أَبْلِغْtell أَباAbu (father of) الْفَضْلِal-Fadl (excellence) الَّذِيwho شَهِدَتْbore witness
أَبْلِغْ أَبا الْفَضْلِ الَّذِي شَهِدَتْ
بِالْفَضْلِto excellence مِنْهُfrom him الْبَدْوُthe nomads والْحَضْرُand the townspeople
بِالْفَضْلِ مِنْهُ الْبَدْوُ والْحَضْرُ
Tell Abu al-Fadl, whose excellence is attested
Tell Abul Fadl, whose excellence
by nomads and townspeople alike:
Both city and desert have witnessed,
الْعُذْرُan excuse عَنْدَكَon your part لاnot يَسُوغُis admissible وَلِيand for me
الْعُذْرُ عَنْدَكَ لا يَسُوغُ وَلِي
فِيin أَنْthat أَطِيلَI prolong عَتابَكَreproaching you الْعُذْرُjustification
فِي أَنْ أَطِيلَ عَتابَكَ الْعُذْرُ
No excuse on your part is valid, while I
With you there's no excuse for me
am justified in prolonging my reproach of you.
Though excuses for you I have furnished.
أَيَجُوزُis it permissible? فِيin حُكْمِthe judgment of الْمُرُؤَةِnoble conduct أَنْthat
أَيَجُوزُ فِي حُكْمِ الْمُرُؤَةِ أَنْ
أَظْماI thirst وَدُونَwhile falling short of سَماحِكَyour generosity الْبَحْرُthe sea
أَظْما وَدُونَ سَماحِكَ الْبَحْرُ
Does the law of noble conduct permit
Is it proper in judgment of the noble
me to thirst, when the sea falls short of your generosity?
That I suffer while you're an ocean?
وَالسَّبْتُand Saturday مِنْamong شَرْطِthe requirements of الْمُدامِwine وَلاand not
وَالسَّبْتُ مِنْ شَرْطِ الْمُدامِ وَلا
سِيمَاthe like (with ولا: especially) وَثَوْبُand the robe of زَمانهِits season الْقُرُّbitter cold
سِيمَا وَثَوْبُ زَمانهِ الْقُرُّ
And Saturday is one of wine's requisites, and not
And my Sabbath from trysting's condition—
least when its season's robe is bitter cold.
Habit of time wears a poor garment.
وَلَدَيَّand with me بَدْرٌa full moon لُوْif تَأَمَّلَهُgazed upon him
وَلَدَيَّ بَدْرٌ لُوْ تَأَمَّلَهُ
يُوْماًone day لتاهَwould be bewildered بِحُسْنِهِby his beauty الْبَدْرُthe full moon
يُوْماً لتاهَ بِحُسْنِهِ الْبَدْرُ
And with me is a full moon; were he to be beheld
For me is a moon, were you to behold him
one day, the full moon would be bewildered by his beauty.
A day, by his beauty the moon would be darkened.
لاnot الْبَذْلُgiving شِيمَتُهُhis nature وَلاnor الِفَتىًthe young man
لا الْبَذْلُ شِيمَتُهُ وَلا الِفَتىً
عَرَفَhas known الْهوىlove عَنْaway from مِثْلِهِone like him صَبْرُpatience
عَرَفَ الْهوى عَنْ مِثْلِهِ صَبْرُ
Giving is not his nature, nor does the young man
No, open-handedness his quality not,
who has known love have patience to do without his like.
Nor the lover knew bearing from his like.
فِيin خُلْقِهِhis character سَرَسٌill temper وَلَيْسَand is not يُرىseen
فِي خُلْقِهِ سَرَسٌ وَلَيْسَ يُرى
إلاّexcept التَّمَتُّعُenjoyment مِنْهُfrom him وَالْهَجْرُand estrangement
إلاّ التَّمَتُّعُ مِنْهُ وَالْهَجْرُ
There is ill temper in his character, and nothing is seen
In his nature a piercing, and naught to be seen
from him but enjoyment and estrangement.
Save some joy and estrangement between.
فَابْعَثْso send لَناto us خَمْراًwine يُراضُhe is tamed بِهاwith it
فَابْعَثْ لَنا خَمْراً يُراضُ بِها
فَعَسىso perhaps يُذَلِّلُsubdues صَعْبهُhis unruliness الْخَمْرُthe wine
فَعَسى يُذَلِّلُ صَعْبهُ الْخَمْرُ
So send us wine with which he may be tamed;
Send us then wine, by which you'll make pliant
perhaps then the wine will subdue his unruliness.
Perchance the unbending, by wine softened.
وَالسُّكْرُand intoxication قَدْindeed ضَمِنَhas guaranteed الْوِصالَunion لَناfor us
وَالسُّكْرُ قَدْ ضَمِنَ الْوِصالَ لَنا
وَلَكَمْand how often وَفىhas been true بِضمانِهِto its pledge السُّكْرُintoxication
وَلَكَمْ وَفى بِضمانِهِ السُّكْرُ
And intoxication has guaranteed union for us,
Drunkenness promises union with you,
and how often intoxication has kept its pledge!
And how oft has its promise held true!
سارِعْhasten إلىtoward كَرَمٍgenerosity يُحازُis gained بِهِthrough it الْthe
سارِعْ إلى كَرَمٍ يُحازُ بِهِ الْ
شُّكْرُthanks الْجَمِيلُgracious وَيُعْدَمُand is lacking الأَجْرُthe reward
شُّكْرُ الْجَمِيلُ وَيُعْدَمُ الأَجْرُ
Hasten to generosity by which one gains
Hasten some generous wine that thanksgiving
gracious thanks, while reward is lacking.
May meet with the beautiful, wage disappear.
Sol 6.1