لَيتَwould that يَوميmy day بِنَهرِby the river of فَرّوخَFarrukh عاداreturned
لَيتَ يَومي بِنَهرِ فَرّوخَ عادا
فَلَقَدfor indeed طابَwas pleasant ليto me وَسَرَّand delighted وَزاداand gave more
فَلَقَد طابَ لي وَسَرَّ وَزادا
Would that my day by the Farrukh River returned!
For it was sweet to me, delighted me, and gave still more.
عَفَتِspared الحادِثاتُthe misfortunes عَنهُfrom it وَأَعطَتand gave
عَفَتِ الحادِثاتُ عَنهُ وَأَعطَت
ناus صُنوفُkinds اللَذّاتِof pleasure فيهِin it القِياداthe reins
نا صُنوفُ اللَذّاتِ فيهِ القِيادا
Misfortunes spared it, and we were given
the reins by all kinds of pleasure therein.
وَعَدَوناand we galloped عَلىon الجِيادِthe noble steeds وَماand not حوwere favored (first fragment)
وَعَدَونا عَلى الجِيادِ وَما حو
بِيَتِwere favored (final fragment) الخَيلُthe horses إِذwhen تُسَمّىare called جِياداnoble steeds
بِيَتِ الخَيلُ إِذ تُسَمّى جِيادا
And we galloped on noble steeds; no flattery
was paid the horses in calling them noble.
مُعطِياةٍyielding رُؤوسَهُنَّtheir heads إِذاwhen شِئwished (verb stem)
مُعطِياةٍ رُؤوسَهُنَّ إِذا شِئ
نَthey (feminine plural ending) وُقوفاًto stand still تَخالُهاyou deem them أَوتاداstakes
نَ وُقوفاً تَخالُها أَوتادا
Yielding their heads, whenever they wished
to stand still, you would take them for stakes.
وَإِذاand when حَثَّهاurged them الرِكابُthe stirrup أَوِor السَوthe whip (first fragment)
وَإِذا حَثَّها الرِكابُ أَوِ السَو
طُthe whip (final fragment) أَطارَتsent flying أَرواحُهاtheir spirits الأَجساداthe bodies
طُ أَطارَت أَرواحُها الأَجسادا
And when the stirrup or the whip urged them,
their spirits sent their bodies flying.
وَنَخالُand we imagine الحَصىthe pebbles إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عَدَتthey galloped نَحbees (first fragment)
وَنَخالُ الحَصى إِذا ما عَدَت نَح
لاًbees (final fragment) أُطيرَتwere sent flying مِنfrom تَحتِهاbeneath them أَوor جَراداlocusts
لاً أُطيرَت مِن تَحتِها أَو جَرادا
And we took the pebbles, whenever they ran, for bees
sent flying from beneath them, or locusts.
مَرِحاتٍfrisky يَحمِلنَthey carry فِتيانَyoung men لَهوٍof pleasure
مَرِحاتٍ يَحمِلنَ فِتيانَ لَهوٍ
لاnot يُطيعونَthey obey فيin الهَوىlove فَنّاداa faultfinder
لا يُطيعونَ في الهَوى فَنّادا
Frisky, bearing pleasure-loving youths,
who heed no faultfinder in love.
حَذِّقواthey mastered لَذَّةَthe pleasure الحَياةِof life وَأَغرىand enticed
حَذِّقوا لَذَّةَ الحَياةِ وَأَغرى
جَودُهُمtheir generosity دَهرَهُمtheir age فَصاراand so it became جَواداgenerous
جَودُهُم دَهرَهُم فَصارا جَوادا
They mastered life's pleasure, and their generosity enticed
their age, so it too became generous.
قُلsay لِشَرِّto Sharr بِاللَهِfor God's sake ياO هَمَّtorment نَفسيof my soul
قُل لِشَرِّ بِاللَهِ يا هَمَّ نَفسي
زَوِّدينيgive me provisions قَبلَbefore الحَوادِثِthe calamities زاداprovisions
زَوِّديني قَبلَ الحَوادِثِ زادا
Say to Sharr: for God's sake, O torment of my soul,
give me provisions before calamities come.
قَدindeed شَكاcomplained الوَعدُthe promise مِنكِfrom you حَبساًimprisonment طَويلاًlong
قَد شَكا الوَعدُ مِنكِ حَبساً طَويلاً
فَاِحلِليso loosen عَنهُfrom it ياO شُرَيرَShurayr الصِفاداthe fetters
فَاِحلِلي عَنهُ يا شُرَيرَ الصِفادا
The promise has complained of long imprisonment at your hands;
so loosen its fetters, O Shurayr.
أَنتِyou لاnot تُحسِنينَyou perform well وَعدَكِyour promise هَذاthis
أَنتِ لا تُحسِنينَ وَعدَكِ هَذا
كُلُّeveryone مَنwho شاءَwished أَخلَفَfailed to keep الميعاداthe tryst
كُلُّ مَن شاءَ أَخلَفَ الميعادا
You show no skill in this promise of yours:
anyone who wishes can fail to keep a tryst.
لَيسَis not كُلُّevery العُشاقِthe lovers صَبّاًlovesick وَلَكِنand yet
لَيسَ كُلُّ العُشاقِ صَبّاً وَلَكِن
ذاthis حُسامٌa sharp sword يُقَطِّعُcuts to pieces الأَكباداthe livers
ذا حُسامٌ يُقَطِّعُ الأَكبادا
Not every lover is lovesick, but
this is a sharp sword that cuts livers apart.
رَبُّmany a يَومٍday أَحيَيتُهُI spent it awake بِزَفيرٍwith sighing
رَبُّ يَومٍ أَحيَيتُهُ بِزَفيرٍ
وَهُمومٍand cares تَكويsear الحَشاthe innards وَالفُؤاداand the heart
وَهُمومٍ تَكوي الحَشا وَالفُؤادا
Many a day I spent awake with sighs
and cares that sear the innards and the heart.
باتَspent the night طَرفيmy gaze يُشَيِّعُescorting النَجمَthe star فيهِin it
باتَ طَرفي يُشَيِّعُ النَجمَ فيهِ
كُلَّماwhenever خِلتُهُI thought it يَسيرُwas moving تَمادىlingered on
كُلَّما خِلتُهُ يَسيرُ تَمادى
My gaze spent the night escorting the star therein;
whenever I thought it moving, it lingered on.
Sol 6.1