أَياO طَلحَةُTalha قَدindeed كُنتَyou were
أَيا طَلحَةُ قَد كُنتَ
عَلىin خَيرٍgood fortune مِنَof الخيرِgoodness
عَلى خَيرٍ مِنَ الخيرِ
O Talha, you once were
O Talha, you were
in a fine state of good fortune.
Of the best of the best
تَرىyou regard حَقَّthe due of بَنيthe sons of عَمِّa paternal uncle
تَرى حَقَّ بَني عَمِّ
كَyour (suffix) أَمراًa matter غَيرَwithout تَقصيرِneglect
كَ أَمراً غَيرَ تَقصيرِ
You regarded your cousins' due
You saw the truth of your paternal cousins
as a matter permitting no neglect.
As a matter other than negligence
وَماand not تَنفَكُّyou cease مَشغولاًoccupied
وَما تَنفَكُّ مَشغولاً
بِتَقليبِwith turning over الدَنانيرِthe dinars (gold coins)
بِتَقليبِ الدَنانيرِ
And you were always busy
And you were constantly preoccupied
turning over dinars.
With flipping dinars
فَأَصبَحتَso you became تَحَوَّلتَyou changed over
فَأَصبَحتَ تَحَوَّلتَ
إِلىto بَيعِselling القَواريرِthe glass bottles
إِلى بَيعِ القَواريرِ
So now you have turned
So you have turned
to selling glass bottles.
To selling flasks
كَذاكَthus الدَهرُTime مَطوِيٌّwrapped
كَذاكَ الدَهرُ مَطوِيٌّ
عَلىaround الناسِpeople بِتَغييرِwith change
عَلى الناسِ بِتَغييرِ
Such is Time, wrapped
Thus is the fate of the world
around mankind, bringing change.
Changing upon people with change
فَبِعنيso sell me قَفَصاًa crate مِنكَfrom you
فَبِعني قَفَصاً مِنكَ
بِألفٍfor a thousand غَيرَnot مَنزورِscant
بِألفٍ غَيرَ مَنزورِ
So sell me a crate of yours
So sell me a cage from you
for a thousand, no paltry sum:
For a thousand undiminished
ثَلاثينَthirty وَسِتّينَand sixty
ثَلاثينَ وَسِتّينَ
وَعَشراًand ten غَيرَwithout تَمصيرِstinting
وَعَشراً غَيرَ تَمصيرِ
thirty and sixty,
Thirty and sixty
and ten, without stinting.
And ten without reduction
فَخُذهاso take them كَالمَصابيحِlike lamps
فَخُذها كَالمَصابيحِ
عَلىupon أَيديthe hands of المَعاصيرِthe young maidens
عَلى أَيدي المَعاصيرِ
Then take them, like lamps,
Take them like lanterns
in the hands of young maidens:
In the hands of revellers
سَريحَينِtwo strands مِنَof الدُرِّpearls
سَريحَينِ مِنَ الدُرِّ
وَمِنand of ياقوتِthe rubies of حَزّورِHazzur
وَمِن ياقوتِ حَزّورِ
two strands of pearls
Two chrysolites
and of Hazzur's rubies.
And from ruby of Hazzour
يُضيءُit illuminates البَيتَthe room وَالدارَand the house
يُضيءُ البَيتَ وَالدارَ
وَأَجوافَand the interiors of المَطاميرِthe underground stores
وَأَجوافَ المَطاميرِ
It lights the room and the house
It lights up the house and the homes
and the depths of underground stores.
And the depths of graves
وَنِعمَand excellent is العَينُthe sight لِلناظِfor the beholder (continued)
وَنِعمَ العَينُ لِلناظِ
رِcompletion of 'beholder' فيin ظَلماءِdarkness دَيجورِpitch-black gloom
رِ في ظَلماءِ دَيجورِ
And what a splendid sight for the beholder
And blessed is the eye of the onlooker
in pitch-black darkness!
In the darkness of night
أَياO طَلحَةُTalha قَصَّرتَyou fell short
أَيا طَلحَةُ قَصَّرتَ
وَلاand not أَرضىI am satisfied بِتَقصيرِwith stinting
وَلا أَرضى بِتَقصيرِ
O Talha, you have fallen short,
O Talha, you fell short
and I will not accept stinting.
And I am not pleased with falling short
أُحِبُّI love النائِلَthe bounty السَهلَeasily obtained
أُحِبُّ النائِلَ السَهلَ
وَأَقليand I loathe كُلَّevery مَعسورِhard-to-obtain thing
وَأَقلي كُلَّ مَعسورِ
I love bounty that comes easily,
I love the easy attainer
and loathe whatever is hard to obtain.
And make easy every one in difficulty
فَشِنso dishonor نَفسَكَyourself أَوor زِنهاadorn it
فَشِن نَفسَكَ أَو زِنها
فَإِنَّfor indeed البُردَthe striped cloak بِالنيرِby its woven stripe
فَإِنَّ البُردَ بِالنيرِ
So dishonor yourself—or adorn yourself;
So exert yourself or weigh yourself
for a cloak's beauty lies in its woven stripe.
For the yoke is known by the ox
Sol 6.1