خلقت يقظان مروح العنان

خلقت يقظان مروح العنان

موقّر الجأش جموح الجنان

موقّر الجأش جموح الجنان

I was created wakeful, with my rein let loose,

I was created vigilant, gentle of rein,

composed in spirit, headstrong in heart.

Honored of ardour, impetuous of soul.

أظلم الدهر فقد سرّني

أظلم الدهر فقد سرّني

وعشت من أحداثه في أمانِ

وعشت من أحداثه في أمانِ

I wrong Time, for it has gladdened me,

The days have darkened, but in their events

and I have lived safe from its calamities.

I have dwelt secure.

فإن تكن أيام دهري خلتْ

فإن تكن أيام دهري خلتْ

فشأن أيامي البواقي وشاني

فشأن أيامي البواقي وشاني

So if the days of my lifetime have passed,

If my past days are gone,

then let my remaining days have their way, and let me have mine.

My fate and the future days are mine.

لقد تفيَّأتُ ظلال الصبا

لقد تفيَّأتُ ظلال الصبا

وصمّ عن طاعتي العاذلان

وصمّ عن طاعتي العاذلان

Indeed, I have rested in the shade of youth,

I enjoyed the shades of youth

and my two reprovers turned deaf to my bidding.

And the censurers were deaf to my obedience.

واستوقفت طرفي خصور الدمى

واستوقفت طرفي خصور الدمى

وانتهبت عقلي حضور الدنان

وانتهبت عقلي حضور الدنان

The waists of statue-like beauties arrested my gaze,

I arrested my eyes on the buttocks of the beautiful ladies

and the presence of wine jars plundered my reason.

And wrested my reason from attending to their charms.

أفتق جلد الليل عن ضوئها

أفتق جلد الليل عن ضوئها

والصبح كالنار خلال الدخان

والصبح كالنار خلال الدخان

I slit the skin of night to reveal its light,

The night discloses its brightness,

while dawn is like fire amid smoke.

And morning is like fire amid smoke.

يسعى بها في سقطات الندى

يسعى بها في سقطات الندى

أغنُّ معقودُ حواشي اللسانِ

أغنُّ معقودُ حواشي اللسانِ

He hastens with it amid falling dewdrops:

She moves therein with the sagging of dew,

nasal-voiced, with the edges of his tongue tied,

A necklace slung around the neck of language.

مروّعُ المقلة طاوي الحشى

مروّعُ المقلة طاوي الحشى

مؤنّث الدلِّ مريض البنان

مؤنّث الدلِّ مريض البنان

startled-eyed, lean of belly,

Terrifying with eyelash, folding dimple,

feminine in coquetry, languid-fingered.

Feminine of seducement, sick of hips.

مقرطقٌ تنفر أذياله

مقرطقٌ تنفر أذياله

عن موجةٍ يجذبها غصن بان

عن موجةٍ يجذبها غصن بان

He wears a tunic whose hems spring away

Crested, its train recoiling

from a wave drawn along by a bān-tree branch.

From a wave pulled by a suppling bough.

مزنَّرٌ يقلق سرباله

مزنَّرٌ يقلق سرباله

كأنّما زرّ على خيزران

كأنّما زرّ على خيزران

Belted, his robe shifts restlessly,

Bedecked, its gown fluttering

as though buttoned around a bamboo cane.

As if it were embroidered on silk.

في يده شمطاء مقتولةً

في يده شمطاء مقتولةً

ترفل في ملحفتي أرجوان

ترفل في ملحفتي أرجوان

In his hand is a gray-haired woman, slain,

In her hand a murdered gazelle

trailing her robes in two crimson mantles.

Curling in sheets of purple.

إذا استدارت فرقاً صرّحت

إذا استدارت فرقاً صرّحت

عن شررٍ وابتسمت عن جمان

عن شررٍ وابتسمت عن جمان

When she turns round in fright, she reveals

When she turns away, it reveals

sparks, and smiles to show pearls.

Sparks and she smiles from a harvesting of souls.

إذا ظغا لؤلؤه خلته

إذا ظغا لؤلؤه خلته

طلاًّ على أرضٍ من الزعفران

طلاًّ على أرضٍ من الزعفران

When its pearls clamor, I take it

When her pearl laughs, it leaves it

for dew on a ground of saffron.

A dew on ground of saffron.

تذكّرني أنفاسها سحرةً

تذكّرني أنفاسها سحرةً

والليل والصبح طليقا رهان

والليل والصبح طليقا رهان

Her breaths, just before dawn, remind me—

Her breaths remind me of a sorceress

while night and dawn are loosed for a race—

And the night and morn loose rein.

نشوةَ أنفاس الأمير الذي

نشوةَ أنفاس الأمير الذي

أدرك ما شاء برغم الزمان

أدرك ما شاء برغم الزمان

of the rapture of the breaths of the prince who

The intoxication of breaths of the prince

attained what he wished, despite Time.

Who attained all he desired despite time.

يا قلم الأمة درْ بالذي

يا قلم الأمة درْ بالذي

تهوى فقد دان لك المشرفان

تهوى فقد دان لك المشرفان

O pen of the community, turn as

O quill of the nation, spill what

you desire, for the two exalted ones have submitted to you.

You love, for the noble have submitted to you.

مقبل الراحة ما صُوِّرت

مقبل الراحة ما صُوِّرت

كفّاه إلا للندى والطعان

كفّاه إلا للندى والطعان

His palm is kissed; never were fashioned

The prepared for ease - how can it be depicted

his two hands except for bounty and spear-thrusts.

Except by wine and spears?

فالحزم والعزم له عدّةٌ

فالحزم والعزم له عدّةٌ

والمال والسيف له جنّتان

والمال والسيف له جنّتان

Thus prudence and resolve are his armament,

Resolution and determination are his munitions,

and wealth and the sword are his two shields.

Wealth and sword his two armies.

قد رقم النيروز وشْي الرُّبا

قد رقم النيروز وشْي الرُّبا

فارقم حواشي جامك الخسرواني

فارقم حواشي جامك الخسرواني

Nowruz has embroidered the brocade of the hills;

The Nile has risen and clad the countryside,

so embroider the edges of your Khosrow-style goblet.

So festoon the rims of your goblet.

واقتبل اللّذات واستدعها

واقتبل اللّذات واستدعها

باللهو والقصف وعزف القيان

باللهو والقصف وعزف القيان

And welcome pleasures, and summon them

And accept pleasures and summon them

with amusement, revelry, and the music of singing slave-girls.

With diversion, carousing, and tunes of the lute.

واجتلِ وجه الراح في روضةٍ

واجتلِ وجه الراح في روضةٍ

تبسّم عن مثل وجوه الغواني

تبسّم عن مثل وجوه الغواني

And behold the face of wine in a garden

Revel, and turn the face of joy to a garden,

that smiles, revealing the likeness of beauties' faces.

Where smiles like the faces of beautiful maidens blossom.

وارع رياض العز في غبطةٍ

وارع رياض العز في غبطةٍ

واسكن مدى الأيام ظلَّ التهاني

واسكن مدى الأيام ظلَّ التهاني

And graze in the gardens of glory, in bliss,

Roam the meadows of glory in delight,

and dwell all your days in the shade of felicitations.

And inhabit the days in the shade of congratulations.