إِذا أُعفِيَتُ الصَهبا

إِذا أُعفِيَتُ الصَهبا

أُ مِن قَدَحٍ وَمِن شَجِّ

أُ مِن قَدَحٍ وَمِن شَجِّ

When I am spared the tawny wine,

If the tawny wine is spared

from cup and from mingling,

the goblet and dilution,

وَكانَ الكَأسُ لا يُجدي

وَكانَ الكَأسُ لا يُجدي

وَمَزجي الراحَ لا يُزجي

وَمَزجي الراحَ لا يُزجي

and the goblet brings no benefit,

and the cup is of no avail,

and mixing wine no longer cheers,

and my mixing the wine does not suffice,

وَأَلغى اللَهوَ مَن يَلغي

وَأَلغى اللَهوَ مَن يَلغي

وَأَرجا الشُربَ مَن يُرجي

وَأَرجا الشُربَ مَن يُرجي

when those who abandon pleasure abandon it,

and whoever cancels has canceled merriment,

and those who postpone drinking postpone it—

and whoever defers has deferred drinking,

لِأَيّامٍ أَخاضَتنا

لِأَيّامٍ أَخاضَتنا

مِنَ الأَحزانِ في لُجِّ

مِنَ الأَحزانِ في لُجِّ

because of days that plunged us

because of days that plunged us

into a deep sea of sorrows,

into a deep sea of sorrows—

فَمِنها الجِسمُ في نَقصٍ

فَمِنها الجِسمُ في نَقصٍ

وَمِنها القَلبُ في وَهجِ

وَمِنها القَلبُ في وَهجِ

which waste the body away

through them the body wastes away,

and set the heart ablaze,

and through them the heart burns;

فَما أَنفَكُّ في حَرٍّ

فَما أَنفَكُّ في حَرٍّ

وَإِن أَصبَحتُ في ثَلجِ

وَإِن أَصبَحتُ في ثَلجِ

so that I never cease to burn,

so I am never free of heat,

even when surrounded by ice;

even if I wake amid snow;

وَما مِن شَرِّها ناجٍ

وَما مِن شَرِّها ناجٍ

وَما مِن كَيدِها مَنجي

وَما مِن كَيدِها مَنجي

for no one escapes their evil,

and none escapes their evil,

and from their guile there is no refuge—

and there is no deliverer from their guile—

تَمَتَّعنا بِمَسموعٍ

تَمَتَّعنا بِمَسموعٍ

مَليحِ النَظمِ وَالنَسجِ

مَليحِ النَظمِ وَالنَسجِ

we took delight instead in something heard,

we took delight in what we heard,

beautifully composed and woven,

lovely in composition and weave,

وَنَتلو ذِكرَ مَن نَهوى

وَنَتلو ذِكرَ مَن نَهوى

عَلى نَردٍ وَشُطرَنجِ

عَلى نَردٍ وَشُطرَنجِ

and recited the name of the one we love

and we recite remembrance of those we love

over backgammon and chess.

over backgammon and chess.

كَأَنّا مِنهُ في هَرجٍ

كَأَنّا مِنهُ في هَرجٍ

وَلَسنا مِنهُ في هَرجِ

وَلَسنا مِنهُ في هَرجِ

Through it, we seemed caught in a fray,

As though through it we were in a fray,

though no true fray was ours.

yet through it we are in no fray.

تَمَشّى الزَنجُ لِلرومِ

تَمَشّى الزَنجُ لِلرومِ

وَقامَ الرومُ لِلزَنجِ

وَقامَ الرومُ لِلزَنجِ

The Blacks advanced against the Romans,

The Zanj advanced against the Byzantines,

and the Romans rose against the Blacks.

and the Byzantines rose against the Zanj.

فَما أَحسَنَها بيضاً

فَما أَحسَنَها بيضاً

تَمَشَّينَ إِلى دُعجِ

تَمَشَّينَ إِلى دُعجِ

How lovely were those white ones

How lovely they are, those white pieces,

walking toward the dark-eyed ranks!

advancing toward the deep-black ones!

أَقَمنا بَينَنا حَرباً

أَقَمنا بَينَنا حَرباً

بِلاعَجٍّ وَلا ثَجِّ

بِلاعَجٍّ وَلا ثَجِّ

Between ourselves we waged a war

We established a war between ourselves,

without clamor or bloodshed.

without clamor or bloodshed.

شَهِدناها بِلا طَبلٍ

شَهِدناها بِلا طَبلٍ

وَلا بوقٍ وَلا صَنجِ

وَلا بوقٍ وَلا صَنجِ

We witnessed it without a drum,

We witnessed it without a drum,

without trumpet or cymbal,

or a trumpet or a cymbal;

وَجِئناها بِلا سَيفٍ

وَجِئناها بِلا سَيفٍ

وَلا رُمحٍ وَلا زَجِّ

وَلا رُمحٍ وَلا زَجِّ

and entered it without a sword,

and we came to it without a sword,

without spear or spearhead.

or a spear or an iron spear-butt.

تَرى أَفراسُنا تَعدو

تَرى أَفراسُنا تَعدو

بِلا لُجمِ وَلا سَرجِ

بِلا لُجمِ وَلا سَرجِ

You see our horses galloping

You see our horses galloping

without bridles or saddles.

without bridles or saddles.

مَشيَ الفَرزانِ مِعوَجّاً

مَشيَ الفَرزانِ مِعوَجّاً

لِأَمرٍ غَيرَ مِعوَجِّ

لِأَمرٍ غَيرَ مِعوَجِّ

The queen moves on a crooked course

The vizier's movement is crooked

for a purpose that is straight;

for a purpose that is not crooked.

وَرُخٌّ يَنتَحي نَهجاً

وَرُخٌّ يَنتَحي نَهجاً

فَلا يَعدو عَلى النَهجِ

فَلا يَعدو عَلى النَهجِ

a rook takes up a path

And a rook takes a course,

and never strays beyond that path;

and does not overstep that course.

وَفيلٌ لَيسَ يَحدوهُ

وَفيلٌ لَيسَ يَحدوهُ

يَدا شَلجٍ وَلا عَلجِ

يَدا شَلجٍ وَلا عَلجِ

and an elephant no one drives

And an elephant is not driven

with the hands of cripple or barbarian.

by Shalj's two hands or a foreigner's.

وَعِندَ الشاهِ مَنصوبٌ

وَعِندَ الشاهِ مَنصوبٌ

لِواءَ النَصرِ وَالفَلجِ

لِواءَ النَصرِ وَالفَلجِ

Beside the king stands raised

And beside the shah is raised

the banner of victory and triumph.

the banner of victory and triumph.

وَحَولي أَوجُهُ غُرٍّ

وَحَولي أَوجُهُ غُرٍّ

عَلَيها سيمَةُ السَرجِ

عَلَيها سيمَةُ السَرجِ

Around me are radiant faces

And around me are radiant faces,

bearing the mark of the saddle.

bearing the mark of beauty.

إِذا ما دُوِّنَ الحُسنُ

إِذا ما دُوِّنَ الحُسنُ

تَراهُم أَوَّلَ الدَرجِ

تَراهُم أَوَّلَ الدَرجِ

If beauty is entered in the register,

When beauty is recorded,

you will see them ranked first.

you see them at the head of the scroll.