عذَلواthey reproached وماand not عدَلواthey acted justly ولاnor نَصَحواthey counseled sincerely
عذَلوا وما عدَلوا ولا نَصَحوا
ليُلاَمso that he may be blamed مُغْتَبِقan evening drinker ومُصْطَبِحُand a morning drinker
ليُلاَم مُغْتَبِق ومُصْطَبِحُ
They reproached, but were neither just nor sincere in counsel,
They blamed but were not just, nor gave good counsel,
so that an evening drinker and a morning drinker might be blamed.
So that both night owl and early riser are blamed.
هلis there للنَّعيمfor bliss سوىother than الصِّباyouth سببٌa cause
هل للنَّعيم سوى الصِّبا سببٌ
أوor للكئيبfor the sorrowful سواهماapart from those two فرحjoy
أو للكئيب سواهما فرح
Does bliss have any source but youth?
Is there any path to bliss but youth?
Or any joy for the sorrowful apart from those two?
Or any path for the sorrowful but them both?
لاno شيءَthing أحسنُmore beautiful منظَراًin appearance أبداًever
لا شيءَ أحسنُ منظَراً أبداً
منthan غادةa lovely maiden فيin كفِّهاher palm قَدَحa goblet
من غادة في كفِّها قَدَح
Nothing is ever fairer to behold
Nothing is fairer in appearance, ever,
than a lovely maiden with a goblet in her palm.
Than a maiden with a wine-cup in her hand,
تسعَىshe moves بمجمرٍّwith an incense brazier علىupon عَنَمٍʿanam, a red-twigged plant
تسعَى بمجمرٍّ على عَنَمٍ
أطرافُهits tips العُنَّابjujubes والبَلَحand unripe dates
أطرافُه العُنَّاب والبَلَح
She moves with an incense brazier upon ʿanam branches,
Hurrying with a brazier on a sand hill,
whose tips are jujubes and unripe dates.
Its edges dry sticks and unripe dates.
وأغنَّand a nasal-toned one أجوفَhollow فيهin it زَمْزَمَهa hum
وأغنَّ أجوفَ فيه زَمْزَمَه
ولهand it has بذلكthrough that أَلْسُنٌtongues فُصُحُeloquent
وله بذلك أَلْسُنٌ فُصُحُ
And a hollow, nasal-toned instrument, with a hum within it,
She sings, her throat throbbing within,
and through that it has eloquent tongues.
And it has eloquent tongues and speaks plainly.
فيin كلّevery عَقْدjoint منamong معاقدهits joints
في كلّ عَقْد من معاقده
نَغَمٌmelodies يُهامone is enraptured بهاby them ويُقْتَرحand is requested
نَغَمٌ يُهام بها ويُقْتَرح
In every one of its joints
In every knot of her girdle,
are melodies that enrapture and are requested.
A melody that seduces and ensnares.
باكَرتُهI sought it early والليلُwhile the night أدْعَجُjet-black ماnot
باكَرتُه والليلُ أدْعَجُ ما
فيin رأسهits head شَمطٌgray hair ولاnor جَلَحbaldness
في رأسه شَمطٌ ولا جَلَح
I sought it early, while the night was jet-black, with no
She rose early while night was at its darkest,
gray upon its head, nor any baldness.
With no veil on her head and no mark.
وكأنّand as though أَنْجُمَهits stars وقدand already جَنَحتْhad inclined toward setting
وكأنّ أَنْجُمَه وقد جَنَحتْ
دُرَرٌpearls رُجِمنwere hurled بهاwith them لدّجىagainst the darkness سُبُحprayer beads
دُرَرٌ رُجِمن بها لدّجى سُبُح
And its stars, already inclining toward their setting, seemed
As though its stars, as they set,
pearls—prayer beads hurled against the darkness.
Were pearls flung at the darkness of early dawn.
ولقدand indeed ذَعَرتُI startled الوحشَthe wild beasts يَحْمِلنيcarrying me
ولقد ذَعَرتُ الوحشَ يَحْمِلني
قَلقُrestless العِنانthe reins مُشَذَّبleanly built مَرِحُspirited
قَلقُ العِنان مُشَذَّب مَرِحُ
And indeed I startled the wild beasts, borne by
I startled the wild beasts, carrying me on,
a steed restless at the reins, lean and spirited,
My steed restless, with polished saddle.
نشوانintoxicated أَدْهَمُjet-black غيرَexcept for أربعةٍfour
نشوان أَدْهَمُ غيرَ أربعةٍ
بيضwhite بهاon them يَدْنوhe draws near ويَنْتزِحand he moves away
بيض بها يَدْنو ويَنْتزِح
intoxicated, jet-black, save for four
A chestnut Najdi, none but four white feet,
white feet, on which he draws near and moves away.
Drawing near and moving away.
فكأنّهso he seems بالصبحwith dawn مُنْتَعِلٌshod
فكأنّه بالصبح مُنْتَعِلٌ
وكأنهand he seems بالليلwith night مُتَّشِحcloaked
وكأنه بالليل مُتَّشِح
So he seems shod with dawn,
As though in the morning caparisoned
and seems cloaked in night.
And as though at night clad in a wide cloak.
Sol 6.1