عَصَىhe defied الرَّشَادَright guidance فَقَدْfor already نَادَاهcalled to him مِنْsince حِينa while
عَصَى الرَّشَادَ فَقَدْ نَادَاه مِنْ حِين
وَرَاكَضَand raced with الغَيَّwaywardness فيin تِلْكَthose المَيَاديِنِarenas
وَرَاكَضَ الغَيَّ في تِلْكَ المَيَاديِنِ
He defied right guidance; it had called to him for a while,
He defied right guidance, though it had called to him for some time,
and raced headlong with error through those arenas.
and raced with waywardness in those arenas.
ماnever حَنَّyearned شَيْطَانُهُhis devil العَاتِيrebellious إلَىfor بَلَدٍa town
ما حَنَّ شَيْطَانُهُ العَاتِي إلَى بَلَدٍ
إلاّexcept ليَقْرُبَto draw near مِنْto دَيْرِthe monastery of الشّيَاطينِthe devils
إلاّ ليَقْرُبَ مِنْ دَيْرِ الشّيَاطينِ
Never did his rebellious demon yearn for a town
His rebellious devil never yearned for a town
save to draw him near a monastery of devils.
except to draw near the Monastery of the Devils.
وَفْتَيةٍand youths زَهَرُthe blossoms of الآدَابِlearning and refinement بَيْنَهُمُamong them
وَفْتَيةٍ زَهَرُ الآدَابِ بَيْنَهُمُ
أَبْهَىlovelier وَأَنْضَرُand fresher مِنْthan زَهْرِthe blossoms of الرَّياحينِfragrant herbs
أَبْهَى وَأَنْضَرُ مِنْ زَهْرِ الرَّياحينِ
And youths, among whom the flower of refinement
And youths, among whom the flowers of refinement
was lovelier and fresher than fragrant blossoms,
were lovelier and fresher than the blooms of fragrant herbs,
مَشَواthey walked إلىto الرَّاحِthe wine مَشْيَwith the gait of الرُّخِّthe chess rook وانَصَرَفُواand they departed
مَشَوا إلى الرَّاحِ مَشْيَ الرُّخِّ وانَصَرَفُوا
وَالرَّاحُand the wine تَمشِيmoves بِهِمْwith them مَشْيَwith the gait of الفَرَازينِthe chess viziers
وَالرَّاحُ تَمشِي بِهِمْ مَشْيَ الفَرَازينِ
walked toward the wine with a rook’s stride, then turned back,
walked to the wine like a rook, then departed
while the wine made them walk with the stride of chessboard viziers.
with the wine moving them like chess viziers.
غدواthey went in the morning إليهاto it كأمثالlike likenesses of السهامِarrows مَضَتthat had sped
غدوا إليها كأمثال السهامِ مَضَت
عنfrom القِسيِّthe bows وراحواand they returned at evening كالعراجينِlike date-cluster stalks
عن القِسيِّ وراحوا كالعراجينِ
At dawn they sped toward it like arrows loosed
They went to it in the morning like arrows that had sped
from bows; by evening they returned like curved date-stalks.
from bows, and returned at evening like date-cluster stalks.
تَفَرَّقُواthey scattered بَيْنَamong أَعْطَانِthe resting grounds of الهيَاكِلِthe temples فيin
تَفَرَّقُوا بَيْنَ أَعْطَانِ الهيَاكِلِ في
تِلْكَthose الجِنَانِgardens وأَقْمَارِand the moons (beauties) of الدَّوَاوِينِthe halls
تِلْكَ الجِنَانِ وأَقْمَارِ الدَّوَاوِينِ
They scattered among the precincts of the churches, amid
They scattered among the temple precincts in
those gardens and the moon-faced beauties of the halls.
those gardens, and among the moons of the halls.
وكانand ... was شِربُهُمُtheir drinking فيat صدرِthe outset of مجلِسِهِمtheir gathering
وكان شِربُهُمُ في صدرِ مجلِسِهِم
شِربَthe drinking of المُلوكِkings ونامواand they slept كالمساكينِlike paupers
شِربَ المُلوكِ وناموا كالمساكينِ
Their drinking, at the outset of their gathering, was
And at the outset of their gathering, their drinking was
the drinking of kings; and they slept like paupers.
the drinking of kings, and they slept like paupers,
حَتَّىuntil إذَاwhen أنْطَقَmade speak النَّاقُوسَthe bell بَيْنَهُمُamong them
حَتَّى إذَا أنْطَقَ النَّاقُوسَ بَيْنَهُمُ
مُزيَّنُadorned at الخَصْرِthe waist رُومِيُّa Byzantine القَرَابينthe sacred offerings
مُزيَّنُ الخَصْرِ رُومِيُّ القَرَابين
Until among them the bell was made to speak by
until, when the bell was made to speak among them
a waist-bedecked Byzantine priest of the offerings,
by one adorned at the waist, a Byzantine celebrant of offerings,
يِرَىhe regards المُدَامَةَwine دِيناًas a religion حَبَّذَاhow excellent رَجُلٌa man
يِرَى المُدَامَةَ دِيناً حَبَّذَا رَجُلٌ
يَعُدُّhe counts لَذَّةَthe pleasure of دُنيَاهُhis worldly life مِنَas part of الدِّينِreligion
يَعُدُّ لَذَّةَ دُنيَاهُ مِنَ الدِّينِ
who deemed old wine a faith—how fine the man
who regarded wine as a religion—how fine a man
who counts the pleasure of his worldly life as part of religion!
who counts the pleasure of his worldly life as part of religion!—
تَحُثُّurge onward أَقْدَاحَهُمْtheir goblets بِيضُfair السَّوَالِفِthe sides of the neck فيin
تَحُثُّ أَقْدَاحَهُمْ بِيضُ السَّوَالِفِ في
حُمْرِred الغَلائِلِlight tunics فيin خُضْرِgreen البَسَاتِينِgardens
حُمْرِ الغَلائِلِ في خُضْرِ البَسَاتِينِ
Their goblets spur the fair-necked beauties, dressed in
fair-necked ones urged their goblets onward, in
red underrobes amid the green gardens.
red tunics amid green gardens.
كَأنَّas though كَاسَاتِهاits cups والمَاءُwhile the water يَقْرَعُهاstrikes them
كَأنَّ كَاسَاتِها والمَاءُ يَقْرَعُها
وَرْدٌroses تُصافِحُهُshake hands with it أَطْرَافُthe tips of نِسْرينِeglantine (wild roses)
وَرْدٌ تُصافِحُهُ أَطْرَافُ نِسْرينِ
As though its goblets, when water taps them, were
As though its cups, with water striking them,
roses clasped by the tips of eglantine.
were roses shaking hands with the tips of eglantine.
Sol 6.1