تغنَّمْseize the opportunity زمانَthe season الجودِof generosity فيin اللهوpleasure واسبقِand hurry ahead
تغنَّمْ زمانَ الجودِ في اللهو واسبقِ
وفُزْand attain باجتماعِthrough the gathering الشملِof the company قبلَbefore التفرُّقِseparation
وفُزْ باجتماعِ الشملِ قبلَ التفرُّقِ
Seize the season of bounty for pleasure, and hurry ahead;
Seize the time of generosity in playfulness, and race
and secure reunion before separation.
To reunite before parting.
هلمواcome, all of you نسابقُlet us race نحوَtoward مشمسapricots (probable correction) جِلِّقJilliq
هلموا نسابقُ نحوَ مشمس جِلِّق
وثمand there لماfor what نهوىwe love علىover الأكلeating نلتقيwe meet
وثم لما نهوى على الأكل نلتقي
Come, let us race toward Jilliq's [apricots?];
Let us race towards the shining sun,
and there we meet over food for what we love.
Then when we incline to eat, we will meet.
تصفَّرُturns yellow شوقاًwith longing لانتظارِin anticipation of قدومناour arrival
تصفَّرُ شوقاً لانتظارِ قدومنا
ومنand whoever يتعشّقْfalls in love with ذاone possessing الفضائلvirtues يشتقِyearns
ومن يتعشّقْ ذا الفضائل يشتقِ
They turn yellow with longing, awaiting our arrival;
It turns yellow with yearning for our coming,
and whoever loves one endowed with virtues must yearn.
And whoever falls in love with these virtues will yearn.
وماand what رمقْتI gazed upon للشوقِout of longing رُمدُbleary عيونهِits eyes
وما رمقْت للشوقِ رُمدُ عيونهِ
فإنْso if تترفّقْyou seek benefit منهfrom it تنظرْyou will see وترفقِand find ease
فإنْ تترفّقْ منه تنظرْ وترفقِ
And what I gazed upon in longing were its bleary eyes;
Its eyes have not tired of yearning,
so if you seek benefit from it, you will see and find ease.
So if you are gentle with it, you will see and be gentle.
إذاwhen حضَرتْappear أَطباقُهُits platters غابَvanishes رشدُناour reason
إذا حضَرتْ أَطباقُهُ غابَ رشدُنا
لماbecause of what يتلاقىmeets منof مشوقٍone filled with longing وشَيِّقِand one alluring
لما يتلاقى من مشوقٍ وشَيِّقِ
When its platters appear, our reason vanishes,
When its dishes arrive, we lose our sanity,
as the yearning and the alluring meet.
For it embodies melted honey and pleasure.
لأَنَّbecause مذابَthe melted essence الشَّهدِof honey فيهin it مجسّدٌis embodied
لأَنَّ مذابَ الشَّهدِ فيه مجسّدٌ
أَجدّis renewed لهfor it عهدُthe covenant الرَّحيقِof pure wine المعتَّقِaged
أَجدّ له عهدُ الرَّحيقِ المعتَّقِ
For melted honey is embodied in it;
I avow it the freshest, most delicious wine,
the covenant of aged wine is renewed for it.
And it did not yellow except in fear of thieving hands.
وماand not اصفرَّturned yellow إلاexcept خوفَfor fear of أيديthe hands جناتهof its pickers
وما اصفرَّ إلا خوفَ أيدي جناته
فليسso there is no لهfor it أمنٌsafety منfrom المتطرِّقthe passerby
فليس له أمنٌ من المتطرِّق
And it yellowed only in fear of its pickers' hands,
So it has no safety from intruders.
for it has no safety from the passerby.
It relates embers suspended in the air, clinging.
حكىresembled جمراتٍembers بالفضاin the open air قدalready تعلّقتْhung suspended
حكى جمراتٍ بالفضا قد تعلّقتْ
فياoh, then عجبيmy wonder منat جمرةِthe ember المتعلِّقِof the lovestruck one
فيا عجبي من جمرةِ المتعلِّقِ
It resembled embers suspended in the open air;
What a wonder, these clinging embers!
oh, how I marvel at the lovestruck one's ember!
The stars of earth are above its branches.
كأنَّas though نجومَthe stars الأرضِof the earth فوقَabove غصونهِits branches
كأنَّ نجومَ الأرضِ فوقَ غصونهِ
فياoh, then حيرتيmy bewilderment منat نجةstar (uncertain reading) المتألِّقِthe gleaming
فيا حيرتي من نجة المتألِّقِ
As though earth's stars were above its branches;
What confusion, these shining stars!
oh, how bewildered I am by the gleaming [star?]!
Its gardens blush, and its gardens
وجَنّاتُهاand its gardens محمّرةٌreddened وَجَناتُهاtheir cheeks
وجَنّاتُها محمّرةٌ وَجَناتُها
فَمَنْso whoever يَرَهاsees them مثليlike me يحبَّwill love ويعشقِand adore
فَمَنْ يَرَها مثلي يحبَّ ويعشقِ
And its gardens have crimson cheeks;
Whoever sees it like me will love and adore.
so whoever sees them as I do will love and adore.
Like gleaming pearls displayed between leaves
بدتْappeared بينَamong أوراقِthe leaves الغصونِof the branches كأنَّهاas though they were
بدتْ بينَ أوراقِ الغصونِ كأنَّها
كَراتُballs نُضارٍof gold فيin لجينٍsilver مُطرَّقِhammered
كَراتُ نُضارٍ في لجينٍ مُطرَّقِ
They appeared among the branches' leaves, as though they were
Falling off its trees as if
balls of gold in hammered silver.
Coins in the hands of money-changers, jumping.
تساقِطُهاshed them أَشجارُهاtheir trees فكأَنَّهاso as though they were
تساقِطُها أَشجارُها فكأَنَّها
دنانيرُdinars فيin أيديthe hands الصَّيارفِof the money changers ترتقيrise
دنانيرُ في أيدي الصَّيارفِ ترتقي
Their trees shed them, as though they were
The apricot of the generous garden with its honey
dinars rising in money changers' hands.
Its testimony concludes: be generous and believe!
ومشمشُand the apricots بُستانِof the orchard الزّكيof al-Zaki بشهدِهِwith their honey
ومشمشُ بُستانِ الزّكي بشهدِهِ
شهادتُهُtheir testimony تقضيgives judgment فَزكّso vouch for it وصَدِّقِand believe
شهادتُهُ تقضي فَزكّ وصَدِّقِ
And the apricots of al-Zaki's orchard, with their honey—
My friend in Damascus exclaims in wonder:
their testimony is decisive: vouch for it and believe.
Do you not have an orchard with ripe fruits?
يقولُsays رفيقيmy companion فيin دمشقَDamascus تعجباًin surprise
يقولُ رفيقي في دمشقَ تعجباً
أَماis there not لكَfor you بستانٌan orchard مقالةthe utterance مشفقِof one concerned
أَما لكَ بستانٌ مقالة مشفقِ
My companion says in Damascus, in surprise:
I say: For the likes of us, the orchards of Jalliq are harvested,
'Have you no orchard?'—the words of one concerned.
By the post office and its market.
فقلتُso I said إلىto بابِthe gate البريدِof the Post وسوقِهِand its market
فقلتُ إلى بابِ البريدِ وسوقِهِ
لأَمثالناfor people like us تُجنىare harvested بساتينthe orchards جِلِّقِof Jilliq
لأَمثالنا تُجنى بساتين جِلِّقِ
So I said: to Bab al-Barid and its market
If I had but an arrow’s share, I would find
come Jilliq's orchard harvests, for people like us.
My wishes in the days of fruit and prosperity.
ولوand if كانَthere were ليfor me بالسّهمِin al-Sahm سهمٌa share وجدتI would find ليfor myself
ولو كانَ لي بالسّهمِ سهمٌ وجدت لي
مناليwhat I seek بأيامِin the season الثِّمارِof fruit ومرفقيand my comfort
منالي بأيامِ الثِّمارِ ومرفقي
And if I had a share in al-Sahm, I would find for myself
When you buy apricots from the market,
what I seek, and my comfort, in the season of fruit.
I can only enjoy the pleasure of the buyer.
إذاif كنتَyou are مُبتاعاًbuying منfrom السُّوقِthe market مشمشيmy apricots
إذا كنتَ مُبتاعاً من السُّوقِ مشمشي
فماthen nothing ليَfor me إلاّexcept لذَّةُthe pleasure المتسوِّقِof the shopper
فما ليَ إلاّ لذَّةُ المتسوِّقِ
If you buy my apricots from the market,
I have no alliance with the orchard owners,
then mine is only the pleasure of the shopper.
So I end up climbing their walls in the morning.
وماand not ليfor me بأربابwith the owners البساتينِof the orchards خلطةclose acquaintance
وما لي بأرباب البساتينِ خلطة
فيصبحso that it might become فيwithin حيطاتهاtheir enclosures مُتسلّقيmy climbing-place
فيصبح في حيطاتها مُتسلّقي
And I have no close ties with the orchard owners
They are generous and loyal in winter with their affection,
that would let me climb within their enclosures.
But forget their oaths in summer.
كرامٌgenerous men وثوقيmy trust فيin الشِّتاءِwinter بودّهمin their friendship
كرامٌ وثوقي في الشِّتاءِ بودّهم
ولكنّهمbut they فيin الصّيفِsummer ينسونَforget موثقيmy covenant
ولكنّهم في الصّيفِ ينسونَ موثقي
Generous men—in winter I trust their friendship,
There is none who aids, sustains, and provides for me,
but in summer they forget my covenant.
Except the Reviver, Generous, Facilitator.
وماand not ثمthere منanyone who يجديgives ويقريand hosts guests ويقتنيand earns
وما ثم من يجدي ويقري ويقتني
ثنائيmy praise سوىexcept المحييal-Muhyi الكريمthe generous الموفّقِfavored with success
ثنائي سوى المحيي الكريم الموفّقِ
And there is none who gives, hosts guests, and earns
That is one day, not more,
my praise but al-Muhyi, generous and blessed with success.
Did you tell me to race for just one day?
وذلكَand that يومٌa day واحدٌone ليسnot غيرهother than it
وذلكَ يومٌ واحدٌ ليس غيره
أَمنْis it for أَجلِthe sake of يومٍa day واحدٍone قلتَyou said ليto me اسبقِhurry ahead
أَمنْ أَجلِ يومٍ واحدٍ قلتَ لي اسبقِ
And that is one day, no more;
If invited to China,
was it for one day that you told me, 'Hurry ahead'?
I would hasten, burning with yearning.
علىyet أَنّنيthat I لوif قيلَit were said بالصّينِin China دعوةٌa banquet invitation
على أَنّني لو قيلَ بالصّينِ دعوةٌ
أثرتُI would kindle إليهاtoward it لوعةَthe burning yearning المتحرِّقِof one aflame with desire
أثرتُ إليها لوعةَ المتحرِّقِ
Yet if I were told of a banquet invitation in China,
If you come to Jalliq before me, throw
I would kindle for it the yearning of one burning with desire.
Your conversation calling the generous, and ascend!
فإنْso if جئتَyou arrive قبليbefore me جِلِّقاًJilliq فارمِthen cast abroad منعماًkindly
فإنْ جئتَ قبلي جِلِّقاً فارمِ منعماً
حديثيmy words يناديcall to المنعمينَthe benefactors وحَلِّقِand soar
حديثي ينادي المنعمينَ وحَلِّقِ
So if you reach Jilliq before me, kindly cast abroad
Perhaps a generous soul will pick for my hospitality
my words, which call to benefactors, and soar aloft.
Some apricots upon my arrival and choose.
لعلَّperhaps كريماًa generous man ينتخيis stirred by honor لضيافتيto host me
لعلَّ كريماً ينتخي لضيافتي
بمشمشةٍwith an apricot عندَupon القدومِarrival وينتقيand carefully selects
بمشمشةٍ عندَ القدومِ وينتقي
Perhaps a generous man will be stirred to host me
Do not forget the sweetness of religion and my spirit,
with an apricot upon my arrival, and carefully select it.
And say what you wish of my morning and soothe.
فلاso do not تنسَforget نشوَNashw الدِّينِal-Din نشوةَthe intoxication خاطريof my mind
فلا تنسَ نشوَ الدِّينِ نشوةَ خاطري
وقلْand speak عنof صبوحيmy morning draught كيفhowever شئتyou wish ورقِّقِand speak tenderly
وقلْ عن صبوحي كيف شئت ورقِّقِ
So do not forget, Nashw al-Din, my mind's intoxication;
Give me support, take from my talent
and speak of my morning draught however you wish, and make your words tender.
A gentle, praising poem of my abode and scent it.
وهاتِand bring وساعدنيand help me وخُذْand take منfrom قريحتيmy poetic inspiration
وهاتِ وساعدني وخُذْ من قريحتي
لطيمةَa perfume-laden caravan داريٍa perfume merchant's منof الحمدِpraise واعبقِand be fragrant
لطيمةَ داريٍ من الحمدِ واعبقِ
And bring it, and help me, and take from my poetic inspiration
a perfume merchant's caravan of praise—and be fragrant.
Partial English translation: 50 of 52 Arabic lines translated.