الرَعدُthe thunder مُنتَحِبٌsobbing وَالبَرقُand the lightning مُلتَهِبٌablaze
الرَعدُ مُنتَحِبٌ وَالبَرقُ مُلتَهِبٌ
وَالقَطرُand the rain مُنسَكِبٌpouring down وَالماءُand the water مُضطَّرِبُchurning
وَالقَطرُ مُنسَكِبٌ وَالماءُ مُضطَّرِبُ
Thunder sobs, and lightning blazes.
The thunder sobs, and the lightning blazes,
Rain pours down, and the water churns.
And rain pours down, and water churns.
وَالرَوضُand the garden مُبتَسِمٌsmiling وَالزَهرُand the blossoms مُنتَظِمٌarrayed
وَالرَوضُ مُبتَسِمٌ وَالزَهرُ مُنتَظِمٌ
وَالشَمسُand the sun تُسفِرُunveils her face أَحياناًsometimes وَتَنتَقِبُand veils herself
وَالشَمسُ تُسفِرُ أَحياناً وَتَنتَقِبُ
The meadow smiles, and the flowers array themselves.
And the garden smiles, and blossoms stand arrayed,
The sun unveils herself at times, then veils herself.
And the sun sometimes unveils her face and sometimes veils it.
وَالغَيمُand the clouds فيin الأُفُقِthe horizon مَمدودٌoutspread سَرادِقُهُits pavilion
وَالغَيمُ في الأُفُقِ مَمدودٌ سَرادِقُهُ
وَالطَيرُand the birds يَصفِرُwhistle وَالأَوتارُand the strings تَصطَخِبُclamor
وَالطَيرُ يَصفِرُ وَالأَوتارُ تَصطَخِبُ
Clouds stretch their pavilion across the horizon.
And the clouds' pavilion stretches across the horizon,
Birds whistle, and strings ring in tumult.
And birds whistle, and the strings clamor.
وَالجَوُّand the sky هامَbecame lovesick كَصَبٍّlike a lovesick lover صَدَّturned away آلِفُهُhis beloved
وَالجَوُّ هامَ كَصَبٍّ صَدَّ آلِفُهُ
فَدَمعَهُso its tears واكِفٌstreaming تَحتَثُّهُurge it on الكُرَبُthe afflictions
فَدَمعَهُ واكِفٌ تَحتَثُّهُ الكُرَبُ
The air wanders distraught, like a lover checked by his wasting away.
And the sky is lovesick, like a lover whose beloved turned away,
His tears stream down, urged onward by anguish.
So its tears stream, urged on by anguish.
وَكُلُّand every ناعورَةٍwaterwheel فيin الرَوضِthe garden قَدalready نَعَرَتcried out
وَكُلُّ ناعورَةٍ في الرَوضِ قَد نَعَرَت
كَغادَةٍlike a graceful maiden هَزَّهاstirred her مِنfrom سُكرِهاher drunkenness طَرَبُrapture
كَغادَةٍ هَزَّها مِن سُكرِها طَرَبُ
Every waterwheel in the garden has begun to groan,
And every waterwheel in the garden has cried out,
like a graceful maiden shaken by rapture in her drunkenness.
Like a graceful maiden whom rapture has stirred from her drunkenness.
وَالوَردُand the roses يَضحَكُlaugh وَالمَنثورُand the stock flowers مُنتَشِرٌscattered
وَالوَردُ يَضحَكُ وَالمَنثورُ مُنتَشِرٌ
كَأَنَّهُas though it were جَوهَرٌjewels فيon الأَرضِthe ground يُنتَهَبُis plundered
كَأَنَّهُ جَوهَرٌ في الأَرضِ يُنتَهَبُ
The rose laughs, and the gillyflower spreads abroad,
And roses laugh, and stock blossoms lie scattered,
as though it were jewels being plundered upon the earth.
As though they were jewels on the ground, being snatched up.
وَالياسَمينَand the jasmine كَمِثلِlike الدُرِّpearls تَنشُرُهُscatter it
وَالياسَمينَ كَمِثلِ الدُرِّ تَنشُرُهُ
عَلىover جَواهِرِjewels أَزهارِflowers الرُبىthe hills القُضُبُthe branches
عَلى جَواهِرِ أَزهارِ الرُبى القُضُبُ
Jasmine, like pearls, is scattered
And jasmine, like pearls, is strewn
by the branches over the jewel-like flowers of the hills.
By the branches over the jeweled flowers of the hills.
كَأَنَّماas though النَرجِسُthe narcissus البَرزِيُّBarzī حينَwhen بَداappeared
كَأَنَّما النَرجِسُ البَرزِيُّ حينَ بَدا
عَلىupon الغُصونِthe boughs لُجَينٌsilver حَشوُهُits filling ذَهَبُgold
عَلى الغُصونِ لُجَينٌ حَشوُهُ ذَهَبُ
As though the Barzī narcissus, when it appears
As though the Barzī narcissus, when it appeared
upon the boughs, were silver filled with gold.
Upon the boughs, were silver filled with gold.
وَعِندَناand we have خَندَريسٌaged wine فيin الدِنانِthe wine jars لَهاfor it
وَعِندَنا خَندَريسٌ في الدِنانِ لَها
مِنfrom قَبلُbefore أَنthat تُعرَفَbe known الأَزمانُthe ages وَالحِقَبُand the epochs
مِن قَبلُ أَن تُعرَفَ الأَزمانُ وَالحِقَبُ
We have an ancient wine in the jars,
And we have aged wine within its jars,
dating from before ages and epochs were known.
From before ages and epochs were known.
عَذراءُa virgin لَمnot تَسمُrise هِمّاتِambitions الخُطوبِthe calamities لَهاtoward it
عَذراءُ لَم تَسمُ هِمّاتِ الخُطوبِ لَها
وَلاnor تَخَطَّتadvanced بِسوءٍwith harm نَحوِهاtoward it النُوَبُthe misfortunes
وَلا تَخَطَّت بِسوءٍ نَحوِها النُوَبُ
A virgin wine whom calamity’s designs have never touched,
A virgin whom calamities' ambitions have never reached,
nor have misfortunes ever approached her with harm.
Nor have misfortunes advanced toward it with harm.
الماءُwater مِنfrom قَبلُbefore أَصلٌa source فيin تَجَسُّمِهاits embodiment
الماءُ مِن قَبلُ أَصلٌ في تَجَسُّمِها
وَالشَمسُand the sun وَالظِلُّand the shade وَالأَهواءُand the winds وَالعِنَبُand the grapes
وَالشَمسُ وَالظِلُّ وَالأَهواءُ وَالعِنَبُ
Water was first the substance of her embodiment,
Water was, from the first, a source of its substance,
with sun and shade and breezes and grapes.
And sun and shade and winds and grapes.
تَكادُalmost مِنfrom لُطفِهاits delicacy تَخفىbe hidden إِذاwhen اِنسَكَبَتwas poured
تَكادُ مِن لُطفِها تَخفى إِذا اِنسَكَبَت
عَنِfrom الَّذيthat which هِيَit فيهِwithin it حينَwhen تَنسَكِبُis poured
عَنِ الَّذي هِيَ فيهِ حينَ تَنسَكِبُ
So delicate, she almost vanishes when poured
It is so subtle that, when poured, it almost hides
from the vessel she is in, even as she pours.
From the very vessel that holds it as it is poured.
كَأَنَّهاas though it were وَهيَwhile it is فيin كَأسِthe cup المُديرِthe cupbearer لَهاfor it
كَأَنَّها وَهيَ في كَأسِ المُديرِ لَها
روحٌspirit وَجِسمٌand body فَذاso this نورٌlight وَذاand this لَهَبُflame
روحٌ وَجِسمٌ فَذا نورٌ وَذا لَهَبُ
In the cup of the one who passes her round, she seems
As though it, in the cup of the one who serves it,
spirit and body: this is light, and that is flame.
Were spirit and body: one light, the other flame.
يُشَتِّتُdispels الهَمَّworry وَالأَحزانَand the sorrows مَنظَرُهاits appearance
يُشَتِّتُ الهَمَّ وَالأَحزانَ مَنظَرُها
عَنfrom كُلِّevery صَبٍّlovesick lover بَراهُwore him away الهَمُّworry وَالوَصَبُand sickness
عَن كُلِّ صَبٍّ بَراهُ الهَمُّ وَالوَصَبُ
Her appearance scatters cares and sorrows
The sight of it scatters worry and sorrows
from every lover worn down by grief and sickness.
From every lovesick lover worn away by care and sickness.
تَلوحُgleams إِنif مَزَجَتmixed كَالوَردِlike a rose باكِرُهُits morning visitor
تَلوحُ إِن مَزَجَت كَالوَردِ باكِرُهُ
طَلٌّdew إِذاwhen طَلَّهاbedewed it فيin كَأسِهاits cup الحَبَبُthe bubbles
طَلٌّ إِذا طَلَّها في كَأسِها الحَبَبُ
When mixed, she gleams like a rose greeted at dawn
It gleams, if mixed, like a rose whose morning visitor
by dew, as bubbles bead her in her cup.
Is dew, when bubbles bedew it in its cup.
وَعِندَناand we have مُسمِعٌa singer تَغنيكَsuffices you طَلعَتُهُhis countenance
وَعِندَنا مُسمِعٌ تَغنيكَ طَلعَتُهُ
عَنinstead of شَدوِهِhis singing وَلَهُand he has فيwithin نَفسِهِhimself أَدَبُrefinement
عَن شَدوِهِ وَلَهُ في نَفسِهِ أَدَبُ
We have a singer whose very countenance suffices in place of his song,
And we have a singer whose countenance suffices you
and who bears refinement within himself.
In place of his singing; he has refinement within himself.
يَشدوsings فَيَنتَهِبُand so steals away الأَلبابَthe minds مِنthrough طَرَبٍrapture
يَشدو فَيَنتَهِبُ الأَلبابَ مِن طَرَبٍ
وَلاand no يُداخِلُهُenters him زَهوٌpride وَلاnor عَجَبُconceit
وَلا يُداخِلُهُ زَهوٌ وَلا عَجَبُ
He sings and ravishes hearts with delight,
He sings, and through rapture steals away minds,
untouched by vanity or conceit.
And neither pride nor conceit enters him.
فَقُمso rise إلىto راحَةِsolace الأَرواحِthe souls فَاِلهُthen revel بِهاin it
فَقُم إلى راحَةِ الأَرواحِ فَاِلهُ بِها
فَالعَيشُfor life مُنتَقِلٌpassing وَالدَهرُand time مُنقَلِبُchanging
فَالعَيشُ مُنتَقِلٌ وَالدَهرُ مُنقَلِبُ
Rise, then, to the repose of spirits, and revel in it:
So rise to the solace of souls, and revel in it,
life passes on, and fortune turns.
For life is passing, and time is changeful.
وَاِخلَعand cast off عِذارَكَyour bridle فيin اللَذاتِthe pleasures ماas long as غَفَلَتwere heedless
وَاِخلَع عِذارَكَ في اللَذاتِ ما غَفَلَت
عَنكَof you الخُطوبُthe calamities وَطِبand be merry ماas long as أَمكَنَis possible اللَعِبُplay
عَنكَ الخُطوبُ وَطِب ما أَمكَنَ اللَعِبُ
Cast off your bridle amid pleasures, while calamities
And cast off your bridle in pleasures, so long as
are heedless of you; be merry while play is possible.
Calamities overlook you; be merry while play is possible.
وَاِستَغنِمِand make the most of الدَجنَthe clouded gloom وِاِشرَبand drink تَحتَbeneath هَيبَتِهِits majesty
وَاِستَغنِمِ الدَجنَ وِاِشرَب تَحتَ هَيبَتِهِ
ماas long as دامَlasts رَفرَفُهُits fringe فيon الأَرضِthe earth يَنسَحِبُtrails
ما دامَ رَفرَفُهُ في الأَرضِ يَنسَحِبُ
Seize the dark clouds, and drink beneath their majesty,
And make the most of the clouded sky, and drink beneath its majesty,
while their trailing canopy sweeps along the earth.
As long as its fringe trails across the earth.
Sol 6.1