جاءَتكَshe came to you وافِدَةُfemale envoy الشُمولwine
جاءَتكَ وافِدَةُ الشُمول
فيin المَنظَرِappearance الحَسَنِlovely الجَميلbeautiful
في المَنظَرِ الحَسَنِ الجَميل
Wine's envoy has come to you
In a lovely, beautiful guise.
لَمdid not تَحظَgain favor ذائِبَةًin liquid form لَدَيwith
لَم تَحظَ ذائِبَةً لَدَي
كَyou وَلَمand did not تَنَلobtain حَظَّa share القَبولacceptance
كَ وَلَم تَنَل حَظَّ القَبول
While liquid, she found no favor with
You, nor won acceptance.
فَتَجامَدَتso she solidified مُحتالَةًdevising a ruse
فَتَجامَدَت مُحتالَةً
وَالمَرءُand a man يَعجَزُis powerless لاnot الحَويلthe resourceful one
وَالمَرءُ يَعجَزُ لا الحَويل
So she turned solid, devising a ruse—
A man may fail, but not the resourceful one.
لَولاbut for اِنقِلابُtransformation العَينِthe substance سُwas barred (first fragment)
لَولا اِنقِلابُ العَينِ سُ
دَّتwas barred (final fragment) دونَshort of بُغيَتِهاher aim السَبيلthe path
دَّت دونَ بُغيَتِها السَبيل
But for her substance's transformation,
The path to her desire would have been barred.
لَهَجَرتَهاyou would have shunned her صَفراءَgolden-yellow فيin
لَهَجَرتَها صَفراءَ في
بَيضاءَa white cup هاجِرُهاone who shuns her قَليلfew
بَيضاءَ هاجِرُها قَليل
You would have shunned her, golden in
A white cup—few are those who shun her.
الكَأسُthe cup مِنfrom رَأدِthe height الضُحىforenoon
الكَأسُ مِن رَأدِ الضُحى
وَالراحُand the wine مِنfrom طَفلِfading light الأَصيلlate afternoon
وَالراحُ مِن طَفلِ الأَصيل
The cup is of the forenoon's full light,
And the wine, of evening's fading glow.
آثَرتَyou preferred عائِدَةَbenefit التُقىpiety
آثَرتَ عائِدَةَ التُقى
وَرَغِبتَand you desired فيfor الأَجرِthe reward الجَزيلabundant
وَرَغِبتَ في الأَجرِ الجَزيل
You preferred the fruits of piety
And sought the abundant reward.
ياO أَيُّهاyou (vocative) المَلِكُthe king الَّذيwho
يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي
ماthere is no فيamong المُلوكِkings لَهُfor him عَديلan equal
ما في المُلوكِ لَهُ عَديل
O king, you who
Have no equal among kings,
ياO ماءَwater مُزنٍrain clouds ياO شِهاmeteor (first fragment)
يا ماءَ مُزنٍ يا شِها
بَmeteor (final fragment) دُجُنَّةٍdeep darkness ياO لَيثَlion غيلthicket
بَ دُجُنَّةٍ يا لَيثَ غيل
O rain from clouds, O meteor
Of deep night, O lion of the thicket,
ياO مَنyou who عَجِبناwe marveled أَنthat يَجوbe generous (first fragment)
يا مَن عَجِبنا أَن يَجو
دَbe generous (final fragment) بِمِثلِهِwith his like الزَمَنُtime البَخيلmiserly
دَ بِمِثلِهِ الزَمَنُ البَخيل
O you—we marveled that
Miserly time should bestow your like.
بُشراكَglad tidings to you دُنياa world غَضَّةٌfresh and tender
بُشراكَ دُنيا غَضَّةٌ
فيin ظِلِّthe shade إِقبالٍgood fortune ظَليلdeeply shaded
في ظِلِّ إِقبالٍ ظَليل
Glad tidings to you: a fresh, tender world,
In the deep shade of good fortune.
رَقَّتshe grew delicate كَماas سالَflowed العِذاthe cheek-down (first fragment)
رَقَّت كَما سالَ العِذا
رُcheek-down (final fragment) بِجانِبِalong the side of الخَدِّthe cheek الأَسيلsmooth
رُ بِجانِبِ الخَدِّ الأَسيل
She grew delicate, as cheek-down flowed
Along the side of the smooth cheek,
وَتَأَوَّدَتand she swayed كَالغُصنِlike a branch قاmet (first fragment)
وَتَأَوَّدَت كَالغُصنِ قا
بَلَmet (final fragment) عِطفَهُits side نَفَسُbreath القَبولthe east wind
بَلَ عِطفَهُ نَفَسُ القَبول
And swayed like a branch when
The east wind's breath touched its side.
يُصبيenchants مُقَبِّلُهاher mouth الشَهِdelectable (first fragment)
يُصبي مُقَبِّلُها الشَهِ
يُّdelectable (final fragment) وَلَحظُهاand her glance الساجيlanguid العَليلailing
يُّ وَلَحظُها الساجي العَليل
Her delectable mouth enchants,
And her languid, ailing glance.
فَتَمَلُّهاso enjoy her fully فيin العِزَّةِglory الthe
فَتَمَلُّها في العِزَّةِ ال
قَعساءِunassailable وَالعُمُرِand life الطَويلlong
قَعساءِ وَالعُمُرِ الطَويل
So enjoy her fully in glory
Unassailable, and through a long life.