَ خِلْتَ به
صَلَفاًhaughtiness منfrom الإِعراضِdisdain أوor كِبْراpride
صَلَفاً من الإِعراضِ أو كِبْرا
a noble steed who, when he prances, seems to have
a haughtiness born of disdain, or pride.
يُنْسيكَmakes you forget صِبغُthe color of أديمِهhis hide الخَمراwine
يُنْسيكَ صِبغُ أديمِه الخَمرا
وتُريكَand shows you غُرَّةُthe white blaze of وَجْهِهhis face البَدْراthe full moon
وتُريكَ غُرَّةُ وَجْهِه البَدْرا
The color of his hide makes you forget wine,
and his white forehead blaze shows you the full moon.
لاnot يستَقِرُّhe stands still كأنَّas though أَربعَهhis four feet
لا يستَقِرُّ كأنَّ أَربعَه
فُرْشٌcushions يَطَاhe treads منfrom تَحتِهاbeneath them الجَمراthe embers
فُرْشٌ يَطَا من تَحتِها الجَمرا
He never stands still, as though his four feet
were cushions with embers beneath them as he treads.
وكأنَّهand as though he لمّاwhen اكتَسىclothed himself in عَرَقاًsweat
وكأنَّه لمّا اكتَسى عَرَقاً
ورَقُpetals of الشَّقائقِanemones يَحمِلُbearing القَطراraindrops
ورَقُ الشَّقائقِ يَحمِلُ القَطرا
And when he clothes himself in sweat, he seems
like anemone petals bearing raindrops.
يجريhe runs ويَعطِفُهand bends him العِنانُthe reins كماjust as
يجري ويَعطِفُه العِنانُ كما
عُطِفَwas bent القَضيبُthe branch وقدwhen already غداit had become نَضْراfresh and green
عُطِفَ القَضيبُ وقد غدا نَضْرا
He runs, and the reins bend him as
a branch is bent when fresh and green.
حَمَدَpraised العُفاةُthe supplicants فطالَand grew long حمدُهمُtheir praise
حَمَدَ العُفاةُ فطالَ حمدُهمُ
بنَدىfor the bounty of الأميرِthe emir عليَّto me الدَّهراTime
بنَدى الأميرِ عليَّ الدَّهرا
The supplicants praised—and long did their praise last—
Time itself, for the emir's bounty to me.
أدنَىhe brought near المَكارِمَnoble deeds وهيَthough they were نازِحَةٌdistant
أدنَى المَكارِمَ وهيَ نازِحَةٌ
بالجودِthrough generosity منهfrom him وشرَّدَand banished العُسْراhardship
بالجودِ منه وشرَّدَ العُسْرا
He brought noble deeds near, though they were distant,
through his generosity, and banished hardship.
نشَرَتْspread لهfor him غُرُّthe radiant الصَّنائعِacts of kindness فيthroughout
نشَرَتْ له غُرُّ الصَّنائعِ في
شَرقِthe east of البلادِthe land وغربِهاand its west ذِكْراrenown
شَرقِ البلادِ وغربِها ذِكْرا
His shining kindnesses spread, through
the land's east and west, his renown.
والنَّوْرُand blossoms إنif جادَbestowed generously الغَمامُthe clouds بهwith them
والنَّوْرُ إن جادَ الغَمامُ به
حملَتْcarried لهfor it ريحُthe wind الصَّباthe east wind نَشْراfragrance
حملَتْ له ريحُ الصَّبا نَشْرا
And blossoms, if the clouds bestow them,
have their fragrance carried by the east wind.
يَلقاهُmeets him راجيthe seeker of الجُودِbounty مُبْتَسِماًsmiling
يَلقاهُ راجي الجُودِ مُبْتَسِماً
سهْلَgentle in الخلائقِcharacter لابِساًwearing بَدْراa full moon
سهْلَ الخلائقِ لابِساً بَدْرا
The seeker of bounty finds him smiling,
gentle in nature, clothed in a full moon.
عَزَماتُهhis resolutions فيin كلِّevery مُظِلمَةٍdark ordeal
عَزَماتُه في كلِّ مُظِلمَةٍ
سيفٌa sword يُضئُّthat illuminates البدوَthe desert والحَضراand settled lands
سيفٌ يُضئُّ البدوَ والحَضرا
His acts of resolve, in every dark ordeal,
are a sword illuminating desert and town.
يقظانُwakeful ينتجعُhe seeks out الحتوفَdeaths وقدhaving already
يقظانُ ينتجعُ الحتوفَ وقد
جعَلَhe made السَّبيلَthe path إلىto العُلىthe heights الصَّبراendurance
جعَلَ السَّبيلَ إلى العُلى الصَّبرا
Wakeful, he seeks out death, having
made endurance the road to the heights,
فيamong فِتيَةٍyoung men جعلواwho made مَعاقِلَهمtheir strongholds
في فِتيَةٍ جعلوا مَعاقِلَهم
بِيضَthe white الصَّفائحِsword-blades والقَناand spears السُّمراtawny
بِيضَ الصَّفائحِ والقَنا السُّمرا
among young men who have made their strongholds
white sword-blades and tawny spears.
يَرِدُhe comes to النَّدىbounty وِرْدَas to a watering الظَّلماءِthe dark night علىfor
يَرِدُ النَّدى وِرْدَ الظَّلماءِ على
نَهَلٍa first draught يُبَرِّدُthat cools منهمُfrom them الحرَّاthe heat
نَهَلٍ يُبَرِّدُ منهمُ الحرَّا
He comes to bounty as to water in the dark, for
a first draught that cools their burning heat,
بمُثَقَّفاتٍwith straightened lances يُحتَمَلْنَthat are carried وقَدthough they have
بمُثَقَّفاتٍ يُحتَمَلْنَ وقَد
حملَتْborne نُجوماًstars فيin الوَغىbattle زُهراbright
حملَتْ نُجوماً في الوَغى زُهرا
with straightened lances that are carried, yet themselves
have borne bright stars amid the battle,
وصَوارمٍand sharp swords خُضْرٍgreen مَضارِبُهاtheir striking edges
وصَوارمٍ خُضْرٍ مَضارِبُها
تَكْسوthat clothe الرِّجالَmen عَمائماًin turbans حُمْراred
تَكْسو الرِّجالَ عَمائماً حُمْرا
and keen swords whose striking edges are green,
clothing men in red turbans.
فكأَنَّso it is as though أَطرافَthe tips of القَناthe spears حَدَقٌpupils
فكأَنَّ أَطرافَ القَنا حَدَقٌ
تَرنُوgazing إلىat مُقَلِthe eyes of العِداthe enemies شَزْراwith hostile sidelong looks
تَرنُو إلى مُقَلِ العِدا شَزْرا
So the spear-tips seem like pupils
glaring sidelong into the enemies' eyes.
وكأَنَّand as though سابِغَةَthe full-length الدُّروعِcoats of mail ضُحىًat midmorning
وكأَنَّ سابِغَةَ الدُّروعِ ضُحىً
غُدْرٌpools تَمرُّpasses بهاover them الصَّباthe east wind مَرَّاin its passing
غُدْرٌ تَمرُّ بها الصَّبا مَرَّا
And the ample coats of mail at midmorning seem
like pools over which the east wind passes.
قَومٌa people إذاwhen اسْوَدَّgrew black الزَّمانُthe age غَدَتْbecame
قَومٌ إذا اسْوَدَّ الزَّمانُ غَدَتْ
أَيمانُهُمtheir right hands بفِعالِهِمthrough their deeds غُرَّاradiant white
أَيمانُهُم بفِعالِهِم غُرَّا
A people who, when times grow black, see
their right hands shine white through their deeds.
سادواthey were lords وسادَهمُand their lord was أبوAbu (father of) حَسَنٍHasan
سادوا وسادَهمُ أبو حَسَنٍ
بِعُلىًwith glories تَزِينُthat adorn النَّظمَverse والنَّثراand prose
بِعُلىً تَزِينُ النَّظمَ والنَّثرا
They were lords, and Abu Hasan was their lord,
with glories that adorn verse and prose.
مَلِكٌa king إذاwhen استُلَّتْwere unsheathed صَوارِمُهhis sharp swords
مَلِكٌ إذا استُلَّتْ صَوارِمُه
ذهَبتْwas spilled دماءُthe blood of عِداتِهِhis enemies هَدراunavenged
ذهَبتْ دماءُ عِداتِهِ هَدرا
A king—when his keen swords are drawn,
his enemies' blood is spilled unavenged.
ظَلَمَhe wronged العِداthe enemies والمالَand wealth حينwhen سَطاhe struck
ظَلَمَ العِدا والمالَ حين سَطا
بأساًwith might وأتبعand followed with نائلاًa gift غَمْراabundant
بأساً وأتبع نائلاً غَمْرا
He wronged his foes and his wealth when he struck
with might, then followed it with overflowing gifts.
لاmay not زالَhe cease يَظلِمُwronging فيin سَطاهhis onslaughts وفيand in
لا زالَ يَظلِمُ في سَطاه وفي
نَفَحاتِهhis generous gifts الأعداءَthe enemies والوَفراand abundant wealth
نَفَحاتِه الأعداءَ والوَفرا
May he keep wronging, in his onslaughts and in
his gifts, his enemies and his ample wealth.
Sol 6.1