أشتهيI long أَنْto أرىI see قُدُوريmy pots تَفُورُboil
أشتهي أَنْ أرى قُدُوري تَفُورُ
وكؤوسيand my cups علىamong النَّدامىthe drinking companions تَدُورgo round
وكؤوسي على النَّدامى تَدُور
I long to see my pots boiling,
I yearn to see my pots boiling over,
and my cups passing round among the boon companions;
And my cups circulating among the boon companions.
وأرىand I see مجلسيmy hall وقدand already حَجَزَenclosed الريحاthe sweet basil (continued)
وأرى مجلسي وقد حَجَزَ الريحا
نَ(completes 'sweet basil') ماthe space بينَbetween أهلِهِits guests والبَخُورand the incense
نَ ما بينَ أهلِهِ والبَخُور
and see my hall, with sweet basil enclosed
And to see my gathering, with the wind barricading
between its guests and the incense;
The fragrance between its people and the incense.
وتداعتْand called to one another فيهin it القيانُthe singing girls كماjust as قدmay
وتداعتْ فيه القيانُ كما قد
يتداعىcall to one another علىupon الغُصونِthe branches الطيورُthe birds
يتداعى على الغُصونِ الطيورُ
and the singing girls call to one another there, as
The singing girls gathered in it, as birds
birds may call to one another upon the branches;
Would gather on the branches.
وأراناand I see us وقدand already مشىcrept السكرُdrunkenness فيinto الأرthe heads (continued)
وأرانا وقد مشى السكرُ في الأر
ؤسِ(completes 'heads') منَّاof us وفيand in القلوبِthe hearts السُّرورdelight
ؤسِ منَّا وفي القلوبِ السُّرور
and see us, drunkenness creeping into our
And to see us stumbling in our cups,
heads, and delight into our hearts.
Drunkenness in our heads, joy in our hearts.
وَخَلَصْنَاand we are alone together فماso not نُفَكِّرُwe think إِلاّexcept
وَخَلَصْنَا فما نُفَكِّرُ إِلاّ
فيof حبيبٍa beloved نزورُهُwe visit him ويزورand he visits
في حبيبٍ نزورُهُ ويزور
And, alone together, we think of nothing but
When we are free, we think of nothing
a beloved whom we visit and who visits us.
But visiting a lover, who visits us in turn.
ذاكthat أمريmy way وعفةٌand chastity وحياءٌand modesty
ذاك أمري وعفةٌ وحياءٌ
قَدَّمَتْنيadvanced me أوor أخَّرَتْنيset me back أُمورcircumstances
قَدَّمَتْني أو أخَّرَتْني أُمور
That is my way, with chastity and modesty,
That is my way - chastity and modesty
whether circumstances advance me or set me back.
Advanced or delayed my affairs.
خُلُقٌa nature واسعٌgenerous وشعرٌand poetry كماas شئyou wish (continued)
خُلُقٌ واسعٌ وشعرٌ كما شئ
تَ(completes 'you wish') وعيشٌand a life خَفْضٌof ease وربٌand a Lord غفورforgiving
تَ وعيشٌ خَفْضٌ وربٌ غفور
A generous nature, and poetry as you
A generous nature, and poetry however you wish.
wish; a life of ease, and a forgiving Lord;
And a humble life, and a forgiving Lord.
وَجِوارٌand protection فيwith هاشمٍHashim رَهِبَfeared الدهTime (continued)
وَجِوارٌ في هاشمٍ رَهِبَ الده
رُ(completes 'Time') مكانيmy standing منهwith him فليسَso it does not يجورact unjustly
رُ مكاني منه فليسَ يجور
and protection with Hashim: Time fears
And neighborhood in glorious Hāshim -
my standing with him, and so does not wrong me.
My place among them is exalted, none may transgress.
بينamong ساداتِناour lords منof العَقَبيّthe Aqabiyyin (continued)
بين ساداتِنا من العَقَبيّ
ينَ(completes 'Aqabiyyin') الأولىwho همُthey شُموسُناour suns والبدورand the full moons
ينَ الأولى همُ شُموسُنا والبدور
Among our lords of the Aqabiyyin,
Among our lords from the early Banū ‘Abd Manāf
who are our suns and full moons,
They are our suns and full moons.
نازلٌlodging منamong ديارهمtheir homes منزلاًa dwelling طاflew (continued)
نازلٌ من ديارهم منزلاً طا
رَ(completes 'flew') بهِwith it فيinto ذُرىthe heights الهواءِthe air الطُّورthe Mount
رَ بهِ في ذُرى الهواءِ الطُّور
I lodge among their homes, in a dwelling with which
Coming down from their abodes to an abode
the Mount has flown into the heights of the air.
Soaring in the horizons of the air.
فَرَعَovertopped السُّورَthe rampart فيin ارتقاءِascending المراقيthe stairways
فَرَعَ السُّورَ في ارتقاءِ المراقي
فعلىso above السورthe rampart منfrom مراقيهits stairways سورa rampart
فعلى السور من مراقيه سور
It overtops the rampart as its stairways rise,
It dominated the wall in ascending the watchtower
so above the rampart its stairways form another rampart.
So above the wall, from its watchtower, is a wall.
فكأَنيso it is as though I ابتنيتُbuilt فيin النَّسْرِthe Eagle بيتاًa house
فكأَني ابتنيتُ في النَّسْرِ بيتاً
أوor سَمَتْrose aloft بيwith me إلىto السماءِthe sky النسورthe eagles
أو سَمَتْ بي إلى السماءِ النسور
So it is as though I had built a house in the Eagle,
It is as if I built in eagles' eyries
or eagles had borne me aloft into the sky.
A house, or eagles carried me to the sky.
مجلسٌa hall تلتقيmeet الجبالُthe mountains الرواسيfirmly rooted
مجلسٌ تلتقي الجبالُ الرواسي
والبراريand the wildernesses قُدَّامَهُbefore it والبحورand the seas
والبراري قُدَّامَهُ والبحور
A hall before which the firmly rooted mountains gather,
A council where mountains and wilds
along with the wildernesses and seas.
And seas meet before it.
ذاthis is قويقٌQuwayq وجوشنٌand Jawshan قابَa span of قَوْسَيْtwo bows (continued)
ذا قويقٌ وجوشنٌ قابَ قَوْسَيْ
نِ(completes 'two bows') وهذيand these are الرُّبىthe hills وهذيand these are القصورthe palaces
نِ وهذي الرُّبى وهذي القصور
Here is Quwayq, and Jawshan is two bow-lengths away;
And here these hills and here these palaces.
and here are the hills, and here the palaces.
Partial English translation: 27 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1