قَضَتْfulfilled فيin الصِّباyouth النَّفسُthe soul أوطارَهَاits desires
قَضَتْ في الصِّبا النَّفسُ أوطارَهَا
وأَبلَغَهاand brought it الشَّيبُgray hair إِنذَارَهاits warning
وأَبلَغَها الشَّيبُ إِنذَارَها
The soul fulfilled its desires in youth,
and gray hair brought it its warning.
نَعَمْyes وأُجِيلَتْand were cast قِدَاحُthe gaming arrows الهوَىof passion
نَعَمْ وأُجِيلَتْ قِدَاحُ الهوَى
عَلَيهاagainst it فَقَسَّمْنَand so they apportioned أَعْشارَهاits shares
عَلَيها فَقَسَّمْنَ أَعْشارَها
Yes, and passion's gaming arrows were cast
against it, and they apportioned its shares.
وماand never غَرَسَplanted الدَّهرُTime فيin تُربَةٍsoil
وما غَرَسَ الدَّهرُ في تُربَةٍ
غِراساًa planting ولمand did not يَجْنِreap أثمارَهَاits fruits
غِراساً ولم يَجْنِ أثمارَهَا
And Time never planted in any soil
a planting without reaping its fruits.
فأفنيتُso I wore out فيin الحربِwar آلاتَهاits instruments
فأفنيتُ في الحربِ آلاتَها
وأَعدَدتُand I prepared لِلسِّلمfor peace أَوزَارَهاits armaments
وأَعدَدتُ لِلسِّلم أَوزَارَها
So I wore out war's instruments in battle,
and readied peace's armaments:
كميتاًa bay-red wine لهاit has مَرَحٌplayfulness بِالفَتىwith the young man
كميتاً لها مَرَحٌ بِالفَتى
إِذاwhen حَثَّhe hastened بِاللَّهوِwith revelry أَدوارَهاits rounds
إِذا حَثَّ بِاللَّهوِ أَدوارَها
a bay-red wine that frolics with a young man
when, in revelry, he hastens its rounds.
تَناوَلَهاtook it الكوبُthe cup مِنfrom دَنِّهاits wine-jar
تَناوَلَها الكوبُ مِن دَنِّها
فَتَحسَبُهُand so you think it كانَwas مِضمارَهاits racecourse
فَتَحسَبُهُ كانَ مِضمارَها
The cup took it from its wine-jar,
and you would think the cup had been its racecourse.
وساقِيةٍand a cupbearer زَرَّرتْbuttoned كفُّهاher hand
وساقِيةٍ زَرَّرتْ كفُّها
علىabout عُنُقِthe neck of الظبيِthe gazelle أَزرَارَهاher buttons
على عُنُقِ الظبيِ أَزرَارَها
And a cupbearer whose hand fastened
her buttons about the gazelle's neck.
تُديرُshe passes round بِياقُوتَةٍwith a ruby دُرَّةًa pearl
تُديرُ بِياقُوتَةٍ دُرَّةً
فَتَغمِسُand so she dips فيinto مائِهاits water نَارَهاits fire
فَتَغمِسُ في مائِها نَارَها
She passes round a pearl with a ruby,
dipping its fire into its water.
وَفِتيانِand young men صِدقٍof sincerity كَزُهْرِlike the bright ones among النُّجومthe stars
وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ كَزُهْرِ النُّجوم
كِرامُnoble النَّحائزِinborn natures أَحرارَهاpure in them
كِرامُ النَّحائزِ أَحرارَها
And true-hearted young men, like shining stars,
of noble, untainted natures.
يُديرونَthey pass round راحاًwine تَفيضُpour forth الكُؤوسُthe cups
يُديرونَ راحاً تَفيضُ الكُؤوسُ
علىupon ظُلَمِthe darkness of اللَّيلِthe night أنوارهاits lights
على ظُلَمِ اللَّيلِ أنوارها
They pass round wine; the cups pour out
its radiance upon the darkness of night.
كَأَنَّas though لَهاit has مِنfrom نَسيجِthe weaving of الحَبَابthe bubbles
كَأَنَّ لَها مِن نَسيجِ الحَبَاب
شباكاًnets تُعَقّلُensnare أطيارهاits birds
شباكاً تُعَقّلُ أطيارها
As though it had, woven of bubbles,
nets that ensnare its birds.
وَرَاهِبةٍand a nun أَغلَقَتclosed دَيْرَهاher convent
وَرَاهِبةٍ أَغلَقَت دَيْرَها
فَكُنّاand so we were مَعَwith اللَّيلthe night زُوّارهاher visitors
فَكُنّا مَعَ اللَّيل زُوّارها
And a nun who had shut her convent—
so we were her visitors by night.
هَداناguided us إِلَيهاto her شَذاthe fragrance of قَهوَةٍwine
هَدانا إِلَيها شَذا قَهوَةٍ
تُذيعُdivulges لأَنفِكَto your nose أَسرارَهاits secrets
تُذيعُ لأَنفِكَ أَسرارَها
The scent of wine guided us to her,
divulging its secrets to your nose.
فَماfor not فازَsucceeded بِالمِسكِin gaining musk إلّاexcept فتىًa young man
فَما فازَ بِالمِسكِ إلّا فتىً
تَيَمّمَmade for دارِينَDarin أوor دارَهاher house
تَيَمّمَ دارِينَ أو دارَها
For none gained musk but a young man
who made for Darin or her house.
كَأنَّas though نَوافِجَهُits musk-pods عِندَهاin her keeping
كَأنَّ نَوافِجَهُ عِندَها
دنانٌwine-jars مُضَمَّنًةٌfilled with قارَهاtheir pitch
دنانٌ مُضَمَّنًةٌ قارَها
As though its musk-pods, in her keeping,
were wine-jars filled with their pitch.
طَرَحتُI put down بِميزانِهاon her scales دِرهَميmy dirham
طَرَحتُ بِميزانِها دِرهَمي
فَأَجْرَتْand so she poured مِنَfrom الدّنِّthe wine-jar دينارَهاher dinar
فَأَجْرَتْ مِنَ الدّنِّ دينارَها
I put my dirham on her scales,
and she poured her dinar from the wine-jar.
خَطَبناwe wooed بَناتٍdaughters لَهاof hers أَربَعاًfour
خَطَبنا بَناتٍ لَها أَربَعاً
لِيَفتَرِعَto deflower اللَّهوُrevelry أَبكارهاher virgins
لِيَفتَرِعَ اللَّهوُ أَبكارها
We wooed four daughters of hers,
so revelry might deflower her virgins.
مِنَamong اللَّائيthose who أَعصارُthe ages of زُهْرِthe shining ones among النُّجومthe stars
مِنَ اللَّائي أَعصارُ زُهْرِ النُّجوم
تكادُalmost تُطاوِلُrival in length أعمارَهاtheir lifetimes
تكادُ تُطاوِلُ أعمارَها
Among those—the ages of the shining stars
almost rival their lifetimes.
تُريكَshow you عَرائِسُهاher brides أَيدِياًarms
تُريكَ عَرائِسُها أَيدِياً
طِوالًاlong تُصافِحُclasp أخْصَارهاtheir waists
طِوالًا تُصافِحُ أخْصَارها
Her brides show you arms,
long, clasping their waists.
تَفَرَّسَhe discerned فيin شَمِّهِhis smelling طيبَهاits excellence
تَفَرَّسَ في شَمِّهِ طيبَها
مُجيدُa master of الفِراسَةِdiscernment فَاختَارَهاand so he chose it
مُجيدُ الفِراسَةِ فَاختَارَها
He discerned its excellence by scent—
a master of discernment—and chose it:
فتىًa young man دارَسَstudied الخمرَwine حتَّىuntil دَرىhe knew
فتىً دارَسَ الخمرَ حتَّى دَرى
عَصيرَthe pressed juice of الخُمورِwines وأَعصارَهاand their ages
عَصيرَ الخُمورِ وأَعصارَها
a young man who studied wine until he knew
the pressed juice of wines and their ages.
يَعُدّhe counts لماfor whatever شئتَyou wish منof قهوةٍwine
يَعُدّ لما شئتَ من قهوةٍ
سِنيهاits years ويَعرِفُand he knows خَمّارهاits wine merchant
سِنيها ويَعرِفُ خَمّارها
For any wine you wish, he counts
its years, and knows its vintner.
وَعُدناand we returned إِلىto هالَةٍa halo أَطْلَعَتْmade rise
وَعُدنا إِلى هالَةٍ أَطْلَعَتْ
عَلَىupon قُضُبِthe boughs of البانِthe bān tree أقمارَهاits moons
عَلَى قُضُبِ البانِ أقمارَها
And we returned to a halo that had raised
its moons upon bān-tree boughs.
يَرىsees مَلِكُthe king of اللَّهوِrevelry فيهاin it الهُّمومَcares
يَرى مَلِكُ اللَّهوِ فيها الهُّمومَ
تثورُrise in revolt فيقتلُand so he kills ثوّارَهَاtheir rebels
تثورُ فيقتلُ ثوّارَهَا
The king of revelry sees cares there
rise in revolt, and kills their rebels.
وقدand already سكّنَتْstilled حركاتِthe stirrings of الأسىsorrow
وقد سكّنَتْ حركاتِ الأسى
قيانٌsinging girls تُحَرّكُset in motion أوتارهاtheir strings
قيانٌ تُحَرّكُ أوتارها
And sorrow's stirrings had been stilled
by singing girls plucking their strings.
فَهَذيso this one تُعانِقُembraces لِيfor me عُودهاher lute
فَهَذي تُعانِقُ لِي عُودها
وَتِلكَand that one تُقَبِّلُkisses مِزمَارَهاher flute
وَتِلكَ تُقَبِّلُ مِزمَارَها
So this one embraces her lute for me,
and that one kisses her flute.
وَرَاقِصَةٍand a dancer لَقَطَتْcaught رِجْلُهاher foot
وَرَاقِصَةٍ لَقَطَتْ رِجْلُها
حسابَthe count of يدٍa hand نَقَرَتْstruck طارَهاher tambourine
حسابَ يدٍ نَقَرَتْ طارَها
And a dancer whose foot caught
the measured beat of a hand striking her tambourine.
وَقَضبٍand rods مِنَof الشَّمعِwax مُصْفَرّةٍyellow
وَقَضبٍ مِنَ الشَّمعِ مُصْفَرّةٍ
تُريكَshow you مِنَfrom النَّارِthe fire نُوَّارَهاtheir blossoms
تُريكَ مِنَ النَّارِ نُوَّارَها
And yellow rods of wax
show you their blossoms of fire.
كأنّas though لهاthey have عمداًpillars صُفّفَتْarrayed in rows
كأنّ لها عمداً صُفّفَتْ
وَقَدand already وَزَنَmeasured العَدلُbalance أَقطارَهاtheir diameters
وَقَد وَزَنَ العَدلُ أَقطارَها
As though they had pillars set in rows,
their diameters measured by balance.
تُقِلُّthey bear aloft الدَّياجيthe dark nights عَلَىupon هامِهاtheir heads
تُقِلُّ الدَّياجي عَلَى هامِها
وَتَهتِكُand they rend بِالنُّورِwith light أَستَارَهاtheir veils
وَتَهتِكُ بِالنُّورِ أَستَارَها
They bear the dark nights upon their heads
and rend their veils with light.
كَأنَّاas though we نُسلِّطُunleash آجالَهاtheir appointed ends
كَأنَّا نُسلِّطُ آجالَها
عَلَيهاupon them فتَمحَقُand so they annihilate أَعمارَهاtheir lifetimes
عَلَيها فتَمحَقُ أَعمارَها
As though we unleash their appointed ends
upon them, annihilating their lifetimes.
ذَكرتُI remembered صِقِلِّيَّةًSicily والأسىand sorrow
ذَكرتُ صِقِلِّيَّةً والأسى
يُهَيِّجُstirs لِلنَّفسِfor the soul تِذكَارَهاthe memory of her
يُهَيِّجُ لِلنَّفسِ تِذكَارَها
I remembered Sicily, and sorrow
stirred the memory of her in my soul;
وَمَنزِلَةًand an abode للتَّصابيfor youthful dalliance خَلَتْlay empty
وَمَنزِلَةً للتَّصابي خَلَتْ
وَكَانَand were بَنُوthe sons of الظَّرفِrefinement عُمَّارَهاits inhabitants
وَكَانَ بَنُو الظَّرفِ عُمَّارَها
and an abode of youthful dalliance, now deserted,
and the sons of refinement had been its dwellers.
فَإِنand if كُنتُI was أُخرِجتُexpelled مِنfrom جَنَّةٍa paradise
فَإِن كُنتُ أُخرِجتُ مِن جَنَّةٍ
فَإِنِّيthen I أُحَدِّثُrecount أَخبَارَهاits tales
فَإِنِّي أُحَدِّثُ أَخبَارَها
And if I have been cast out of a paradise,
then I recount its tales.
وَلَولاand were it not for مُلوحَةُthe saltiness of ماءِthe water of البُكاweeping
وَلَولا مُلوحَةُ ماءِ البُكا
حَسِبْتُI would have thought دُموعِيَmy tears أَنهَارَهاits rivers
حَسِبْتُ دُموعِيَ أَنهَارَها
And were it not for the saltiness of weeping's water,
I would take my tears for its rivers.
ضَحِكتُI laughed ابنَat the age of عِشرينَtwenty مِنfrom صَبوَةٍyouthful passion
ضَحِكتُ ابنَ عِشرينَ مِن صَبوَةٍ
بَكيتُI wept over ابنَat the age of ستِّينَsixty أَوزارهاits sins
بَكيتُ ابنَ ستِّينَ أَوزارها
At twenty I laughed with youthful passion;
at sixty I wept over its sins.
فَلاso let not تَعظُمَنَّever loom too great لَدَيكَin your eyes الذُّنوبsins
فَلا تَعظُمَنَّ لَدَيكَ الذُّنوب
فَماfor not زالَhas ceased رَبُّكَyour Lord غَفَّارهاtheir constant forgiver
فَما زالَ رَبُّكَ غَفَّارها
So let sins not loom too great in your eyes,
for your Lord has always been most forgiving of them.
Sol 6.1