ياO بالِغاًhaving attained منin respect of بَلاغَةِeloquence العربِthe Arabs
يا بالِغاً من بَلاغَةِ العربِ
أَقصىthe utmost الأَمانيhopes ومُنتهىand the furthest limit الأَربِdesire
أَقصى الأَماني ومُنتهى الأَربِ
O you who have reached, in the eloquence of the Arabs,
O you who attained the eloquence of the Arabs
the furthest bounds of hope and the utmost of desire!
The utmost of hopes and the end of aspirations
وَياand O بَليغاًan eloquent one حوَتcontained بلاغتهُhis eloquence
وَيا بَليغاً حوَت بلاغتهُ
دُرَّpearls المَعانيmeanings وجَوهرand the jewel الأَدبِliterature
دُرَّ المَعاني وجَوهر الأَدبِ
And O eloquent one whose eloquence contains
And O eloquent one whose eloquence contained
the pearls of meaning and the jewel of literature!
The pearls of meanings and essence of literature
وَياand O إِماماًa master سَمتsurpassed فصاحتُهhis eloquence
وَيا إِماماً سَمت فصاحتُه
قيساًQays وَقُسّاًand Quss فيin الشعرpoetry والخُطبِand orations
قيساً وَقُسّاً في الشعر والخُطبِ
And O master whose eloquence has surpassed
And O imam whose rhetoric surpassed
Qays and Quss in poetry and oratory!
Qais and Quss in poetry and sermons
ماnot الراحُwine فيin صَفوهاits clarity ورقَّتِهاand its delicacy
ما الراحُ في صَفوها ورقَّتِها
مفترَّةًsmiling عنto reveal مَباسِمsmiling mouths الحَبَبِthe bubbles
مفترَّةً عن مَباسِم الحَبَبِ
Neither wine, in its clarity and delicacy,
Neither the gentle breeze in its gentleness and softness
smiling to reveal the mouths of bubbles,
Deceived about the smiles of the beloved
وَلاnor العَروسُthe bride الكعابُwith budding breasts ضاحكةًlaughing
وَلا العَروسُ الكعابُ ضاحكةً
تبسمُshe smiles عنto reveal لؤلؤٍpearls منof الشَنبِthe cool sweetness of teeth
تبسمُ عن لؤلؤٍ من الشَنبِ
nor the bride with budding breasts, laughing,
Nor the vivacious bride laughing
smiling to reveal pearls of cool, sweet teeth,
Smiling with a pearl set between her lips
أَشهىmore enticing وأَبهىand more splendid منthan نظمcomposition قافيَةٍa rhyme
أَشهى وأَبهى من نظم قافيَةٍ
أَهدَيتَهاyou gifted it للمحبِّto the admirer منfrom كثَبِproximity
أَهدَيتَها للمحبِّ من كثَبِ
is more enticing or more splendid than a woven rhyme
Is more delightful and brilliant than a rhyming poem
you gave your admirer from close at hand.
You gifted to the lover from accumulations
أَفادَتit gave النَفسَthe soul منfrom مَسرَّتِهاits delight
أَفادَت النَفسَ من مَسرَّتِها
ماwhat لَمdid not تُفدهُgive it سُلافةُthe choicest wine العِنبِgrapes
ما لَم تُفدهُ سُلافةُ العِنبِ
It gave the soul, through its delight,
It gratified the soul with its pleasure
what the choicest grape-wine never gave it.
What ripe grapes could not provide
أَلبستَهاyou clothed it نظمكَyour verse البَديعَthe wondrous وَقَدand indeed
أَلبستَها نظمكَ البَديعَ وَقَد
وافتit arrived بليلٍby night عِقداًa necklace منof الشُهبِbright stars
وافت بليلٍ عِقداً من الشُهبِ
You clothed it in your wondrous verse, and indeed
You adorned it with your wondrous composition when
it came by night, a necklace of bright stars.
The night was adorned with a string of shooting stars
فبتُّso I spent the night منهاthrough it فيin نَشوةٍintoxication عجَبٍwondrous
فبتُّ منها في نَشوةٍ عجَبٍ
مُغتَبِقاًtaking an evening draught للسرورِof joy والطَربِand rapture
مُغتَبِقاً للسرورِ والطَربِ
So I spent the night, through it, in wondrous intoxication,
I became infatuated with it in awed delight
taking an evening draught of joy and rapture.
Embracing happiness and joy
وَفزتُand I gained منهاthrough it بوصلِunion with غانيَةٍa beautiful woman
وَفزتُ منها بوصلِ غانيَةٍ
ترفلُsweeping along فيin حُلَّةa robe منof الذَهبِgold
ترفلُ في حُلَّة من الذَهبِ
And through it I gained union with a beautiful woman,
And I pranced about with an ode of a singer
sweeping along in a robe of gold.
Dressed in a gown of gold
فأَيُّthen which قَلبٍheart لمdid not تولهِgrant it طَرباًrapture
فأَيُّ قَلبٍ لم تولهِ طَرباً
وأَيُّand which عَقلٍmind دَعتهُsummoned it لمdid not يُجبِanswer
وأَيُّ عَقلٍ دَعتهُ لم يُجبِ
What heart, then, did it not grant rapture?
Which heart has it not stirred with joy?
And what mind did it summon that failed to answer?
Which mind if called did not respond?
ضمَّنتَهاyou included in it العذرَthe apology فاِستلبتَso you snatched away بهاwith it
ضمَّنتَها العذرَ فاِستلبتَ بها
فُنونَforms همٍّof sorrow منfrom قَلبِa heart مُكتئِبِgrieving
فُنونَ همٍّ من قَلبِ مُكتئِبِ
You included your apology in it, and thereby stripped away
You made it bear excuses, so with it you stole
the many forms of sorrow from a grieving heart.
The arts of worry from a depressed heart
إنif لمdid not تُجبanswer دَعوَتيmy invitation فأنتَthen you فَتىًa gallant youth
إن لم تُجب دَعوَتي فأنتَ فَتىً
يَملأfills دلوَthe bucket الرِضاof contentment إلىup to الكَربِthe bucket's binding-rope
يَملأ دلوَ الرِضا إلى الكَربِ
If you have not answered my invitation, you are a gallant youth
If you do not respond to my call, you are a young man
who fills the bucket of contentment up to its binding-rope.
Who fills the bucket of approval to the brim
سبحانَglory be to مُوليكَthe One who endowed you فِطرةَan innate disposition اللَعبfor play
سبحانَ مُوليكَ فِطرةَ اللَعب
بالنَظمwith verse والنَثرand prose أَيّماwhat extraordinary لَعبِplay
بالنَظم والنَثر أَيّما لَعبِ
Glory to Him who endowed you with an instinct for play
Glory to your Inspirer with the disposition for
with verse and prose—what extraordinary play!
Composition and prose, whatever game it may be
دمتَmay you remain منin respect of العيشlife فيin بُلَهنيةٍease and comfort
دمتَ من العيش في بُلَهنيةٍ
تجرُّtrailing أَذيالهاits hems مَدىthroughout الحِقَبِthe ages
تجرُّ أَذيالها مَدى الحِقَبِ
May you remain in life's ease and comfort,
May you live a life of heedlessness
trailing its hems through the ages.
Dragging its train across the ages
Sol 6.1