ياO! للعجابwhat marvels! وكلand all عُجْبconceit
يا للعجاب وكل عُجْب
فليقلthen let it say ياO! للعجابِwhat marvels!
فليقل يا للعجابِ
O marvels! And all conceit—
Oh, what wonders and marvels!
let it cry, 'O marvels!'
Let him exclaim: Oh, what wonders!
ماnot أنemphatic particle يرىis seen فيin ذاthis المكانthe place
ما أن يرى في ذا المكان
سوىexcept المرافدthe large goblets منof روابيhills
سوى المرافد من روابي
Nothing is seen in this place
When he sees in this place
in the way of hills but the great goblets.
Nothing but the meadows of the highlands.
كلاno indeed ولاand not منany غوطةGhouta; a wooded hollow
كلا ولا من غوطة
منfrom دونoutside ذياكthat الجنابthe precinct
من دون ذياك الجناب
No, nor any Ghouta
No, not from Ghouta
outside that precinct.
Without those noble ones,
كلاno indeed ولاand not قرموطةa small hard dried fig
كلا ولا قرموطة
تشرىis bought سوىexcept كعبa budding breast الكعابthe nubile maidens
تشرى سوى كعب الكعاب
No, nor is a little dried fig
No, not Qarmatians
bought, save the budding breast of maidens,
Buying anything but sandals.
منfrom كلevery ذاتa woman possessing تبهكنvoluptuous softness
من كل ذات تبهكن
تدعوshe summons الحصورthe sexually abstinent man إلىto الدعابdalliance
تدعو الحصور إلى الدعاب
from every woman of voluptuous softness
All these confused beings
who summons the abstinent man to dalliance.
Calling the houses to play,
الشوقlonging يقدمcarries forward بيwith me وخوand fear (first part)
الشوق يقدم بي وخو
فfear (final part) العجزimpotence منfrom غَلَمlust نأيdraws away بيwith me
ف العجز من غَلَم نأي بي
Longing carries me forward, and fear
Yearning takes me, confused,
of impotence from lust draws me away.
So the inability of a growing boy takes me away.
ماذاwhat يقولsay الناسthe people عنabout
ماذا يقول الناس عن
منone who خارgrew feeble عنfor مَلْءfilling الوطابthe milk-skins
من خار عن مَلْء الوطاب
What do people say of
What do people say about
one too feeble to fill the milk-skins?
One who strayed from the abode of fragrance?
أمor كيفhow تضعفgrows weak معدةa stomach
أم كيف تضعف معدة
عربيan Arab عنbefore قحفa skull العقابthe eagle
عربي عن قحف العقاب
Or how could a stomach falter—
Or how can the stomach of
an Arab's—before an eagle's skull?
An Arab bear the skull of an eagle?
منwho ليfor me بصُنبورwith a spouted cup فأترعهso I may fill it to the brim
من لي بصُنبور فأترعه
بمنزفةwith a ladle الحبابthe jars
بمنزفة الحباب
Who will give me a spouted cup, so I may fill it to the brim
Who will give me a water-pipe to sip?
with a ladle from the jars?
With the softness of down.
منwho ليfor me بقبَّةwith a dome مرفدof a large goblet
من لي بقبَّة مرفد
فيin ليلتيmy night منfrom among ذيthese القبابthe domes
في ليلتي من ذي القباب
Who will give me a goblet's dome
Who will give me a meadow tent
for my night, from among these domes?
In my night of domes?
منwho ليfor me بحتwith rubbing أليةa buttock
من لي بحت ألية
منfrom among ذيthese الالاياthe buttocks فيin مآبيmy retreat
من ذي الالايا في مآبي
Who will let me rub a buttock
Who will give me a family
from these buttocks, in my retreat?
Of these aeons in my dwelling?
هذاthis لعمركby your life شأنthe way ذيone possessing
هذا لعمرك شأن ذي
قطمlust وهذاand this الدابthe habit دابيmy habit
قطم وهذا الداب دابي
This, by your life, is the way of one
By your life, this is the way of one
with lust; and this habit is mine.
Who is silent, and this is my wandering.