رَكِبنا وَفِتيانَ صِدقٍ ثُبينا
طُخارِيَّةً قُرَّحاً يَغتَلينا
We rode spirited, sincere youths
On a khutariyyah, speckled, that we whipped along,
عَلَينا مِنَ الصينِ قَسِّيَّةٌ
عَلَونا بِها وَاللُبودَ المُتونا
We had a qasiyya whip from China upon us
With which we drove them, grunting with exertion as they climbed.
خَرَجنا شَباباً ذَوي نَجدَةٍ
لِنَلهو عَلَيها بِضَربِ الكُرينا
We set out as high-spirited youths,
To sport with it, striking with little riding-crops.
بَني سادَةٍ مِن بَناتِ المُلو
كِ قَد مَلَكوا الناسَ دَهراً وَحينا
The scions of noble houses,
Who have ruled the people for ages, for a time.
فَسارَت بِنا رُكَّضاً بِالفَلا
عِجالاً وَنَحتَثُّها مُعجِلينا
It galloped with us at full speed,
Hurrying, as we urged it on.
فَهُنَّ يُنازِعَنَنا شُزَّباً
وَنَحنُ نُعَطِّفُها كَيفَ شينا
As they vied with us for mastery,
While we steered them as we wished.
فَلَمّا اِجتَمَعنا بِمَيدانِنا
عَلى وَفقِ مُفتَرَقِ الراكِبينا
When we met in our exercise-ground,
On the common way where the riders separate,
وَقَد سَدَّدوا عَقدَ أَذنابِها
فَما يَأتَلونَ وَما يَأتَلينا
They had braided their reins,
Not fumbling about or fumbling them.
وَصِرنا فَريقَينِ في مَجمَعٍ
فَأَحسِن بِهِنَّ قَريناً قَرينا
We were two parties in one place.
Paired off well with each other, pair by pair.
رَمَينا بِمُتَّصِلٍ حَرزُها
تَلَوَّنَ في حَرزِها الحارِزونا
We shot at them continuously; they dodged about, protectively
Changing colour in their self-protection.
إِذا رَفَعوها بِعودِ الخِلافِ
رَفَعنا جَميعاً إِلَيها العُيونا
When they raised them with the stick for the turn,
Together we turned our eyes up to it.
فَمِن راكِضٍ مائِلٍ نَحوَها
وَأَصحابُهُ نَحوَها راكِضونا
Some urged their mounts slantingly towards it
While their companions urged theirs towards it.
وَمِن واقِفٍ راكِبٍ فارِهاً
لِيَمضي عَلَيهِ فَريداً مَكينا
Some stood, mounted, spurring her on alone
That he might get past on his own rein held firm.
وَمِن مُخطِئٍ حينَ طابَت لَهُ
فَظَلَّ لِما فاتَ مِنها حَزينا
Some erred as he got his chance; but he grieved
For missing what had got by him.
تَرى بَعضَنا راكِباً مُدبِراً
وَبَعضاً إِلى ضَربِها مُقبِلينا
You could see some of us ride back,
And some advance upon its blows.
وَما المُدبِرونَ مِنَ المُقبِلينَ
وَما المُقبِلونَ مِنَ المُدبِرينا
Those advancing were not in retreat,
Nor were those retreating advancing.
تَخالُهُمُ قَصَدوا لِلّقا
ءِ وَما يَرتَمونَ ما يَطعَنونا
You would fancy they intended to meet,
But they do not expect what they thrust they will hit.
يَخوضونَ بِالقُمرِ إِن سَبَّقوا
وَكُلٌّ يَخالُهُمُ لاعِبينا
They get involved with the sack when they are ahead
While each fancies the others mere players.
تَرانا نَصيحُ بِطَيّارَةٍ
أَمِنّا قَوائِمَها أَن تَخونا
You see us sincere, shouting advice about a lively
Filly—
إِذا ما أَرَدنا بِها مَعطِفاً
وَجَدنا بِها طَوعَ عَطفٍ وَلينا
Have we secured firmness in her legs that she not tumble us?
When we tried to turn her, we found her biddable,
تَكادُ إِذا ما عَطَفنا بِهِ
نَّ أَن يَنثَنينَ وَما يَنثَنينا
Responding to pressure of the rein, and pliant.
If we put pressure on the rein she would
فَلَمّا لَعِبنا وَطابَت لَنا
وَفازَ بِأَطيَبِها الغالِبونا
Almost bend double, but does not bend double.
When we had sported and the victors won the finest of them,
عَطَفنا إِلى مَنزِلٍ حاضِرٍ
كَثيرِ اللَذاذَةِ مُستَبشِرينا
We turned to a prepared residence which delighted the eyes in prospect.
They set up the instruments in order,
وَقَد أَحكَموا جَمعَ آلاتِهِ
وَكُنّا بِأَحكامِهِ الآمِرينا
While we commanded the perfect order.
When we came to it, as we had yearned for it, all together yearningly,
فَلَمّا اِنتَهَينا إِلَيهِ وَقَد
حَنَنّا إِلَيهِ جَميعاً حَنينا
We stayed because we considered it a blessing at which the beholder's eye is pleased.
We bumped down and alighted like battle heroes whose heads are not weighed down with aches from the fight.
أَقَمنا عَلى أَنَّها نِعمَةٌ
تَقَرُّ بِها أَعيُنُ الناظِرينا
We gestured around the group with the cups yielded ungrudgingly to them,
Ever bowing down to their goblets, bowing much, though they bow not.
نَكُبُّ وَنَبزُلُ مِثلَ الغَزا
لِ لَم تَحمِلِ الرَأسُ مِنهُ قُرونا
They pass round goblets of silver continuously, unflagging and unresting.
So the pourers' hands were paralyzed with that
نُديرُ عَلى القَومِ مُستَبذَلاً
لَهُم بِالشَرابِ كَفيلاً ضَمينا
While the drinkers' selves delighted in it.
We, in our fine manners,
يَظَلُّ لِأَكؤُسِهِم راكِعاً
كَثيرَ السُجودِ وَما يَركَعونا
Passed the goblets around to the right.
When they were ordered on the first of the drinkers,
يُديرونَ أَكؤُسَ مِن فِضَّةٍ
وَما يَفتُرونَ وَما يَمتَرونا
They came to the last of them.
The cup did not cease from the bitterness of her imposed round;
فَخَفَّت عَلى ذاكَ أَيدي السُقاةِ
وَطابَت بِهِ أَنفُسُ الشارِبينا
Nor did we fail to relish drinking it.
When she got her grip on some one of us she provoked him to eructation or made him bump his forehead.
وَنَحنُ عَلى حُسنِ آدابِنا
نُديرُ الكُؤوسَ عَلَينا يَمينا
We did not leave her in debt to us by postponing drinking her.
We were saluted with her and all drank together. We followed her with roses and jasmine.
إِذا ما أُمِرَّت عَلى أَوَّلينَ
مِنَ الشارِبينَ أَتَت آخِرينا
The eyes of the slave girls sang to us with her.
We took amusement at them and they at us.
فَلا هِيَ تَفتُرُ مِن مَرِّها
وَلا نَحنُ مِن شُربِها فاتِرونا
Beauty of faces, largeness of bodies, like roe-gazelles pasturing.
As the minstrel leads, they all but swoon over us and we over them.
إِذا أَمكَنَت بَعضَنا لَم يَزَل
يُرَفِّعُها أَو يَصُكُّ الجَبينا
We consented to them for our delight:
They with us, we with them delighted.
وَلَسنا نُؤَخِّرُ مِن شُربِها
فَنَجعَلَ مِنها عَلَينا دُيونا
When the flute echoes their voices,
And their strings quaver a melodious plaint,
نُحَيّا بِها وَنُسَقّى مَعاً
وُنُتبِعُها الوَردَ وَالياسَمينا
Roused by the cockcrow you would ransom yourselves for us, every one of you ransom the others.
For that we are like swords drawn against them.
وَعَينُ الجَواري يُغَنّينَنا
بِها نَتَلَهّى وَما يَلتَهينا
We love music, revel in it,
And drink our drink fearlessly.
حِسانُ الوُجوهِ عِظامُ الجُسومِ
كَغِزلانِ بَرِّيَّةٍ يَرتَعينا
In that we expend our wealth
And quaff it without cease so long as we live.
يَكَدن إِذا هُنَّ غَنّينَنا
لَنا يَلتَوينَ وَما يَلتَوينا
For months on end and through the days
We remain in that same state and for years.
رَضينا بِهِنَّ لِلَذّاتِنا
هُناكَ وَهُنَّ بِنا قَد رَضينا
إِذا النايُ جاوَبَ أَصواتَهُنَّ
وَأَوتارَهُنَّ فَرَنَّت رَنينا
وَرُوِّعنَ بِالصُبحِ أَبصَرتَنا
نُفَدّي بِأَنفُسِنا أَجمَعينا
فَنَحنُ عَلى تِلكَ مِن حالِنا
كَأَنّا سُيوفٌ لِذاكَ اِنتُضينا
نُحِبُّ السَماعَ وَنَلتَذُّهُ
وَنَشرَبُ ما عِندَنا آمِنينا
وَفي تِلكَ نُنفِقُ أَموالَنا
وَنَشرَبُها أَبَداً ما بَقينا
نَظَلُّ الشُهورَ وَأَيّامَها
عَلى مِثلِ ذاكَ وَطولَ السِنينا
