أَرَثَِّmade threadbare صرفُthe vicissitudes of الزَّمانِtime حاليmy condition
أَرَثَِّ صرفُ الزَّمانِ حالي
فماso what لِدَهريwith my fate تُرىI wonder وَماليand what of me
فما لِدَهري تُرى وَمالي
Time's vicissitudes have left my fortunes threadbare.
The vicissitudes of time have changed my state,
What does my fate want with me, I wonder,
So what has happened to my time and wealth?
حتىso that كأنيas though I were لهُto it عَدُوan enemy
حتى كأني لهُ عَدُو
يَرشقُنيpelts me منهfrom it بالنِّبالِwith arrows
يَرشقُني منه بالنِّبالِ
that I seem to be its enemy,
It's as if time were my enemy,
and it pelts me with its arrows?
Pelting me with arrows.
أَينَwhere زمانيmy time الذيwhich تَقَضّىpassed away
أَينَ زماني الذي تَقَضّى
وأينَand where جاهيmy prestige وأينَand where ماليmy wealth
وأينَ جاهي وأينَ مالي
Where is my time that has passed away?
Where is the time that has passed?
And where is my prestige, and where my wealth?
Where is my glory and wealth?
وأَينَand where خُفّيmy leather boots وَطَيلسانيand my mantle
وأَينَ خُفّي وَطَيلساني
وأينَand where قيليmy chatter وأَينَand where قاليmy talk
وأينَ قيلي وأَينَ قالي
And where are my leather boots and my mantle?
Where is my horse and fancy cloak?
And where is my chatter, and where my talk?
Where are my words and speech?
وأَينَand where عَيشيmy life وأَينَand where طيشيmy recklessness
وأَينَ عَيشي وأَينَ طيشي
وأَينَand where حُسْنيmy beauty وَحُسنُand the goodness of حاليmy condition
وأَينَ حُسْني وَحُسنُ حالي
And where is my life, and where my recklessness?
Where is my life and frivolity?
And where are my beauty and my well-being?
Where is my beauty and good fortune?
ونحنُand we فيamong فِتيةٍyoung men كِرامٍnoble
ونحنُ في فِتيةٍ كِرامٍ
فَخارُهُمtheir glory فيamong الفخارِglories عاليlofty
فَخارُهُم في الفخارِ عالي
And we were among noble young men,
When we were noble virtuous youths,
whose glory ranked high among all glories.
Supreme in their excellence.
ونحنُand we فيin مَجْلسa gathering بديعٍwondrous
ونحنُ في مَجْلس بديعٍ
جلَّrose above عنِbeyond الوصفِdescription والمثالِand comparison
جلَّ عنِ الوصفِ والمثالِ
And we were in a wondrous gathering,
When we were in a wondrous gathering,
beyond description or compare.
Beyond description and example,
جَمَعَgathered فيهِwithin it منfrom كُلِّevery حُسْنٍbeauty
جَمَعَ فيهِ من كُلِّ حُسْنٍ
فَتَمَّand so became complete فيat غايةِthe utmost degree of الكمالِperfection
فَتَمَّ في غايةِ الكمالِ
It gathered within itself every kind of beauty,
Bringing together every beauty,
and so attained the utmost perfection.
Achieving perfection.
فالدُّفُّso the tambourine دفْdaf (drumbeat) دُفْduf (drumbeat) دُدُفduduf (drumbeats) دُدُفْduduf (drumbeats) دُفْduf (drumbeat)
فالدُّفُّ دفْ دُفْ دُدُف دُدُفْ دُفْ
والزَّمرُand the piping تَلْتَلْtal-tal (pipe notes) تَلَلْtalal (pipe notes) تَلاليtalali (pipe notes)
والزَّمرُ تَلْتَلْ تَلَلْ تَلالي
So the tambourine: daf, duf, duduf, duduf, duf;
The drums beat dub-dub dub-dub dub-dub,
and the piping: tal-tal, talal, talali;
The pipes trill til-til tal-tal.
والجنكُand the harp تِنْتِنْtin-tin (harp notes) تنِنْtinin (harp notes) تِتِنْتِنْti-tin-tin (harp notes)
والجنكُ تِنْتِنْ تنِنْ تِتِنْتِنْ
تُصلِحُهtunes it رَبّةُmistress of الحجالِthe curtained chambers
تُصلِحُه رَبّةُ الحجالِ
and the harp: tin-tin, tinin, ti-tin-tin.
The lutes tintin-tintin tintintin,
The lady of the curtained chambers tuned it.
Tuned by the mistress of beauty.
غَنّتshe sang فَهامَso became enraptured الفؤادُthe heart مِنّيof mine
غَنّت فَهامَ الفؤادُ مِنّي
وجداًin passionate longing إلىtoward سِحْرهاher magic الحَلالِlawful
وجداً إلى سِحْرها الحَلالِ
She sang, and my heart grew enraptured,
She sang and my heart was captivated,
with longing for her lawful magic.
Passionately, by her lawful magic.
وَبَيْنَناand among us قهْوَةٌwine كَثيرةٌabundant
وَبَيْنَنا قهْوَةٌ كَثيرةٌ
رَصّعَهاstudded it المزجُthe mixing باللآليwith pearls
رَصّعَها المزجُ باللآلي
And abundant wine was among us,
Between us was plentiful coffee,
studded with pearls by the mixing.
Studded with cardamom and cloves.
يُديرهاpasses it round شادِنٌa young gazelle رَقيقٌdelicate
يُديرها شادِنٌ رَقيقٌ
مُهَفْهَفُslender القَدِّof figure ذوpossessing اعتِدالbalanced proportions
مُهَفْهَفُ القَدِّ ذو اعتِدال
A delicate young gazelle passed it round,
It was served by a graceful young waiter,
slender of figure and well-proportioned.
Slender of build and balanced of posture.
جَديدَةُfresh الطّعمِin taste عَتّقَتْهاaged it
جَديدَةُ الطّعمِ عَتّقَتْها
الفاًa thousand فأَلفاًthen another thousand يدُthe hand of اللياليthe nights
الفاً فأَلفاً يدُ الليالي
Fresh in taste, it had been aged
Mellowed by the passing of eons,
a thousand years, then a thousand more, by the hand of nights.
Ground by the hand of countless nights.
مُوَرَّدُrosy الوَجنتينِin both cheeks حُلْوٌsweet
مُوَرَّدُ الوَجنتينِ حُلْوٌ
سِواهُother than him فيamong النّاسpeople ماnot حَلاليlawful for me
سِواهُ في النّاس ما حَلالي
Rosy-cheeked and sweet—
Its cheeks were flushed a rosy hue,
none but he among people is lawful for me.
None but it could satisfy.
قُلتُI said لَهُto him إذْwhen أَطالَprolonged وَعديhis promise to me
قُلتُ لَهُ إذْ أَطالَ وَعدي
وَلَجَّand persisted فيin العُذْرexcuses والمطالand delay
وَلَجَّ في العُذْر والمطال
I said to him, when he kept deferring his promise to me
I said, as he prolonged his promise
and persisted in excuses and delay:
And dwelt in excuses and procrastination:
Sol 6.1