أثارhas ... risen? الصبحdawn نحوكtoward you بالحضورِin attendance
أثار الصبح نحوك بالحضورِ
أليسare they not? بنانهits fingers بانbān-trees الخصورِwaists
أليس بنانه بان الخصورِ
Has dawn risen toward you in attendance?
The dawn called to you with its presence,
Are not its fingers the bān-trees of waists?
Is its call not the call of sorrow?
وحلَّand loosened العيدthe feast غلَّthe fetter of الصومfasting عناfrom us
وحلَّ العيد غلَّ الصوم عنا
وقالand said تناولواpartake of لعسthe dusky hue of الثغورlips
وقال تناولوا لعس الثغور
And the feast loosened fasting's fetter from us,
The Eid has arrived after fasting,
And said, "Taste the dusky hue of lips."
Saying: Partake of the fruits of victory.
وأذّنand called to prayer بلبلthe nightingale of الخلخالthe anklet فيناamong us
وأذّن بلبل الخلخال فينا
بحيَّwith 'hasten!' علىto يعافيرthe fawns of القصورthe palaces
بحيَّ على يعافير القصور
And the nightingale of the anklet called among us,
The ringdove of bangles chirped to us,
With "Hasten to the fawns of the palaces!"
Greetings upon the towers of palaces.
وقامand rose السنُّthe tooth يخطبpreaching بالندامىto the drinking companions
وقام السنُّ يخطب بالندامى
علىon شرفٍa height منamong الدوحthe spreading trees النضيرverdant
على شرفٍ من الدوح النضير
And the tooth rose to preach to the drinking companions,
Old age preached to the repentant,
On a height among the verdant trees.
On the honorable Minbar of the brilliant pulpit.
وأمَّand led in prayer بناus وقدwhile already قمناwe had risen نشاوىdrunk
وأمَّ بنا وقد قمنا نشاوى
نسيرwe walk لجامعto the mosque of اللهوpleasure الكبيرthe great
نسير لجامع اللهو الكبير
And we were led, having risen drunk,
It led us as we set out joyfully,
Walking to pleasure's great mosque,
Marching to the Great Mosque of Play.
قوامthe figure of غريرةٍan innocent maiden منamong غيدgraceful women نجدٍNajd
قوام غريرةٍ من غيد نجدٍ
تهزshe shakes بردفهاwith her hips ركنيthe two pillars of ثبيرThabir
تهز بردفها ركني ثبير
By the figure of an innocent maiden among Najd's graceful women,
With steps of a lively she-camel of Nejd,
Who shakes the two pillars of Thabir with her hips.
Shaking the pillars of Thabeer.
إذاwhen مستtouch مراشفهاher sipping lips الحميّاthe potent wine
إذا مست مراشفها الحميّا
نقدمهاwe prefer it علىover الماءwater الطهورpurifying
نقدمها على الماء الطهور
When her sipping lips touch the potent wine,
When its cushions touched the preserve,
We prefer it to purifying water.
We offered it the pure water.
فوافيناso we arrived وكوماءُwhile the high-humped she-camel of الدياجيthe dark nights
فوافينا وكوماءُ الدياجي
تشقwas cleft بصارمby the sword of السحرdaybreak المنيرradiant
تشق بصارم السحر المنير
So we arrived, while night's high-humped she-camel
So we arrived while stars of the night
Was cleft by the sword of radiant daybreak,
Pierced through the bright dawn.
لمحرابٍto a sanctuary منof البلورcrystal عالٍlofty
لمحرابٍ من البلور عالٍ
يتيهvaunts itself علىabove الخورنقal-Khawarnaq والسديرand al-Sadir
يتيه على الخورنق والسدير
At a lofty sanctuary of crystal
To a lofty pulpit of crystal,
That vaunts itself above al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir.
Wandering upon carpets and pillows.
تبسمsmile حولهaround it أنجامstars of راحٍwine
تبسم حوله أنجام راحٍ
علىon راحاتthe palms of حورٍdark-eyed beauties كالبدورlike full moons
على راحات حورٍ كالبدور
Stars of wine smile around it,
Around it smiled cups of rest,
On the palms of dark-eyed beauties like full moons.
On the palms of houris like moons.
فلمand did not نبرحwe leave إلىuntil أنthat غابvanished عناfrom us
فلم نبرح إلى أن غاب عنا
بهارthe yellow blossom of الصبحmorning فيin آسthe myrtle of الأثيرthe ether
بهار الصبح في آس الأثير
And we did not leave until there vanished from our sight
We did not leave until dawn disappeared from us
Morning's yellow blossom in the ether's myrtle,
In the nest of the horizon.
نصليwe pray بينamong أزهارthe blossoms of القنانيbottles
نصلي بين أزهار القناني
ونسجدand we prostrate ourselves بينamong رمانthe pomegranates of الصدورbosoms
ونسجد بين رمان الصدور
Praying among the blossoms of bottles,
We pray between flowers of arches
And prostrating ourselves among the pomegranates of bosoms,
And bow between pomegranates of breasts.
ونختمand we conclude بالصلاةwith a blessing علىupon أميرan emir
ونختم بالصلاة على أمير
كفاناspared us صولةthe onslaught of الزمنtime الغدورtreacherous
كفانا صولة الزمن الغدور
And concluding with a blessing upon an emir
And we conclude with prayers upon the Prince,
Who spared us the onslaught of treacherous time,
Who sufficed us from the injustice of time.
براحٍwith wine منof نضارٍgold فيin كؤوسٍcups
براحٍ من نضارٍ في كؤوسٍ
تخيرهاhe chose them الأميرthe emir منfrom الحريرsilk
تخيرها الأمير من الحرير
With wine of gold in cups
With ease, in cups he chose of silk,
That the emir had chosen from silk.
When a little water shone in a palm,
متىwhenever سطعتit gleams بكفin the palm of قليلone with little ماءٍwater
متى سطعت بكف قليل ماءٍ
يموجsurge بوجههacross his face موجthe waves of السرورjoy
يموج بوجهه موج السرور
Whenever it gleams in the palm of one with little water,
Its surface rippling with joy,
Waves of joy surge across his face.
The destitute say when seeing it:
يقولsay المفلسونthe penniless إذاwhen رأوهاthey see it
يقول المفلسون إذا رأوها
كأسنمةlike the humps of البوازلfull-grown camels فوقabove عيرa caravan
كأسنمة البوازل فوق عير
The penniless say when they see it,
Like the horns of ibexes above camels.
Like the humps of full-grown camels above a caravan,
With poetry did I unlock Egypt’s treasures?
أبالشعرthrough poetry? افتتحتyou opened كنوزthe treasures of مصرٍEgypt
أبالشعر افتتحت كنوز مصرٍ
وجئتand you came بمالwith the wealth of قارونQarun الشهيرthe famous
وجئت بمال قارون الشهير
"Did you open Egypt's treasures through poetry
And came with Qarun's abundant wealth?
And bring the wealth of famed Qarun?"
If the Prince visited some of my poetry,
ولوand if زارvisited الأميرthe emir ببعضwith some of شعريmy verse
ولو زار الأمير ببعض شعري
عفاةthe petitioners of الخافقينboth horizons غدواthey would become نظيريmy equals
عفاة الخافقين غدوا نظيري
And if, with some of my verse, the emir received a visit
The barefoot would become my peers.
From the petitioners of both horizons, they would become my equals.
Congratulations to you from the pious,
أمامbefore المتقينthe God-fearing لكto you التهانيcongratulations
أمام المتقين لك التهاني
بماfor what أعطيتyou were given منof شرفٍhonor وفيرabundant
بما أعطيت من شرفٍ وفير
Before the God-fearing, congratulations are yours
For what you have given of ample grace.
For the abundant honor you have been given.
May your Lord bless the holidays in what
وهنأand may He congratulate ربكyour Lord الأعيادthe festivals فيon ماwhat
وهنأ ربك الأعياد في ما
تشاهدthey behold منكfrom you منof عيدa festival كبيرgreat
تشاهد منك من عيد كبير
And may your Lord congratulate the festivals on what
You see of yourself a great celebration.
They behold in you: a great festival.
And may He grant success to those who hope in you,
وسددand may He guide سعيthe striving of منwhoever يرجوكhopes in you حتىuntil
وسدد سعي من يرجوك حتى
يأوبreturn القارضانthe two poets لكلto every خيرgood thing
يأوب القارضان لكل خير
And may He guide the efforts of those who hope in you, until
Until the two record keepers come for every good.
The two poets return to every good thing.
For people have none but you as their supporter,
فماfor there is no للناسfor the people غيركother than you منany نصيرٍchampion
فما للناس غيرك من نصيرٍ
ولاnor للناسfor the people مثلكlike you منany أميرemir
ولا للناس مثلك من أمير
For the people have no champion other than you,
Nor anyone like you as their Prince.
Nor do the people have an emir like you.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1