ياO مَعْشَرَcompany of الخُلاّعِthe libertines
يا مَعْشَرَ الخُلاّعِ
وَرِفْقَتيand my companions فيin انطباعيmy disposition
وَرِفْقَتي في انطباعي
O company of libertines,
O companions of revelry
And my companions in my ways,
And my friends in my impression
وَياand O نَدمايَmy boon companions فيin الشُّربِdrinking للطِّلاof wine والسّماعِand listening to music
وَيا نَدمايَ في الشُّربِ للطِّلا والسّماعِ
وَيَاand O جماعةَa company of قَصْفٍrevelry
وَيَا جماعةَ قَصْفٍ
And O my boon companions in drinking wine and listening to song,
And O my regret in drinking to excess and listening to music
And O company of revelry,
And O rowdy group
قدalready انعظواthey became erect للجِماعِfor intercourse
قد انعظوا للجِماعِ
قَدَalready انعضواwere bitten; perhaps 'became erect'
قَدَ انعضوا
Who have grown erect for intercourse,
Who have dedicated themselves to gathering
They have been bitten [perhaps: grown erect],
They have dedicated themselves
تَفُورُbubbles كالفُقاعِlike beer
تَفُورُ كالفُقاعِ
مَنْamong (vocalization uncertain) كُلevery صاحبِpossessor of عنقٍa neck
مَنْ كُل صاحبِ عنقٍ
Bubbling like beer,
Seething like bubbles
Among them, every fellow with a neck
Each friend with a neck
مُعَوَّدٍaccustomed بالصِّفاعِto slaps
مُعَوَّدٍ بالصِّفاعِ
قَدْalready باتَhe spent the night فوقَupon فِراشa bed
قَدْ باتَ فوقَ فِراش
Accustomed to slaps,
Accustomed to slapping
Has spent the night upon a bed
Has spent the night on a mattress with torn sheets
مقطّعcut-up الأنطاعthe leather mats
مقطّع الأنطاع
ماnot يَشْتكيhe complains مِنْfrom قراعstriking الthe (continued next line)
ما يَشْتكي مِنْ قراع ال
Of cut-up leather mats.
Not complaining except for the pain of hangovers
He complains of nothing from the blows of the
He became, due to fasting, sprawled out
أكفّpalms غيرَexcept الصّداعِthe headache
أكفّ غيرَ الصّداعِ
أمسىby evening he became مِنْfrom الصّومِfasting ملقىprostrate
أمسى مِنْ الصّومِ ملقى
Palms but a headache.
Thirsty and hungry
Fasting has left him prostrate by evening,
The month of fasting weaned them
مِنَamong العِطاشthe thirsty الجياعِthe hungry
مِنَ العِطاش الجياعِ
شهرُthe month of الصيامِfasting فطامweaning الthe (continued next line)
شهرُ الصيامِ فطام ال
Among the thirsty and hungry.
From cups after nursing
The month of fasting is weaning from the
Whenever I remember
كؤوسِcups بعدَafter الرضاعِsuckling
كؤوسِ بعدَ الرضاعِ
إذاwhen تذكرتُI remembered ماتمّwhat took place
إذا تذكرتُ ماتمّ
Cups after suckling.
My days of dancing
When I remember what took place
I stay up crying for a time
ليfor me زَمانَduring the time of الرقاعِthe patches
لي زَمانَ الرقاعِ
أبيتُI spend the night أَبكيI weep زماناًfor a time
أبيتُ أَبكي زماناً
For me in the days of patches,
Yearning for those farewells
I spend the night weeping for a time,
And a beauty named
شوقاًout of longing لذاكfor that الوداعfarewell
شوقاً لذاك الوداع
وَغَادةand a graceful maiden ذاتِِendowed with حسنٍbeauty
وَغَادة ذاتِِ حسنٍ
Longing for that farewell.
Beauty hidden behind a veil
And a graceful maiden endowed with beauty,
Who spent the night being generous with union
والحسنُand the beauty تحتَbeneath القناعِthe veil
والحسنُ تحتَ القناعِ
باتَتْshe spent the night تجودُshe bestows generously بوصلٍwith intimacy
باتَتْ تجودُ بوصلٍ
And beauty lies beneath the veil,
After a long refusal
She spent the night bestowing intimacy,
But it was as long as a span
منfrom بعدِafter طولِa long period of امتناعِrefusal
من بعدِ طولِ امتناعِ
لكنهاbut she طولُthe length of شبرٍa handspan
لكنها طولُ شبرٍ
After a long refusal.
As if the dead snakes
But she is a handspan long,
I said, and she stood
طولُthe length of باعِan armspan
طولُ باعِ
كأنماas though
كأنما
An armspan long,
Next to me as I lay down
As though
Like a date palm wavering
مَيْتَa dead one الأفاعيthe vipers
مَيْتَ الأفاعي
قُلتُI said وَقَدْand already قامit rose
قُلتُ وَقَدْ قام
A dead viper.
Upon it like first fruits
I said, as it rose
The Prophet's blessing be upon him
إليَّtoward me عندَat اضطجاعيmy lying down
إليَّ عندَ اضطجاعي
كنخلةٍlike a palm tree وَهْيَwhile she تَرقاclimbs
كنخلةٍ وَهْيَ تَرقا
Toward me when I lay down,
I measured its length with my arms
Like a palm tree, while she climbed
So it was twenty or more
عَليهِupon it كالطّلاَّعِlike a palm-tree climber
عَليهِ كالطّلاَّعِ
بركةُa pool النيthe Ni- (beginning of 'Nile')
بركةُ الني
Up it like a palm-climber:
Other than plain
The pool of the Nile—
Oh Month of Shawwal, hurry
لِcompletion of 'Nile' قسْتهاI measured it بذراعيwith my forearm
لِ قسْتها بذراعي
فكانَso it was عشرينَtwenty أَوor فوbeginning of 'above'
فكانَ عشرينَ أَو فو
I measured it with my forearm;
With a return and recovery
So it was twenty, or more
And show your crescent, that
قcompletion of 'above' ذاكَthat غيرَexcluding القاعthe bottom
ق ذاكَ غيرَ القاع
ياO شهرَmonth of شوّالَShawwal عَجِّلْhasten
يا شهرَ شوّالَ عَجِّلْ
Than that, not counting the bottom.
Bright one under the rays
O month of Shawwal, hasten
Like a full moon in the sky
بعودةٍwith a return وارتجاعِand a coming back
بعودةٍ وارتجاعِ
وابرُزand reveal هلالكَyour crescent ذاكthat الthe (continued next line)
وابرُز هلالكَ ذاك ال
Your return and coming back!
Above the brave kings
And reveal that crescent of yours, the
A lord who came near in loftiness
مُضيءradiant تحتَbeneath الشُّعاعِthe rays
مُضيء تحتَ الشُّعاعِ
كأيبكٍlike Aybak ذيpossessing المعاليeminence
كأيبكٍ ذي المعالي
Radiant one beneath the rays,
When he rose up in humility
Like Aybak, possessed of eminence,
I loved Ali for a lifetime
عنِabove; beyond الملوكِthe kings الشّجاعيal-Shuja‘i
عنِ الملوكِ الشّجاعي
مولىًa lord دناdrew near فيin عُلُوٍّloftiness
مولىً دنا في عُلُوٍّ
Above the kings—al-Shuja‘i,
For his superiority in listening
A lord who drew near in loftiness,
لمّاwhen علاrose high فيin اتّضاعِhumility
لمّا علا في اتّضاعِ
عَشقْتُI loved عَلياهhis eminence دهراًfor a long time
عَشقْتُ عَلياه دهراً
When he rose in humility.
I loved his eminence for ages,
لفَضلهfor his excellence بالسّماعِby hearing; by report
لفَضله بالسّماعِ
For his excellence, known by report.
Partial English translation: 43 of 47 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1