يَاO أَبَاAbu (father of) الفَضْلِal-Fadl يَاO أَمِيْرَprince of الظِّرَافِthe witty, refined people
يَا أَبَا الفَضْلِ يَا أَمِيْرَ الظِّرَافِ
مَاnot عَهِدْنَاكَwe have known you بِالْمَلُوكِlike kings الجَافِيaloof; unfriendly
مَا عَهِدْنَاكَ بِالْمَلُوكِ الجَافِي
O Abu al-Fadl, O prince of the wits,
We have never known you to be aloof like kings.
صِرْcome إِلَيْنَاto us بِحَقِّin honor of مَاwhat وَكَّدَتْهُit has confirmed
صِرْ إِلَيْنَا بِحَقِّ مَا وَكَّدَتْهُ
بَيْنَنَاbetween us الحَالُcircumstance مِنْof عُقُودِbonds of التَّصَافِيmutual affection
بَيْنَنَا الحَالُ مِنْ عُقُودِ التَّصَافِي
Come to us, in honor of what has been confirmed
Between us by circumstance: bonds of mutual affection.
إِنَّنَاindeed we فِيamid طَرَائِفٍfresh delights مِنْof غِنَاءٍsong
إِنَّنَا فِي طَرَائِفٍ مِنْ غِنَاءٍ
وَشَرابٍand wine لِطَارِقِfor the approaching visitor of الْهَمِّsorrow نَافِيbanishing
وَشَرابٍ لِطَارِقِ الْهَمِّ نَافِي
We are indeed enjoying fresh delights of song,
And wine that banishes sorrow when it comes knocking.
قَدْalready شَرِبْنَاwe have drunk الأَقْحَافَthe drinking bowls (also: skulls) حَتَّىuntil حَسِبْنَاwe thought
قَدْ شَرِبْنَا الأَقْحَافَ حَتَّى حَسِبْنَا
أَنَّthat هَامَاتِنَاour heads بِلاَwithout أَقْحَافِskulls
أَنَّ هَامَاتِنَا بِلاَ أَقْحَافِ
We have drunk from skull-cups until we thought
That our heads were without skulls.
وَشَرِبْنَاand we have drunk الأَنْصَافَthe half-measures حَتَّىuntil جَهِلْنَاwe no longer knew
وَشَرِبْنَا الأَنْصَافَ حَتَّى جَهِلْنَا
حَدَّthe boundary of مَاwhat بَيْنَbetween الجَوْرِinjustice والإنْصَافِand fairness
حَدَّ مَا بَيْنَ الجَوْرِ والإنْصَافِ
And we have drunk half-measures until we no longer knew
The dividing line between injustice and fairness.
Sol 6.1