ياOh حبَّذاhow delightful متعةُpleasure الدّنياthe world وملْعَبهاand its playground
يا حبَّذا متعةُ الدّنيا وملْعَبها
وحبّذاand how delightful القهوةthe wine العذراءvirgin نشربهاwe drink it
وحبّذا القهوة العذراء نشربها
Oh, how delightful are the world's pleasures and its playground!
Oh, how delightful are the joys of this life and its play,
And how delightful the virgin wine we drink!
And how delightful is the pure, virgin coffee that we drink,
حمْرآءred فيin يدthe hand ساقيهاits cupbearer معتَقةaged
حمْرآء في يد ساقيها معتَقة
كأنهاas though it were دمblood خِشفa gazelle fawn حينwhen يسْكُبَهاhe pours it
كأنها دم خِشف حين يسْكُبَها
Red in its cupbearer's hand, well-aged,
Red in the hands of its pourer, preserved,
As though it were a gazelle fawn's blood when he pours it.
As if it were the blood of a slaughtered sheep when he pours it.
ترىyou see لهاbelonging to it فيin فمmouth الابريقthe pitcher بارقةa gleam
ترى لها في فم الابريق بارقة
ليلاًat night إذاwhen ماemphatic particle هوىfell فيinto الكوبthe cup كوْكبُهاits star
ليلاً إذا ما هوى في الكوب كوْكبُها
You see its gleam at the pitcher's mouth,
You can see it shimmering in the spout of the pot at night
At night, whenever its star falls into the cup.
When its star falls into the cup.
وقدand indeed خلوتI was alone بهاwith it فيin وجهthe face جاريةa maiden
وقد خلوت بها في وجه جارية
حسنآءbeautiful تعجبنيshe pleases me حبَّاًin love وأعجِبهاand I please her
حسنآء تعجبني حبَّاً وأعجِبها
And I have been alone with it, facing a maiden,
And I was alone with it in the face of a beautiful, charming lady
Beautiful—she pleases me in love, and I please her.
Whose love pleased me and I pleased her.
هاتيكَthat one نفْسيmy soul عنْدwhen حاجتهاits desire
هاتيكَ نفْسي عنْد حاجتها
فَعدِّso turn away عنْهاfrom it ولاand let not يَشغْلكْdistract you مطْلبهاits quest
فَعدِّ عنْها ولا يَشغْلكْ مطْلبها
Such is my soul when it feels desire;
Give me that, my soul, when it needs it,
So turn away from it, and let not its quest distract you.
And turn away from it and let not its desire distract you.
وأمْدحْand praise أَباAbu (father of) العَربthe Arabs المرجوّhoped for نائلهhis bounty
وأمْدحْ أَبا العَرب المرجوّ نائله
خيرthe best of البريةcreation طُراًaltogether حينwhen تنسُبهاyou trace their lineage
خير البرية طُراً حين تنسُبها
And praise Abu al-‘Arab, whose bounty is hoped for,
And I praise the Father of the Arabs, the hoped for victor,
The best of all creation when you trace their descent.
The best of creation when she traces his lineage,
إذاwhen المُلوكُthe kings ذكرناهاwe mention them فأكرمهاthen their noblest
إذا المُلوكُ ذكرناها فأكرمها
وخَيْرهاand their best عَتكيُّ‘Ataki الازدthe Azd يعرُبهاtheir Ya‘rub
وخَيْرها عَتكيُّ الازد يعرُبها
When we name the kings, the noblest among them
When kings mention us then honor us,
And their best is the ‘Ataki of Azd, their Ya‘rub.
And the best of us is ‘Ateeq al-Azad who makes her Arab.
لهhe has مغارسُroots نَبهانيةٌNabhani كرُمتwere noble
له مغارسُ نَبهانيةٌ كرُمت
وطابَand was noble فيamong الازْدthe Azd منfrom قحطانَQahtan منْصِبهاtheir lineage
وطابَ في الازْد من قحطانَ منْصِبها
His Nabhani roots are noble,
He has fertile orchards of Nabhan that were honored
And their lineage in Azd, from Qahtan, is noble.
And pureness spread in the Azd from Qahtan's lineage.
حَوىhe possessed المَكارمَnoble virtues واَلعَلْيَاءand lofty glory قاطبةًall together
حَوى المَكارمَ واَلعَلْيَاء قاطبةً
ولمand has not يزَلceased وهوwhile he يحويهاgathers them ويَخْطُبُهاand courts them
ولم يزَل وهو يحويها ويَخْطُبُها
He possessed all noble virtues and lofty glory,
He contained all the noble virtues,
And he has never ceased to gather them and court them,
And he never ceased containing them and seeking them out
بعَزْمةٍwith a resolve قارعَchallenged الأحداثَcalamities مَنصْبُهاits standing
بعَزْمةٍ قارعَ الأحداثَ مَنصْبُها
وهمةٍand an ambition جاوزَsurpassed الجوزاءِal-Jawza (a constellation) مَذْهبُهاits course
وهمةٍ جاوزَ الجوزاءِ مَذْهبُها
With a resolve whose stature challenged calamities,
With resolution that confronted events erecting its edifice,
And an ambition whose course surpassed al-Jawza,
And aspiration that exceeded the brightest star in its course,
وشيمةٍand a character كصَفآءlike the clarity الماءِof water خالصةٍpure
وشيمةٍ كصَفآء الماءِ خالصةٍ
وراحةٍand a palm غَمَرَflooded العافينthose seeking bounty صَيِّبُهاits downpour
وراحةٍ غَمَرَ العافين صَيِّبُها
And a character pure as clear water,
And a nature as pure as the clearness of water,
And a palm whose downpour flooded those seeking bounty.
And tranquility that flooded the tranquil with its downpour.
ولمand has not يخْلُbeen devoid منof ذكْرهhis renown العاليlofty ونائلهِand his bounty
ولم يخْلُ من ذكْره العالي ونائلهِ
فيin الارضthe earth مشرقُهاits east الاقصىfarthest ومغربُهاand its west
في الارض مشرقُها الاقصى ومغربُها
And his lofty renown and bounty have not been absent
And the mention of him did not cease, exalted and attaining
From the earth's farthest east and its west.
In the land, its furthest east and its furthest west.
طالmay it last long البقاءlife لهfor him فيin عزِّthe honor مرتبةِa station
طال البقاء له في عزِّ مرتبةِ
ينالهُreaches him أَحسنُthe finest of الدُّنياthe world وأَطيبُهاand its sweetest
ينالهُ أَحسنُ الدُّنيا وأَطيبُها
May he live long in a station of honor,
May his abode in the honor of his rank last long,
Where the finest and sweetest of this world come to him.
Attaining for him the best and sweetest of this life.
Sol 6.1