كَتَبتُ إِلى بَعضِ الأَخلاءِ رُقعَةً

كَتَبتُ إِلى بَعضِ الأَخلاءِ رُقعَةً

فَلا وَأَبي ما نالَ حَرفاً لَها حَرفُ

فَلا وَأَبي ما نالَ حَرفاً لَها حَرفُ

I wrote a note to one of my close friends.

I wrote a note to some dear friends

No, by my father, no ill fortune touched a letter of it.

But not a letter reached me in return

أُعَرِّفُهُ أَنّي اِشتَرَيتُ مُهَفهَفاً

أُعَرِّفُهُ أَنّي اِشتَرَيتُ مُهَفهَفاً

يَكادُ إِذا ما قامَ يَقعُدُهُ الرِدفُ

يَكادُ إِذا ما قامَ يَقعُدُهُ الرِدفُ

I told him that I had bought a slender-waisted youth

I told them I had bought a horse

whose buttocks almost make him sit whenever he stands.

That could barely stand when saddled

إِذا وَجَّهَهُ لَم يضندَ مِن زَهَراتِهِ

إِذا وَجَّهَهُ لَم يضندَ مِن زَهَراتِهِ

سِوى طُرفَةً لَم يَعتَرِض غَيرَها طَرفُ

سِوى طُرفَةً لَم يَعتَرِض غَيرَها طَرفُ

When he turns him, he does not [unclear verb] from his blossoms,

Whenever he faced the meadow

save a rare marvel, beyond which no eye strays.

He only glanced at a flower or two

وَإِنّي لَمُحتاجٌ إِلى العاتِقِ الَّتي

وَإِنّي لَمُحتاجٌ إِلى العاتِقِ الَّتي

لَنا عِندَها مِن ريقِها أَبدا رَشفُ

لَنا عِندَها مِن ريقِها أَبدا رَشفُ

And I am indeed in need of the aged wine

And I am in need of shoulders I can lean on

from whose saliva we always have a sip.

Whose kindness we can forever sip

فَأَتحَفَني مِمّا أُطَلِّقُ لَوعَتي

فَأَتحَفَني مِمّا أُطَلِّقُ لَوعَتي

إِذا صارَ في قُمصِ الكُؤوسِ لَها زَفُّ

إِذا صارَ في قُمصِ الكُؤوسِ لَها زَفُّ

So he gave me something with which to divorce my anguish,

So gift me with what releases my pain

when, in the shirts of goblets, it is led in bridal procession:

When it's in cups their brims overflow

بِراحٍ لَها في ريحِها عَنبَرِيَّةٌ

بِراحٍ لَها في ريحِها عَنبَرِيَّةٌ

وَفي لَونِها حُسنٌ وَفي ظُرفِها ظُرفُ

وَفي لَونِها حُسنٌ وَفي ظُرفِها ظُرفُ

wine whose fragrance carries the scent of ambergris,

With winds that have an ambergris scent

with beauty in its color and grace in its vessel.

And a beautiful color and elegant shape

إِذا كَفَّ عَنها الراحُ أَبدَت خِضابَها

إِذا كَفَّ عَنها الراحُ أَبدَت خِضابَها

تَخَيَّلُها مِمَّن يَطوفُ بِها الكَفُّ

تَخَيَّلُها مِمَّن يَطوفُ بِها الكَفُّ

When palms withdraw from it, it reveals its dye;

When the wind stops blowing it shows its dye

you imagine it the palm of whoever carries it round.

Making you imagine hands caressing it

مُعَتَّقَةٌ وَفَّيتُها فَوقَ حَقِّها

مُعَتَّقَةٌ وَفَّيتُها فَوقَ حَقِّها

وَأَنصَفتُها فيما تَوَسَّطَهُ النِصفُ

وَأَنصَفتُها فيما تَوَسَّطَهُ النِصفُ

Aged wine—I gave it more than its due,

Aged and I overpaid its worth

and did it justice in a blend balanced half and half.

And was fair in what came between halves

فَجاءَت لِمَعزولِ السُرورِ وِلايَةً

فَجاءَت لِمَعزولِ السُرورِ وِلايَةً

وَصارَ لِوالي الهَمِّ مِن صَرفِها صِرفُ

وَصارَ لِوالي الهَمِّ مِن صَرفِها صِرفُ

So it restored deposed Joy to office,

It came to give cheer to the cheerless

and its pure wine brought dismissal to Grief's governor.

And the sorrowful found joy in its turn

فِدىً لِعَبيدَ اللَهِ سَمعي وَناظِري

فِدىً لِعَبيدَ اللَهِ سَمعي وَناظِري

فَلَولا عَبيدُ اللَهِ ما عُرِفَ العُرفُ

فَلَولا عَبيدُ اللَهِ ما عُرِفَ العُرفُ

May my hearing and sight be a ransom for Ubayd Allah!

A sacrifice for God's servants my sight and hearing

But for Ubayd Allah, beneficence would not be known.

For without God's servants customs are not known

فَتى لا عَطاياهُ قِراحٌ وُجوهُها

فَتى لا عَطاياهُ قِراحٌ وُجوهُها

وَلا خُلقُهُ فَظٌّ وَلا طَبَعَهُ جِلفُ

وَلا خُلقُهُ فَظٌّ وَلا طَبَعَهُ جِلفُ

A young man whose gifts are never plain of face,

A lad whose gifts have bright faces

whose character is neither harsh nor his nature coarse.

And whose manners are not harsh or rude

إِذا رَمَّ وُدّاً لَم تُشَعِّثُهُ غَدرَةٌ

إِذا رَمَّ وُدّاً لَم تُشَعِّثُهُ غَدرَةٌ

وَإِن قالَ قَولاً لَم يَكُن خَلفَهُ خُلفُ

وَإِن قالَ قَولاً لَم يَكُن خَلفَهُ خُلفُ

When he mends a friendship, no betrayal frays it;

When he aims arrows no betrayal dishevels him

and if he gives his word, no broken promise follows it.

And when he speaks no breach follows his oath

فَلا زالَ في رَوضِ السَلامَةِ حَولَهُ

فَلا زالَ في رَوضِ السَلامَةِ حَولَهُ

مِنَ الأَمنِ زَهرٌ ما لَهُ أَبَداً قَطفُ

مِنَ الأَمنِ زَهرٌ ما لَهُ أَبَداً قَطفُ

May he forever dwell in the meadow of well-being, surrounded

He remains in the meadow of safety around him

by blossoms of security that will never be plucked.

Never plucking the flowers of peace