دعاhe called فأجابهand it answered him القدحُthe goblet
دعا فأجابه القدحُ
وصحبٌand companions عندهbeside him اصطبحواdrank in the morning
وصحبٌ عنده اصطبحوا
He called, and the goblet answered him.
Companions beside him drank in the morning.
يضمgathers الراحthe wine شملهمtheir company
يضم الراح شملهم
ويسفرand shines فيهمamong them الفرحjoy
ويسفر فيهم الفرح
Wine gathers them together,
and joy shines among them.
ففازso he was fortunate بهمin them وليسand there is not لهمfor them
ففاز بهم وليس لهم
علىof الأيامthe days مقتَرَحa further wish
على الأيام مقتَرَح
He was blessed with their company, while they
had no further wish of the passing days.
يميلsways بعطفهwith his shoulders سكرdrunkenness
يميل بعطفه سكر
ويثنيand bends جيدهhis neck مرحmerriment
ويثني جيده مرح
Drunk, one sways his shoulders;
merry, another bends his neck.
وتطربهand delights him مغنيةa singer
وتطربه مغنية
بناجذwith a back molar ضرسهاher tooth قرحsore
بناجذ ضرسها قرح
A singer delights him,
though the molar at the back of her mouth is sore.
بضربwith a stroke البمthe low string تختمهshe ends it
بضرب البم تختمه
ونقرand with a pluck الزيرthe high string تفتتحshe begins
ونقر الزير تفتتح
She ends it with a stroke on the low string
and begins with a pluck of the high string.
تكادalmost النارfire منfrom يدهاher hand
تكاد النار من يدها
إذاwhen جستهshe touches it تنقدحbursts forth
إذا جسته تنقدح
Fire nearly springs from her hand
whenever she touches it.
تكادalmost الطيرthe birds منfrom delight طربupon
تكاد الطير من طرب
علىon الأوتارthe strings تطَّرحalight
على الأوتار تطَّرح
Birds, overcome with delight, almost
alight upon the strings.
وتسعدهاand she gladdens them بألحانwith melodies
وتسعدها بألحان
عليهاat which العصمthe mountain goats تنبطحlie down
عليها العصم تنبطح
She gladdens them with melodies
at which even mountain goats lie down.
أقولI say ومنزلand a dwelling الألاَّthe dear companions, begun
أقول ومنزل الألاَّ
فthe dear companions, completed مناfrom us منزلa dwelling طرحcast far away
ف منا منزل طرح
I say: the dwelling of dear companions
has been cast far from us.
وقدand indeed ضاقتhave narrowed بناaround us أعطاpastures, begun
وقد ضاقت بنا أعطا
نpastures, completed دهرof an age ليسthat does not ينشرحopen up
ن دهر ليس ينشرح
The pastures of an age have grown narrow around us,
an age that will not open up.
وليand for me فيin كلevery جارحةlimb
ولي في كل جارحة
لفضلfor the virtue الشيخof the sheikh ممتدحpraise
لفضل الشيخ ممتدح
In every part of me
there is praise for the sheikh’s virtue.
وفيand in واديهhis valley متَّسَعample room
وفي واديه متَّسَع
لأماليfor my hopes ومنتدَحand a place to turn
لأمالي ومنتدَح
In his valley there is room
for my hopes and a place to turn.
أطالmay He prolong اللّهGod منهfrom him يداًa hand
أطال اللّه منه يداً
بهاthrough it الآمالhopes تلتقحbear fruit
بها الآمال تلتقح
May God prolong his generous hand;
through it, hopes come to fruition.
قفواstop ياO أهلpeople نيسابوNishapu-, begun
قفوا يا أهل نيسابو
ر-r, completed نعتبlet us express grievance ثمthen نصطلحmake peace
ر نعتب ثم نصطلح
Stop, people of Nishapur:
let us air our grievance, then make peace.
أُفاتحكمI open with you بمعتبةwith a reproach
أُفاتحكم بمعتبة
ومعناهاand its meaning هوىis صرحlove that has declared itself
ومعناها هوى صرح
I begin with a reproach
whose meaning is love plainly spoken.
وقدرand the worth الفضلof virtue عندكُمamong you
وقدر الفضل عندكُم
ولستand I am not أذمكمrebuking you وقحinsolently
ولست أذمكم وقح
You know the worth of virtue;
I do not rebuke you out of insolence.
وحقاًand rightly أنthat أُعاتبكمI reproach you
وحقاً أن أُعاتبكم
وسهلand Sahl منكمamong you وتحis undervalued
وسهل منكم وتح
It is only right that I reproach you:
Sahl is undervalued among you.
لسهلSahl has فيin eminence العلىbright marks of distinction غررso why not
لسهل في العلى غرر
فهلاso why not عندكمamong you لمحa glimpse
فهلا عندكم لمح
Sahl bears bright signs of eminence;
why do you not see them?
وفيهand in him منof النُّهىwisdom بدعwonders
وفيه من النُّهى بدع
فهلاso why not فيكمamong you مُلحgrace
فهلا فيكم مُلح
He has wonders of wisdom;
why do you show no grace?
تضمَّنcontains أمةa community رجلa man
تضمَّن أمة رجل
وأودعand holds عالماًa world شبحa body
وأودع عالماً شبح
One man contains a whole community;
one body holds a world.
فمنso whoever جاراهkeeps pace with him منقطعfalls behind
فمن جاراه منقطع
ومنand whoever باراهvies with him مفتضحis exposed
ومن باراه مفتضح
Whoever tries to keep pace with him falls behind;
whoever vies with him is exposed.
ليهنكmay it delight you إنthat سعيكyour striving فيin
ليهنك إن سعيك في
مساعيpursuits المجدof glory متضحis evident
مساعي المجد متضح
May you rejoice: your striving
in the pursuit of glory is plain.
وأنكand that you جدتgave generously إذwhen بخلواthey withheld
وأنك جدت إذ بخلوا
فَلَمso you did not تخسرlose ولاnor did ربحواthey gain
فَلَم تخسر ولا ربحوا
You gave generously when they withheld;
you lost nothing, and they gained nothing.
وقِدْماًand long ago كانit was يبلغنيreaching me
وقِدْماً كان يبلغني
لهمabout them ماwhat كادhardly يتضحbecame clear
لهم ما كاد يتضح
Long ago, reports reached me
about them, though the truth was scarcely clear.
وكانand it was يقالsaid إنهمthat they
وكان يقال إنهم
إذاwhen بخلwas miserly الورىeveryone else سمحواgave freely
إذا بخل الورى سمحوا
It was said that they
gave freely when others were miserly,
وإنand if وزنواthey were weighed بأهلagainst the people الأرof the ear-, begun
وإن وزنوا بأهل الأر
ض-th, completed فيin أحلامهمtheir forbearance رجحواthey outweighed them
ض في أحلامهم رجحوا
and that, weighed against the people of the earth,
they surpassed them in forbearance.
ففيمso why الضيفthe guest مهتضَمslighted
ففيم الضيف مهتضَم
وممّand why البرkindness مُطّرحcast aside
وممّ البر مُطّرح
Why, then, is the guest slighted?
Why is kindness cast aside?
ومنغلقاًand what is closed أؤملهI hope for it
ومنغلقاً أؤمله
بيمنىthrough the sheikh’s right hand الشيخopens up ينفسحso he knows
بيمنى الشيخ ينفسح
What I hope for, though closed to me,
opens through the sheikh’s right hand.
فيعلمso he knows أنthat واديناour valley
فيعلم أن وادينا
لهاfor it أولاهits beginning ينفسحopens up
لها أولاه ينفسح
Then he will know that our valley
opens for hope at its very beginning.
ويبرزand reveals سرهits secret أمليmy hope
ويبرز سره أملي
ويطلعand rises قوسهits bow قُزَحa rainbow
ويطلع قوسه قُزَح
My hope reveals its hidden heart,
and its rainbow rises.
Sol 6