أَخَذَتtook مِنfrom شَبابِيَmy youth الأَيّامُthe days
أَخَذَت مِن شَبابِيَ الأَيّامُ
وَتَوَفّىand died الصِباyouth عَلَيهِupon it السَلامُpeace
وَتَوَفّى الصِبا عَلَيهِ السَلامُ
The days have taken from my youth.
The days have taken my youth away,
And youth has died—peace be upon it.
And youth has bid farewell and passed.
وَاِرعَوىand relented باطِليmy folly وَبَرَّand grew righteous حَديثُtalk الthe
وَاِرعَوى باطِلي وَبَرَّ حَديثُ ال
نَفسِsoul مِنّيwithin me وَعَفَّتِand grew chaste الأَحلامُdreams
نَفسِ مِنّي وَعَفَّتِ الأَحلامُ
My folly relented, and righteous grew the talk of the
My rambling thoughts have ceased,
soul within me; and dreams grew chaste.
And fantasies no longer last.
وَنَهانيand forbade me الإِمامُthe imam عَنfrom سَفَهِfolly الكَأthe cup (continued)
وَنَهاني الإِمامُ عَن سَفَهِ الكَأ
سِending of 'cup' فَرُدَّتso it was returned عَلىto السُقاةِthe cupbearers المُدامُthe wine
سِ فَرُدَّت عَلى السُقاةِ المُدامُ
And the imam forbade me the folly of the
The wise imam has warned me against
cup; so the wine was returned to the cupbearers.
The folly of drunkenness,
عِفتُهاI shunned it مُكرَهاًunwillingly وَلَذّاتِand pleasures عَيشٍlife
عِفتُها مُكرَهاً وَلَذّاتِ عَيشٍ
قامَstood بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهُنَّand between them الإِمامُthe imam
قامَ بَيني وَبَينَهُنَّ الإِمامُ
I shunned it unwillingly, and life's pleasures;
So to the drinkers I've turned my back
the imam stood between me and them.
And he's stood firm between them and me.
وَلَقَدand indeed حَثَّurged on بِالمُدامَةِكَفَّيwith wine, my hands
وَلَقَد حَثَّ بِالمُدامَةِكَفَّي
غُصنُa bough بانٍa bān tree عَلَيهِupon it بَدرٌa full moon تَمامُcomplete
غُصنُ بانٍ عَلَيهِ بَدرٌ تَمامُ
And indeed, my hands were urged on with wine
Though branches of wild plum tempt me to drink
by a bān-tree bough with a full moon upon it.
With their blossoms, full and bright,
عَجَباًa marvel يَنهَبُplunders العُيونَthe eyes وَيَشتاand longs (continued)
عَجَباً يَنهَبُ العُيونَ وَيَشتا
قُending of 'longs' إِلَيهِfor him التَقبيلُkissing وَالإِلتِزامُand embracing
قُ إِلَيهِ التَقبيلُ وَالإِلتِزامُ
A marvel, plundering eyes; and yearning
A wonder that eyes they rob and lips
for him are kisses and embraces.
Seek kissing them and holding them tight.
وَنَداميَّand my drinking companions فيin شَبابٍyouth وَحُسنٍand beauty
وَنَداميَّ في شَبابٍ وَحُسنٍ
أَتلَفَتsquandered ماwhat لَهُمis theirs نُفوسٌsouls كِرامُnoble
أَتلَفَت ما لَهُم نُفوسٌ كِرامُ
And my drinking companions, youthful and fair—
And yet I regret that in my youth and beauty
their noble souls have squandered all they had.
I've wasted what souls so noble prize
بَينَamong أَقداحِهِمtheir goblets حَديثٌconversation قَصيرٌbrief
بَينَ أَقداحِهِم حَديثٌ قَصيرٌ
هُوَit سِحرٌmagic وَماand whatever سِواهُis other than it كَلامُspeech
هُوَ سِحرٌ وَما سِواهُ كَلامُ
Among their goblets is brief conversation:
Between their cups, brief talk, no more
it is magic, and all else is mere speech.
Than magic, and all else but lies.
وَغِناءٌand singing يَستَعجِلُhastens الراحَthe wine غَضٌّfresh
وَغِناءٌ يَستَعجِلُ الراحَ غَضٌّ
وَكَماand as ناحَlamented فيamong الغُصونِthe branches الحَمامُthe doves
وَكَما ناحَ في الغُصونِ الحَمامُ
And fresh singing that hastens the wine,
A song that hastens the soul's relief
like doves lamenting among the branches.
But makes the branches sigh like a dove.
وَكَأَنَّand as though السُقاةَthe cupbearers بَينَamong النَدامىthe drinking companions
وَكَأَنَّ السُقاةَ بَينَ النَدامى
أَلِفاتٌalif letters عَلىon السُطورِthe written lines قِيامُstanding upright
أَلِفاتٌ عَلى السُطورِ قِيامُ
And it is as though the cupbearers among the drinking companions
It's as though the drinkers and the remorseful
were alif letters standing upright on lines of script.
Were boon companions joined in love.
Sol 6.1