بعدما شطَّ بالشتاءِ المزارُ

بعدما شطَّ بالشتاءِ المزارُ

ودنتْ بالربيعِ منّا الدِّيارُ

ودنتْ بالربيعِ منّا الدِّيارُ

After the visiting-place grew distant in winter,

After winter had departed from the shrine

and the dwellings drew near us with spring,

And homes drew near in spring, to us,

بعد ما عَلَّقَتْ وشاحاتِها الرو

بعد ما عَلَّقَتْ وشاحاتِها الرو

ضُ وناطَتْ شُنوفَها الأَشجار

ضُ وناطَتْ شُنوفَها الأَشجار

after the meadows hung their sashes,

After the meadows had hung up their veils

and the trees hung their earrings,

And the trees tied up their branches,

بعد ما لم ترَ الفواختُ تدري

بعد ما لم ترَ الفواختُ تدري

طرباً ما الهدوُّ أو ما القَرار

طرباً ما الهدوُّ أو ما القَرار

after the ringdoves seemed not to know,

After the birds did not know whether to chirp

in their rapture, what stillness or repose might be,

In joy or settle in tranquility,

بعد ما قلتُ للنَّدامَى وقالوا

بعد ما قلتُ للنَّدامَى وقالوا

كم هزارٍ تُراه غَنَّى الهزار

كم هزارٍ تُراه غَنَّى الهزار

after I said to the drinking companions, and they said,

After I said to the critics and they said

"How many thousands of songs do you think the nightingale has sung?"

"How much jest did the jester pretend to sing?"

عاد إِذ عاد ذا الربيعُ ستاءً

عاد إِذ عاد ذا الربيعُ ستاءً

وجوارُ الشتاءِ بئس الجِوار

وجوارُ الشتاءِ بئس الجِوار

this spring, when it turned, turned back to winter—

Now that spring has returned as winter

and winter's company is wretched company.

And winter's company is miserable company,

قل لآذارَ ما تركتَ لكانو

قل لآذارَ ما تركتَ لكانو

نَ وكانونَ ويكَ يا آذار

نَ وكانونَ ويكَ يا آذار

Tell March: "What have you left for Kanun

Say to March, "What have you left for

and Kanun? Fie on you, March!"

April and April for you, O March?

ذا صقيعٌ ذا زمهريرٌ كما كا

ذا صقيعٌ ذا زمهريرٌ كما كا

ن وهذي الثلوجُ والأمطار

ن وهذي الثلوجُ والأمطار

Here is frost, here is bitter cold, just as before,

This is frost, this is ice, as it was before,

and these are the snows and rains.

And this snow and rain,

ذا هو القُرُّ هو الضُرُّ هذا الصَ

ذا هو القُرُّ هو الضُرُّ هذا الصَ

رُّ هذا الدَّمارُ هذا البَوار

رُّ هذا الدَّمارُ هذا البَوار

This is cold, this is harm, this is biting cold;

This is barrenness, this affliction, this is destruction, this is devastation."

this is destruction, this is ruin.

We have added logs to the fireplaces

قد أضفنا إلى الحِبابِ الدواوي

قد أضفنا إلى الحِبابِ الدواوي

جَ وطابتْ للمصطلينَ النار

جَ وطابتْ للمصطلينَ النار

We have added thick wraps to the wine jars,

And fire was good for those who warm themselves,

and the fire has grown pleasant to those warming themselves.

Raiment was made lighter after being made heavy

واستُخٍفَّ الدثارُ من بعدِ ما اسْتُثْ

واستُخٍفَّ الدثارُ من بعدِ ما اسْتُثْ

قِلَ في الليلِ والنهارِ الدّثار

قِلَ في الليلِ والنهارِ الدّثار

And the covering was deemed light, after

In the night and day, the raiment,

the covering had been deemed heavy by night and day.

And birds took cover, unable to venture out

وتَخفَّى الأطيارُ طُرّاً فما تق

وتَخفَّى الأطيارُ طُرّاً فما تق

درُ خوفاً أن تنطقَ الأطيار

درُ خوفاً أن تنطقَ الأطيار

And all the birds hid themselves, so

Fearing the birds might speak.

the birds cannot utter a sound for fear.

For us is comfort like embers or sparks

فلنا الراحُ كالشرارِ أو الجم

فلنا الراحُ كالشرارِ أو الجم

رِ وما الجمرُ عندها والشرار

رِ وما الجمرُ عندها والشرار

So we have wine like sparks or embers—

And what are embers and sparks to it?

yet what are embers and sparks beside it?

For us is the lute - blessed is the lute -

ولنا العودُ حبّذا العودُ والمز

ولنا العودُ حبّذا العودُ والمز

مارُ أيضاً فحبّذا المزمار

مارُ أيضاً فحبّذا المزمار

And we have the lute—how fine the lute!—and the flute

And the flute also, so blessed is the flute,

too—how fine the flute!

And for us is the neighbor who is Abu Muhammad

ولنا من أبي محمدٍ الجارُ ال

ولنا من أبي محمدٍ الجارُ ال

ذي ما وفى به قطُّ جار

ذي ما وفى به قطُّ جار

And in Abu Muhammad we have a neighbor

Who never betrayed as a neighbor,

whom no neighbor has ever matched:

The Hashimite youth and the fulfilling moon

الفتى الهاشميُّ والقمرُ المو

الفتى الهاشميُّ والقمرُ المو

في الذي لا تَفِي به الأقمار

في الذي لا تَفِي به الأقمار

the Hashimite youth, the full moon

With whom no moons can compete,

that no moons can equal.

O perfection of pride, O son of Abi Tamim

يا تمامَ الفخارِ بابن أبي تمّ

يا تمامَ الفخارِ بابن أبي تمّ

ام المستتمِّ منه الفخار

ام المستتمِّ منه الفخار

O perfection of glory through the son of Abu Tammam,

From whom pride is completed,

through whom glory is made complete!

The perfumes came to us, when we were most in need of them,

قد أتتنا العُقارُ أحوجَ ما كنّ

قد أتتنا العُقارُ أحوجَ ما كنّ

ا إليها لمَّا أتتنا العُقار

ا إليها لمَّا أتتنا العُقار

The wine came to us when we were most in need

When the perfumes came to us.

of it—when the wine came to us.

She poured out yellow in the palm as if it were a gold dinar

فسقانا صفراءَ في الكفِّ كالدي

فسقانا صفراءَ في الكفِّ كالدي

نارِ ساقٍ كأنَّه الدينار

نارِ ساقٍ كأنَّه الدينار

So we were served golden wine, like a dinar in the hand,

That knew no adulteration other than musk and no science like it and perfume.

by a cupbearer who himself was like a dinar.

We tuned the strings though cares do not attend

ما درى قطُّ ما عذاراً سوى المس

ما درى قطُّ ما عذاراً سوى المس

ك وما عِلْمُ مِثْلِهِ والعِذار

ك وما عِلْمُ مِثْلِهِ والعِذار

He has never known cheek-down other than musk;

Wherever strings are tuned,

and what could one like him know of cheek-down?

We asked for your lasting life - no night has been darker

وحثثْنَا الأوتارَ والهمُّ لا يح

وحثثْنَا الأوتارَ والهمُّ لا يح

ضرُ في حيثُ تحضرُ الأوتار

ضرُ في حيثُ تحضرُ الأوتار

We spurred the strings, and sorrow is not

Nor day brighter,

present where the strings are present.

You, my chief, O Ja'far, are an ocean from which oceans flow.

وسألْنَا دوامَ عُمْرِكَ ما أظل

وسألْنَا دوامَ عُمْرِكَ ما أظل

لَم ليلٌ وما أضاءَ نهار

لَم ليلٌ وما أضاءَ نهار

And we prayed that your life endure as long as

The weight of thanking you has weakened poetry

night grows dark and day shines.

So that poetry cannot carry that weight.

إنما أنت يا رئيسيَ يا جع

إنما أنت يا رئيسيَ يا جع

فرُ بحرٌ تُمارُ منه البحار

فرُ بحرٌ تُمارُ منه البحار

You, my chief, O Ja'far, are but

a sea from which the seas draw sustenance.

أضعفَ الشعرَ ثِقْلُ شكرِكَ حتى

أضعفَ الشعرَ ثِقْلُ شكرِكَ حتى

ليس تسطيعُ حَمْلَهُ الأشعار

ليس تسطيعُ حَمْلَهُ الأشعار

The weight of gratitude to you has weakened poetry,

until poems cannot bear it.