عَصرُthe season الشَبيبَةِyouth أَنفَسmore precious
عَصرُ الشَبيبَةِ أَنفَس
مِنthan كُلِّevery عَصرٍseason وَأَكيَسand wiser
مِن كُلِّ عَصرٍ وَأَكيَس
The season of youth is more precious
The springtime of youth is finer
than every other season, and wiser.
Than any other season or time
بِهِin it خَلَعتُI cast off عِذاريmy bridle
بِهِ خَلَعتُ عِذاري
وَاللَهوُand revelry ليfor me فيهِin it مَلبَسa garment
وَاللَهوُ لي فيهِ مَلبَس
In it I cast off my bridle,
In it I cast off my modesty
and revelry is my garment there.
And playfulness became my garb
إِذfor لَستُI am not إِلّاexcept عَلىover كَأcup (beginning)
إِذ لَستُ إِلّا عَلى كَأ
سِcup (completion) قَهوَةٍwine أَتَنَفَّسI breathe
سِ قَهوَةٍ أَتَنَفَّس
For only over a cup
When I would be at a coffeehouse
of wine do I breathe,
Just relaxing and breathing easy
مِنfrom كَفِّthe palm of أَحوىa dusky one غَريرٍguileless
مِن كَفِّ أَحوى غَريرٍ
حُلوِsweet المَراشِفِthe lips أَلعَسdark-lipped
حُلوِ المَراشِفِ أَلعَس
from the palm of a dusky, guileless youth,
From the hand of a fawn-eyed darling
with sweet, dark-hued lips.
Sweet of pillow, a heart-releaser
تَوَرَّدَتgrew rose-red وَجنَتاهُhis two cheeks
تَوَرَّدَت وَجنَتاهُ
وَالطَرفُand the gaze فيهِin him مُنَرجَسnarcissus-like
وَالطَرفُ فيهِ مُنَرجَس
His cheeks have flushed rose-red,
Her cheeks bloomed and her eyes were languid
and his eyes are like narcissus blossoms.
And a glance from them intoxicating
يَميسُhe sways كَالغُصنِlike a bough بَلindeed قَدhis figure (beginning)
يَميسُ كَالغُصنِ بَل قَد
دُهُhis figure (completion) المُهَفهَفُslender أَميَسmore gracefully swaying
دُهُ المُهَفهَفُ أَميَس
He sways like a bough; indeed, his
Swaying like a branch, made tipsy
slender figure sways more gracefully.
By the fluttering of the zephyr’s breeze
يُديرُhe passes round كَأسَa cup of عُقارٍstrong wine
يُديرُ كَأسَ عُقارٍ
مِنَof الرَحيقِthe pure wine المُشَمَّسsun-mellowed
مِنَ الرَحيقِ المُشَمَّس
He passes round a cup of strong wine,
She hands me a cup of wine
of pure nectar mellowed by the sun.
Golden, from the radiant vine
قُمrise فَاِسقِنيthen give me drink أَوuntil تَرانيyou see me
قُم فَاِسقِني أَو تَراني
أَقولُI say حَسبِيَenough for me بَسenough بَسenough
أَقولُ حَسبِيَ بَس بَس
Rise and pour me drink until you see me
“Rise and serve me,” I tell her, “or else
say, "Enough for me! Enough, enough!"
I shall say ‘enough, enough’ and desist”
حَمراءُred wine أَخَّخَhe cried 'Akh!' إِذwhen ذاtasted it (beginning)
حَمراءُ أَخَّخَ إِذ ذا
قَهاtasted it (completion) النَديمُthe drinking companion وَعَبَّسand frowned
قَها النَديمُ وَعَبَّس
Red wine—"Akh!" came the cry as
The rosy-cheeked beauty frowned
the drinking companion tasted it and frowned.
When my boon companion growled
كَأَنَّas though فاراتِpods of مِسكٍmusk
كَأَنَّ فاراتِ مِسكٍ
مِنهاfrom it تُشَقُّare split open وَتُفرَسand crushed
مِنها تُشَقُّ وَتُفرَس
As though musk pods
As though musk were bursting out
were split open and crushed, their scent rising from it.
And streaming from her, swift as light
فَالنارُso the fire مِنهاfrom it إِذاwhen سَحpoured over (beginning)
فَالنارُ مِنها إِذا سَح
حَpoured over (completion) راسَهاits head الماءُthe water يُقبَسis kindled
حَ راسَها الماءُ يُقبَس
For fire from it, whenever
So the fire in her, when she flashed
water pours over its head, is kindled.
A smile, the water ignited bright
تَكادُalmost تَطلُعُrises شَمسُthe sun of الthe
تَكادُ تَطلُعُ شَمسُ ال
ضُحىmorning إِذاwhen اللَيلُthe night عَسعَسgrows dark
ضُحى إِذا اللَيلُ عَسعَس
Almost there rises the sun of
She rose like the dawning sun
morning, when night grows dark.
Beaming from a crescent white
كَأَنَّهاas though it أَشرَقَتshone forth عَنfrom
كَأَنَّها أَشرَقَت عَن
سَناthe radiance of مُحَيّاthe face of جَهاركَسJaharkas
سَنا مُحَيّا جَهاركَس
As though it had shone forth from
Firmer in battle than ‘Amr ibn Ma’di
the radiance of Jaharkas's face.
Or any knight of purest might
أَوفىgreater سَطاًin onslaught فيin الوَغىbattle مِنthan
أَوفى سَطاً في الوَغى مِن
عَمرِوAmr بنِson of مَعديMaʿdi وَأَفرَسand a finer horseman
عَمرِو بنِ مَعدي وَأَفرَس
More forceful in battle's onslaught than
A torrent in raids, a lion
Amr ibn Maʿdi, and a finer horseman.
In the thick of every fight
غَيثُrain الجُدوبِdroughts وَلَيثٌand a lion
غَيثُ الجُدوبِ وَلَيثٌ
لَدىduring الحُروبِwars عَرَندَسmighty
لَدى الحُروبِ عَرَندَس
Rain amid drought, and a lion
If the Suhayban tried to subdue him
mighty in war.
He would simply shirk and take flight
لَوif رامَsought سَحبانُSahban أَوصاhis qualities (beginning)
لَو رامَ سَحبانُ أَوصا
فَهُhis qualities (completion) اِنثَنىhe turned back وَهوَand he was أَخرَسspeechless
فَهُ اِنثَنى وَهوَ أَخرَس
If Sahban sought to recount
Swifter than sparks in the fray’s bonfire
his qualities, he would turn back speechless.
And hotter than its searing light
أَمضىmore resolute مِنَthan الحُمسِthe valiant فيin مَعbattlefield (beginning)
أَمضى مِنَ الحُمسِ في مَع
رَكِbattlefield (completion) الهياجِthe battle's tumult وَأَحمَسand fiercer
رَكِ الهياجِ وَأَحمَس
More resolute than the valiant in the
He brought in ripe crops of the lofty tops
arena of battle, and fiercer still.
Of a grove that knows no blight
جَنىhe harvested العُلاglories يانِعاتٍripe
جَنى العُلا يانِعاتٍ
مِنfrom مَنبِتٍa growing-place لَيسَdoes not يَيبَسdry up
مِن مَنبِتٍ لَيسَ يَيبَس
He harvested ripe glories
How could Glory’s scion not reap
from a planting ground that never dries.
Greatness when it is his by right?
وَكَيفَand how لاnot يَجتَنيdoes he harvest الحَمpraise (beginning)
وَكَيفَ لا يَجتَني الحَم
دَpraise (completion) مَنone who لَهُfor him المَجدُglory مَغرَسa planting ground
دَ مَن لَهُ المَجدُ مَغرَس
And how should he not reap
He fears no war, however dire,
praise, he who has glory for a seedbed?
When the steeds stampede in their might
لاnot يَرهَبُhe fears الحَربَwar يَوماًever
لا يَرهَبُ الحَربَ يَوماً
إِذاwhen الخَميسُthe army تَكَردَسmasses together
إِذا الخَميسُ تَكَردَس
He never fears war
Nay, he plunges in its darkest depths
when the army masses together.
A grimmer lion in the fight
لَكِنbut يَخوضُplunges into لَظاهاits blaze
لَكِن يَخوضُ لَظاها
غَضَنفَرٌa lion مِنهُfrom him أَشوَسfierce-eyed
غَضَنفَرٌ مِنهُ أَشوَس
But into its blaze plunges
The unflinching heroes give way
a fierce-eyed lion embodied in him.
When he snarls in his angry spite
تَفِرُّflee عَنهُfrom him الحُماةُthe defenders الthe
تَفِرُّ عَنهُ الحُماةُ ال
أُباةُunyielding إِذwhen يَتَبَهنَسhe struts like a lion
أُباةُ إِذ يَتَبَهنَس
From him flee the defenders,
How can a fox in the lion’s den
the unyielding, when he struts like a lion.
Withstand a lord with lions’ might?
وَكَيفَand how يَقوىcan be strong كَلَيثِlike a lion of الthe
وَكَيفَ يَقوى كَلَيثِ ال
عَرينِlair سيدٌa wolf عَمَلَّسfleet-footed
عَرينِ سيدٌ عَمَلَّس
And how could the lion of
Does the lion fear the panther’s spots
the lair be matched by a fleet-footed wolf?
Or the howl of the barking blight?
أَيرهبُdoes it fear? الأسَدُthe lion الوَرthe tawny (beginning)
أَيرهبُ الأسَدُ الوَر
دُtawny (completion) مِنfrom دُؤالَةa wolf الاَطلَسthe dusky one
دُ مِن دُؤالَة الاَطلَس
Does the tawny lion fear
the dusky wolf?
Partial English translation: 46 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1