ويومٍand a day منamong الأيّامthe days غابتwere absent عواذِلُهits reproachers
ويومٍ من الأيّام غابت عواذِلُه
سَقاناgave us drink بهon it طَلٌّgentle rain السرورِjoy ووابِلُهْand its downpour
سَقانا به طَلٌّ السرورِ ووابِلُهْ
And a day among days, whose reproachers were absent—
on it, joy’s gentle rain and downpour gave us drink.
صفَتْgrew clear مثلَlike صَفْوِthe clarity of الخمرِwine بالماءِwith water بَيْننَاamong us
صفَتْ مثلَ صَفْوِ الخمرِ بالماءِ بَيْننَا
أَواخرُهits final hours حُسْناًin beauty وطابَتْand were pleasant أَوائِلُهْits first hours
أَواخرُه حُسْناً وطابَتْ أَوائِلُهْ
As clear as wine mingled with water among us
were its final hours in beauty, and sweet were its first.
فلمّاthen when تعاطَيْناwe passed around المُدامَthe wine وأَوْمَضَتْand flashed
فلمّا تعاطَيْنا المُدامَ وأَوْمَضَتْ
بُروقُthe lightning flashes of الصِّباyouth فيناwithin us وسُلَّتْand were unsheathed مَناصِلُهْits blades
بُروقُ الصِّبا فينا وسُلَّتْ مَناصِلُهْ
Then, when we passed the wine around, and there flashed
within us youth’s lightning, and its blades were unsheathed,
دَهَتْناassailed us صروفُthe reversals of الدَّهرِTime بالفَرَسِthrough the horse الّذيthat
دَهَتْنا صروفُ الدَّهرِ بالفَرَسِ الّذي
مَضىwent away آبِقاًas a runaway واسترجَعَand reclaimed اللَّهْوَpleasure باذِلُهْits giver
مَضى آبِقاً واسترجَعَ اللَّهْوَ باذِلُهْ
Time’s reversals struck us through the horse that
bolted away, and pleasure’s giver reclaimed it.
وبِتْناand we spent the night علىin سُكْرَيْنِtwo intoxications مِنfrom سُكْرthe intoxication of قهوةٍwine
وبِتْنا على سُكْرَيْنِ مِن سُكْر قهوةٍ
وسكرٍand intoxication منfrom الخَطِبthe calamity الّذيwhich جَلَّwas grievous نازلُهْits blow
وسكرٍ من الخَطِب الّذي جَلَّ نازلُهْ
And we spent the night doubly drunk—drunk on wine,
and drunk on a calamity whose blow was grievous.
فياso, oh لكَfor you يوماًa day طابwas pleasant صُبْحاًat dawn وغُدْوةًand in early morning
فيا لكَ يوماً طاب صُبْحاً وغُدْوةً
وجاءتْand came بأضدادِwith the opposites of السُّرورِjoy أصائِلهits late-afternoon hours
وجاءتْ بأضدادِ السُّرورِ أصائِله
Ah, what a day—sweet at dawn and early morning,
yet its late-afternoon hours brought the opposites of joy.
فبِتْناso we spent the night كماas لاnot نَشْتَهِيwe desire وقلوبُناand our hearts
فبِتْنا كما لا نَشْتَهِي وقلوبُنا
رهائنُhostages فِكرٍto thought يُحْرِقburns الجمرَthe embers داخِلُهits interior
رهائنُ فِكرٍ يُحْرِق الجمرَ داخِلُه
So we spent the night as we did not wish, our hearts
hostages to thought whose depths burn the embers themselves.
نُقسِّمwe divide كَأْساتِthe cups of التَّنَدُّمِregret بينناamong ourselves
نُقسِّم كَأْساتِ التَّنَدُّمِ بيننا
ونَنْشُرand we spread شَجْواًgrief ليسnot تَهْدَاgrow still مَراجِلُهْits cauldrons
ونَنْشُر شَجْواً ليس تَهْدَا مَراجِلُهْ
We share the cups of regret among ourselves,
and voice a grief whose cauldrons never cease to seethe.
ونُفْكرِand we ponder مِنهُfrom it فيon عواقبَconsequences يرتضِيfinds pleasing
ونُفْكرِ مِنهُ في عواقبَ يرتضِي
بشاعَتَهاtheir ugliness مُبْدِيone who displays الشَّماتِgloating وحامِلُهْand one who harbors it
بشاعَتَها مُبْدِي الشَّماتِ وحامِلُهْ
And we ponder its consequences, which please,
in their ugliness, those who display gloating and those who harbor it.
فلّماthen when بداappeared وجُهthe face of الصَّباحِmorning وأَقبلَتْand advanced
فلّما بدا وجُه الصَّباحِ وأَقبلَتْ
تَكُرُّcharging علىagainst وَفْدِthe host of الظّلامِdarkness قنابِلهits squadrons
تَكُرُّ على وَفْدِ الظّلامِ قنابِله
Then, when morning’s face appeared, and forward came
its squadrons, charging against the host of darkness,
أتتْناcame to us بِهof it البُشْرَىthe glad tidings فرَوَّحَso found relief مُكْمَدٌa grief-stricken person
أتتْنا بِه البُشْرَى فرَوَّحَ مُكْمَدٌ
وأَنْهلand drank his fill صادٍa thirsty person باتspent the night حِبٌّa beloved يُواصِلهkeeps him company
وأَنْهل صادٍ بات حِبٌّ يُواصِله
glad tidings of it reached us, and a grief-stricken man found relief,
and a thirsty man drank his fill, his beloved keeping him company all night.
فلوand had عاينَwitnessed الْمَلْكُthe king العزيزُal-ʿAziz (the mighty) مَبِيتَناour night’s lodging
فلو عاينَ الْمَلْكُ العزيزُ مَبِيتَنا
لخطبٍbecause of a calamity دَهتَنْاassailed us بالفَظِيعِwith horror كَلاكِلهits crushing breasts
لخطبٍ دَهتَنْا بالفَظِيعِ كَلاكِله
Had King al-ʿAziz witnessed how we spent the night
because of a calamity whose crushing breast assailed us with horror,
لأَرْغَمَhe would have thrust into dust أنفَthe nose of الدَّهِرTime عنfrom أنto يُصِيبنَاafflict us
لأَرْغَمَ أنفَ الدَّهِر عن أن يُصِيبنَا
كماjust as لمnot يَزَلْcease فِيناamong us نَداهhis bounty ونائِلهْand his gifts
كما لم يَزَلْ فِينا نَداه ونائِلهْ
he would have rubbed Time’s nose in the dust, keeping it from afflicting us,
as his bounty and gifts have always done for us.
إمامٌan imam كأنَّas though اللهَGod أَنْزَلَsent down فَضْلَهhis excellence
إمامٌ كأنَّ اللهَ أَنْزَلَ فَضْلَه
قُراناًas a Qur’an فماso no خَلقٌperson منamong النّاسhumankind جاهِلُهْignorant of it
قُراناً فما خَلقٌ من النّاس جاهِلُهْ
An imam, as though God had sent down his excellence
as a Qur’an, so no soul among mankind is ignorant of it.
Sol 6.1