كَانُواthey were ثَمَانِيَةٌeight مِنَof النُّدَمَاءِthe drinking companions
كَانُوا ثَمَانِيَةٌ مِنَ النُّدَمَاءِ
مُتَآلِفِينَin harmony كَأَحْسَنِlike the best of الرُّفَقَاءِcompanions
مُتَآلِفِينَ كَأَحْسَنِ الرُّفَقَاءِ
They were eight drinking companions,
In harmony, like the best of friends,
فِيin مَجْلِسٍa gathering حَجَبَbarred الشَّبَابُyouth بِأَمْرِهِمْat their command
فِي مَجْلِسٍ حَجَبَ الشَّبَابُ بِأَمْرِهِمْ
أَبْوَابَهُits doors إِلاَّexcept عَلَىto السَّرَّاءِjoy
أَبْوَابَهُ إِلاَّ عَلَى السَّرَّاءِ
In a gathering where Youth, at their command, barred
Its doors to all but joy.
مُتُحَدِّثينَconversing وَلاَand not يَطِيبُis pleasing لِمِثْلِهِمْto their like
مُتُحَدِّثينَ وَلاَ يَطِيبُ لِمِثْلِهِمْ
إِلاَّexcept حَدِيثُtalk of الحُسْنِbeauty وَالحَسْنَاءِand the beautiful woman
إِلاَّ حَدِيثُ الحُسْنِ وَالحَسْنَاءِ
They talked, and nothing pleased the likes of them
But talk of beauty and the fair woman.
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen اعْتَكَرَthickened الظَّلامُthe darkness وَمُزِّقَتْand were torn
حَتَّى إِذَا اعْتَكَرَ الظَّلامُ وَمُزِّقَتْ
أَحْشَاؤُهُits entrails فَدَمِينَso they bled بِالأَضْوَاءِwith lights
أَحْشَاؤُهُ فَدَمِينَ بِالأَضْوَاءِ
At last, when darkness thickened and its torn
Entrails bled with light,
وَتَثَاقَلَتْand grew heavy أَشْبَاهُهمْtheir bodily forms وتَخَفَّفتْand grew lighter
وَتَثَاقَلَتْ أَشْبَاهُهمْ وتَخَفَّفتْ
أَرْوَاحُهُمْtheir souls مِنْfrom نَشْوَةِthe intoxication of الصَّهبَاءِtawny wine
أَرْوَاحُهُمْ مِنْ نَشْوَةِ الصَّهبَاءِ
And their forms grew heavy, while lighter grew
Their souls from the intoxication of tawny wine,
أَصْغُوْاthey listened attentively لِقَوْلِto the words of فَتىًa youth جَرِيءٍbold مِنْهُمُamong them
أَصْغُوْا لِقَوْلِ فَتىً جَرِيءٍ مِنْهُمُ
غَضِّfresh الشَّبيبَةِyouth جَامِحِunbridled الأَهْوَاءِthe passions
غَضِّ الشَّبيبَةِ جَامِحِ الأَهْوَاءِ
They listened to the words of a bold youth among them,
Fresh in youth, unbridled in his passions:
يَاO أَيُهَاyou الإِخْوَانُbrothers أَسْمَعُI hear نِسْوَةًwomen
يَا أَيُهَا الإِخْوَانُ أَسْمَعُ نِسْوَةً
بِجِوَارِنَاbeside us فِيin حَفْلَةٍa celebration وَغِنَاءِand song
بِجِوَارِنَا فِي حَفْلَةٍ وَغِنَاءِ
“O brothers, I hear women
Beside us, in festivity and song.
فَهَلُمَّso come نَحْتَلْlet us devise حِيلَةًa trick فَيَجِئْنَنَاso they come to us
فَهَلُمَّ نَحْتَلْ حِيلَةً فَيَجِئْنَنَا
لاَno خَيْرَgood فِيin أُنْسِcompanionship بِغَيْرِwithout نِسَاءِwomen
لاَ خَيْرَ فِي أُنْسِ بِغَيْرِ نِسَاءِ
So come, let us devise a trick to bring them to us;
There is no good in companionship without women.”
قَالُواthey said فَماthen what هِيَit قَالَhe said أَرْقُدُI shall lie down مُوهِماًgiving a false impression
قَالُوا فَما هِيَ قَالَ أَرْقُدُ مُوهِماً
أَنِّيthat I قَضَيْتُhave died مُعَاجَلاًstruck down suddenly بِقَضَاءِby fate
أَنِّي قَضَيْتُ مُعَاجَلاً بِقَضَاءِ
They said, “Then what is it?” He said, “I shall lie down, pretending
That I have died, suddenly struck down by fate.
فَإذَاthen when انْتَحَبْتُمْyou wail جِئْنَكُمُthey will come to you فَبَرَزْتُthen I shall emerge مِنْfrom
فَإذَا انْتَحَبْتُمْ جِئْنَكُمُ فَبَرَزْتُ مِنْ
كَفَنِيmy shroud وَفُزْنَاand we shall gain بِاجْتِمَاعِa gathering of صَفَاءِharmony
كَفَنِي وَفُزْنَا بِاجْتِمَاعِ صَفَاءِ
Then, when you wail, they will come to you; I shall emerge from
My shroud, and we shall enjoy a gathering in harmony.”
فَنَعَاهُso he announced his death نَاعٍa herald رَاعَهُنَّalarmed them فَجِئْنَso they came فِيin
فَنَعَاهُ نَاعٍ رَاعَهُنَّ فَجِئْنَ فِي
هَرَجٍa tumult لِتَوْدِيعِto bid farewell to الفَقِيدِthe departed one النَّائِيfar away
هَرَجٍ لِتَوْدِيعِ الفَقِيدِ النَّائِي
So a herald announced his death, alarming them; they came in
A tumult, to bid farewell to the departed one gone afar.
وَبَكَيْنَهُand they wept for him حَتَّىuntil إِذاwhen أَدْرَكْنَthey realized مَاwhat
وَبَكَيْنَهُ حَتَّى إِذا أَدْرَكْنَ مَا
كَادُواthey plotted لَهُنَّagainst them وَثَبْنَthey leapt وَثْبَthe leap of ظِبَاءِgazelles
كَادُوا لَهُنَّ وَثَبْنَ وَثْبَ ظِبَاءِ
And they wept for him until, when they realized what
Had been plotted against them, they sprang like gazelles,
يَضحَكْنَthey laugh أَشْبَاهَresembling الشُّمُوسِthe suns تَأَلَّقَتْshone forth
يَضحَكْنَ أَشْبَاهَ الشُّمُوسِ تَأَلَّقَتْ
عَقِبَafter الحَيَاthe rain وَضَّاءَةَradiant الَّلأْلاَءِbrilliance
عَقِبَ الحَيَا وَضَّاءَةَ الَّلأْلاَءِ
Laughing, like suns that shone forth
After the rain, radiant with brilliance.
وَحَفَلنْand they gathered حَوْلَaround سَرِيرِهِhis bed يَنْهَرْنَهُthey scold him
وَحَفَلنْ حَوْلَ سَرِيرِهِ يَنْهَرْنَهُ
لَكِنْbut أحَطْنَthey surrounded بِصَخْرَةٍaround a rock صَمَّاءِdeaf
لَكِنْ أحَطْنَ بِصَخْرَةٍ صَمَّاءِ
And they gathered around his bed, scolding him,
But they had surrounded a deaf rock.
فَرَفَعْنَso they lifted عَنْهُoff him غَطَاءَهُhis covering فَوَجَدْنَهُso they found him
فَرَفَعْنَ عَنْهُ غَطَاءَهُ فَوَجَدْنَهُ
بِالمَيْتِto a dead man أَشْبَهَmore similar مِنْهُthan he was بِالأَحْيَاءِto the living
بِالمَيْتِ أَشْبَهَ مِنْهُ بِالأَحْيَاءِ
So they lifted his covering off him and found him
More like the dead than the living.
عَالَجْنَهُthey treated him جُهْدَutmost effort العِلاَجِtreatment وَلَمْand not يَكُنْthere was
عَالَجْنَهُ جُهْدَ العِلاَجِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ
شَيْءٌanything لِيُوقِظَهُto rouse him مِنَfrom الإِغْمَاءِunconsciousness
شَيْءٌ لِيُوقِظَهُ مِنَ الإِغْمَاءِ
They did their utmost to treat him, but there was
Nothing to rouse him from unconsciousness.
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen دُعِيَwas summoned الطَّبيبُthe physician فَجَاءَهُمْso he came to them
حَتَّى إِذَا دُعِيَ الطَّبيبُ فَجَاءَهُمْ
رَاعَalarmed القُلُوبَthe hearts بِنَفْيَby denying كُلِّall رَجَاءِhope
رَاعَ القُلُوبَ بِنَفْيَ كُلِّ رَجَاءِ
Until, when the physician was summoned and came to them,
He alarmed their hearts by denying all hope.
فَتَبَدَّلَتْso were transformed أَفْرَاحُهُمْtheir joys فِيin لَحْظَةٍan instant
فَتَبَدَّلَتْ أَفْرَاحُهُمْ فِي لَحْظَةٍ
بِمَنَاحَةٍto lamentation وَسُرُورُهُمْand their delight بِبُكَاءِto weeping
بِمَنَاحَةٍ وَسُرُورُهُمْ بِبُكَاءِ
Then their joys changed in an instant
To lamentation, and their delight to weeping.
وَأَبَاتَهُمْand made them spend the night هَذَاthis المِزَاحُthe jest مِنَbecause of الرَّدَىdeath
وَأَبَاتَهُمْ هَذَا المِزَاحُ مِنَ الرَّدَى
فِيamid شَرِّthe worst of مَاwhat يُبْكِيmakes one weep مِنَamong الأَرْزَاءِcalamities
فِي شَرِّ مَا يُبْكِي مِنَ الأَرْزَاءِ
And this jest, because of death, made them spend the night
Amid the worst of calamities that bring tears.
لُوْif عَاشَhe had lived صَاحِبُهُمْtheir companion لَعَاشَhe would have lived رَهِينَةًa hostage
لُوْ عَاشَ صَاحِبُهُمْ لَعَاشَ رَهِينَةً
مِنْfrom بَعْدِهَاafter it لِلهَجْعَةِto the slumber السَّوْدَاءِthe black
مِنْ بَعْدِهَا لِلهَجْعَةِ السَّوْدَاءِ
Had their companion lived, he would have lived a hostage
Thereafter to the black slumber.
وَكَذَاand so الْحَقِيقَةُtruth جِدُّهَاits earnestness وَمِزَاحُهَاand its jest
وَكَذَا الْحَقِيقَةُ جِدُّهَا وَمِزَاحُهَا
سِيَّانِalike فيin الإِشْقَاءِcausing misery وَالإِفْنَاءِand annihilation
سِيَّانِ في الإِشْقَاءِ وَالإِفْنَاءِ
And so it is with truth: its earnestness and its jest
Are alike in bringing misery and annihilation.
Sol 6.1