لعمرُكby your life إنيindeed I يومwhen أُسندُI entrust حاجتيmy need
لعمرُك إني يوم أُسندُ حاجتي
إليكto you أباO father of ساسانSasan غيرُnot مسَدّدrightly guided
إليك أبا ساسان غيرُ مسَدّد
By your life, when I entrust my need
For your life if I one day lean my need
to you, Abu Sasan, I am misguided.
on you, O Abu Sasan, aimless,
فلاfor neither عالمٌaware بالغيبof the unseen منfrom أينَwhere ضَرُّهhis harm
فلا عالمٌ بالغيب من أينَ ضَرُّه
ولاnor خائفٌfearful of بثَّthe spreading of الأحاديثtales فيon غَدِthe morrow
ولا خائفٌ بثَّ الأحاديث في غَدِ
For he knows not the unseen—whence harm may reach him—
Neither one knowing the unseen wherefrom his harm comes
nor fears tales being spread tomorrow.
Nor one fearful spreading rumors tomorrow,
فليتَwould that, then المناياthe fates of death حلَّقتhad soared بيwith me صُروفُهاtheir vicissitudes
فليتَ المنايا حلَّقت بي صُروفُها
فلمso did not أطلبِI seek المعروفkindness عندَfrom المُصرّدِthe grudging giver
فلم أطلبِ المعروف عندَ المُصرّدِ
Would that death’s vicissitudes had swept me away,
Would that death had circled me with its turns
so I had not sought kindness from the grudging giver.
That I asked not for grace from the ungiving.
فلوfor if كنتyou were حرّاًnoble ياO حُضينُHudayn بنson of مُنذرٍMundhir
فلو كنت حرّاً يا حُضينُ بن مُنذرٍ
لقُمتَyou would have attended بحاجاتيto my needs ولمand not تتبلّدِstood idle
لقُمتَ بحاجاتي ولم تتبلّدِ
For had you been noble, Hudayn son of Mundhir,
If you were free, O Huthein son of Munthir,
you would have attended to my needs, not stood idle.
You would have tended my needs and not hardened.
تجهمتنيyou scowled at me خوفَfor fear of القرىhospitality واطرحتنيand cast me aside
تجهمتني خوفَ القرى واطرحتني
وكنتَand you were قصيرَshort الباعِof reach غيرnot المقَلّدinvested with distinction
وكنتَ قصيرَ الباعِ غير المقَلّد
You scowled at me, fearing hospitality, and cast me aside;
The fear of the clan frowned at me and flung me down
your reach was short, and you bore no distinction.
While you were short of arm, no conquest to your name.
ولمand did not تَعدyou exceed ماwhat قدalready كنتَyou were أهلاًfit لمثلِهِfor its like
ولم تَعد ما قد كنتَ أهلاً لمثلِهِ
منin اللؤمbaseness ياO بنَson of المستدلَthe abased man المُعَبَّدenslaved
من اللؤم يا بنَ المستدلَ المُعَبَّد
Nor did you exceed what befitted you
Nor did you anymore possess the merit
in baseness, son of an abased, enslaved man.
Of such from baseness, O son of the craven worshiper of boughs.
فلاso do not تَعدpass over ذاthe possessor of العلياhigh honor سليمانSulayman عامداًdeliberately
فلا تَعد ذا العليا سليمان عامداً
تجدyou will find ماجداًa noble man بالجودin generosity منشرحopen الصدرِof heart
تجد ماجداً بالجود منشرح الصدرِ
So do not deliberately pass over Sulayman, lord of high honor;
Then name not this lofty man Solomon, confident,
you will find a noble man, open-hearted in generosity,
You would find Majid generous, open-chested,
كريماًgenerous علىdespite علّاتهhis troubles يبذلhe bestows الندىbounty
كريماً على علّاته يبذل الندى
ويشربُهاand he drinks it صبهاءَtawny طيبةَpleasant النشرin fragrance
ويشربُها صبهاءَ طيبةَ النشر
generous despite his troubles, dispensing bounty,
Bounteous to his familiars, pouring the cool water
and drinking tawny wine, sweet in fragrance,
And drinking it clear goodness freely flowing.
مُعتَقةًaged كالمسكِlike musk يذهبdispels ريحهاits scent
مُعتَقةً كالمسكِ يذهب ريحها
الزكامcolds وتدعوand it urges المرءَa man للجودto generosity بالوفرِwith abundant wealth
الزكام وتدعو المرءَ للجود بالوفرِ
aged, like musk; its scent dispels
She like musk set free goes her fragrance
colds, and it urges a man to give of his abundance.
Dispels the sneezing and to hospitality calls with plenty.
وتتركand it leaves حاسيthe sipper of الكأسthe cup منهاof it مرنّحاًreeling
وتترك حاسي الكأس منها مرنّحاً
يميدhe sways كماjust as مادswayed الأثيمُthe sinner منfrom السكرdrunkenness
يميد كما ماد الأثيمُ من السكر
It leaves the man who sips a cup of it reeling,
And she leaves the cupbearer bending toward her, languishing
swaying as the sinner swayed in drunkenness.
As though he swooned from sugar like the sinner.
تلوحit gleams كعينِlike the eye of الديكthe cock ينزوleaps حبابُهاits bubbles
تلوح كعينِ الديك ينزو حبابُها
إذاwhen مُزِجتit is mixed بالماءwith water مثلَlike لظىthe blaze of الجمرthe embers
إذا مُزِجت بالماء مثلَ لظى الجمر
It gleams like a cock’s eye; its bubbles leap
She gleams like the cock's eye, its bubbles welling over
when mixed with water, like the blaze of live coals.
When mixed with water like the glowing coal's redness.
فتلكَsuch, then, is it إذاwhen نادمتyou drink with منfrom آلthe house of مرثدٍMarthad
فتلكَ إذا نادمت من آل مرثدٍ
عليهاover it نديماًa boon companion ظلَّhe kept يهرفholding forth بالشرفon honor
عليها نديماً ظلَّ يهرف بالشرف
Such is the wine: when you drink with one of Marthad’s house,
She then - if you shared drink with the Murthid -
your companion over it keeps holding forth on honor.
Upon her a boon companion kept carousing honoredly,
يُغيّبكَhe makes you oblivious ثاراتٍat times وطوراًand sometimes يكُرُّهاhe passes it back
يُغيّبكَ ثاراتٍ وطوراً يكُرُّها
عليكto you يحيّاكmay He grant you life الألهُGod ولاand not يدريhe knows
عليك يحيّاك الألهُ ولا يدري
At times he makes you oblivious, and sometimes passes it back
Hiding you from misfortunes now and then reversing them
to you—may God grant you life!—without knowing.
While the god hails you though unaware.
تعوّدَhe has become accustomed ألاnot to يجهلَact foolishly الدهرَever عندِهاin its presence
تعوّدَ ألا يجهلَ الدهرَ عندِها
وأنand to يبذُلbestow المعروفkindness فيin العُسرhardship واليُسرand ease
وأن يبذُل المعروف في العُسر واليُسر
He is accustomed never to act foolishly while drinking it,
It was his custom never the Time beside them not know
and to bestow kindness in hardship and ease.
And to bestow grace in hardship and release.
وإنّand indeed سليمانَSulayman بنson of عمروAmr بنson of مرثَدٍMarthad
وإنّ سليمانَ بن عمرو بن مرثَدٍ
تألّىhe swore يميناًan oath أنto يريشenrich ولاand not يبريimpoverish
تألّى يميناً أن يريش ولا يبري
Indeed, Sulayman son of Amr son of Marthad
Truly Solomon son of Amr son of Murthad
has sworn an oath to feather others’ arrows, never whittle them down.
Vowed to feather right hands and not pluck bare.
فهّمتهُso his ambition بذلُbestowing الندىbounty وابتناand building العُلاhigh honor
فهّمتهُ بذلُ الندى وابتنا العُلا
وضربُand striking طُلىًthe necks of الأبطالchampions فيin الحربwar البُترsevering
وضربُ طُلىً الأبطال في الحرب البُتر
His ambition is to dispense bounty and build lofty honor,
I grasped him spend his cool water and raise up heights
and strike champions’ necks with severing blows in war.
And warriors in war bite back and in peace, no cease,
وفيand in الأمنpeace لاnot ينفكُّdoes he cease يحسوsipping مدامةًwine
وفي الأمن لا ينفكُّ يحسو مدامةً
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle دجاgrows dark ليلُnight إلىuntil وَضحthe brightness of الفجرdawn
إذا ما دجا ليلُ إلى وَضح الفجر
And in peace he never ceases sipping wine,
Hold revels when night strode on till dawn spread clear.
when night grows dark, until the brightness of dawn.
Partial English translation: 33 of 34 Arabic lines translated.