أَلاAh! هَلis there? إِلىto الغُدرانِthe pools وَالشَمسُand the sun طَلعَةٌrising
أَلا هَل إِلى الغُدرانِ وَالشَمسُ طَلعَةٌ
سَبيلٌa way وَنورُand the light الخَيرِof goodness مُجتَمِعُgathered الشَملِthe whole
سَبيلٌ وَنورُ الخَيرِ مُجتَمِعُ الشَملِ
Ah, is there a way to the pools, with the sun rising—
Ah, is there, to the pools with the sun rising,
a way, while the bloom of goodness is gathered all together?
a way, while the light of goodness is gathered whole,
وَمُستَشرِفٍand a vista لِلعَينِfor the eye تَغدوbecome ظِباؤُهُits gazelles
وَمُستَشرِفٍ لِلعَينِ تَغدو ظِباؤُهُ
صَوائِدَhunters أَلبابِthe minds الرِجالِof men بِلاwithout نَبلِarrows
صَوائِدَ أَلبابِ الرِجالِ بِلا نَبلِ
And to a high lookout, open to the eye, whose gazelles go forth
and to a vista for the eye, whose gazelles become
capturing men’s hearts without arrows?
hunters of men's minds without arrows,
إِلىto شاطِئِthe shore القاطولِof al-Qatul بِالجانِبِon the side الَّذيwhich
إِلى شاطِئِ القاطولِ بِالجانِبِ الَّذي
بِهِin it القَصرُthe palace بَينَbetween القادِسِيَّةِal-Qadisiyyah وَالنَخلِand the palms
بِهِ القَصرُ بَينَ القادِسِيَّةِ وَالنَخلِ
To the bank of al-Qāṭūl, along its western side,
to the shore of al-Qatul, on the side where
where the palace stands between al-Qādisiyya and the date palms;
the palace stands, between al-Qadisiyyah and the palms,
إِلىto مَجمَعٍa gathering-place لِلطَيرِfor birds فيهِin it رَطانَةٌchatter
إِلى مَجمَعٍ لِلطَيرِ فيهِ رَطانَةٌ
يُطيفُcircles بِهِaround it القَناصُthe hunters بِالخَيلِon horseback وَالرَجلِand on foot
يُطيفُ بِهِ القَناصُ بِالخَيلِ وَالرَجلِ
to a gathering place for birds, filled with strange cries,
to a gathering-place of birds, filled with their chatter,
around which hunters circle, mounted and on foot.
around which hunters circle, on horseback and on foot?
فَجاءَتهُthen it came to him مِنfrom عِندِthe presence of اليَهودِيِّthe Jew أَنَّهاthat it
فَجاءَتهُ مِن عِندِ اليَهودِيِّ أَنَّها
مُشهَّرَةٌrenowned بِالراحِfor wine مَعشوقَةُbeloved الأَهلِthe people
مُشهَّرَةٌ بِالراحِ مَعشوقَةُ الأَهلِ
Then word came to him from the Jewish wine merchant that it was
Then word reached him from the Jew that it was
famed for wine and beloved by all.
renowned for wine, beloved by the people.
وَكَمand many a راكِبٍrider ظَهرَthe back الظَلامِof darkness مُغَلَّسٍsetting out before dawn
وَكَم راكِبٍ ظَهرَ الظَلامِ مُغَلَّسٍ
إِلىto قَهوَةٍwine صَفراءَyellow مَعدومَةِlacking المِثلِan equal
إِلى قَهوَةٍ صَفراءَ مَعدومَةِ المِثلِ
How many a rider upon the back of darkness has set out before dawn,
And many a rider astride darkness's back sets out before dawn,
seeking a golden wine without peer!
toward a yellow wine without equal.
إِذاwhen نَفَذَpierces الخَمّارُthe wine-seller دَنّاًa cask بِمِبزَلٍwith a tap
إِذا نَفَذَ الخَمّارُ دَنّاً بِمِبزَلٍ
تَبَيَّنتَyou discern وَجهَthe face السُكرِof drunkenness فيin ذَلِكَthat البَزلِtapping
تَبَيَّنتَ وَجهَ السُكرِ في ذَلِكَ البَزلِ
When the vintner pierces a great wine jar with an auger,
When the wine-seller pierces a cask with a tap,
the face of drunkenness reveals itself in that opening.
you discern the face of drunkenness in that tapping.
وَكَمand many مِنof صَريعٍone laid low لاnot يُديرُmoves لِسانَهُhis tongue
وَكَم مِن صَريعٍ لا يُديرُ لِسانَهُ
وَمِنand of ناطِقٍone speaking بِالجَهلِwith folly لَيسَis not بِذيone possessed of جَهلِignorance
وَمِن ناطِقٍ بِالجَهلِ لَيسَ بِذي جَهلِ
How many a man lies felled, unable to move his tongue,
And many a man lies felled, unable to move his tongue,
and how many speaks foolishly though he is no fool!
and many a speaker of folly is no fool.
نَرىwe see شَرِسَharsh الأَخلاقِcharacter مِنfrom بَعدِafter شُربِهاdrinking it
نَرى شَرِسَ الأَخلاقِ مِن بَعدِ شُربِها
جَديراًdisposed بِبَذلِto giving المالِwealth وَالخُلُقِand a disposition السَهلِeasygoing
جَديراً بِبَذلِ المالِ وَالخُلُقِ السَهلِ
We see the surly-tempered man, after drinking it,
We see the man of harsh character, after drinking it,
ready to lavish wealth, easy and gentle in disposition.
ready to give wealth and show an easy temper.
جَمَعتُI gathered بِهاwith it شَملَthe company الخَلاعَةِof revelry بُرهَةًfor a time
جَمَعتُ بِها شَملَ الخَلاعَةِ بُرهَةً
وَفَرَّقتُand I scattered مالاًwealth غَيرَnot مُصغٍheeding إِلىto عَذلِreproach
وَفَرَّقتُ مالاً غَيرَ مُصغٍ إِلى عَذلِ
Through it, for a while, I gathered the whole company of revelry
With it I gathered revelry's company for a time,
and squandered wealth, heedless of every reproach.
and scattered wealth, heeding no reproach.
لَقَدindeed غَنِيَتit flourished دَهراًfor ages بِقُربيby my side نَفيسَةًprecious
لَقَد غَنِيَت دَهراً بِقُربي نَفيسَةً
فَكَيفَso how تَراهاyou see it حينَwhen فارَقَهاleft it مِثليone like me
فَكَيفَ تَراها حينَ فارَقَها مِثلي
For an age I lived richly, with Nafīsa near me;
Indeed, for ages it flourished by my side, precious;
how do you think she fares now that a man like me has left her?
so how do you think it fares, when one like me has left it?
Sol 6.1