أترضىare you content? بالتخلفwith lagging behind والتوانيand slackness
أترضى بالتخلف والتواني
علىin ضربa manner اللجاجةobstinacy والحرانand balking
على ضرب اللجاجة والحران
Are you content to lag behind and dawdle,
Are you content with lagging behind and slackness,
stubbornly persisting in obstinacy and refusal?
in stubborn, balking fashion?
وماand what أناI والأحاديثand the tales اللواتيthat
وما أنا والأحاديث اللواتي
تزهدmake one shun فيin المثالثthe lute’s third strings والمثانيand the lute’s second strings
تزهد في المثالث والمثاني
What have I to do with tales that
And what have I to do with those tales
turn one away from three-stringed and two-stringed music?
that make one shun the lute’s third and second strings?
ألاah! طربتthrilled with longing إلىfor النشواتdrunken raptures نفسيmy soul
ألا طربت إلى النشوات نفسي
وتقتand I yearned إلىfor معتقةaged wine الدنانthe wine jars
وتقت إلى معتقة الدنان
Indeed, my soul has thrilled to drunken raptures
Ah, my soul thrilled with longing for drunken raptures,
and yearned for wine long aged in the jars,
and I yearned for the wine aged in the jars,
كماjust as طربتthrilled أباريقewers الندامىthe drinking companions
كما طربت أباريق الندامى
إلىto أصواتsounds قهقهةguffawing القنانيthe bottles
إلى أصوات قهقهة القناني
just as the revelers’ ewers thrilled
just as the drinking companions’ ewers thrilled
to the sound of the bottles’ laughter.
to the sounds of the bottles’ guffaws.
ويومكand your day إذwhen تطوفmakes her rounds بهduring it فتاةa maiden
ويومك إذ تطوف به فتاة
علىupon الخدينthe two cheeks منهاof hers وردتانtwo roses
على الخدين منها وردتان
And what a day, when a maiden moves about it,
And your day, when a maiden makes her rounds,
with two roses blooming upon her cheeks—
with two roses upon her cheeks,
مهفهفةslender القوامof figure إذاwhen تثنتshe sways
مهفهفة القوام إذا تثنت
تثنتshe sways كالقضيبlike a rod الخيزرانbamboo
تثنت كالقضيب الخيزران
slender-waisted, and when she sways,
slender of figure—when she sways,
she sways like a supple bamboo stem.
she sways like a bamboo stem.
ولمand did not أرI see قبلهاbefore her شمساًa sun تبدتappeared
ولم أر قبلها شمساً تبدت
ولاnor قمراًa moon بأعلىat the top of غصنa bough بانa bān tree
ولا قمراً بأعلى غصن بان
Before her I had never seen a sun appear,
And before her I had never seen a sun appear,
nor a moon atop a bough of ben.
nor a moon atop a bān-tree bough.
لحاهmay He curse him اللهGod منas a شيخan old man ضروطa habitual farter
لحاه الله من شيخ ضروط
ضجيجthe din ضراطهhis farting بالنهروانin Nahrawan
ضجيج ضراطه بالنهروان
May God curse him—what a farting old man,
May God curse him, that farting old man:
the din of whose flatulence reaches Nahrawan!
the din of his farting resounds in Nahrawan.
ولكنand yet رأسهhis head جلدtough جليدhardy
ولكن رأسه جلد جليد
صبورsteadfast عندat مختلفthe crossing الطعانspear-thrusts
صبور عند مختلف الطعان
Yet his head is tough and unyielding,
And yet his head is tough and hardy,
steadfast amid thrusts coming from every side.
steadfast where the spear-thrusts cross.
ولمand did not أرI see قبلهbefore him رأساًa head سواهexcept his
ولم أر قبله رأساً سواه
غداbecame وقفاًan endowment علىfor حربa war عوانrecurring
غدا وقفاً على حرب عوان
Before him I never saw another head
And before him I had seen no head but his
become wholly dedicated to a raging war,
become an endowment for a recurring war.
ولاnor إذاwhen الأيديthe hands توالتfollowed one another
ولا إذا الأيدي توالت
عليهupon it والتقتand met حلقrings البطانthe saddle-girth
عليه والتقت حلق البطان
nor, when hands struck it blow after blow
Nor, when hands followed one another
and the rings of close-worn mail closed around it.
upon it and the girth-rings came together.
إلىto منone who راحتاهhis two palms ندىbounty وجودand generosity
إلى من راحتاه ندى وجود
عليناupon us بالمواهبwith gifts ثرتانboth overflowing
علينا بالمواهب ثرتان
To one whose two palms are munificence and bounty,
To one whose two palms, in bounty and generosity,
pouring rich gifts upon us—
pour gifts abundantly upon us:
كريمgenerous لاnot يدافعis held back عنfrom سماحliberality
كريم لا يدافع عن سماح
جوادbountiful مالهhe has no فيin الجودgenerosity ثانa peer
جواد ماله في الجود ثان
a noble man who never holds back from largesse,
a generous man, never held back from liberality,
a generous giver without peer in generosity.
a bountiful man with no peer in generosity.
تناهتreached their utmost عندهin him الآمالhopes لماwhen
تناهت عنده الآمال لما
غداbecame أقصىthe furthest النهايةthe limit فيin الأمانيwishes
غدا أقصى النهاية في الأماني
In him all hopes have reached their utmost, since
Hopes reached their culmination in him, when
he has become the furthest limit of every desire.
he became the furthest limit of wishes.
