طافَwent round عَلىamong النَدمانِthe drinking companions بِالكاسِwith the cup
طافَ عَلى النَدمانِ بِالكاسِ
وَخَدُّهُand his cheek مِنfrom لَونِهاits color كاسِclad
وَخَدُّهُ مِن لَونِها كاسِ
He moved among the boon companions with the wine cup,
He went round the drinking companions with the cup,
his cheek clothed in the wine’s own hue.
and his cheek was clad in its hue.
مُفهَفُslender القامَةِof stature مَمشوقُهاtall and slender in it
مُفهَفُ القامَةِ مَمشوقُها
يَخجَلُis abashed مِنهُbefore him غُصُنُa branch الآسِof myrtle
يَخجَلُ مِنهُ غُصُنُ الآسِ
Slender-waisted, his figure finely drawn,
Slender of stature, tall and graceful,
the myrtle bough blushes before him.
he puts the myrtle branch to shame.
كَمhow often أَتَصَدّىI expose myself لِجَفاto the harshness of صَدِّهِhis rejection
كَم أَتَصَدّى لِجَفا صَدِّهِ
وَكَمand how often أُقاسِI endure قَلبَهُhis heart القاسيthe hard
وَكَم أُقاسِ قَلبَهُ القاسي
How often I face the harshness of his rebuff,
How often I expose myself to his harsh rejection,
and how I endure his hard heart!
and how often I endure his hard heart!
دِعصُa mound نَقاًof fine sand تَحمِلُهُbears it بانَةٌa bān tree
دِعصُ نَقاً تَحمِلُهُ بانَةٌ
شَمسُa sun ضُحىًof midmorning فيin زِيِّthe garb of شَمّاسِa deacon
شَمسُ ضُحىً في زِيِّ شَمّاسِ
A rounded dune-mound borne by a slender bān-tree;
A mound of fine sand borne by a bān tree,
a morning sun in a deacon’s vestments.
a midmorning sun in a deacon's garb.
تَحكيresemble ثَناthe praise of الصالِحِal-Salih أَنفاسُهُhis breaths
تَحكي ثَنا الصالِحِ أَنفاسُهُ
وَصُدغُهُand his temple-lock أَيّامَthe days of عَبّاسِAbbas
وَصُدغُهُ أَيّامَ عَبّاسِ
His breaths recount the praises of al-Ṣāliḥ;
His breaths mirror the praise of al-Salih,
his temple-lock, the days of ʿAbbās.
and his temple-lock mirrors the days of Abbas.
شَتانَhow far apart ماan emphatic particle بَينَbetween الوَزيرَينِthe two viziers
شَتانَ ما بَينَ الوَزيرَينِ
فيin العِفَّةِchastity وَالإِقدامِand daring وَالباسِand valor
في العِفَّةِ وَالإِقدامِ وَالباسِ
How vast the gulf between the two viziers
How far apart the two viziers are
in chastity, daring, and valor!
in chastity, daring, and valor!
وَالفائِزُand al-Fa'iz الصالِحُal-Salih فيin مُلكِهِhis realm
وَالفائِزُ الصالِحُ في مُلكِهِ
أَصلَحُmore righteous عِندَbefore اللَهِGod وَالناسِand the people
أَصلَحُ عِندَ اللَهِ وَالناسِ
And al-Fāʾiz, with al-Ṣāliḥ in his realm,
And in al-Fa'iz's realm, al-Salih
stands better with God and the people.
is more righteous before God and the people.
فيin الشَرقِthe East وَالغَربِand the West غَداhas become ذِكرُهُhis renown
في الشَرقِ وَالغَربِ غَدا ذِكرُهُ
يَسيرُtravels مِنfrom بَلخٍBalkh إِلىto فاسِFez
يَسيرُ مِن بَلخٍ إِلى فاسِ
Throughout East and West his renown has spread,
In East and West, his renown now
journeying from Balkh as far as Fez.
travels from Balkh to Fez.
وَرَأسِهِby his head لَوif أَمكَنَallowed الدَهرُTime ماnot
وَرَأسِهِ لَو أَمكَنَ الدَهرُ ما
أَتَيتُهُI came to him إِلّاexcept عَلىupon راسيmy head
أَتَيتُهُ إِلّا عَلى راسي
By his head—if Fate allowed it—I would
By his head, if Time allowed, I would not
come to him only upon my own head.
come to him except upon my head.
Sol 6.1