طافَwent round يَسعىhurrying بِسُرعَةٍwith speed وَنَشاطِand vigor
طافَ يَسعى بِسُرعَةٍ وَنَشاطِ
وَيُعاطيand serves المُدامَthe wine أَحلىthe sweetest تَعاطِserving
وَيُعاطي المُدامَ أَحلى تَعاطِ
He went round, moving swiftly and vigorously,
and passed the wine in the sweetest manner.
طَيِّبُsweet النَشرِin fragrance يَجرَحُwounds اللَحظُthe glance خَدَّيtwo cheeks
طَيِّبُ النَشرِ يَجرَحُ اللَحظُ خَدَّي
هِhis وَيُدميand makes bleed أَعضاهُhis limbs مَسُّthe touch القُباطيthe fine Egyptian linen
هِ وَيُدمي أَعضاهُ مَسُّ القُباطي
Sweetly fragrant—a glance wounds his cheeks,
and the touch of fine Egyptian linen makes his limbs bleed.
طَلقُcheerful وَجهٍof face تَلَهَّبَblazed الخَدُّthe cheek فيin
طَلقُ وَجهٍ تَلَهَّبَ الخَدُّ في
هِhim وَوافىand appeared عِذارُهُhis cheek-down كَالسِراطِlike the Sirat path
هِ وَوافى عِذارُهُ كَالسِراطِ
Bright-faced, his cheek aflame,
and his cheek-down appeared like the Sirat.
طِرسُa parchment خَدٍّof a cheek لَهُhe has عَليهِupon it سُطورٌlines
طِرسُ خَدٍّ لَهُ عَليهِ سُطورٌ
ماnot أَلَمَّتtouched بِهِupon it يَدُthe hand الخَطّاطِof the calligrapher
ما أَلَمَّت بِهِ يَدُ الخَطّاطِ
His cheek is a parchment bearing lines
that no calligrapher's hand has touched.
طالَماoften زارَنيhe visited me وَقَدand already مَدَّتِspread الأَرthe earth (continued)
طالَما زارَني وَقَد مَدَّتِ الأَر
ضُcompletion of 'the earth' رِياضاًgardens مِنfrom تَحتِناbeneath us كَالسَماطِlike a banquet spread
ضُ رِياضاً مِن تَحتِنا كَالسَماطِ
Often he visited me, when the earth had spread
gardens beneath us like a banquet spread.
طُلَّwas shed unavenged فيهاin them دَمُthe blood الدِنانِof the wine-jars فَبِالأَقso in the cups (continued)
طُلَّ فيها دَمُ الدِنانِ فَبِالأَق
داحِcompletion of 'the cups' طَوراًat one time وَتارَةًand at another time بِالبَواطيin the bowls
داحِ طَوراً وَتارَةً بِالبَواطي
There the wine-jars' blood was spilled unavenged—in cups
at one time, and at another in bowls.
طَفَحَتoverflowed نَشوَةُthe intoxication المُدامِof wine وَقَدand already شَطwent to excess (continued)
طَفَحَت نَشوَةُ المُدامِ وَقَد شَط
طَتcompletion of 'went to excess' عَلىagainst الشارِبينِthe drinkers أَيَّthe utmost اِشتِطاطِexcess
طَت عَلى الشارِبينِ أَيَّ اِشتِطاطِ
The wine's intoxication overflowed and went
to the utmost extremes against the drinkers.
طَوَّحَتtoppled بِالسُقاةِthe cupbearers حَتّىuntil أَطاعواthey yielded
طَوَّحَت بِالسُقاةِ حَتّى أَطاعوا
وَأَباحواand they permitted الوِصالَintimate union بَعدَafter اِحتِياطِcaution
وَأَباحوا الوِصالَ بَعدَ اِحتِياطِ
It toppled the cupbearers until they yielded,
and granted intimacy after being wary.
طافَتwent round سُعادُSu'ad تَضُمُّembracing لِأَغصاfor branches (continued)
طافَت سُعادُ تَضُمُّ لِأَغصا
نِcompletion of 'branches' قُدودٍfigures مِنَof الظِباءِthe gazelles العَواطيstretching their necks
نِ قُدودٍ مِنَ الظِباءِ العَواطي
Su'ad went round, embracing the branchlike
figures of gazelles stretching their necks.
طَوقُa collar تِلكَthose الأَجيادِnecks أَجعَلُهاI make her طَوat one time (continued)
طَوقُ تِلكَ الأَجيادِ أَجعَلُها طَو
راًcompletion of 'at one time' وَطَوراًand at another time مَناطِقَgirdles الأَوساطِof the waists
راً وَطَوراً مَناطِقَ الأَوساطِ
I make her a collar for those necks at one time,
and at another, girdles for the waists.
طِبتُI was happy عَيشاًin life لَمّاwhen رَأَيتُI saw يَدَthe hand الصُبthe dawn (continued)
طِبتُ عَيشاً لَمّا رَأَيتُ يَدَ الصُب
حِcompletion of 'the dawn' لِدُرِّfor the pearls النُجومِof the stars ذاتَengaged in اِلتِقاطِgathering
حِ لِدُرِّ النُجومِ ذاتَ اِلتِقاطِ
Life grew sweet to me when I saw dawn's hand
gathering up the pearls of the stars.
طِفلُa child صُبحٍof dawn لَهُhe has مِنَfrom الشَرقِthe east مَهدٌa cradle
طِفلُ صُبحٍ لَهُ مِنَ الشَرقِ مَهدٌ
وَلَهُand he has حُلَّةُthe robe الدُجىof darkness كَالقِماطِlike swaddling cloth
وَلَهُ حُلَّةُ الدُجى كَالقِماطِ
An infant dawn, with the east for his cradle,
and whose robe of darkness is like swaddling cloth.
طَرَدَdrove away اللَيلَthe night بِالضِياءِwith light فَمُذso as soon as لاshone (continued)
طَرَدَ اللَيلَ بِالضِياءِ فَمُذ لا
حَcompletion of 'shone' فَأَهوَتso plunged نُجومُهُits stars بِاِنهِباطِin descent
حَ فَأَهوَت نُجومُهُ بِاِنهِباطِ
He drove night out with light; as soon as he shone,
its stars plunged downward.
طَلَعَتrose فيamong الأَنامِmankind غُرَّةُthe bright brow نَجمٍof a star
طَلَعَت في الأَنامِ غُرَّةُ نَجمٍ
لِعُلاهُfor his loftiness عَلىupon النُجومِthe stars مَواطِيfootholds
لِعُلاهُ عَلى النُجومِ مَواطِي
The bright brow of a star rose among mankind,
whose lofty station has footholds upon the stars.
طالِعٌrising بِالسُعودِwith good fortune فيin أُفُقِthe horizon الشَهal-Shahba (continued)
طالِعٌ بِالسُعودِ في أُفُقِ الشَه
باcompletion of 'al-Shahba' فَعِشso live دائِماًalways بِهِthrough him فيin اِغتِباطِgladness
با فَعِش دائِماً بِهِ في اِغتِباطِ
Rising with good fortune on al-Shahba's horizon,
so live always in gladness through him.
طابَbecame sweet رِزقٌsustenance لَهُhis بِمَغناهُat his abode فَالرِزso sustenance (continued)
طابَ رِزقٌ لَهُ بِمَغناهُ فَالرِز
قُcompletion of 'sustenance' لَدىwith غَيرِهِanyone but him كَسُمِّlike the eye الخِياطِof a needle
قُ لَدى غَيرِهِ كَسُمِّ الخِياطِ
Sweet is his bounty at his abode; sustenance
with anyone else is like a needle's eye.
طاهِرُpure الجَدِّin ancestry جَدُّهُhis fortune كُلَّevery يَومٍday
طاهِرُ الجَدِّ جَدُّهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ
فيin صُعودٍascent وَضِدُّهُand his rival فيin اِنحِطاطِdecline
في صُعودٍ وَضِدُّهُ في اِنحِطاطِ
Of pure ancestry, his fortune each day
rises, while his rival sinks.
طَودُa mountain حِلمٍof forbearance يَكادُalmost يَستَعبِدُenslaves الدَهTime (continued)
طَودُ حِلمٍ يَكادُ يَستَعبِدُ الدَه
رَcompletion of 'Time' بِعَزمٍwith resolve لَهُof his شَديدِstrong النِياطِthe binding cord
رَ بِعَزمٍ لَهُ شَديدِ النِياطِ
A mountain of forbearance, he all but enslaves Time
with a resolve whose binding cords are strong.
طَبَّdoctored هَذاthis الزَمانَage وَهوَand it is جَسيمٌimmense
طَبَّ هَذا الزَمانَ وَهوَ جَسيمٌ
قَصَّرَتfell short دونَهُof it يَداthe two hands بِقِراطِof Hippocrates
قَصَّرَت دونَهُ يَدا بِقِراطِ
He doctored this age, immense though it is;
the hands of Hippocrates fell short of it.
طَوَّقَgarlanded الناسَthe people بِالنَدىwith bounty فَهَناهُمso their happiness
طَوَّقَ الناسَ بِالنَدى فَهَناهُم
فيin دَوامٍcontinuance وَرِزقُهُمand their sustenance فيin اِنبِساطِexpansion
في دَوامٍ وَرِزقُهُم في اِنبِساطِ
He garlanded people with bounty; their happiness
is lasting, and their sustenance expands.
طُبِعَتwere cast راحَتاهُhis two palms مِنfrom جَوهَرِthe substance الجوgenerosity (continued)
طُبِعَت راحَتاهُ مِن جَوهَرِ الجو
دِcompletion of 'generosity' وَلَيسَand is not المَعطِيُّthe giver كَالمُتَعاطيlike one who affects giving
دِ وَلَيسَ المَعطِيُّ كَالمُتَعاطي
His palms were cast from the substance of generosity,
and the giver is not like one who merely pretends.
طالَgrew great فيover المالِwealth عِزُّthe power كَفَّيهِof his two hands حَتّىuntil
طالَ في المالِ عِزُّ كَفَّيهِ حَتّى
أَفرَطَتwent to excess فيهِwith it غايَةَthe utmost الإِفراطِexcess
أَفرَطَت فيهِ غايَةَ الإِفراطِ
His hands' power over wealth grew so great
that they went to the utmost excess with it.
طاعَنَjousted with الخَيلَthe cavalry قَبلَbefore ذابِلَةِa slender lance اللُدthe supple spears (continued)
طاعَنَ الخَيلَ قَبلَ ذابِلَةِ اللُد
نِcompletion of 'the supple spears' بِلُدنٍwith a supple lance مِنfrom عَزمِهِhis resolve ذيpossessing شِطاطِlofty stature
نِ بِلُدنٍ مِن عَزمِهِ ذي شِطاطِ
He jousted with the cavalry before wielding slender, supple spears,
with a tall, supple lance of his resolve.
طِرفُهُhis steed الدَهرُTime أَينَماwherever سارَhe traveled وَالحَزand prudence (continued)
طِرفُهُ الدَهرُ أَينَما سارَ وَالحَز
مُcompletion of 'prudence' عِنانٌa rein وَعَزمُهُand his resolve كَالسِياطِlike whips
مُ عِنانٌ وَعَزمُهُ كَالسِياطِ
Time is his steed wherever he rides, and prudence
his rein, while his resolve is like whips.
طارَدَتهُraced against him الكِرامُthe noble فيin حَلبَةِthe racecourse الجوgenerosity (continued)
طارَدَتهُ الكِرامُ في حَلبَةِ الجو
دِcompletion of 'generosity' فَكَلّواso they tired فيin أَوَّلِthe first الأَشواطِlaps
دِ فَكَلّوا في أَوَّلِ الأَشواطِ
The noble raced against him on generosity's course,
so they tired in the very first laps.
طَلَبواthey sought شَأوَهُhis reach فَماbut did not حَصَّلَobtain الطاthe seeker (continued)
طَلَبوا شَأوَهُ فَما حَصَّلَ الطا
لِبُcompletion of 'the seeker' مِنfrom كَنزِهِhis treasure سِوىexcept قيراطِa carat
لِبُ مِن كَنزِهِ سِوى قيراطِ
They sought to match his reach, but the seeker gained
from his treasure no more than a carat.
طاوَعَتنيobeyed me جَواهِرُthe jewels المَدحِof praise فيهِconcerning him
طاوَعَتني جَواهِرُ المَدحِ فيهِ
فَأَتَتso they came فيin النِظامِordered verse كَالأَسماطِlike strands of pearls
فَأَتَت في النِظامِ كَالأَسماطِ
The jewels of praise for him obeyed me,
so they came strung in verse like strands of pearls.
طَيِّبُsweet اللَفظِin wording لَوif حَوَتهُcontained it اللَآليthe pearls
طَيِّبُ اللَفظِ لَو حَوَتهُ اللَآلي
جَعَلَتهُwould make it الحِسانُthe beauties كَالأَقراطِlike earrings
جَعَلَتهُ الحِسانُ كَالأَقراطِ
Sweet in wording; if pearls contained it,
the beauties would wear it as earrings.
طُرَفٌrarities كَالعُقودِlike necklaces فَالدُرُّso the pearls مِنهاin them
طُرَفٌ كَالعُقودِ فَالدُرُّ مِنها
ذِكرُهُmention of him وَالبُيوتُand the verses كَالأَسماطِlike strands of pearls
ذِكرُهُ وَالبُيوتُ كَالأَسماطِ
Rare gems like necklaces: the pearls in them
are his praise, and the verses are strands of pearls.
Sol 6.1