ماwhat العَيشُlife إِنif يَبدوappears وابَرامَةَand at Rama (unclear form) بارِقٍa lightning flash
ما العَيشُ إِن يَبدو وابَرامَةَ بارِقٍ
وَيَزورُand visits طَيفٌa phantom مِنfrom تَهامَةَTihama طارِقُvisiting by night
وَيَزورُ طَيفٌ مِن تَهامَةَ طارِقُ
What is life, if a lightning flash appears at Rama,
What is life, if the morning shines
and a phantom from Tihama visits by night?
And a specter from Tihama passes by
كَلّاNo! وَلاnor اللَذّاتُpleasures رَبعٌan encampment دارِسٌruined
كَلّا وَلا اللَذّاتُ رَبعٌ دارِسٌ
وَلّىdeparted بِساكِنِهِwith its inhabitant وَجَدَّand pressed onward السائِقُthe driver
وَلّى بِساكِنِهِ وَجَدَّ السائِقُ
No! Nor are pleasures a ruined encampment,
Nay, not even pleasures are lasting
gone with its inhabitant, while the driver pressed onward.
The inhabitant turned away and the driver left
العَيشُlife صافِيَةٌclear wine كَأَنَّas though شُعاعَهاher radiance
العَيشُ صافِيَةٌ كَأَنَّ شُعاعَها
قَبَسٌa firebrand تَوَقَّدَblazed فَاِستَنارَso grew bright الغاسِقُthe dark night
قَبَسٌ تَوَقَّدَ فَاِستَنارَ الغاسِقُ
Life is clear wine, whose radiance seems
Life is pure, as if its radiance
a firebrand that blazed, and the dark night grew bright.
Is an ember that ignited and illuminated the dark
صَلّىprayed عَلَيهاover her فيin الدُيورِthe monasteries شَهامِسٌdeacons
صَلّى عَلَيها في الدُيورِ شَهامِسٌ
وَهَوىand fell إِلَيهاtoward her بِالسُجودِin prostration جَثالِقُchief bishops
وَهَوى إِلَيها بِالسُجودِ جَثالِقُ
Deacons prayed over her in the monasteries,
Eminent men throughout the ages prayed over it
and chief bishops fell before her in prostration.
And the humble prostrated towards it
ماwhat ليto me وَآرامand the gazelles العَقيقof al-Aqiq وَرامَةٍand Rama
ما لي وَآرام العَقيق وَرامَةٍ
ريمُthe gazelle العَقيقِof al-Aqiq وَريمُand the gazelle رامَةof Rama طالِقُdivorced
ريمُ العَقيقِ وَريمُ رامَة طالِقُ
What have I to do with the gazelles of al-Aqiq and Rama?
Why do I care for carnelian and musk
The gazelle of al-Aqiq and Rama's gazelle are divorced.
The shedding of carnelian and shedding of musk are free
عَذراءُa virgin ماnever عَقَرَتwas broached بِراحَةِby the palm شارِبٍof a drinker
عَذراءُ ما عَقَرَت بِراحَةِ شارِبٍ
مُذsince حَيثُwhen كانَتshe came to be فَهيَso she is بكرٌa virgin عاتِقُmature; aged
مُذ حَيثُ كانَت فَهيَ بكرٌ عاتِقُ
A virgin, never broached by a drinker's palm,
An unmarried girl who has not marred the rest of a reveler
since she came to be—still a virgin, aged.
Since she has always been a virgin with large dark eyes
مَنwhoever كانَwas ذاوَلَهٍpossessed of yearning بِنَجدٍin Najd عاشِقاًa lover
مَن كانَ ذاوَلَهٍ بِنَجدٍ عاشِقاً
كَلِفاًbesotted فَإِنّيthen indeed I لِلمدامَةِfor wine عاشِقُa lover
كَلِفاً فَإِنّي لِلمدامَةِ عاشِقُ
Whoever may be a yearning lover in Najd,
Whoever loves sober Najd passionately
besotted—I, for my part, am a lover of wine.
I am a lover of wine
سَفَهاًfolly لِرَأيِto the judgment فَتىًof a youth يَبيتُspends the night وَماand not لَهُfor him
سَفَهاً لِرَأيِ فَتىً يَبيتُ وَما لَهُ
فيin حَلبَةِthe racecourse الصَهباءِof tawny wine طَرقٌa stallion سابِقُwinning
في حَلبَةِ الصَهباءِ طَرقٌ سابِقُ
Foolish is the judgment of a youth who spends the night with no
Foolish is the opinion of a youth who spends the night without
winning stallion on tawny wine's racecourse.
A precedent in the arena of predawn darkness
سيماespecially وَجَيشُand the army الصَبرِof patience قَدalready ضُرِبَتhave been pitched لَهُfor it
سيما وَجَيشُ الصَبرِ قَد ضُرِبَت لَهُ
فَوقَabove الرِياضِthe meadows المونِقاتِdelightful سُرادِقُpavilions
فَوقَ الرِياضِ المونِقاتِ سُرادِقُ
Especially when there have been pitched for the army of patience
Especially since an army of patience has been assigned
pavilions above the delightful meadows.
Pavilions above the soft meadows
وَعَلىand upon الزَمانِtime مِنَfrom الرَبيعِspring مَحاسِنٌbeauties
وَعَلى الزَمانِ مِنَ الرَبيعِ مَحاسِنٌ
قَلبُthe heart السُرورِof joy بِهاof them كَثيبٌa sand dune وامِقُenamored
قَلبُ السُرورِ بِها كَثيبٌ وامِقُ
And upon time lie the beauties of spring,
And the spring has beauties over time
Joy's heart is a sand dune enamored of them.
With it the heart of joy is a swollen torrent
ياO شارِبَdrinker الصَهباءِof tawny wine دونَكَtake what is before you فَاِنتَهِزso seize the chance
يا شارِبَ الصَهباءِ دونَكَ فَاِنتَهِز
أَرضٌa land مُزَخرَفَةٌadorned وَماءand water دافِقُgushing
أَرضٌ مُزَخرَفَةٌ وَماء دافِقُ
O drinker of tawny wine, take what lies before you—seize the chance:
O you who drink sobriety, avail yourself
an adorned land and gushing water.
Of an ornamented land and a gushing water
وَعَساكِرand armies الزَهرِof blossoms النَضيرfresh كَتائِبٌbattalions
وَعَساكِر الزَهرِ النَضير كَتائِبٌ
رُفِعَتhave been raised عَلَيهِabove it مِنَfrom الغُصونِthe boughs صَناجِقُstandards
رُفِعَت عَلَيهِ مِنَ الغُصونِ صَناجِقُ
And the armies of fresh blossoms are battalions;
And regiments of delicate flowers are battalions
above them, standards of boughs have been raised.
Raised on its branches are trellised pavilions
وَالطَيرُand the birds تَصدَحُsing out فيin الغُصونِthe boughs كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَالطَيرُ تَصدَحُ في الغُصونِ كَأَنَّها
تَرجيعُa refrain أَلحانٍof melodies وَصَبٍlovesickness شائِقُbeguiling
تَرجيعُ أَلحانٍ وَصَبٍ شائِقُ
And birds sing out among the boughs, as though they were
And birds trill in the branches as if
a beguiling refrain of lovesick melodies.
They are returning melodies and passionate love songs
Sol 6.1