وصاحبٍand a companion بصِحّةٍin good health بلاwithout سَقَمْsickness
وصاحبٍ بصِحّةٍ بلا سَقَمْ
مُساعدٍhelpful فيin كلّevery أمْرٍundertaking لاnot يُذَمْis censured
مُساعدٍ في كلّ أمْرٍ لا يُذَمْ
And a companion, in sound health, without sickness,
A companion of perfect health without sickness
Helpful in every undertaking that incurs no blame,
A helpful one in every matter that is not dispraised
يقولُhe says فيin response to لاno لاno وفيand in response to نعمyes نعمyes
يقولُ في لا لا وفي نعم نعم
لاneither ناكبٌturning away عنfrom فتيةyoung men ولاnor برِمْirritable
لا ناكبٌ عن فتية ولا برِمْ
He answers 'no' with 'no,' and 'yes' with 'yes.'
Who says yes to the yes and no to the no
Neither shunning young men nor irritable,
Neither turning away from youth nor bored
مقلّبُturning القلبِthe heart لهمّfor a purpose فيamong الهِمَمْlofty aspirations
مقلّبُ القلبِ لهمّ في الهِمَمْ
يَحِلّreleases عنكَfrom you بِالغِنىthrough wealth عَنِfrom العَدمpoverty
يَحِلّ عنكَ بِالغِنى عَنِ العَدم
Turning his heart toward a purpose amid lofty aspirations,
He who makes hearts roam freely through ambitions
He frees you from poverty through wealth,
Relieves you from neediness and lack
يحرمُbars بالسيفwith the sword الخطوبَcalamities لاnot تلمbefall
يحرمُ بالسيف الخطوبَ لا تلم
مجوهرٌjeweled سيفُthe sword عُلاهُhis eminence بالكرمwith generosity
مجوهرٌ سيفُ عُلاهُ بالكرم
With his sword he bars calamities, so they cannot strike,
Who forbids calamities with sword, do not blame
The sword of his eminence is jeweled with generosity,
A jewel whose sword shines with generosity
مُهَذّبٌcultivated فيin كلّevery علمfield of knowledge للأممof the nations
مُهَذّبٌ في كلّ علم للأمم
كأنّماas though شيمتُهُhis character خمرwine الشيمvirtues
كأنّما شيمتُهُ خمر الشيم
Cultivated in every field of the nations' knowledge,
Well-mannered in every science for all peoples
As though his character were the wine of virtues,
As though his qualities were wine of the finest grape
يحييbrings to life السرورَjoy ويميتand kills كلّevery همْcare
يحيي السرورَ ويميت كلّ همْ
نادمتُI shared wine with منهin him سيّداًa lord بلاwithout نَدَمْregret
نادمتُ منه سيّداً بلا نَدَمْ
He brings joy to life and puts every care to death.
He brings joy to life and kills all worries
I shared wine with him, a lord, without regret,
I have found in him a master with no regret
منfrom عنبgrapes سقانيهhe gave it to me to drink عتمdusk
من عنب سقانيه عتم
مدامةًwine زادتْexceeded علىbeyond عُمْرِthe age of القدمantiquity
مدامةً زادتْ على عُمْرِ القدم
From grapes he gave it to me to drink at dusk:
From grapes he pours me
Wine older than antiquity itself.
A beverage older than time
يحملُholds منof موجودهاits existing substance الكأسthe cup عُدَمnothingness
يحملُ من موجودها الكأس عُدَم
زجاجهُاits glass الصافيclear عليهاabout it لاnot يَنِمْbetrays
زجاجهُا الصافي عليها لا يَنِمْ
The cup holds its substance as if it held nothing,
Its nonexistence carries the cup
Its clear glass does not betray it,
Its crystal clarity over it does not sleep
إلاexcept بوصفٍthrough description أوor بذوقٍthrough taste أوor بشمْthrough smell
إلا بوصفٍ أو بذوقٍ أو بشمْ
فيduring ليلةٍa night مَرّتْpassed كَزَوْرَةِlike a visit of الحلمa dream
في ليلةٍ مَرّتْ كَزَوْرَةِ الحلم
Except through description, taste, or smell,
Except with description, or taste, or smell
During a night that passed like a dream's brief visit,
In a night that passed like a dream
كأنّماas though الأنجمُthe stars منهاof it فيin الظُّلَمْthe darkness
كأنّما الأنجمُ منها في الظُّلَمْ
أوجُهُfaces رومٍRomans يسبحونَswimming فيin خِضَمْa vast sea
أوجُهُ رومٍ يسبحونَ في خِضَمْ
As though its stars in the darkness were
As if the stars in the darkness
Faces of Romans swimming in a vast sea.
Were faces of Rûm swimming in a swarm
حتىuntil إذاwhen ما(emphasis) عُمُرُthe lifetime of الليلِthe night انْصرمended
حتى إذا ما عُمُرُ الليلِ انْصرم
وفرّand fled منfrom نورِthe light of الصّباحmorning وانهزَمْand was routed
وفرّ من نورِ الصّباح وانهزَمْ
Until, when the lifetime of night had ended,
Until the night grew old and drove away
And it fled morning's light and was routed,
And the light of dawn fled, defeated
كَعابِسٍlike a scowler فيin حَنَقٍanger منat مبتسمa smiling man
كَعابِسٍ في حَنَقٍ من مبتسم
قمتI rose لصيدto hunt الطيرbirds فيon قَرَاthe back of أحَمْa coal-black horse
قمت لصيد الطير في قَرَا أحَمْ
Like a scowling man enraged by one who smiles,
Like a frown in the face of a smile
I rose to hunt birds on a coal-black horse's back,
I rose to hunt birds in a wasteland, dark red
كالليلlike night إلاexcept for قبلةa kiss الصبحof dawn بفمupon the mouth
كالليل إلا قبلة الصبح بفم
بحرٌa sea عليهupon it بالعنانِwith the reins قدalready ختمwas sealed
بحرٌ عليه بالعنانِ قد ختم
Like night, save for dawn's kiss upon its mouth,
Like the night but for the kiss of dawn's mouth
A sea upon which the reins had set a seal,
A sea tied down tight
بباشقٍwith a sparrowhawk متَّقِدِblazing العينِthe eye قَرِمْravenous
بباشقٍ متَّقِدِ العينِ قَرِمْ
ذيpossessing مخلبٍa talon مُعَوّجٍcurved لمdid not يستقمstraighten
ذي مخلبٍ مُعَوّجٍ لم يستقم
With a sparrowhawk, blazing-eyed and ravenous,
With a falcon whose eyes blaze fierce
With a crooked talon that never straightened,
Clawed and twisted, never straight
مثلِlike هلالٍa crescent moon طالعٍrising معwith العَتَمْdusk
مثلِ هلالٍ طالعٍ مع العَتَمْ
عندin respect of انعطافٍcurvature لاnot اسودادٍblackness مدلهمpitch-dark
عند انعطافٍ لا اسودادٍ مدلهم
Like a crescent moon rising with the dusk,
Like a bare crescent moon rising amid the gloom
In its curvature, not its pitch-black darkness,
At a pitch black turn not somber gray
أقنىhook-nosed مُعَرّىًstripped أنفُهُits nose منof الشّمَمupward tilt
أقنى مُعَرّىً أنفُهُ من الشّمَم
مُصَمَّمٌresolute علىagainst الطيورthe birds مقتحمcharging
مُصَمَّمٌ على الطيور مقتحم
Aquiline, its nose devoid of upward tilt,
Bony, his nostrils bare to the winds
Resolute against the birds, charging headlong,
Determined against the birds, storming in
والطيرُand the birds منهاamong them جبناءٌcowards وبُهَمْand formidable fighters
والطيرُ منها جبناءٌ وبُهَمْ
حتىuntil إذاwhen قَلّبَturned عيناًan eye كالضّرَمْlike blazing fire
حتى إذا قَلّبَ عيناً كالضّرَمْ
And among the birds are cowards and formidable fighters.
While the birds there are cowardly and stupid
Until, when it turned an eye like flame,
Until he glanced with eyes like embers
صادقةًunerring طرفتُهاits glance لاnot تُتّهَمْis doubted
صادقةً طرفتُها لا تُتّهَمْ
وأبصرand saw الفُرْجةَthe opening همَّintended فاعتزمthen resolved
وأبصر الفُرْجةَ همَّ فاعتزم
Unerring in its glance, beyond suspicion,
Honestly, I flashed them, blameless
And saw an opening, it readied itself and resolved,
And saw the cleavage, he resolved
كالليثِlike a lion قدalready أوفىrose above علىover سربa herd النَّعَمْlivestock
كالليثِ قد أوفى على سرب النَّعَمْ
فيin روضةٍa meadow أطيارهاits birds ذاتُpossessing نغمmelody
في روضةٍ أطيارها ذاتُ نغم
Like a lion looming over a herd of livestock,
Like a lion who came upon a flock of sheep
In a meadow whose birds are full of melody,
In a garden whose birds sing sweet melodies
كماas تَغَنّتْsang فِرَقٌensembles منof العَجَمnon-Arabs
كما تَغَنّتْ فِرَقٌ من العَجَم
قامَstood الرّبيعspring عندهاbeside it علىon قدمa foot
قامَ الرّبيع عندها على قدم
As ensembles of non-Arabs sang,
As some groups of non-Arabs have sung
Spring stood beside it on its feet,
Spring rose up among them on its feet
فاتحةًopening أعينَeyes زهرٍflowers لمdid not تنمsleep
فاتحةً أعينَ زهرٍ لم تنم
تجولmove about فيهاwithin it كمدامعlike the tears of الرَّهَمgentle rain
تجول فيها كمدامع الرَّهَم
Opening the eyes of flowers that had not slept,
Opening the eyes of flowers that did not sleep
Moving within it like the tears of gentle rain,
Wandering in it like tears of sorrow
ففارَقَthen left الكفَّthe palm إلىtoward الصّيدthe quarry فَشِمْso watch
ففارَقَ الكفَّ إلى الصّيد فَشِمْ
خاطفَa swift flash برقٍlightning فيamid غمامٍclouds مرتكمmassed
خاطفَ برقٍ في غمامٍ مرتكم
Then it left the palm for the quarry—watch
So he left the hunt to perceive the smell
A flash of lightning amid massed clouds.
Seizing lightning in a cloud bursting open
ماno فاتكٌruthless slayer غادَرَهاleft them فيin المُقْتَحَمْthe fray
ما فاتكٌ غادَرَها في المُقْتَحَمْ
فوارساًknights تلاfollowed أيديthe hands of الخدمservants
فوارساً تلا أيدي الخدم
No ruthless slayer left them in the fray,
Whatever he missed he left it to the raid
As knights following the hands of servants.
Horsemen followed the hands of servants
وعاوَدَand returned to الكفَّthe palm وفيّاًfaithful بالذممِto the pledges
وعاوَدَ الكفَّ وفيّاً بالذممِ
بِمِنْسَرٍwith a beak يسمحُallows عنهfrom it فَضْلَexcess دمblood
بِمِنْسَرٍ يسمحُ عنه فَضْلَ دم
And it returned to the palm, faithful to its pledges,
And he returned to the hunt, loyal to compacts
With a beak letting excess blood be wiped from it,
With a spear from which excess blood flows easy
مسحكyour wiping ميَّاعflowing liquid المدادink بالقلمwith the pen
مسحك ميَّاع المداد بالقلم
As you wipe away flowing ink with a pen.
You smile erasing the ink with the pen
Sol 6.1