أَناةًpatience أَيُّهاO الفَلَكُthe celestial sphere المُدارُmade to revolve
أَناةً أَيُّها الفَلَكُ المُدارُ
أَنَهبٌis it plunder ماwhat تَطَرَّفُyou snatch أَمor جُبارُbloodshed without redress
أَنَهبٌ ما تَطَرَّفُ أَم جُبارُ
Patience, O revolving sphere!
O revolving heavens, have patience,
Is what you snatch plunder, or bloodshed without redress?
Whether you are a plunderer or a tyrant,
سَتَفنىyou will perish مِثلَlike ماwhat تُفنيyou destroy وَتَبلىand you decay
سَتَفنى مِثلَ ما تُفني وَتَبلى
كَماas تُبليyou cause decay فَيُدرَكُso will be exacted مِنكَfrom you ثارُvengeance
كَما تُبلي فَيُدرَكُ مِنكَ ثارُ
You will perish like what you destroy, and decay
You will perish just as you make others perish,
as you cause decay; vengeance will be exacted from you.
As you wear out, so will vengeance against you come about.
تُنابُare themselves afflicted النائِباتُcalamities إِذاwhen تَناهَتreach their height
تُنابُ النائِباتُ إِذا تَناهَت
وَيَدمُرُand perishes فيin تَصَرُّفِهِits changing course الدَمارُdestruction
وَيَدمُرُ في تَصَرُّفِهِ الدَمارُ
Calamities themselves are struck when they reach their height,
Misfortunes recur when they become extreme,
and destruction perishes in its own course.
And destructive fate pursues its course.
وَماand not أَهلُthe dwellers of المَنازِلِthe dwellings غَيرُother than رَكبٍa band of riders
وَما أَهلُ المَنازِلِ غَيرُ رَكبٍ
مَطاياهُمtheir mounts رَواحٌevening departure وَاِبتِكارُand early-morning departure
مَطاياهُم رَواحٌ وَاِبتِكارُ
And the dwellers in houses are nothing but riders,
The people of high position are but a cavalcade,
their mounts are evening and early-morning journeys.
Their steeds are ghosts and their glory is borrowed.
لَناwe have فيin الدَهرِtime آمالٌhopes طِوالٌlong
لَنا في الدَهرِ آمالٌ طِوالٌ
نُرَجّيهاwe hope for them وَأَعمارٌand lifespans قِصارُshort
نُرَجّيها وَأَعمارٌ قِصارُ
We have hopes that reach far into time,
We have hopes in life that are long,
which we hope to fulfill, and lives that are brief.
We aspire to them though our lives are short.
وَأَهوِنand how slight! بِالخُطوبِthe calamities عَلىto خَليعٍa libertine
وَأَهوِن بِالخُطوبِ عَلى خَليعٍ
إِلىtoward اللَذاتِpleasures لَيسَthere is no لَهُfor him عِذارُbridle
إِلى اللَذاتِ لَيسَ لَهُ عِذارُ
And how lightly calamities weigh upon a libertine,
To an ignoble man, misfortunes are slight
who turns toward pleasures with no bridle!
If they stand between him and pleasures - he has no excuse.
فَآخِرُso the end of يَومِهِhis day سُكرٌdrunkenness تَجَلّىbecomes manifest
فَآخِرُ يَومِهِ سُكرٌ تَجَلّى
غَوايَتُهُits folly وَأَوَّلُهُand its beginning خُمارُa hangover
غَوايَتُهُ وَأَوَّلُهُ خُمارُ
So his day's end is drunkenness that reveals
The end of his day is intoxication manifest,
its folly, and its beginning is a hangover.
Its beginning, the effects of wine.
وَيَومٍand a day بِالمَطيرَةِat al-Matirah أَمطَرَتناrained upon us
وَيَومٍ بِالمَطيرَةِ أَمطَرَتنا
سَماءٌa sky صَوبُthe pouring of وابِلِهاits heavy rain العُقارُwine
سَماءٌ صَوبُ وابِلِها العُقارُ
And one day at al-Matirah, we were drenched
One day, as we journeyed, the rain soaked us
by a sky whose heavy downpour was wine.
With the downpour of a generous heaven.
نَزَلناwe lodged مَنزِلَthe house of الحَسَنِal-Hasan بنِson of وَهبٍWahb
نَزَلنا مَنزِلَ الحَسَنِ بنِ وَهبٍ
وَقَدthough already دَرَسَتhad fallen into ruin مَغانِهِhis dwellings القِفارُdeserted
وَقَد دَرَسَت مَغانِهِ القِفارُ
We lodged in the house of al-Hasan ibn Wahb,
We stopped at the abode of Hasan ibn Wahb
though his deserted dwellings had fallen into ruin.
Though its drinking haunts were desolate wastes.
تَلَقَّيناwe welcomed الشِتاءَwinter بِهِin it وَزُرناand we visited
تَلَقَّينا الشِتاءَ بِهِ وَزُرنا
بَناتَthe daughters of اللَهوِpleasure إِذsince قَرُبَwas near المَزارُthe place of visitation
بَناتَ اللَهوِ إِذ قَرُبَ المَزارُ
We welcomed winter there, and visited
We met winter there and put on
the daughters of pleasure, since their haunt was near.
The garments of dissipation when the shrine was near.
أَقَمناwe stayed أَكلُناour eating أَكلُeating اِستِلابٍsnatching
أَقَمنا أَكلُنا أَكلُ اِستِلابٍ
هُناكَthere وَشُربُناand our drinking شُربٌdrinking بِدارُhaste
هُناكَ وَشُربُنا شُربٌ بِدارُ
We stayed, eating in snatched mouthfuls
We ate the food of one offering hospitality,
there, and drinking in eager haste.
There drinking a morning draught.
تَنازَعناwe passed among ourselves المُدامَةَthe wine وَهيَwhile it was صِرفٌunmixed
تَنازَعنا المُدامَةَ وَهيَ صِرفٌ
وَأَعجَلناand we hurried الطَبائِخَthe cooked wines وَهيَwhile they were نارُfire
وَأَعجَلنا الطَبائِخَ وَهيَ نارُ
We passed the wine around while it was unmixed,
We vied in taking the wine-cup while it circulated,
and rushed to drink the cooked wines while they were still fire.
Hastening the heated wine though it was fire.
وَلَمand not يَكُwas ذاكَthat سُخفاًfoolishness غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I
وَلَم يَكُ ذاكَ سُخفاً غَيرَ أَنّي
رَأَيتُI found الشَربَthe drinking companions سُخفُهُمُtheir foolishness الوَقارُsolemnity
رَأَيتُ الشَربَ سُخفُهُمُ الوَقارُ
And that was no folly, except that I
That was no disgrace, except that I saw
found that, among drinkers, solemnity was folly.
Drinking to be their gravity and my levity.
رَضيناwe were content مِنinstead of مُخارِقَMukhariq وَاِبنِand son of خَيرٍKhayr
رَضينا مِن مُخارِقَ وَاِبنِ خَيرٍ
بِصَوتِwith the voice of الأَثلِthe tamarisk إِذwhen مَتَعَrose high النَهارُthe day
بِصَوتِ الأَثلِ إِذ مَتَعَ النَهارُ
We were content, in place of Mukhariq and Ibn Khayr,
We were pleased by the singing of Mukhariq and Ibn Khayr
with the tamarisk's voice as the day rose high.
As the flutes gave joy throughout the day,
تُزَعزِعُهُshakes it الشَمالُthe north wind وَقَدand already تَوافىgathered
تُزَعزِعُهُ الشَمالُ وَقَد تَوافى
عَلىupon أَنفاسِهاits breaths قَطرٌraindrops صِغارُsmall
عَلى أَنفاسِها قَطرٌ صِغارُ
The north wind shook it, and there had gathered
Stirred by the zephyr as the soft showers
upon its breaths tiny drops of rain.
Descended together on their breath.
غَداةَon the morning of دُجُنَّةٍcloud-darkness لِلغَيثِfor the rain فيهاin it
غَداةَ دُجُنَّةٍ لِلغَيثِ فيها
خِلالَthrough الرَوضِthe gardens حَجٌّa pilgrimage وَاِعتِمارُand a lesser pilgrimage
خِلالَ الرَوضِ حَجٌّ وَاِعتِمارُ
On a cloud-dark morning, when the rain made
On a morning clouded with rain which yielded
through the gardens a pilgrimage and a lesser pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage and visitation in the meadows,
كَأَنَّas though الريحَthe wind وَالمَطَرَand the rain المُناجيwhispering to
كَأَنَّ الريحَ وَالمَطَرَ المُناجي
خَواطِرَهاits thoughts عِتابٌreproach وَاِعتِذارُand apology
خَواطِرَها عِتابٌ وَاِعتِذارُ
As though the wind and the rain whispering
It seemed as though the wind and rain conversed
to the wind's thoughts were reproach and apology.
Confiding grievances, excuses in their intimacies -
كَأَنَّas though مُدارَthe curve of دِجلَةَthe Tigris إِذwhen تَوافَتgathered
كَأَنَّ مُدارَ دِجلَةَ إِذ تَوافَت
بِأَجمَعِهاin its entirety هِلالٌa crescent أَوor سِوارُa bracelet
بِأَجمَعِها هِلالٌ أَو سِوارُ
As though the Tigris's curve, when it gathered
As though the turns of the Tigris when they gathered
in its entirety, were a crescent or a bracelet.
Were bracelets or necklaces all together.
أَماindeed وَأَبيby the father of بَنيthe sons of حارِHar بنِson of كَعبٍKa'b
أَما وَأَبي بَني حارِ بنِ كَعبٍ
لَقَدindeed طَرَدَdrove away الزَمانُtime بِهِمthem along فَسارواso they departed
لَقَد طَرَدَ الزَمانُ بِهِم فَساروا
Indeed, by the father of Banu Har ibn Ka'b,
By my father and the father of the sons of Harith ibn Ka'b -
time has indeed driven them away, so they departed.
Time has surely hastened them on their way.
أَصابَstruck الدَهرُtime دَولَةَthe fortunes of آلِthe house of وَهبٍWahb
أَصابَ الدَهرُ دَولَةَ آلِ وَهبٍ
وَنالَand took its toll اللَيلُthe night مِنهُمon them وَالنَهارُand the day
وَنالَ اللَيلُ مِنهُم وَالنَهارُ
Time assailed the fortunes of the house of Wahb,
Fate turned away from the family of Wahb
and night and day took their toll on them.
And night and day took their toll of them.
أَعارَهُمُit lent them رِداءَthe cloak of العِزِّglory حَتّىuntil
أَعارَهُمُ رِداءَ العِزِّ حَتّى
تَقاضاهُمit demanded repayment from them فَرَدّواso they returned ماwhat اِستَعارواthey borrowed
تَقاضاهُم فَرَدّوا ما اِستَعاروا
It lent them the cloak of glory, until
It lent them the garment of glory until
it demanded it back, so they returned what they had borrowed.
They restored what they had borrowed.
وَماand as long as كانواthey existed فَأَوجُهُهُمthen their faces بُدورٌfull moons
وَما كانوا فَأَوجُهُهُم بُدورٌ
لِمُختَبِطٍfor a seeker of bounty وَأَيدِهِمand their hands بِحارُseas
لِمُختَبِطٍ وَأَيدِهِم بِحارُ
And as long as they lived, their faces were full moons
They were not crescent moons to an onlooker,
for a seeker of bounty, and their hands were seas.
And their hands did not flash like lightnings.
وَإِنَّand indeed عَوائِدَthe returning turns of الأَيّامِthe days فيهاin them
وَإِنَّ عَوائِدَ الأَيّامِ فيها
لِماfor what هاضَتshattered بَوادِؤُهاtheir first onsets اِنجِبارُhealing
لِما هاضَت بَوادِؤُها اِنجِبارُ
And indeed, in the days' returning turns lies
The wont of days among them
healing for what their first onsets shattered.
Was that their insolence ended in humiliation.
Sol 6.1