لَفِيindeed in ضَناكyour suffering ضنَىsuffering العلياءِeminence والحَسَبِand noble lineage
لَفِي ضَناك ضنَى العلياءِ والحَسَبِ
وفيand in شَفاكَyour recovery شِفاءًhealing العلمِlearning والأدبِand literature
وفي شَفاكَ شِفاءً العلمِ والأدبِ
Indeed, in your suffering lies the suffering of eminence and noble lineage.
In your distress lies the anguish of the virtuous and honored
And in your recovery lies the healing of learning and letters.
And in your lips lies the cure for knowledge and literary grace
نَفسِيmy soul فِداءُa ransom أبيAbu (father of) زيدٍZayd وطَلعَتِهand his countenance
نَفسِي فِداءُ أبي زيدٍ وطَلعَتِه
منfrom جُهدِthe strain of سفرتِهhis journey الموصُولةِbound up with التَّعبِweariness
من جُهدِ سفرتِه الموصُولةِ التَّعبِ
My soul is a ransom for Abu Zayd and his countenance,
My soul is ransom for Abi Zayd and his aspirations
From the strain of his journey, bound up with weariness.
From the toil of his endless journey full of fatigue
نشتاقُwe long for إشراقَthe rising of شمسٍa sun بعدَafter غَيبِتهاits absence
نشتاقُ إشراقَ شمسٍ بعدَ غَيبِتها
حتَّىuntil إذاwhen أشرقَتit rises تَخفىit hides وَرَاbehind السُّحبthe clouds
حتَّى إذا أشرقَت تَخفى وَرَا السُّحب
We long for a sun's rising after its absence,
We yearn for the radiance of a sun after its absence
Until it rises, only to hide behind the clouds.
Until it rises obscured behind the clouds
ياah لاَرعَىmay not protect اللهGod مَنthe one who قدindeed رَاعنِيfrightened me ومضَىand departed
يا لاَرعَى الله مَن قد رَاعنِي ومضَى
ذَاpossessing لحيَةٍa beard لبسِوىfor anything but الأرجَافِrumor-mongering لمnot تَشِبِgrow gray
ذَا لحيَةٍ لبسِوى الأرجَافِ لم تَشِبِ
Ah, may God not protect the man who frightened me and departed—
Oh may God tend to him who tended to me and passed
A man whose beard has grayed only through rumor-mongering.
A man with a venerable beard not yet turned white
شَبَّهتُI likened منطقَةan area مِنfrom فوقِabove لِحيتهhis beard
شَبَّهتُ منطقَة مِن فوقِ لِحيته
بِبُومَةٍto an owl حَكتِmimicked الغِرَبَانَthe crows فيin النَّعَبِcawing
بِبُومَةٍ حَكتِ الغِرَبَانَ في النَّعَبِ
I likened the area above his beard
I likened the hair on his chin
To an owl that mimicked the crows in cawing.
To a little owl that crows amidst the slopes
أشرِقshine عليناupon us غَداًtomorrow حتىso that نرَاكwe see you فمَاfor ... not
أشرِق علينا غَداً حتى نرَاك فمَا
عُدنَأwe still do نُفرِّقُwe distinguish بينَbetween الصِّدقِtruth والكذِبand falsehood
عُدنَأ نُفرِّقُ بينَ الصِّدقِ والكذِب
Shine upon us tomorrow so we may see you, for we
Dawn upon us tomorrow so we may see you, for we do not
No longer distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Distinguish between truth and lies without you
مُستصححِباbringing along لِحبيبٍwith a beloved أنتَyou تَعرفُهyou know him
مُستصححِبا لِحبيبٍ أنتَ تَعرفُه
ياO خيرَbest مُصطحِبٍone taking a companion لخَيرِfor the best مُصطَحَبِone taken as a companion
يا خيرَ مُصطحِبٍ لخَيرِ مُصطَحَبِ
Bringing along a beloved whom you know,
As a companion to a beloved you know
O best of escorts for the best of companions!
O finest companion to the finest companion
اللهُGod فيconcerning قلبِthe heart of صَبٍّa yearning lover مُغرَمٍenamored بكُمَاof you both
اللهُ في قلبِ صَبٍّ مُغرَمٍ بكُمَا
حياتُهhis life بَعدكُمaway from you واللهِby God لمnot تَطِبِbe sweet
حياتُه بَعدكُم واللهِ لم تَطِبِ
For God's sake, care for the heart of a lover enamored of you both.
God is in the heart of a passionate youth in love with you both
His life without you, by God, has not been sweet.
His life without you, by God, is not sweet
وإنand if يلُذhe seeks refuge بحِمَىin the sanctuary of صَهباءَtawny wine صافيةٍclear
وإن يلُذ بحِمَى صَهباءَ صافيةٍ
فَمِنthen from جُيوشِarmies of هُمومٍcares جدَّhe strives earnestly فيin الهرَبِfleeing
فَمِن جُيوشِ هُمومٍ جدَّ في الهرَبِ
And if he seeks refuge in the sanctuary of clear, tawny wine,
And if he finds solace in gray doves
Then it is from armies of cares that he flees in earnest.
It is from legions of worries utterly routed
فيin الدَّنِّthe wine jar رَاحٌwine وفيand in كاسَاتهاits cups قَبَسٌa flame
في الدَّنِّ رَاحٌ وفي كاسَاتها قَبَسٌ
أماdo ... not تَرىyou see فيin خُدُودٍcheeks خَمرةَwine اللَّهبِflame
أما تَرى في خُدُودٍ خَمرةَ اللَّهبِ
In the wine jar is wine, and in its cups a flame.
In his weakness there is respite, and in his cups a spark
Do you not see on cheeks the wine of flame?
Can you not see in his cheeks the wine of flames?
وغَضبةُand the wrath of اللهِGod عمَّنconcerning whoever باتspends the night يشنَاُhe hates مَنone who
وغَضبةُ اللهِ عمَّن بات يشنَاُ مَن
يَصبُوhe longs لجامدِfor solid بلَّورٍcrystal ومُنسَكِبِand poured out
يَصبُو لجامدِ بلَّورٍ ومُنسَكِبِ
And God's wrath concerning whoever spends the night hating one
And God is angry with those who vilify the one
Who longs for crystal, solid and poured.
Who pours for the frozen crystal and overflowing cup
Sol 6.1