وَفَدَarrived الرَّبيعُspring فَقُمso rise لِحَثِّto hasten الكاسِthe cup
وَفَدَ الرَّبيعُ فَقُم لِحَثِّ الكاسِ
وَذَرِand leave المقامdwelling بِأَربُعٍamong dwelling-sites أَدراسِweathered
وَذَرِ المقام بِأَربُعٍ أَدراسِ
Spring has arrived; rise and hurry the cup along.
Spring has come, so rise to pour the cup
And leave dwelling among weathered ruins.
And leave the abode with four tent pegs
وَاِنهَضand rise إِلىto الواديthe valley السَعيدhappy وَمائِهِand its water الthe
وَاِنهَض إِلى الوادي السَعيد وَمائِهِ ال
عذبsweet الفُراةfresh وَظَلَّand the shade ذاكَthat الآسthe myrtle
عذب الفُراة وَظَلَّ ذاكَ الآس
And rise to the happy valley and its water—
And set out to the blessed valley and its
sweet and fresh—and the shade of that myrtle.
Sweet, pure water and shaded trees
هَذيthese الجِنانthe gardens تَنفستhave breathed فيupon أَوجُهfaces الthe
هَذي الجِنان تَنفست في أَوجُه ال
خُضرgreen الرِياضthe meadows بِأَطيَبwith the sweetest الأَنفاسbreaths
خُضر الرِياض بِأَطيَب الأَنفاس
These gardens have breathed upon the faces of
These gardens have breathed out on the
the green meadows with the sweetest breaths.
Green meadows with the sweetest breath
وَمَشىand wandered النَسيمthe breeze مُصحِحاًhealing ماwhatever اِعتَلَّailed مِنamong
وَمَشى النَسيم مُصحِحاً ما اِعتَلَّ مِن
أَدواحِهاtheir spreading trees فَهُوَfor it is العَليلthe ailing one الآسيthe healer
أَدواحِها فَهُوَ العَليل الآسي
And the breeze wandered, healing whatever ailed among
And the breeze blows healing what was distorted
their spreading trees—for it is the ailing healer.
Of its rhythms, so it is the afflicted healer
وَالقَطرand the rain مُنتَثرscattered عَلىalong جَنباتِهاtheir sides
وَالقَطر مُنتَثر عَلى جَنباتِها
كَاللؤلؤlike pearls المُتَناسقmatching الأَجناسkinds
كَاللؤلؤ المُتَناسق الأَجناس
And raindrops are scattered along their sides,
And drops sprinkled on its hillsides
like pearls of matching kinds.
Like orderly, varied pearls
وَالعَندَليبand the nightingale مُصفقflapping his wings يَشدوsings عَلىupon
وَالعَندَليب مُصفق يَشدو عَلى
تِلكَthose الهِضابthe hills وَغُصنِهاand their bough المَياسswaying
تِلكَ الهِضاب وَغُصنِها المَياس
And the nightingale beats his wings, singing upon
And the nightingale clapping, singing
those hills and their swaying bough.
On those plateaus and swaying branches
وَكَأَنَّماand as though الأَزهارthe flowers قَدalready صيغتwere fashioned لَهُfor him
وَكَأَنَّما الأَزهار قَد صيغت لَهُ
قَفَصاًa cage مِنof الياقوتrubies وَالأَلماسand diamonds
قَفَصاً مِن الياقوت وَالأَلماس
And it is as though the flowers had been fashioned for him
As though the flowers were cast for it
into a cage of rubies and diamonds.
A cage of rubies and diamonds
مُتَطَوِقاًencircled بِسَحيقwith powdered مسكmusk جيدُهُhis neck
مُتَطَوِقاً بِسَحيق مسك جيدُهُ
مُتَلَفِحاًwrapped فيin عَنبَريّambergris-like لباسraiment
مُتَلَفِحاً في عَنبَريّ لباس
His neck encircled with powdered musk,
Collared with powdered excellent musk
wrapped in ambergris raiment.
Pervading with an ambergris garment
يَمليhe dictates عَلىto عَذبtips الغُصونthe boughs الوكةًa message
يَملي عَلى عَذب الغُصون الوكةً
مِنfrom مُغرَمa passionate lover لِلعَهدof the pledge لَيسَis not بِناسيforgetful
مِن مُغرَم لِلعَهد لَيسَ بِناسي
He dictates to the tips of the boughs a message
Spending the night drunk on the soft branches
from a lover who has not forgotten the pledge.
Of one enamored, not forgetful of the past
يَقضيhe spends الدجاthe dark night مُتَوحِشاًlonely مُتَأسِفاًsorrowful
يَقضي الدجا مُتَوحِشاً مُتَأسِفاً
مِنfrom بَعدafter ذاكَthat القُربcloseness وَالإِيناسand companionship
مِن بَعد ذاكَ القُرب وَالإِيناس
He spends the dark night lonely and sorrowful,
Spending the dark nights lonely and regretful
after that closeness and companionship.
After that closeness and intimacy
وَيَظَلand he remains مِنfrom فَرطexcess الغِوايةwaywardness فيin الهَوىpassion
وَيَظَل مِن فَرط الغِواية في الهَوى
مُتَقَسِماًdivided بَينَbetween الرَجاhope وَالياسand despair
مُتَقَسِماً بَينَ الرَجا وَالياس
And, through excessive waywardness in love, he remains
And remain, from the excess of passion and love
divided between hope and despair.
Torn between hope and despair
فَقَدhe lost الخَليطthe companions فَأَصبَحَتand so became آراؤُهُhis thoughts
فَقَد الخَليط فَأَصبَحَت آراؤُهُ
نَهباًprey بِأَيديin the hands of الوَهمillusion وَالوَسواسand obsessive doubt
نَهباً بِأَيدي الوَهم وَالوَسواس
He lost his companions, and his thoughts became
So it lost moderation, and its opinions became
prey in the hands of illusion and obsessive doubt.
Prey to delusions and obsessions
لاnot زالَceased يَندبhe laments فيin الزَمانthe age وَيَشتَكيand complains
لا زالَ يَندب في الزَمان وَيَشتَكي
مِنof جورِهِits tyranny اللأويhardship بِغَيرwithout قِياسmeasure
مِن جورِهِ اللأوي بِغَير قِياس
He never ceased lamenting the age and complaining
It still laments time and complains
of its tyranny and hardship beyond measure,
Of its cruel injustice without measure
حَتّىuntil أَراهُshowed him اللَهُGod أَحمَدAhmad ماجدnoble
حَتّى أَراهُ اللَهُ أَحمَد ماجد
مُحييreviver of المَمالكkingdoms قامعsubduer of الأَرجاسthe vile
مُحيي المَمالك قامع الأَرجاس
until God showed him Ahmad, the noble,
Until God showed it Ahmad Majeed
reviver of kingdoms, subduer of the vile,
Reviver of kingdoms, breaker of bells
كافيthe ablest of الكفاةthe able المُنعمthe benefactor الزخارoverflowing فيon
كافي الكفاة المُنعم الزخار في
يَومthe day of الفَخارglory المُستَجارthe protector sought الكاسيthe giver of clothing
يَوم الفَخار المُستَجار الكاسي
the ablest of the able, the benefactor, overflowing on
Self-sufficient, blessed in generosity
the day of glory, the refuge sought, the giver of clothing.
On days of pride, protected, well-attired
لاnot حلمforbearance أَحنَفAhnaf عِندَin the eyes of مادِحِهِhis praiser يَرىis seen
لا حلم أَحنَف عِندَ مادِحِهِ يَرى
شَيئاًanything يَعدcounted worthy وَلاnor ذَكاءintelligence إِياسIyas
شَيئاً يَعد وَلا ذَكاء إِياس
Ahnaf’s forbearance, in his praiser’s eyes, is not
No milder dream in the eyes of its praiser
anything of account, nor is Iyas’s intelligence.
Who sees anything promised or despairing wisdom
قاضa judge نَودwe wish لَوif only أَنَّهاthat they فَرشتwere spread out لَهُfor him
قاض نَود لَو أَنَّها فَرشت لَهُ
عِندَat القُدومthe arrival كَواكبstars الأَغلاسpredawn darkness
عِندَ القُدوم كَواكب الأَغلاس
A judge—we wish there could be spread before him,
A judge wishes that the stars themselves
at his arrival, the stars of the predawn darkness.
Spread as a carpet for him when he arrives
بِيديهِin his two hands حَلُّthe solving of المُشكِلاتdifficulties وَكَشفِهاand their unraveling
بِيديهِ حَلُّ المُشكِلات وَكَشفِها
وَذُؤابَةand the pinnacle of الجَلىgreat affairs وَدَفعand the averting of الباسharm
وَذُؤابَة الجَلى وَدَفع الباس
In his hands lie the solving of difficulties and their unraveling,
In his hands are unravelling problems and unveiling
and the pinnacle of great affairs, and the averting of harm.
Secrets of majesty and dispelling harm
وَلَهُand he has سِهامarrows عَدالةjustice إِنif فَوّقتare nocked
وَلَهُ سِهام عَدالة إِن فَوّقت
تَرَكتleave مُتونbacks الجورtyranny كَالأَقواسlike bows
تَرَكت مُتون الجور كَالأَقواس
And he has arrows of justice which, if nocked,
And he has arrows of justice, which if loosed
leave the backs of tyranny bent like bows.
Would leave the bastions of injustice like bows
لَماwhen سَهِرَتI kept vigil عَلىover مَدائِحِهِpraises of him الَّتيwhich
لَما سَهِرَت عَلى مَدائِحِهِ الَّتي
جَعَلَتmade عدايَmy enemies مِنagainst الرَدىdeath حُراسيmy guards
جَعَلَت عدايَ مِن الرَدى حُراسي
When I kept vigil over his praises, which
When I stayed up late praising him in poetry
made my enemies my guards against death,
Which made my missteps guards of chastity
ودٌwished الهلالthe crescent moon لَوif only اِستَقامbecame straight وَأَنَّهُand that it
ودٌ الهلال لَو اِستَقام وَأَنَّهُ
أَمسىbecame at evening لَدَيهِbeside him مَكانةthe position of النِبراسthe lamp
أَمسى لَدَيهِ مَكانة النِبراس
the crescent wished it could straighten, and that it
The crescent wishes that it would straighten
might take a lamp’s place beside him at evening.
For with him it holds the place of a guiding lamp
Sol 6.1