قَدindeed عاودَhe has resumed القَصْفَrevelry والنَدمانَand boon companions والقَدَحاand the cup
قَد عاودَ القَصْفَ والنَدمانَ والقَدَحا
وكانَand he was نَشوانَdrunk منfrom كأسِthe cup of التُّقىpiety فَصَحاthen he sobered up
وكانَ نَشوانَ من كأسِ التُّقى فَصَحا
He has returned to revelry, boon companions, and the cup.
He had been drunk on piety's cup, then sobered up—
شَيخٌan old man غداhad become فيin رباطِa religious lodge النُّسكasceticism مرتبكاًentangled
شَيخٌ غدا في رباطِ النُّسك مرتبكاً
فَياso, oh لَهاfor them سُبَحاًprayer beads كانَتْthey were لهُfor him شَبَحاa specter
فَيا لَها سُبَحاً كانَتْ لهُ شَبَحا
an old man entangled in a lodge of asceticism.
Ah, those prayer beads that were a specter to him!
لاقاهmet him إبليسIblīs فيin الماخورِthe brothel صاحِبُهhis companion
لاقاه إبليس في الماخورِ صاحِبُه
وكانَand he was غَضْبانَangry لمّاwhen تابَhe repented فاصطَلَحاthen the two reconciled
وكانَ غَضْبانَ لمّا تابَ فاصطَلَحا
His companion Iblīs met him in the brothel.
He had been angry at his repentance; now the two made peace.
وقالَand he said ياO بأبيwith my father أَفديكَI would ransom you مِنof a وَلَدٍson
وقالَ يا بأبي أَفديكَ مِن وَلَدٍ
لغيرِfor anything other than ماwhat سُمعتُهI have heard of it فيin الفِسقِdebauchery ماnot صَلُحاhe was fit
لغيرِ ما سُمعتُه في الفِسقِ ما صَلُحا
And he said, 'What a son, whom I would ransom with my father—
fit for nothing but the debauchery I have heard of!
إذاif تَرَكْتُكَI leave you مَنْwho فيamong النّاسpeople يخْلفُنيwill stand in for me
إذا تَرَكْتُكَ مَنْ في النّاس يخْلفُني
وأَنتَand you ليfor me أَكبَرthe greatest الأعوانhelpers والنُّصَحاand advisers
وأَنتَ لي أَكبَر الأعوان والنُّصَحا
If I leave you, who among men will stand in for me?
You are the greatest of my helpers and advisers.
وَتُنْعِشand you revive اللّهوَmerrymaking بالألحانِwith melodies مُغْتَبقاًdrinking at dusk
وَتُنْعِش اللّهوَ بالألحانِ مُغْتَبقاً
وتوقِظand you awaken العِشْقَlove بالأَنغامِwith tunes مُصْطَبَحاdrinking at dawn
وتوقِظ العِشْقَ بالأَنغامِ مُصْطَبَحا
You revive revelry with melodies, drinking at dusk,
and awaken love with tunes, drinking at dawn.
دَعِabandon التَستُّرَconcealment لاlet not تَرْدَعْكَdeter you لائمةٌa reproach
دَعِ التَستُّرَ لا تَرْدَعْكَ لائمةٌ
وَخُذْand take مِنَfrom العيشِlife ماwhatever وافاكَcomes to you أوor سَنَحاoffers itself
وَخُذْ مِنَ العيشِ ما وافاكَ أو سَنَحا
Abandon concealment; let no reproach deter you.
Take from life whatever comes your way or offers itself.
ماnot لذَّةُthe pleasure of القَصْفِrevelry أنْthat تأتيهِyou pursue it مُسْتَتِراًin hiding
ما لذَّةُ القَصْفِ أنْ تأتيهِ مُسْتَتِراً
بلْrather لذَّةthe pleasure of العِشقِlove أنْthat تأتيهِyou pursue it مُفْتَضَحاexposed in disgrace
بلْ لذَّة العِشقِ أنْ تأتيهِ مُفْتَضَحا
Revelry's delight is not in pursuing it in secret;
rather, love's delight is in pursuing it in open disgrace.
واقصُدْand seek out عُمَيْرَةَʿUmayrah للتزويجِfor marriage إنَّindeed لهاshe has
واقصُدْ عُمَيْرَةَ للتزويجِ إنَّ لها
بيتاَa house غَدَتْshe has become فيin سماءthe sky of الحُسْنِbeauty شَمسَa sun ضُحىthe forenoon
بيتاَ غَدَتْ في سماء الحُسْنِ شَمسَ ضُحى
Seek out ʿUmayrah for marriage, for she has
a house; in beauty's sky she has become a forenoon sun.
وقدand lead هَجينَكَyour crossbred mount وأمشِand walk الرَّمْلَthe sand ذاwith عَنَقٍa brisk gait
وقد هَجينَكَ وأمشِ الرَّمْلَ ذا عَنَقٍ
وانزِلand alight بهِwith it حَيْثُماwherever دارتْturns لَدَيْكَnear you رَحَىa millstone
وانزِل بهِ حَيْثُما دارتْ لَدَيْكَ رَحَى
Lead your crossbred mount, and stride briskly over the sand,
and alight with it wherever a millstone turns near you.
ذاتُshe of القِوامِthe figure الذيthat يَهْتَزsways غُصنَa branch نَقاa sand dune
ذاتُ القِوامِ الذي يَهْتَز غُصنَ نَقا
لوif مرَّpassed يوماًone day عليهover it طائرٌa bird صَدَحاit would sing
لو مرَّ يوماً عليه طائرٌ صَدَحا
She whose figure sways like a branch on a dune—
if a bird passed over it one day, it would sing.
تُبديshe displays علىabove الدُّفِّthe frame drum كالجمّارِlike palm pith مِعْصَمَهاher wrist
تُبدي على الدُّفِّ كالجمّارِ مِعْصَمَها
لِنَقْررَةٍfor a tapping بِبَنَانٍwith fingers يُشبِهُresembling البَلَحاunripe dates
لِنَقْررَةٍ بِبَنَانٍ يُشبِهُ البَلَحا
She bares her wrist, like palm pith, above the frame drum,
to tap it with fingers resembling unripe dates.
غِناؤهاher singing برَقيقِwith delicate الغِنجِcoquetry مُمْتَزجٌblended
غِناؤها برَقيقِ الغِنجِ مُمْتَزجٌ
فَماso not يُنَقِّطُgives tips إلاّexcept كلَّeveryone مَنْwho رَشَحاhas sweated
فَما يُنَقِّطُ إلاّ كلَّ مَنْ رَشَحا
Her singing is blended with delicate coquetry;
only those who have sweated give tips.
واجمَعْand gather مَعَat الصُّبحِdawn واحْصُدْand reap ماwhat زَرَعْتَyou sowed بهِin it
واجمَعْ مَعَ الصُّبحِ واحْصُدْ ما زَرَعْتَ بهِ
مَعat المساءِevening وكنand be فيin الحرمِthe sanctuary مثلlike جحاJuḥā
مَع المساءِ وكن في الحرمِ مثل جحا
Gather at dawn, and reap what you sowed then
at evening; in the sanctuary be like Juḥā.
ولُذand seek refuge بعنقِat the neck of التّقيal-Taqī العطارِthe perfumer مُنبَسِطاًat ease
ولُذ بعنقِ التّقي العطارِ مُنبَسِطاً
للسّكِّfor striking بالكفِّwith the palm أنىّwherever طابَhe felt pleased وانشرحاand cheered up
للسّكِّ بالكفِّ أنىّ طابَ وانشرحا
And cling to al-Taqī the perfumer's neck, at ease
for blows with the palm, wherever he is pleased and cheered.
وبالْجَرَنْعِand with al-Jaranʿ وَعامْلهُand deal with him علىwith ثِقَةِconfidence
وبالْجَرَنْعِ وَعامْلهُ على ثِقَةِ
منَin الوفاءloyalty ولاand do not تَصْفحْهُpardon him إنif صَفَحاhe turns away
منَ الوفاء ولا تَصْفحْهُ إن صَفَحا
And seek refuge with al-Jaranʿ; deal with him confident
of his loyalty; do not pardon him if he turns away.
ثَورانِtwo bulls كمhow many سكّةٍploughshares للحرثfor tilling قدindeed دَرَساthey have worn down
ثَورانِ كم سكّةٍ للحرث قد دَرَسا
لولاwere it not for معاقَرَةُhabitual drinking of الأَقداحcups لانتَطَحاthey would have butted heads
لولا معاقَرَةُ الأَقداح لانتَطَحا
Two bulls—how many ploughshares they have worn down in tillage!
But for their habitual drinking from cups, they would have butted heads.
فَخُذْso take وَصِيّةَthe counsel of شيخٍan old man مُدْبرٍin decline وأبٍand a father
فَخُذْ وَصِيّةَ شيخٍ مُدْبرٍ وأبٍ
لوif وازنوكَthey weighed you بهِagainst him فيin الفِسْقِdebauchery ماnot رَجحاhe would outweigh you
لو وازنوكَ بهِ في الفِسْقِ ما رَجحا
So take the counsel of an old man in decline and a father:
were they to weigh you against him in vice, he would not outweigh you.'
قالَsaid السميطُal-Sumayṭ لَقَدcertainly حَمُصتyou have roasted تقلِيَةًa fried dish
قالَ السميطُ لَقَد حَمُصت تقلِيَةً
لوif قالَsaid ذاthis القولsaying تَيْسٌa billy goat قَطُّever ماnot ذُبِحاit would be slaughtered
لو قالَ ذا القول تَيْسٌ قَطُّ ما ذُبِحا
Al-Sumayṭ said, 'You have certainly roasted a fry-up!
Had a billy goat said such words, it would never have been slaughtered.'
Sol 6.1