أَدارَpassed round لَيلاًat night قَمَرٌa moon شَمسَa sun of راحwine
أَدارَ لَيلاً قَمَرٌ شَمسَ راح
عَلىamong نَدامىboon companions كَنجومِlike the stars of الصَّباحdawn
عَلى نَدامى كَنجومِ الصَّباح
By night, a moon passed round a sun of wine
The moon turned a sun set at rest,
among boon companions like the stars of dawn.
Upon my regrets like the stars of dawn,
وَالكَأسُand the cup فيهاin it حَبَبٌbubbles ناصِعٌbrilliant
وَالكَأسُ فيها حَبَبٌ ناصِعٌ
يَفترُّsmiles عَنrevealing نَظمِthe arrangement of ثَناياfront teeth of المِلاحbeautiful ones
يَفترُّ عَن نَظمِ ثَنايا المِلاح
And in the cup are brilliant bubbles,
And the cup wherein is sparkling wine,
smiling to reveal beauties' rows of front teeth.
Flowing with the rhythm of salt's adorn.
كَأَنَّماas though الساقيthe cupbearer غَزالٌa gazelle رَعىgrazed on
كَأَنَّما الساقي غَزالٌ رَعى
نورَblossoms of أَقاحٍdaisies بِثُغورِwith the mouths of الأَقاحthe daisies
نورَ أَقاحٍ بِثُغورِ الأَقاح
As though the cupbearer were a gazelle that grazed
As if the cupbearer were a gazelle who grazed
on daisy blossoms with daisies for lips.
The light of meadows in the meadow's bourn,
ماnot لاحَappeared لِلعاشِقِto the lover إِلّاexcept that عَصىhe defied
ما لاحَ لِلعاشِقِ إِلّا عَصى
فيin حُبِّهِlove for him عَذلَthe blame of عَذولٍa reprover وَلاحand a censor
في حُبِّهِ عَذلَ عَذولٍ وَلاح
He never appeared to a lover but that lover defied,
Naught avails the lover but a staff
for love of him, the blame of reprover and censor.
In his love, he fared and made great forlorn.
يَفعَلُhe does بِالأَلحاظِwith glances وَالقَدِّand with stature ماwhat
يَفعَلُ بِالأَلحاظِ وَالقَدِّ ما
تَفعَلُهُdo it البيضُbright swords وَسُمرُand the brown shafts of الرِماحspears
تَفعَلُهُ البيضُ وَسُمرُ الرِماح
With glances and stature he does what
He works such magic with his glances and neck,
bright swords and brown-shafted spears do.
As white pearls and reddish spears of corn,
مُعَربِدُriotously drunken الأَلحاظِthe glances نَشوانُهاintoxicated in them
مُعَربِدُ الأَلحاظِ نَشوانُها
مِنfrom سُكرِهِhis drunkenness ماnot هُوَhe ياO صاحِfriend صاحsober
مِن سُكرِهِ ما هُوَ يا صاحِ صاح
Riotous in his glances, drunken in them,
His languorous gaze made drunken,
in his intoxication, my friend, he is not sober.
By his intoxication, what ails, forlorn!
وَكَيفَand how يَصحوcan he sober up وَهوَwhile he مِنfrom كَأسِهِhis cup
وَكَيفَ يَصحو وَهوَ مِن كَأسِهِ
وَريقِهِand his saliva يَمزجُblends راحاًwine بِراحwith wine
وَريقِهِ يَمزجُ راحاً بِراح
And how can he sober up, when from his cup
How can he sober be, while from his cup
and his saliva he blends wine with wine?
His draft he blends, delight on delight down borne?
إِنَّindeed بَنيthe sons of التُركِthe Turks لَدىduring حَربِهِمtheir warfare
إِنَّ بَني التُركِ لَدى حَربِهِم
وَسِلمِهِمand their peace لَمnot يَبرَحواthey have ceased فيin كِفاحcombat
وَسِلمِهِم لَم يَبرَحوا في كِفاح
Indeed, the sons of the Turks, in their warfare
Lo, the Turks in their battle and peace
and their peace, have never ceased their combat.
Ne’er ceased to struggle and great feats perform.
مَنwhoever فَرَّfled عَنfrom حَرِّthe heat of لَظىthe blaze of حربِهِمtheir war
مَن فَرَّ عَن حَرِّ لَظى حربِهِم
غَيريsomeone other than me فَإِنّيfor I قائِلٌsaying لاno بَراحdeparture
غَيري فَإِنّي قائِلٌ لا بَراح
Whoever flees the heat of their war's blaze
Whoso flees the fiery heat of their war,
is someone other than me: I declare, 'No retreat.'
Save me will say, no respite will I mourn.
فَهُمfor they مُراديmy desire وَمَراديand my beardless youths مَعاًtogether
فَهُم مُرادي وَمَرادي مَعاً
فَعَدِّso turn aside بيwith me عَنaway from كُلِّevery رَودٍgraceful woman رَداحample-hipped
فَعَدِّ بي عَن كُلِّ رَودٍ رَداح
For they are both my desire and my beardless youths;
My desire and their desire as one,
so turn me away from every graceful, ample-hipped woman.
So count me not with any who from them turn.
واللُؤلُؤُand the pearls المَنظومُstrung حَسبيsufficient for me بِهِwith them
واللُؤلُؤُ المَنظومُ حَسبي بِهِ
فيin الحُسنِbeauty لاnot مَكنونthe sheltered بيضِeggs of الأَداحostrich nests
في الحُسنِ لا مَكنون بيضِ الأَداح
And strung pearls suffice me
Strung pearls suffice me for beauty,
for beauty—not the sheltered eggs of ostrich nests.
Not concealed white ones that hands adorn.
وَلَيسَand is not قَوليmy speech بِفَسادٍcorrupt وَلاnor
وَلَيسَ قَولي بِفَسادٍ وَلا
نَقصٍdeficiency فَخُذso take فيin الجِدِّearnest لاnot فيin المِزاحjest
نَقصٍ فَخُذ في الجِدِّ لا في المِزاح
My speech is neither corrupt nor
Nor do I speak corruption or defect,
deficient: take it in earnest, not in jest.
So take me seriously, not in jest or scorn.
ماnot النَقصُfault وَالإِفسادُand corruption عِنديto me سِوىanything but
ما النَقصُ وَالإِفسادُ عِندي سِوى
مَدحِيَmy praising غَيرَanyone other than الكامِلِيِّal-Kāmilī الصَلاحṢalāḥ
مَدحِيَ غَيرَ الكامِلِيِّ الصَلاح
To me, fault and corruption are nothing but
Corruption and flaw are naught to me,
my praising anyone other than Ṣalāḥ al-Kāmilī.
Save praising one less than fully virtuous born.
وَهوَand he الَّذيthe one who إِنif جادَgave generously أَغنىenriched أَوِor اِنclaims descent (beginning)
وَهوَ الَّذي إِن جادَ أَغنى أَوِ اِن
تَمىclaims descent (continuation) سَماrose أَعلىabove the highest سَماءِheaven of السَّماحgenerosity
تَمى سَما أَعلى سَماءِ السَّماح
He is the one who, if he gives, enriches—or if
He who, if he favours, enriches, or if
he names his lineage, soars above generosity's highest heaven.
He hopes, aspires to highest heights adorned.
لَمّاwhen بَداappeared ليto me ثَغرُهُhis mouth باسِماًsmiling
لَمّا بَدا لي ثَغرُهُ باسِماً
أَيقَنتُI became certain بِالخَيرِof good فَلاحَand shone forth الفَلاحsuccess
أَيقَنتُ بِالخَيرِ فَلاحَ الفَلاح
When his smiling mouth appeared to me,
When his mouth smiled, divulging a name,
I became certain of good, and success shone forth.
I grew certain of prosperity, a great boon!
طائِرُهُhis bird المَيمونُauspicious مُذever since لَمhas not يَزَلceased
طائِرُهُ المَيمونُ مُذ لَم يَزَل
ماnot طارَflew إِلّاexcept بِجَناحِon the wing of النَّجاحsuccess
ما طارَ إِلّا بِجَناحِ النَّجاح
His auspicious bird has always
His auspicious bird, since it began to fly,
flown only on the wing of success.
Has not flown, but with wings of fortune.
مَنwho ذاis it that يُساميهِrivals him إِذاwhen خاضَplunged فيinto
مَن ذا يُساميهِ إِذا خاضَ في
بَحرَيthe two seas of نَسيبٍlove poetry أَوor سَرِيِّnoble اِمتِداحpraise
بَحرَي نَسيبٍ أَو سَرِيِّ اِمتِداح
Who can rival him when he plunges into
Who can compete, when he plunges into
the twin seas of love poetry or noble praise?
The sea of lineage or well-measured praise?
يَهتَزُّquivers لِلمَدحِat praise اِهتِزازَthe quivering of القَناspears
يَهتَزُّ لِلمَدحِ اِهتِزازَ القَنا
يَومَthe day of الوَغىbattle مِنfrom طَرَبٍrapture وَاِرتِياحand delight
يَومَ الوَغى مِن طَرَبٍ وَاِرتِياح
He quivers at praise as spears quiver
It quivers for praise with the quiver
on battle's day, in rapture and delight.
Of reeds on a day of clamour and delight.
كُلُّall أُوليpossessors of الشِعرِpoetry لَدىbeside فَضلِهِhis excellence
كُلُّ أُولي الشِعرِ لَدى فَضلِهِ
مِثلُlike السُهاal-Suhā فيin ضَوءِthe light of وَجهِthe face of الصَباحdawn
مِثلُ السُها في ضَوءِ وَجهِ الصَباح
All masters of poetry, beside his excellence,
All the masters of verse compared to his merit,
are like al-Suhā in the radiance of dawn's face.
Are as comets in the light of morn.
يُفيضُcasts بِالقِدحِwith the gaming arrow المُعَلّىhighest-valued فَيَحand gains (beginning)
يُفيضُ بِالقِدحِ المُعَلّى فَيَح
ويgains (continuation) غايَةَthe summit of المَجدِglory بِأَعلىwith the highest القِداحgaming arrows
وي غايَةَ المَجدِ بِأَعلى القِداح
He casts the highest-valued gaming arrow and gains
He pours from the overflowing goblet, and contains
the summit of glory with the highest arrows.
The utmost of glory in the highest glass.
سادَrose to eminence بِمَجدٍthrough glory وَسَماحٍand generosity مَعاًtogether
سادَ بِمَجدٍ وَسَماحٍ مَعاً
وَماand not سَماحُthe generosity of المَرءِa man إِلّاanything but رَباحgain
وَما سَماحُ المَرءِ إِلّا رَباح
He rose to eminence through glory and generosity alike;
He prevailed with glory and generosity alike,
and a man's generosity is nothing but gain.
And a man's generosity is naught but gain.
يَجودُhe gives generously بِالمالِwith wealth وَبِالجاهِand with influence فيin الthe (continued)
يَجودُ بِالمالِ وَبِالجاهِ في ال
حالِpresent moment كِلاboth الحالَينِthe two forms مِنهُfrom him مُباحfreely available
حالِ كِلا الحالَينِ مِنهُ مُباح
He gives generously of wealth and influence on the
He bestows wealth and station spontaneously,
spot; both kinds are freely available from him.
Both conditions permitted equally to obtain.
لِلمَلِكِfor the king الكامِلِal-Kāmil مِنfrom رَأيِهِhis counsel
لِلمَلِكِ الكامِلِ مِن رَأيِهِ
نَصرُvictory غُدُوٍّa morning march كامِلٍcomplete أَوor رَواحan evening march
نَصرُ غُدُوٍّ كامِلٍ أَو رَواح
For King al-Kāmil, his counsel brings
For the perfect king, his prudent thought
full victory in morning or evening marches.
Brings triumph in attack or in decline.
ياO ناصِرَNāṣir (defender of) الدينِal-Dīn (the faith) تَرَكتَyou left العِداthe foes
يا ناصِرَ الدينِ تَرَكتَ العِدا
بِلاwithout رُؤوسٍheads بِصدورِby the breasts of الصِّفاحbroad sword-blades
بِلا رُؤوسٍ بِصدورِ الصِّفاح
O Nāṣir al-Dīn, you have left the foes
O defender of the faith, you left your foes
headless by the breasts of broad blades.
Headless, by the breasts on the battle plain.
دِماؤُهُمtheir blood سَيلاًas a torrent بَلَغنَthey reached الزُباthe heights
دِماؤُهُم سَيلاً بَلَغنَ الزُبا
حَتّىuntil تَبَطَّحنَthey spread out بِأَعلىacross the highest البِطاحvalley flats
حَتّى تَبَطَّحنَ بِأَعلى البِطاح
Their blood, a torrent, reached the heights,
Their blood a torrent, reaching the morn,
until it lay outspread on the highest valley flats.
Till it lay stretched on the loftiest terrain.
لاmay not بَرِحَcease السَعدُgood fortune عَلىupon مُلكِهِhis kingdom
لا بَرِحَ السَعدُ عَلى مُلكِهِ
وَقفاًas an endowment فَلاand so not يُقضىbe decreed لَهُfor it بِاِنتِزاحto depart
وَقفاً فَلا يُقضى لَهُ بِاِنتِزاح
May good fortune never cease upon his kingdom,
Good fortune did not budge from his kingdom,
an endowment, never decreed to depart,
Standing, not to be removed or made to wane.
ماas long as غَرَّدَتsang وَرقاءُa gray dove فيin أَيكَةٍa grove
ما غَرَّدَت وَرقاءُ في أَيكَةٍ
فَجاوَبَتهاand then answered her أُختُهاher sister فيin النَواحlamentation
فَجاوَبَتها أُختُها في النَواح
so long as a gray dove sings in a grove
No sandgrouse chirped in a scrubland,
and her sister answers her in lament.
And her sister answered her from the plain.
Sol 6.1