وَرابِعَةٍand a foursome شَتّىdiverse المَذاهبِthe persuasions ضَمَّهُمbrought them together
وَرابِعَةٍ شَتّى المَذاهبِ ضَمَّهُم
نَدِيٌّan assembly لأشتاتِof assorted kinds of المسرّاتِthe joys جامِعُbringing together
نَدِيٌّ لأشتاتِ المسرّاتِ جامِعُ
And a foursome of differing ways, brought together
And a foursome of differing persuasions were brought together
by a convivial gathering that gathers every kind of delight.
by an assembly embracing every kind of joy.
نشنِّفُwe adorn أَسماعاًears بِدُرٍّwith pearls بِمثلِهِwith its like
نشنِّفُ أَسماعاً بِدُرٍّ بِمثلِهِ
تَتِيهُboast عَلىover سودِblack المَآقيthe eye-corners المَسامِعُthe ears
تَتِيهُ عَلى سودِ المَآقي المَسامِعُ
We deck ears with pearls whose like
We adorn ears with pearls, with whose like
makes ears vaunt themselves over the dark beauty of eyes.
ears boast over the eyes’ dark corners.
وَتَنظِمُand they string together مَنثوراًwhat is scattered مِنof الكَلِمِthe words الَّذيwhich
وَتَنظِمُ مَنثوراً مِن الكَلِمِ الَّذي
هُوَit الدُرُّpearls لَكنbut لَمdid not يُثَقِّبهُpierce it صانِعُa craftsman
هُوَ الدُرُّ لَكن لَم يُثَقِّبهُ صانِعُ
And they string together scattered words which
And they string scattered words, which
are pearls—though no craftsman ever pierced them.
are pearls, though no craftsman has pierced them.
وَنادَمَناand drank with us ظَبيٌa gazelle نَصَبناwe set حَبائِلاًsnares
وَنادَمَنا ظَبيٌ نَصَبنا حَبائِلاً
لَهُfor him فَهوَso he فيin تِلكَthose الحَبائِلِthe snares واقِعُcaught
لَهُ فَهوَ في تِلكَ الحَبائِلِ واقِعُ
A gazelle joined our revel; we had set snares
And a gazelle drank with us; we set snares
for him, and now he is caught in those snares.
for him, and he is caught in those snares.
يُديرhe passes around لَناto us مِنfrom لَحظِهِhis glance بابليَّةًBabylonian wine
يُدير لَنا مِن لَحظِهِ بابليَّةً
وَيَبسُطُand extends أُنساًcompanionship للَّذيto the one who هُوَhe طامِعُlonging
وَيَبسُطُ أُنساً للَّذي هُوَ طامِعُ
From his glance he passes us a Babylonian draught,
He passes us Babylonian wine from his glance,
and lavishes intimacy on whoever dares to hope.
and offers companionship to whoever longs for it.
فَنهصُرُso we bend مِنهُfrom him الغُصنَthe bough وَالغُصنُand the bough مائِسٌswaying gracefully
فَنهصُرُ مِنهُ الغُصنَ وَالغُصنُ مائِسٌ
وَنُبصِرُand we behold مِنهُin him البَدرَthe full moon وَالبَدرُand the full moon طالِعُrising
وَنُبصِرُ مِنهُ البَدرَ وَالبَدرُ طالِعُ
So we draw his bough toward us, while the bough sways gracefully,
So we bend his bough, while the bough sways,
and behold in him the full moon, even as the full moon rises.
and behold in him the full moon, the full moon rising.
وَلَولايَand but for me أَضحىwould have become الظَبيُthe gazelle للذئبِfor the wolf طعمةa morsel
وَلَولايَ أَضحى الظَبيُ للذئبِ طعمة
وَلَكِنbut حَماهُprotected him اللَيثُthe lion وَالذئبُand the wolf جائِعُhungry
وَلَكِن حَماهُ اللَيثُ وَالذئبُ جائِعُ
But for me, the gazelle would have become the wolf’s meal;
But for me, the gazelle would have become the wolf’s prey,
yet the lion protects him, while the wolf goes hungry.
but the lion protected him, while the wolf was hungry.
يَوَدُّhe wishes بِأَنَّthat اللَيثَthe lion يَحظىmight be favored بِعُلوِهِwith his upper part
يَوَدُّ بِأَنَّ اللَيثَ يَحظى بِعُلوِهِ
وَتَبقىand remain لَهُfor him أَوراكُهُhis haunches وَالأَكارِعُand the shanks
وَتَبقى لَهُ أَوراكُهُ وَالأَكارِعُ
The wolf wishes the lion might take the prey’s upper portion,
He wishes the lion might enjoy his upper half,
while its haunches and shanks were left to him.
and his haunches and shanks be left for him.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him ياO ذئبُwolf أَقصِرdesist عَنfrom الرَشاthe young gazelle
فَقُلتُ لَهُ يا ذئبُ أَقصِر عَن الرَشا
فَإِنَّfor indeed الرَشاthe young gazelle فيin غابَةِthe thicket of اللَيثِthe lion راتِعُgrazing freely
فَإِنَّ الرَشا في غابَةِ اللَيثِ راتِعُ
So I told him, “Wolf, keep away from the fawn,
So I told him, 'Wolf, leave the young gazelle alone,
for the fawn grazes in the lion’s own thicket.”
for the young gazelle grazes in the lion’s thicket.'
