للهِto God أرْبَعَةٌfour مِنَof الدَّهرِtime
للهِ أرْبَعَةٌ مِنَ الدَّهرِ
حَسْبيenough for me بِهاwith them مِنْout of جُملةِthe whole of العُمْرِlife
حَسْبي بِها مِنْ جُملةِ العُمْرِ
God be praised for four days of time;
Four from time are for God
They suffice me out of a whole lifetime.
They suffice me from the sum of life
سَمَحَwas generous الزَّمانُtime بِهاwith them عَلىdespite بَخَلٍstinginess
سَمَحَ الزَّمانُ بِها عَلى بَخَلٍ
فِيهِwithin it ووَفَّاهاand granted them in full عَلىdespite غَدْرِtreachery
فِيهِ ووَفَّاها عَلى غَدْرِ
Time bestowed them despite the stinginess
Time was gracious with them despite its stinginess
Within it, and gave them in full despite its treachery.
And fulfilled them despite its betrayal
لمdid not يَنْتَبِهْawaken طَرْفُthe eye of الخَطوبcalamities لَهاto them
لم يَنْتَبِهْ طَرْفُ الخَطوب لَها
حَتَّىuntil انقَضَتthey ended فَدَرَتْthen it knew ولَمْand did not تَدْرِknow
حَتَّى انقَضَت فَدَرَتْ ولَمْ تَدْرِ
Calamity's eye did not awaken to them
The eye of misfortunes was not alert to them
Until they ended; then it knew, yet did not know.
Until they passed, rolled away, and were not known
أعْجِبْmarvel بهاat them أيَّامَdays of مالقَةٍMálaga
أعْجِبْ بها أيَّامَ مالقَةٍ
بَيْنَamid المُنىwishes وصَحابَةٍand companions غُرِّradiant
بَيْنَ المُنى وصَحابَةٍ غُرِّ
How wonderful those days in Málaga,
Wonder at days of encounter
Amid wishes and radiant companions!
Between yearning and companion of youth
ماwhatever شِئْتَyou wished منof حُسْنٍbeauty ومنand of حَسَنٍa beautiful person
ما شِئْتَ من حُسْنٍ ومن حَسَنٍ
ماwhatever شِئْتَyou wished مِنْof شَمسٍa sun ومِنْand of بدْرِa full moon
ما شِئْتَ مِنْ شَمسٍ ومِنْ بدْرِ
All you wished for of beauty and beautiful ones,
Whatever beauty and charm you wished for
All you wished for of sun and full moon,
Whatever sun and moon you wished for
ماwhatever رُمْتَyou sought منof أمْنٍsafety ومِنand of أمَلٍhope
ما رُمْتَ من أمْنٍ ومِن أمَلٍ
مارُمْتَwhatever you sought مِنْof بُشَرٍglad tidings ومِنْand of بِشْرِcheerfulness
مارُمْتَ مِنْ بُشَرٍ ومِنْ بِشْرِ
All you sought of safety and hope,
Whatever safety and hope you wished for
All you sought of glad tidings and cheer.
Whatever good news and tidings you wished for
عَفَّتْwere chaste ضَمائِرُناour consciences فَظاهِرُناso our outward selves
عَفَّتْ ضَمائِرُنا فَظاهِرُنا
مُتشابِهُalike الإعْلانِwhat is public والسِّرِّand what is secret
مُتشابِهُ الإعْلانِ والسِّرِّ
Our consciences were chaste; thus our outward selves
Our innermost thoughts are chaste so our outward selves
Were alike in public and in secret.
Are of similar openness and secrecy
وصَفتْand grew clear خَواطِرُناour thoughts فَباطِنُناso our inner selves
وصَفتْ خَواطِرُنا فَباطِنُنا
مُتَمازِجٌmingled كالرَّاحِlike wine والقَطْرِand rainwater
مُتَمازِجٌ كالرَّاحِ والقَطْرِ
And our thoughts grew clear; thus our inner selves
Our innermost thoughts are pure so our inward selves
Mingled like wine and rainwater.
Are intermingled like the wind and raindrops
يَسْعَىmoves about عَلَيْناamong us مُسْمِعٌa singer غَرِدٌtuneful
يَسْعَى عَلَيْنا مُسْمِعٌ غَرِدٌ
يُغْنِيكَspares you the need عَنْfor نُقْلٍsweetmeats وعَنْand for خَمْرِwine
يُغْنِيكَ عَنْ نُقْلٍ وعَنْ خَمْرِ
A tuneful singer moves among us,
A melodious singer strives for us
Leaving you no need of sweetmeats or wine.
His singing makes you needless of drinking and wine
يَثْنيbends المَعاطِفَthe flanks حُسْنُthe beauty of نَغْمَتِهِhis melody
يَثْني المَعاطِفَ حُسْنُ نَغْمَتِهِ
فِعْلَas does النَّسيمِthe breeze بِغُصنِهِto its bough النَّضْرِfresh and green
فِعْلَ النَّسيمِ بِغُصنِهِ النَّضْرِ
The beauty of his melody makes bodies sway,
The beauty of his tune makes the branches
As the breeze bends its fresh green bough.
Sway like the breeze does to a green branch
يَتَلقَّفُcatches النَّغماتِthe notes عَنْهُfrom him رَشاًa young gazelle
يَتَلقَّفُ النَّغماتِ عَنْهُ رَشاً
أرْبَتْexceeded مَحاسِنُهُhis charms عَلىbeyond الحَصْرِcounting
أرْبَتْ مَحاسِنُهُ عَلى الحَصْرِ
A young gazelle catches the notes from him—
He collects the notes that have fallen from him
His charms surpass all counting—
His beauty has shackled creativity
فَيَصُوغُهاso he shapes them رَقْصاًinto dance عَلىupon قَدَمٍa foot
فَيَصُوغُها رَقْصاً عَلى قَدَمٍ
كادَتْalmost تُبينُexpresses مَعانِيَthe meanings of الشِّعْرِpoetry
كادَتْ تُبينُ مَعانِيَ الشِّعْرِ
And shapes them into dance upon a foot
He shapes them into a dance to the rhythm
That almost voices the meanings of the verse.
Nearly making the meanings of poetry visible
قُلْsay للقَضيبِto the bough يُقيمُto straighten مَعْطِفَهُits side
قُلْ للقَضيبِ يُقيمُ مَعْطِفَهُ
إنْif كانَit is لاnot يَدْرِيaware كماas يدْرِيhe is aware
إنْ كانَ لا يَدْرِي كما يدْرِي
Tell the bough to straighten its side,
Say to the critic to adjust his cloak
If it does not understand as he understands.
If he does not know as he should know
فيin رَوْضةٍa garden جَرَّtrailed الربيعُspring بِهاthrough it
في رَوْضةٍ جَرَّ الربيعُ بِها
ذَيْلَthe train of المَحاسِنِbeauties أيَّماwhat a جَرِّtrailing
ذَيْلَ المَحاسِنِ أيَّما جَرِّ
In a garden where spring trailed
In a garden the spring has dragged
The train of beauty—what a sweep!
The train of beauties whichever drag
مَطْروزةِembroidered الأدْواحِthe spreading trees بالزَّهْرِwith blossoms
مَطْروزةِ الأدْواحِ بالزَّهْرِ
مَحْفُوفَةِringed الأكنافِthe borders بالزُّهْرِwith radiant stars
مَحْفُوفَةِ الأكنافِ بالزُّهْرِ
Its spreading trees embroidered with blossoms,
Embroidered globes with flowers
Its borders ringed with radiant stars.
Surrounded by flowers on all sides
تُهْدِيهِمُit offers them منof نَوْرِهاits blossoms قِطَعاًpieces
تُهْدِيهِمُ من نَوْرِها قِطَعاً
ماnot صِغْنَwere fashioned منfrom وَرِقٍsilver ولاnor تِبْرِraw gold
ما صِغْنَ من وَرِقٍ ولا تِبْرِ
It offers them pieces of its blossoms,
They grant fragments of their light
Not wrought from silver or raw gold.
No small leaf or dust speck was created
لكِنَّهُbut it is حُسْنٌbeauty تَلوَّنtook on colors ليfor me
لكِنَّهُ حُسْنٌ تَلوَّن لي
والحسنُand beauty ألوانٌcolors فخُذْso accept عُذريmy excuse
والحسنُ ألوانٌ فخُذْ عُذري
But it is beauty that took on colors for me;
But it is a beauty that has varied hues for me
And beauty has many colors, so accept my excuse.
And beauty is of varying hues, so excuse me
عَبثَtoyed النَّسيمُthe breeze بقُضبِهاwith its boughs ثَمِلاًdrunken
عَبثَ النَّسيمُ بقُضبِها ثَمِلاً
فَتَعانَقَتْso they embraced خَصْراًwaist إلىto خَصْرِwaist
فَتَعانَقَتْ خَصْراً إلى خَصْرِ
The breeze toyed drunkenly with its boughs,
The breeze has toyed with it, laden
So they embraced, waist to waist.
So they embraced waist to waist
والضَّمُّand embracing يُعْديspreads اللَّثْمَkissing فابتَدَرَتْso they rushed
والضَّمُّ يُعْدي اللَّثْمَ فابتَدَرَتْ
أزهارُهاits flowers ثَغْراًa mouth عَلىupon ثَغْرِa mouth
أزهارُها ثَغْراً عَلى ثَغْرِ
And embracing spreads kisses, so forward rushed
When pressed together, a kiss leads to a kiss
Its flowers, mouth upon mouth.
So its flowers stole a kiss from lip to lip
ولَرُبَّand many a لَثْمٍkiss كانَwas أوَّلَهُits beginning
ولَرُبَّ لَثْمٍ كانَ أوَّلَهُ
ضَمٌّan embrace وضَمٍّand an embrace جاءَcame عَنْfrom سُكْرِdrunkenness
ضَمٌّ وضَمٍّ جاءَ عَنْ سُكْرِ
And many a kiss had as its beginning
And for many a kiss, its beginning
An embrace, and many an embrace came of drunkenness.
Was an embrace, and an embrace came from intoxication
ماnot احْوَلَّbecame cross-eyed عَيْنُthe eye of الباقِلاthe broad bean عَبَثاًidly
ما احْوَلَّ عَيْنُ الباقِلا عَبَثاً
لِكنْbut لِماbecause of what بَصُرَتْit saw مِنَof الأمْرِthe affair
لِكنْ لِما بَصُرَتْ مِنَ الأمْرِ
Not idly did the broad bean's eye grow cross-eyed,
The wide-eyed narcissus did not wink frivolously
But because of what it saw of the scene.
But from what it saw of the situation
كلّاno indeed ولاnor صاحَتْcried out بَلابِلُهاits nightingales
كلّا ولا صاحَتْ بَلابِلُها
قَبْلَbefore الأوانِthe proper time سِوىexcept مِنَfrom القَهْرِanguish
قَبْلَ الأوانِ سِوى مِنَ القَهْرِ
No indeed; nor did its nightingales cry out
Nor did its nightingales cry out
Before their time except from anguish.
Before it was time, except from being overpowered
أفْديI would ransom لَيالِيناour nights الَّتيwhich سلَبَتْcaptivated
أفْدي لَيالِينا الَّتي سلَبَتْ
فيin ظِلِّهاtheir shade بِعَوارفِwith the bounties of الدَّهْرِtime
في ظِلِّها بِعَوارفِ الدَّهْرِ
I would ransom our nights, which captivated us
I ransom our nights which robbed me
Beneath their shade, with the bounties of time.
In their shadows, of life's etiquette
أعقابَthe close of شَعْبانٍSha'ban عَجِبْتُI marveled لَهاat them
أعقابَ شَعْبانٍ عَجِبْتُ لَها
بِيْضاًwhite نَصَلْنَthey bleached أواخِرَthe end of الشَّهْرِthe month
بِيْضاً نَصَلْنَ أواخِرَ الشَّهْرِ
The last nights of Sha'ban—I marveled at them:
The ends of Sha'ban amazed me
White, they bleached the end of the month.
We attained whiteness by the month's end
ولَرُبَّand many a مَحْمُودٍpraised عَواقِبُهُits outcomes
ولَرُبَّ مَحْمُودٍ عَواقِبُهُ
لَمْdid not يَجْرِpass أوَّلُهُits beginning عَلىinto ذِكْرِmention
لَمْ يَجْرِ أوَّلُهُ عَلى ذِكْرِ
And many a thing whose outcomes are praised
And often the outcome of a praised thing
Had a beginning that passed unmentioned.
Its beginning did not flow with mention
لَوْلاwere it not for التَّحَرُّجُreligious scruples قُلْتُI would say رُتْبَتُهاtheir rank
لَوْلا التَّحَرُّجُ قُلْتُ رُتْبَتُها
فيin القَدْرِworth رُتْبَةُthe rank of لَيْلَةِthe Night of القَدْرِDecree
في القَدْرِ رُتْبَةُ لَيْلَةِ القَدْرِ
Were it not for scruples, I would say their rank
Were it not for my embarrassment, I would say
In worth was that of the Night of Decree.
Its sequence in fate is like Laylat Al-Qadr
ماإنْnot at all ذَمَمْتُI found fault لهاwith them سِوىexcept عَجَلٍhaste
ماإنْ ذَمَمْتُ لها سِوى عَجَلٍ
بالفَجْرِwith dawn قَبْلَbefore صَبيحةِthe morning of الفَجْرِdawn
بالفَجْرِ قَبْلَ صَبيحةِ الفَجْرِ
I found no fault in them save haste
I have no qualms with it except
In bringing daybreak before dawn's own morning.
Its hastiness at dawn before the dawn
Sol 6.1