شبَتٌShabat جَدّيmy grandfather وَجَدّيand my grandfather مُؤثرٌMu’thir
شبَتٌ جَدّي وَجَدّي مُؤثرٌ
لَمnot يُنازِعنيdisputed with me عروقَancestral roots المؤتَشِبْone of mixed descent
لَم يُنازِعني عروقَ المؤتَشِبْ
Shabat is my grandfather, and my grandfather is Mu’thir;
My youth and vigor were influential
Shabat is my grandfather, and my grandfather is a distinguished man,
no man of mixed descent has contested my ancestral roots.
The veins of youth did not contend with me
No tainted roots of mixed lineage contend with mine.
مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of شيبانَShayban أَصليmy lineage ثابِتٌfirmly established
مِن بَني شيبانَ أَصلي ثابِتٌ
وَبَنيand the sons of يَربوعَYarbu‘ فرسانُhorsemen العَرَبْthe Arabs
وَبَني يَربوعَ فرسانُ العَرَبْ
My lineage is firmly rooted in Banu Shayban,
I am from the established roots of Banu Shayban
From the Banu Shaiban my origin is firmly rooted,
and in Banu Yarbu‘, the horsemen of the Arabs.
And the horsemen of the Arabs, Banu Yarbou'
As well as from the Banu Yarbu', the knights of the Arabs.
أجمعُI gather المالَwealth وَماbut not أَجمعُهُI hoard it
أجمعُ المالَ وَما أَجمعُهُ
أَطلبُI seek اللَذَةَpleasure فيin ماءِwater of العِنبْgrapes
أَطلبُ اللَذَةَ في ماءِ العِنبْ
I gather wealth, yet do not hoard it;
I gather wealth, though I don't gather it
I amass wealth, and whatever I amass,
I seek pleasure in the water of grapes,
I seek pleasure in the water of grapes
I seek pleasure by spending it on the water of the grape.
وَاِستبائيand my buying الزِّقَّthe wineskin مِنfrom حانوتِهِhis wine shop
وَاِستبائي الزِّقَّ مِن حانوتِهِ
شائلَraising الرجلينِthe two legs مَعضوبَsevered الذَنبْthe tail
شائلَ الرجلينِ مَعضوبَ الذَنبْ
and in buying the wineskin from his wine shop,
Taking my provision from its shop
And my purchasing of the wineskin from its tavern,
its two legs raised, its tail cut off.
With the two legs, tail docked
Its legs raised high, its tail severed—
وَإِذاand when صُبَّتis poured لِشِربٍfor drinking خلتَهاyou would think it
وَإِذا صُبَّت لِشِربٍ خلتَها
حَبَشِيّاًan Abyssinian قطعَتwere cut off منهfrom him الرُّكَبْthe knees
حَبَشِيّاً قطعَت منه الرُّكَبْ
And when it is poured out for drinking, you would think it
And when poured for drinking, I left it
When it is poured for drinking, you would imagine it
an Abyssinian whose knees have been cut off.
An Abyssinian severed my legs from it
An Ethiopian whose knees have been cut off.
ياO خَليليَّmy two friends اسقيانيyou two, give me drink عفوَهاits choicest portion
يا خَليليَّ اسقياني عفوَها
بِالبَواطيin wine-bowls البيضِwhite لَيسَتare not بالعُلَبْin wooden cups
بِالبَواطي البيضِ لَيسَت بالعُلَبْ
O my two friends, give me its choicest portion to drink,
O my friend, serve me its pardon
O my two companions, pour me its clearest draught,
in white wine-bowls, not wooden cups,
In the white vessels, not cans
Into white bowls, not into wooden cups.
منof شَرابٍwine خُسروانيٍّKhosrovian; royal Persian إِذاwhen
من شَرابٍ خُسروانيٍّ إِذا
ذاقَهُtasted it الشَيخُthe old man تَغَنّىsang وَطربْand rejoiced
ذاقَهُ الشَيخُ تَغَنّى وَطربْ
of wine fit for Khosrow: when
Of a Khosravani drink, which when
From a royal Khosrowani wine, which, when
an old man tastes it, he sings and rejoices.
An old man tastes, he sings and rejoices
An old man tastes it, he sings and is moved to joy.
يَترُكit leaves القَومَthe company إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle طَرِبواthey grew merry
يَترُك القَومَ إِذا ما طَرِبوا
فيin صياحٍshouting وَمِراءٍand wrangling وَصخَبْand uproar
في صياحٍ وَمِراءٍ وَصخَبْ
It leaves the company, when they grow merry,
The people leave when they rejoice
It leaves the men, whenever they become elated,
in shouting, wrangling, and uproar.
In shouting, contention and clamor
In a state of shouting, arguing, and uproar.
وَإِذاand when ماemphatic particle مُنتشٍa tipsy man قامَتit took hold بِهِof him
وَإِذا ما مُنتشٍ قامَت بِهِ
رَفعَواthey raised الأَوصالَthe limbs منهُof him بِالخَشَبْwith pieces of wood
رَفعَوا الأَوصالَ منهُ بِالخَشَبْ
And when it takes hold of a tipsy man,
And when he gets drunk, they stood him up
And when an intoxicated man tries to rise with it,
they lift his limbs with pieces of wood.
Raising the limbs off him with wood
They lift his limbs with wooden poles.
ثُمَّthen ناحواthey wailed نوحَةًa lament ثُمَّthen بَكَواthey wept
ثُمَّ ناحوا نوحَةً ثُمَّ بَكَوا
ثُمَّthen ضَجّواthey clamored ضَحِكاًin laughter ياoh للَّعِبْwhat sport!
ثُمَّ ضَجّوا ضَحِكاً يا للَّعِبْ
Then they wail a lament, then weep,
Then they wailed, then they wept
Then they wail a loud lament, then they weep,
then roar with laughter—oh, what sport!
Then they roared with laughter, what play!
Then they burst into roaring laughter—oh, what sport!
وَهوَwhile he مُنكَبٌّfallen face-down عَلىupon جبهَتِهِhis forehead
وَهوَ مُنكَبٌّ عَلى جبهَتِهِ
مُزبِدَfoaming الشدقينboth mouth-corners مُستَرخيslack العَصَبْthe sinews
مُزبِدَ الشدقين مُستَرخي العَصَبْ
while he lies face-down upon his forehead,
Bent over on his forehead
While he lies slumped face-down upon his forehead,
foaming at both mouth-corners, his sinews slack.
Frothing at the lips, relaxing the nerves
Foaming at both sides of his mouth, his muscles slack.
رفعَraised الشَربُthe drinking companions لَهُfor him ياfragment of 'his crown' فَوخَهُhis crown (completing يافوخه)
رفعَ الشَربُ لَهُ يا فَوخَهُ
بَعدَafter لأيٍdifficulty ماsome (emphatic) تَوَلّىhe turned away وَاِنقلَبْand rolled over
بَعدَ لأيٍ ما تَوَلّى وَاِنقلَبْ
The drinkers lift the crown of his head for him,
The drink exalted him, oh what loss for him
The drinkers raise a shout at him: 'Oh, his heavy snoring!'
after some struggle; he turns away and rolls over.
After well-being, he turned away and left
After much toil, he turns over and rolls away.
ساعَةًa while ثُمَّthen دَعوهُthey called him باسمهِby his name
ساعَةً ثُمَّ دَعوهُ باسمهِ
فَأَجابَthen he answered المَرءَthe man صَوتاًaloud وَوثبْand sprang up
فَأَجابَ المَرءَ صَوتاً وَوثبْ
A while later, they call him by name,
An hour, then they called him by name
A moment passes, then they call him by his name,
and he answers the man aloud and springs up,
The man answered with voice and leapt
And the man answers the voice and leaps up,
يَنفضُshakes الرأسَthe head عَلَيهِupon it غبرةًdust
يَنفضُ الرأسَ عَلَيهِ غبرةً
مِنfrom تُرابٍearth وَرَمادٍand ashes وَقشَبْand filth
مِن تُرابٍ وَرَمادٍ وَقشَبْ
shaking his head, with dust upon it,
He shakes the dust off his head
Shaking his head, upon which is the dust
from earth, ashes, and filth.
Of soil, ashes, and straw
Of soil, and ashes, and foul grime.
وَأَتَوهُand they came to him بطهورٍwith purifying water طَيِّبٍpure
وَأَتَوهُ بطهورٍ طَيِّبٍ
ليُصَلّيso he might pray فَتَلَكّاbut he stalled وَقَطَبْand scowled
ليُصَلّي فَتَلَكّا وَقَطَبْ
And they bring him pure water for ablution,
They brought him pure ablution water
And they bring him pure water for his ablutions,
so that he may pray, but he stalls and scowls.
To pray, but he staggered and frowned
So that he may pray, but he balks and scowls.
أَيُّwhichever رِجلٍfoot وكزَتهُjabbed him وَكزَةًa jab
أَيُّ رِجلٍ وكزَتهُ وَكزَةً
يَتَوَسَّدهاhe uses it as a pillow وَطَنبورand a tanbur lute طَربْmerriment
يَتَوَسَّدها وَطَنبور طَربْ
Whatever foot gives him a jab,
What man has been prodded by a prod
Whichever foot kicks him with a jab,
he uses it as a pillow, along with a tanbur for revelry.
Using it as a pillow, and a tambour of delight
He takes it as a pillow, alongside a merry lute.
وَسَراويلٌand trousers لَهُbelonging to him مَرفوعَةٌhitched up
وَسَراويلٌ لَهُ مَرفوعَةٌ
حَلَقthe loops النَيفَقthe waistband منهاfrom them قَدalready ذهَبْhave gone
حَلَق النَيفَق منها قَد ذهَبْ
And his trousers are hitched up,
With pants raised high for him
And his trousers are hitched up,
their waistband loops already gone.
The lice have gone from them
The loop of their waistband having vanished entirely.