سَلِ المِلْحِيَّ كيف رأى عِقابي

سَلِ المِلْحِيَّ كيف رأى عِقابي

وكيف وقد أبى رأيَ الصَّوابِ

وكيف وقد أبى رأيَ الصَّوابِ

Ask al-Milhi how he found my punishment,

Ask the salty one, how he saw my eagles

and how he found it, having rejected sound counsel.

And how, though he refused to see right,

رقاني الهاشميُّ فسَلَّ ضِغْني

رقاني الهاشميُّ فسَلَّ ضِغْني

وأغمدَ عنه نائبتي ونابي

وأغمدَ عنه نائبتي ونابي

Al-Hashimi charmed me and drew out my rancor,

Al-Raqani Al-Hashimi softened me, so ask him to lighten me

and sheathed my scourge and my fang, sparing him.

And sheathe for him my representative and my crookedness

وقال أخو المودَّةِ والتصابي

وقال أخو المودَّةِ والتصابي

وعونُ أخي الصبابةِ والتَّصابي

وعونُ أخي الصبابةِ والتَّصابي

And he spoke—a man of affection and youthful dalliance,

And he said, brother of affection and congruity

and a helper to the man of passionate longing and youthful dalliance,

And aid of my youthful brother, and congruity

وشَيخٌ طابَ أخلاقاً فأضحَى

وشَيخٌ طابَ أخلاقاً فأضحَى

أحبَّ إلى الشَّبابِ من الشَّبابِ

أحبَّ إلى الشَّبابِ من الشَّبابِ

and an elder so sweet of character that he became

A sheikh of good morals, so he became

dearer to the young than youth itself.

Dearer to the youth than the youth

له دارٌ إذا استخفيتَ فيها

له دارٌ إذا استخفيتَ فيها

خَفِيتَ فلم تَنَلْكَ يَدُ الطِّلابِ

خَفِيتَ فلم تَنَلْكَ يَدُ الطِّلابِ

He has a house where, if you hide yourself,

He has a house, if you seek refuge in it

you remain hidden, and the hand of pursuit cannot reach you.

You take refuge, so the hand of seekers won't reach you

طرقناه وقِنديلُ الثريَّا

طرقناه وقِنديلُ الثريَّا

يَحُطُّ وفارسُ الظَّلْماءِ كابي

يَحُطُّ وفارسُ الظَّلْماءِ كابي

We visited him by night, while the lamp of the Pleiades

We knocked and the lantern of Pleiades

was sinking and the horseman of darkness was stumbling.

Alights, though the knight of darkness is denying

فرحَّبَ واستمالَ وقال حُطَّتْ

فرحَّبَ واستمالَ وقال حُطَّتْ

رحالُكُمُ بأفنيةٍ رِحابِ

رحالُكُمُ بأفنيةٍ رِحابِ

He welcomed us, won us over, and said, "Laid down

So he welcomed and cajoled and said, "Your mounts

are your packs in spacious courtyards."

Have settled in spacious courtyards"

وحضَّ على المُناهدةِ النَّدَامى

وحضَّ على المُناهدةِ النَّدَامى

بألفاظٍ مهذَّبةٍ عِذابِ

بألفاظٍ مهذَّبةٍ عِذابِ

And he urged the drinking companions to pool their contributions,

And he urged the penitents

with refined, sweet words.

With refined, gently-chiding words

وقال تيمَّموا الأبوابَ منها

وقال تيمَّموا الأبوابَ منها

فكلٌّ جاء من تِلقاءِ بابِ

فكلٌّ جاء من تِلقاءِ بابِ

And he said, "Make for its doors,"

And said, "Approach the doors from them

so each came from the direction of a door.

For each came from the direction of a door"

فهذا قالَ ريحانٌ ونَقْلٌ

فهذا قالَ ريحانٌ ونَقْلٌ

وثَلْجٌ مثلُ رَقرَقَةِ السَّرابِ

وثَلْجٌ مثلُ رَقرَقَةِ السَّرابِ

This one said, "Basil and sweetmeats,

So this one said, "Basil and mint"

and snow like the shimmering of a mirage."

And ice like the shimmering of a mirage

وهذا قال قِدرٌ من طَعامٍ

وهذا قال قِدرٌ من طَعامٍ

وهذا قال دَنٌّ من شَرابِ

وهذا قال دَنٌّ من شَرابِ

And this one said, "A pot of food,"

And that one said, "A pot of food"

and this one said, "A jar of wine."

And this one said, "A barrel of drink"

وسَمْحُ القومِ من سَمَحَتْ يَداه

وسَمْحُ القومِ من سَمَحَتْ يَداه

بخدِّ غَريرةٍ بكْرٍ كَعابِ

بخدِّ غَريرةٍ بكْرٍ كَعابِ

And the generous one among them was he whose hands freely offered

And the generosity of people is from the generosity

the cheek of a guileless, full-breasted virgin.

Of his hands with the soft cheek of an untouched maiden

فتمَّ لهم بذلك يومُ لَهْوٍ

فتمَّ لهم بذلك يومُ لَهْوٍ

غريبِ الحُسْنِ عذْبٍ مُستطابِ

غريبِ الحُسْنِ عذْبٍ مُستطابِ

So, through this, a day of revelry was made complete for them,

So with that he made for them a day of joy

of rare beauty, sweet and delightful.

Of wondrous beauty and sweetly agreeable

إذا العِبْءُ الثقيلُ توزَّعَتْهُ

إذا العِبْءُ الثقيلُ توزَّعَتْهُ

رقابُ القومِ خفَّ على الرِّقابِ

رقابُ القومِ خفَّ على الرِّقابِ

When the heavy burden is shared

When the heavy burden is distributed

by the company's necks, it weighs lightly upon those necks.

Among the people's necks, it lightens upon the necks