عفاءٌ على اللَّذَّاتِ من بعدِ فارسِ

عفاءٌ على اللَّذَّاتِ من بعدِ فارسِ

فقد عُطَّلَتْ منه حِسانُ المَجالِسِ

فقد عُطَّلَتْ منه حِسانُ المَجالِسِ

Oblivion upon pleasures after Faris!

Delight has lost its savor after the knight departed.

For the lovely gatherings have been left empty of him.

Pleasures at gatherings have been disrupted since he's gone.

جَلا حُرَّ وَجْهٍ قد أضاءَ بثوبِه

جَلا حُرَّ وَجْهٍ قد أضاءَ بثوبِه

كأنَّ سنَاها فيه شُعَلةُ قَابسِ

كأنَّ سنَاها فيه شُعَلةُ قَابسِ

He unveiled a noble face that shone in his robe,

A face shone bright in his garb, as if

As though their radiance in him were a fire-seeker's flame.

His teeth were flaming coals within.

تُكَسَّرُ أصنافُ المَعازِفِ بَعدَها

تُكَسَّرُ أصنافُ المَعازِفِ بَعدَها

كما عُقِرَ الأفراسُ بعدَ الفوارِسِ

كما عُقِرَ الأفراسُ بعدَ الفوارِسِ

The various musical instruments are shattered after them,

Musical genres are now shattered without him,

As horses were hamstrung after their riders.

As horses were hamstrung after their riders left.

مضى حسَبُ الزَّفْنِ التَّليدِ وأصبحَتْ

مضى حسَبُ الزَّفْنِ التَّليدِ وأصبحَتْ

رسومُ المّلاهي كالرسومِ الدَّوارسِ

رسومُ المّلاهي كالرسومِ الدَّوارسِ

The glory of age-old dancing has passed, and now

The accustomed melody has passed; amusements

The traces of amusements are like effaced ruins.

Are now but fleeting sketches of cavaliers.

نعيمٌ رَمَتْه الحادثاتُ بفادِحٍ

نعيمٌ رَمَتْه الحادثاتُ بفادِحٍ

فزالَ وسَعْدٌ أردَفَتْهُ بناحِسِ

فزالَ وسَعْدٌ أردَفَتْهُ بناحِسِ

A delight that calamities struck with a crushing blow,

Bliss was struck down by misfortunes, then auspiciousness

So it vanished; good fortune they followed with ill.

Followed, dogged by the steps of ill luck.

ومُختَلَسٌ من حَومَةِ اللَّهوِ لم تَنَلْ

ومُختَلَسٌ من حَومَةِ اللَّهوِ لم تَنَلْ

مَقاتِلَه أيدي الحِمامِ المُخالسِ

مَقاتِلَه أيدي الحِمامِ المُخالسِ

And one snatched from the midst of revelry, though never did

Stolen in secrecy from the tumult of revelry, his fighters

The hands of stealthy death reach his vital parts.

Could not be reached by the hands of furtive pigeons.

تَسلَّبَ رَوْضُ الياسرِيَّةِ بعدَه

تَسلَّبَ رَوْضُ الياسرِيَّةِ بعدَه

وكانَ جديدَ الحَلْيِ غَضَّ المَلابسِ

وكانَ جديدَ الحَلْيِ غَضَّ المَلابسِ

The garden of al-Yasiriyya donned mourning after him,

The garden of al-Yasiriyyah was plundered after he left,

And its jewels had been new, its garments fresh.

Though it had bloomed in fresh attire.

وجَنَّتْ ثِمارُ الرَّنْدِ وَرْداً وطالما

وجَنَّتْ ثِمارُ الرَّنْدِ وَرْداً وطالما

تَصدَّعْنَ رَيَّاً في رِطابٍ مَوائِسِ

تَصدَّعْنَ رَيَّاً في رِطابٍ مَوائِسِ

And the laurel's fruits hid roses—yet how often

The fruits of pleasure turned into roses, and many times

They had burst open, lush with moisture, among tender, swaying boughs.

Did they shower those in attendance with dripping wine.

يُرَدِّدُ في غَرْسِ البَطالَةِ بعدَه

يُرَدِّدُ في غَرْسِ البَطالَةِ بعدَه

عيوناً تَراه مُقشَعِرَّ المَغارسِ

عيوناً تَراه مُقشَعِرَّ المَغارسِ

After him, one keeps casting across the grove of idleness

After him, eyes wander in the plot of idleness,

Eyes that see it shuddering in its planted beds.

Seeing it desolate, its saplings withered.

فما للتُّقى عارٍ به مَشهَدُ الصِّبا

فما للتُّقى عارٍ به مَشهَدُ الصِّبا

وكادَ المُنى كَيدَ العدوِّ المُنافسِ

وكادَ المُنى كَيدَ العدوِّ المُنافسِ

Why has piety left the scene of youthful pleasure bare,

In his presence, piety was no disgrace; the scene of youth

And plotted against wishes like a rival foe?

Almost outwitted the ploys of a rivaling foe.

وما بالُ أعناقِ الكؤوسِ عَواطِلاً

وما بالُ أعناقِ الكؤوسِ عَواطِلاً

وكانَتْ به في مثلِ حَلْيِ العَرائسِ

وكانَتْ به في مثلِ حَلْيِ العَرائسِ

And why are the necks of the cups unadorned,

Why else would the necks of cups stand tall

When through him they had worn ornaments like brides'?

When through him they were like the jewelry of brides?

وما بالُ حاناتِ العِراقِ تنكَّرَتْ

وما بالُ حاناتِ العِراقِ تنكَّرَتْ

فأصبحَ منها مُوحِشاً كلُّ آنسِ

فأصبحَ منها مُوحِشاً كلُّ آنسِ

And why have the taverns of Iraq grown unrecognizable,

Why else are the taverns of Iraq now unrecognizable,

So that every welcoming place among them has become desolate?

Each companion now left lonely and desolate?

أرى وَرْدَها ما بين مُودٍ وذابلٍ

أرى وَرْدَها ما بين مُودٍ وذابلٍ

وريحانَها ما بين ذاوٍ ويابِسِ

وريحانَها ما بين ذاوٍ ويابِسِ

I see their roses, some dead and some withering,

I see their roses partly blooming, partly withered;

And their basil, some wilted and some dry.

Their basil partly thriving, partly desiccated.

فَدَتْكَ نَفيساتُ النُّفوسِ مِنَ الرَّدَى

فَدَتْكَ نَفيساتُ النُّفوسِ مِنَ الرَّدَى

ومثلُكَ يُفْدى بالنُّفوسِ النَّفائِسِ

ومثلُكَ يُفْدى بالنُّفوسِ النَّفائِسِ

May precious souls ransom you from death,

You were ransomed, O precious soul, from corruption,

For one like you is ransomed with precious souls.

And the like of you is ransomed with precious souls.

نَسَكْتَ فلا ليلُ الغَبوقِ بمُقْمرٍ

نَسَكْتَ فلا ليلُ الغَبوقِ بمُقْمرٍ

علينا ولا يَومُ الصَّبوحِ بِشامسِ

علينا ولا يَومُ الصَّبوحِ بِشامسِ

You became devout, so the night of evening wine is no longer moonlit

You left us with no full-moon night illuminated

For us, nor is the day of morning wine sunlit.

Nor any daybreak with a shining sun.

كأنَّك لم تَحْدُ الكُؤوسَ وقد حَدَتْ

كأنَّك لم تَحْدُ الكُؤوسَ وقد حَدَتْ

طليعَةُ ضَوْءِ الصّبحِ غيرَ الحَنادِسِ

طليعَةُ ضَوْءِ الصّبحِ غيرَ الحَنادِسِ

As though you had never urged the cups along with song, while

As if you never shared cups, though the first light of dawn

Dawn's vanguard of light had driven on all but deep darkness.

Had challenged the brightest of stars.

ولم تؤنِسِ الشَّربَ الكِرامَ بمُخطفٍ

ولم تؤنِسِ الشَّربَ الكِرامَ بمُخطفٍ

من الزَّنجِ حَنَّانِ الغُدُوِّ مُؤانِسِ

من الزَّنجِ حَنَّانِ الغُدُوِّ مُؤانِسِ

Nor cheered the noble drinking companions with a slender-waisted one

You never delighted honorable drinking with a sweet

From the Zanj, crooning at dawn and bringing cheer,

And gentle brown-skinned wine-bearer at daybreak,

وقد فَتَقَ الإصباحُ رتقَ جفونِهِم

وقد فَتَقَ الإصباحُ رتقَ جفونِهِم

وقارعَ طيبَ الغُمْضِ قَرْعُ النَّواقسِ

وقارعَ طيبَ الغُمْضِ قَرْعُ النَّواقسِ

While daybreak had undone the stitching of their eyelids,

Though the morning shone and their heavy eyelids opened,

And the pealing of bells battled the sweetness of sleep.

Disturbed from tranquil sleep by the crowing of cocks.

هوىً دَرَسَتْ أعلامُه فكأنما

هوىً دَرَسَتْ أعلامُه فكأنما

تَرامَتْ به أيدي الرِّياحِ الرَّوامِسِ

تَرامَتْ به أيدي الرِّياحِ الرَّوامِسِ

A love whose landmarks have been effaced, as though

Passion for him collapsed, as if the hands of gales

The hands of dust-burying winds had tossed it about.

Had demolished his towering heights.

ورَبْعٌ شَكا من فُرقَةِ اللَّهوِ ما شَكَتْ

ورَبْعٌ شَكا من فُرقَةِ اللَّهوِ ما شَكَتْ

رُبوعُ التَّصابي من فِراقِ الأوانِسِ

رُبوعُ التَّصابي من فِراقِ الأوانِسِ

And a dwelling that lamented parting from revelry as

An open expanse complained of the absence of revelry

The haunts of youthful dalliance lamented parting from maidens.

In the same way seclusions complain of losing companions.

فليسَ هَزارُ الشَّدْوِ فيه بناطقٍ

فليسَ هَزارُ الشَّدْوِ فيه بناطقٍ

وليسَ قَضيبُ الرَّقصِ فيهِ بمائِسِ

وليسَ قَضيبُ الرَّقصِ فيهِ بمائِسِ

So the nightingale of song no longer speaks there,

In it, the joking of singers falls silent;

And the slender branch of dance no longer sways there.

In it, the rod of dancers is not transfixed.

أَ أَرغَبُ في اللَّذَّاتِ من بعدِ فارسِ

أَ أَرغَبُ في اللَّذَّاتِ من بعدِ فارسِ

وقد رُمِيَتْ من نُسكِهِ بالدَّهارسِ

وقد رُمِيَتْ من نُسكِهِ بالدَّهارسِ

Shall I seek pleasures after Faris,

Shall I yearn for pleasures after that horseman

When his devotion has struck them with calamities?

When his reins have been cast into abysses?

فتبّاً لها إذ تابَ من نَقْرِ دُفِّهِ

فتبّاً لها إذ تابَ من نَقْرِ دُفِّهِ

ولا سُقِيَت صَوبَ الغُيوثِ الرَّواجِسِ

ولا سُقِيَت صَوبَ الغُيوثِ الرَّواجِسِ

Then ruin upon them, since he repented of tapping his tambourine,

So shame on delights, now that his drumming desists,

And may they never be watered by the downpour of thundering rainclouds.

No longer quenched by pouring downpours.