ماwhatever أَنسَI forget مِنof شَيءٍanything فَلَستُthen I am not بِناسِforgetful
ما أَنسَ مِن شَيءٍ فَلَستُ بِناسِ
عَهدَthe days of الشَبابِyouth إِذِwhen الشَبابُyouth لِباسيmy garment
عَهدَ الشَبابِ إِذِ الشَبابُ لِباسي
Whatever I may forget, I shall not forget
I am not forgetful, though no more a youth,
the days of youth, when youth was my garment.
When youth itself was once my very dress.
إِنَّindeed الخُطوبَmisfortunes طَوَينَنيfolded me up وَنَشَرنَنيand unfolded me
إِنَّ الخُطوبَ طَوَينَني وَنَشَرنَني
عَبَثَthe play of الوَليدِa child بِجانِبِwith the edge of القِرطاسِthe paper
عَبَثَ الوَليدِ بِجانِبِ القِرطاسِ
Indeed, misfortunes have folded me up and unfolded me,
Though fate has caused me grief and spread me wide,
as a child toys with the edge of a sheet of paper.
Sporting, like speech, along the paper's edge,
ماnot شِبتُI grew gray مِنfrom طولِthe length of السِنينَthe years وَإِنَّماbut rather
ما شِبتُ مِن طولِ السِنينَ وَإِنَّما
طولُthe prolonging of المَلامَةِreproach فيكَon your account شَيَّبَmade gray راسيmy head
طولُ المَلامَةِ فيكَ شَيَّبَ راسي
I did not grow gray from the length of years; rather,
I have not whitened through the length of years,
long reproach on your account has grayed my head.
But long reproach of you has whitened my head.
نَمَّتbetrayed عَلىabout ماwhat فيin ضَميريmy heart أَدمُعيmy tears
نَمَّت عَلى ما في ضَميري أَدمُعي
وَتَتابُعُand the succession of الصُعَداءِdeep sighs مِنfrom أَنفاسيmy breaths
وَتَتابُعُ الصُعَداءِ مِن أَنفاسي
My tears betrayed what lay within my heart,
My tears crept over what lay in my heart,
as did the succession of deep sighs from my breath.
And sadness followed on my quickened breath.
وَلَقَدand indeed شَرِبتُI drank الكَأسَthe cup مِنfrom يَدِthe hand of أَحوَرٍa dark-eyed man
وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الكَأسَ مِن يَدِ أَحوَرٍ
مِثلِlike القَضيبِa slender bough مُهَفهَفٍslim-waisted مَيّاسِswaying gracefully
مِثلِ القَضيبِ مُهَفهَفٍ مَيّاسِ
And I drank the cup from the hand of a dark-eyed man,
Truly I drank the cup from Abū Hawl's hand,
like a slender bough, slim-waisted and swaying gracefully:
Shaking and swaying like a reed in the wind.
بَيضاءَwhite wine طافَpassed around بِهاwith it عَلَيناamong us أَبيَضٌa fair-skinned man
بَيضاءَ طافَ بِها عَلَينا أَبيَضٌ
باتَتwere all night مَراشِفُهُhis lips مِزاجَthe admixture of الكاسِthe cup
باتَت مَراشِفُهُ مِزاجَ الكاسِ
white wine, passed around among us by a fair-skinned man,
She circled among us, white as a flash of lightning,
whose lips were the cup's admixture all night.
Her cushions scented through the wine's bouquet.
خَمرٌwine وَسِحرُand enchantment مازَجاboth mingled with ماءَthe water of النَدىgenerosity
خَمرٌ وَسِحرُ مازَجا ماءَ النَدى
مِنfrom فَضلِthe remainder of كَأسِكَyour cup ياO أَباAbu (father of) العَبّاسِal-Abbas
مِن فَضلِ كَأسِكَ يا أَبا العَبّاسِ
Wine and enchantment mingled with the water of generosity,
Wine and magic mixed with the dew's pure draughts
from what remained in your cup, O Abu al-Abbas.
From your cup's favor, O Abū al-ʿAbbās!
ماليwhat have I to do وَشُربَwith drinking نَداكَyour bounty ياO اِبنَson of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
مالي وَشُربَ نَداكَ يا اِبنَ مُحَمَّدٍ
لَيسَis not النَدىbounty الكِندِيُّKindi مِنamong أَحلاسيmy familiar companions
لَيسَ النَدى الكِندِيُّ مِن أَحلاسي
What have I to do with drinking your bounty, O son of Muhammad?
Why should I not drink the dew of your wine, O son of Muhammad,
Kindi bounty is no familiar companion of mine.
Since the wine of al-Kinda is not my habit?
صَبَغَتhave dyed خَلائِقُكَyour qualities الحِسانُbeautiful بِنورِهاwith their light الthe (continued next line)
صَبَغَت خَلائِقُكَ الحِسانُ بِنورِها ال
قَمَرِيِّmoonlike سودَdark خَلائِقِthe traits of الجُلّاسِthe companions
قَمَرِيِّ سودَ خَلائِقِ الجُلّاسِ
Your beautiful qualities have dyed, with their
The beauty of your nature has dyed creation with its light,
moonlike radiance, the dark traits of your companions.
My silvery idol, not the black deeds of slaves.
أَبَداًalways يُذَكِّرُنيreminds me اِهتِزازُكَyour eager stirring لِلنَدىto generosity
أَبَداً يُذَكِّرُني اِهتِزازُكَ لِلنَدى
عَمَلَthe work of الجَنائِبِthe south winds فيupon قَضيبِa bough of الآسِmyrtle
عَمَلَ الجَنائِبِ في قَضيبِ الآسِ
Your eager stirring to give always reminds me
Forever the trembling of your wine reminds me
of the south winds' work upon a myrtle bough.
Of the movements of a slim shoot in storms.
أَسَعيدُO Sa'id ماnot العَلياءُeminence إِلّاexcept ماwhat بَنىbuilt
أَسَعيدُ ما العَلياءُ إِلّا ما بَنى
لَكَfor you أَوَّلٌof old أَبناءُthe sons of أُمِّUmm (mother of) أُناسِUnas
لَكَ أَوَّلٌ أَبناءُ أُمِّ أُناسِ
O Sa'id, eminence is only what was built
Happy, nothing is, but what the lofty ones build,
for you of old by the sons of Umm Unas.
Beginning with your forebears among mankind.
وَإِلَيكُمُand to you آلِhouse of المُهاجِرِal-Muhajir هاجَرَتhave migrated
وَإِلَيكُمُ آلِ المُهاجِرِ هاجَرَت
جُمَلُthe entirety of المَكارِمِnoble virtues عَنaway from جَميعِall الناسِpeople
جُمَلُ المَكارِمِ عَن جَميعِ الناسِ
And to you, house of al-Muhajir, have migrated
To you, House of the Emigrants, have emigrated
all noble virtues, away from everyone else.
The beauties of all noble qualities from all men.
فَأَبوكُمُfor your father المَجدُglory القَديمُancient وَفِعلُكُمand your conduct
فَأَبوكُمُ المَجدُ القَديمُ وَفِعلُكُم
وَقفٌan endowment أَقامَhas endured عَلىfor النَدىgenerosity وَالباسِand valor
وَقفٌ أَقامَ عَلى النَدى وَالباسِ
For your father is ancient glory, and your conduct
Your father is eternal honor, your deeds
is a lasting endowment to generosity and valor.
A halt where the wine and all mankind pause.
Sol 6.1