ذرleave المِراdisputation قدalready هلhas arrived آذارMarch
ذر المِرا قد هل آذار
وقمand rise نقمlet us make للقصفfor revelry أعذارُexcuses
وقم نقم للقصف أعذارُ
Leave disputation—March has arrived.
And rise; let us make excuses for revelry.
سماؤناour sky بالمزنwith rain clouds هطالةpouring rain
سماؤنا بالمزن هطالة
وارضناand our earth بالروضwith gardens مزهارُabloom
وارضنا بالروض مزهارُ
Our sky pours rain from its clouds,
And our earth is abloom with gardens.
والوردand the rose نضرfresh خجلblushing خدهits cheek
والورد نضر خجل خده
وأعينand the eyes of النرجسthe narcissus نظارُgazing
وأعين النرجس نظارُ
The rose is fresh, its cheek blushing,
And the narcissus's eyes gaze on.
وجوهرand the jewels of المنثورthe stock flowers قدalready فصلتinterspersed
وجوهر المنثور قد فصلت
عقودهtheir necklaces بالدرwith pearls أمطارُrains
عقوده بالدر أمطارُ
And the stock flowers' jewels have had
Their necklaces spaced with pearls by the rains.
وكلماand whenever مرpasses نسيمa breeze علىover
وكلما مر نسيم على
ماءthe water of غديرa pool فهوthen it موارُripples
ماء غدير فهو موارُ
And whenever a breeze passes over
A pool's water, it ripples.
وحانةand the tavern of العمرal-ʿUmr (the monastery) فمعمورةso is thronged
وحانة العمر فمعمورة
باللهوwith revelry والديرand the monastery لناfor us دارُa home
باللهو والدير لنا دارُ
And al-ʿUmr's tavern is thronged
With revelry; the monastery is our home.
والخمرand wine والخمارand the wine-seller ماwhile بينناamong us
والخمر والخمار ما بيننا
لاعدmay neither be lost (first fragment) ماdual verb ending (second fragment) عطرperfume وهطارand a perfumer (uncertain reading)
لاعد ما عطر وهطار
Wine and wine-seller, here among us,
Are perfume and perfumer—may neither be lost!
وقدand indeed صفاhas become clear ابريقناour ewer واغتدىand now has become
وقد صفا ابريقنا واغتدى
يروقناdelights us عودa lute ومزمارُand a flute
يروقنا عود ومزمارُ
Our ewer is clear, and now
A lute and a flute delight us.
فطفso go round بهاwith it حمراءred مشمولةcooled by the north wind
فطف بها حمراء مشمولة
كالنارlike fire عقبىthe outcome of شربهاdrinking it النارُthe Fire
كالنار عقبى شربها النارُ
So pass it round, red and north-wind-cooled,
Like fire—the end of drinking it is the Fire.
ذاتpossessing نسيمa breeze أرحfragrant (uncertain reading) نشرهits diffusing scent
ذات نسيم أرح نشره
يغارis jealous منof نفحتهits fragrant waft الغارُthe laurel
يغار من نفحته الغارُ
It has a breeze whose scent is fragrant:
The laurel envies its fragrant breath.
لهاit has إذاwhen أظلمgrows dark جنحthe wing of الدجىnight's darkness
لها إذا أظلم جنح الدجى
فيin الكأسthe cup أضواءlights وأنوارُand radiances
في الكأس أضواء وأنوارُ
When the wing of night darkens, it has
Lights and radiance within the cup.
يكفرbow in obeisance الشربthe drinkers لهاbefore it ماwhenever بدتit appears
يكفر الشرب لها ما بدت
تجلىunveiled كأنas though القومthe company كفارُunbelievers
تجلى كأن القوم كفارُ
The drinkers bow before it whenever it appears,
Unveiled, as though the company were unbelievers.
فيthrough سحرهhis magic أرشفنيmade me sip مثلهاits like
في سحره أرشفني مثلها
منfrom ريقهhis saliva أهيفa slender-waisted man سحارُan enchanter
من ريقه أهيف سحارُ
Through his magic, he made me sip its like
From his lips, that slender enchanter.
بدرa full moon دجىof darkness يزرىputs to shame بشمسthe sun of الضحىthe morning
بدر دجى يزرى بشمس الضحى
مطلعةhis rising-place (uncertain spelling) جيسبa neckline (uncertain spelling) وازand buttons (first fragment) رارُbuttons (second fragment)
مطلعة جيسب واز رارُ
A full moon of night, putting the morning sun to shame,
His rising-place: a neckline and buttons.
قدindeed شدhas fastened فوقabove الخصرthe waist زنارهhis girdle
قد شد فوق الخصر زناره
والخصرand the waist فيin الدقةslenderness زنارُa girdle
والخصر في الدقة زنارُ
He has fastened his girdle above his waist,
And his waist is as slender as a girdle.
أقسمتI swear بالبيتby the House العظيمthe great الذىwhich
أقسمت بالبيت العظيم الذى
تظلهshade it حجبveils واستارُand curtains
تظله حجب واستارُ
I swear by the great House which
Veils and curtains shade,
وبالمصلىand by the prayer-place فبهfor there دائماalways
وبالمصلى فبه دائما
تمحىare erased عنfrom الزوارthe visitors أوsins (first fragment) زارُsins (second fragment)
تمحى عن الزوار أو زارُ
And by the place of prayer, where always
The visitors' sins are wiped away,
أنthat أميرthe prince of المجدglory أعنيI mean أباAbū
أن أمير المجد أعني أبا
محمدMuḥammad للدهرover Time أمارُa commander
محمد للدهر أمارُ
That the prince of glory—I mean Abū
Muḥammad—holds command over Time.
مقابلnoble on both sides تنميةtrace his descent (uncertain spelling) منfrom هاشمHāshim
مقابل تنمية من هاشم
كواكبstars زهرradiant وأقمارُand moons
كواكب زهر وأقمارُ
Noble on both sides, descended from Hāshim's
Radiant stars and moons.
فطودهso his mountain فيin الحلمforbearance ساميlofty in الذراits peaks
فطوده في الحلم سامي الذرا
وبحرهand his sea فيin العلمlearning زخارُsurging full
وبحره في العلم زخارُ
His mountain of forbearance has lofty peaks,
And his sea of learning surges full.
ذوpossessed of عزماتfirm resolves ماضياتkeen-cutting الشباedges
ذو عزمات ماضيات الشبا
هنthey معalongside الأقدارFate's decrees أقدارُdecrees
هن مع الأقدار أقدارُ
He has resolves with keen-cutting edges;
Alongside Fate's decrees, they too are decrees.
لهhis are إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) لمnot يعنcomes forward باذلa giver
له إذا ما لم يعن باذل
مكارمgenerous deeds عونseasoned وأبكارُand virgin-new
مكارم عون وأبكارُ
When no giver comes forward, his are
Generous deeds, seasoned and virgin-new.
ترىare seen عياناwith one's own eyes وأحاديتهاand their tales (uncertain spelling)
ترى عيانا وأحاديتها
للطيبfor their sweetness فيin الأسماعthe ears أسمارُevening tales
للطيب في الأسماع أسمارُ
They are seen with one's own eyes; their tales
Are sweet evening stories to the ear.
معادrenewed سيبthe bounty of الجودgenerosity ماعودةhis mettle is not (uncertain reading)
معاد سيب الجود ماعودة
يوماever إذاwhen استعجمput to the test خوارُfeeble
يوما إذا استعجم خوارُ
His generous bounty is renewed; his mettle is never
Feeble whenever it is put to the test.
وأرىand I see زنادthe fire-steels of الحزمresolve ثبتsteadfast لهhe has
وأرى زناد الحزم ثبت له
جيشan army منof الآراءcounsels جرارُvast
جيش من الآراء جرارُ
And I see resolve's fire-steels; steadfast, he has
A vast army of counsels.
عمencompassed الندىbounty طلابseekers of مسعاتهhis noble achievement
عم الندى طلاب مسعاته
هيهاتfar beyond reach إنif تدركattain أغمارُthe inexperienced
هيهات إن تدرك أغمارُ
His bounty embraces those who seek his high achievement;
How far the inexperienced are from attaining it!
خلالهhis virtues كالروضlike a meadow رادearly part (uncertain spelling) الضحىthe morning
خلاله كالروض راد الضحى
تروضهmakes it lush وطفاءa heavy-fringed cloud مدرارُpouring rain
تروضه وطفاء مدرارُ
His virtues are like a meadow at early morning,
Made lush by a heavy, rain-pouring cloud.
والعرضand honor منof لبسwearing ثيابthe robes of الخناbaseness
والعرض من لبس ثياب الخنا
عارbare فماso no يقربهapproaches it عارُdisgrace
عار فما يقربه عارُ
His honor wears none of the robes of baseness;
It is bare of them: no disgrace comes near it.
لولاهbut for him لمwould not تغلrise high لاشعارناfor our poems
لولاه لم تغل لاشعارنا
علىdespite كسادthe slump in المدحpraise أسعارُprices
على كساد المدح أسعارُ
But for him, our poems would not command high
Prices, amid the slump in praise.
ياO ابنson of أبيAbū نصرٍNaṣr ومنand one whose قومهhis people
يا ابن أبي نصرٍ ومن قومه
لدينناfor our faith أوسAws وأنصارُand Helpers (Anṣār)
لديننا أوس وأنصارُ
O son of Abū Naṣr, and you whose people
Are Aws and Anṣār to our faith.
قومa people إذاwhen ثارrises عجاجbattle-dust فماthen no
قوم إذا ثار عجاج فما
يدركis obtained منهمfrom them تحتهbeneath it ثارvengeance
يدرك منهم تحته ثار
A people who, when battle-dust rises, allow no
Revenge to be taken against them beneath it.
تبتهجrejoice الطيرthe birds إذاwhen استلئمواthey don their armor
تبتهج الطير إذا استلئموا
وترجفand trembles الأرضthe earth إذاwhen سارواthey march
وترجف الأرض إذا ساروا
Birds rejoice when they don their armor,
And the earth trembles when they march.
كمhow often جبرواthey mended كسرthe broken state of ضربكyour blow; probably 'a pauper' وكمand how often
كم جبروا كسر ضربك وكم
ذلwas humbled بهمthrough them عاتa defiant man وجبراand a tyrant (uncertain spelling)
ذل بهم عات وجبرا
How often they have mended a poor man's broken state, and how often
Have the defiant and the tyrant been humbled through them!
بطولthrough the length of أرماحهمtheir spears فيin الوغىbattle
بطول أرماحهم في الوغى
تقصرare shortened للأعداءfor the enemies أعمارُlifespans
تقصر للأعداء أعمارُ
By the length of their spears in battle,
Their enemies' lives are shortened.
أقسمتI swear ماجارhas never wronged زمانTime علىtoward
أقسمت ماجار زمان على
ذيa person of فاقةneed أنتyou لهto him جارُa neighbor/protector
ذي فاقة أنت له جارُ
I swear that Time has never wronged
A needy man who has you as his neighbor.
ذخركyour treasure حسنthe goodness of الذكرrepute فافخرso take pride بهin it
ذخرك حسن الذكر فافخر به
إذwhile كانis جلmost of الذخرtreasure دينارُa dinar
إذ كان جل الذخر دينارُ
Your treasure is good repute; take pride in it,
While most treasure is in dinars.
بقيتmay you remain فيناamong us ماas long as أنارilluminates الدجىthe darkness
بقيت فينا ما أنار الدجى
بدرa full moon وماand as long as أزهرblooms نوارblossom
بدر وما أزهر نوار
May you remain among us as long as darkness is lit
By a full moon, and as long as flowers bloom.
Sol 6.1