قدalready أمكنَbecame attainable to الطالبَthe seeker مطلوبُwhat is sought
قد أمكنَ الطالبَ مطلوبُ
وأسعَدَand brought good fortune الغُرُّthe illustrious المناجيبُthe noble ones
وأسعَدَ الغُرُّ المناجيبُ
The seeker's desire is now within his reach,
The student has attained what he desired
And the illustrious, noble ones have brought good fortune.
And the love-lorn one's wishes were fulfilled
والغَيثُand the rain قدalready بانَappeared لهbelonging to it عارضٌa raincloud
والغَيثُ قد بانَ له عارضٌ
علىupon بِساطِthe carpet الرّوضِthe meadow مَسكوبُpoured out
على بِساطِ الرّوضِ مَسكوبُ
And the rain's cloud has now appeared,
The rain appeared with clouds
Poured out upon the meadow's carpet.
Poured over the garden's carpet
والفجرُand dawn كالراهبِlike the monk قدalready مُزِّقَتْwere torn
والفجرُ كالراهبِ قد مُزِّقَتْ
منout of طَرَبٍecstasy عنهoff it الجلابيبُthe robes
من طَرَبٍ عنه الجلابيبُ
And dawn, like a monk, has had its robes torn
Dawn ripped its robes in ecstasy
Away in ecstasy.
Throwing off its cloaks
فقُمْso rise بناwith us نَنعَمُlet us enjoy ourselves فيin مَنزلٍa dwelling
فقُمْ بنا نَنعَمُ في مَنزلٍ
نعيمُهits pleasure الدائمُlasting محبوبُbeloved
نعيمُه الدائمُ محبوبُ
So rise with us, and let us delight in a dwelling
Rise with us to dwell in a home
Whose lasting pleasure is beloved.
Whose eternal bliss is beloved
ونشتريand we buy منهfrom it رخيصاًcheaply بهin it
ونشتري منه رخيصاً به
كأنهas though it were للرُّخصِbecause of cheapness موهوبُgiven freely
كأنه للرُّخصِ موهوبُ
And buy its pleasure there so cheaply
We'll buy it cheaply
That, for its cheapness, it seems a gift.
As if it was gifted to affordability
بيتٌa house بَنَتْهُbuilt it حُكماءُthe sages الوَرىhumankind
بيتٌ بَنَتْهُ حُكماءُ الوَرى
فهوso it إلىto الحكمَةِwisdom مَنسوبُascribed
فهو إلى الحكمَةِ مَنسوبُ
A house built by the sages of humankind,
The sages built this house
And so ascribed to wisdom.
So it's attributed to wisdom
مُجاورُneighboring النَّارِthe fire ولكنَّهbut it
مُجاورُ النَّارِ ولكنَّه
يُجاورُkeeps company with الروحَthe soul بهwithin it الطِّيبُfragrance
يُجاورُ الروحَ به الطِّيبُ
It stands beside the fire, yet
It neighbors fire but
Within it, fragrance keeps the soul company.
Within it is sweet aromas
حَرٌّheat هوit is الظِّلُّshade لأجسادِناfor our bodies
حَرٌّ هو الظِّلُّ لأجسادِنا
والحَرُّand heat للأجسامِfor bodies تعذيبُtorment
والحَرُّ للأجسامِ تعذيبُ
Heat serves as shade for our bodies,
It's hot but its shade cools our bodies
Though heat is torment to bodies.
While heat tortures bodies
طابَwas delightful فلوso if رَدَّrestored شبابَyouth امرئٍa man
طابَ فلو رَدَّ شبابَ امرئٍ
لارتدَّwould become again شُبّاناًyoung men بهwithin it الشِّيبُthe grey-haired
لارتدَّ شُبّاناً به الشِّيبُ
It is delightful; if it restored a man's youth,
If the youth of a man returns
The grey-haired would turn young within it.
His white hair turns youthful again
كأنهas though it were إذwhen ضَحِكَتْsmiled جُدْرُهُits walls
كأنه إذ ضَحِكَتْ جُدْرُهُ
منfrom خالصِpure الفِضَّةِsilver مَصبوبُcast
من خالصِ الفِضَّةِ مَصبوبُ
It is as though, when its walls smile,
As if when its walls laugh
It were cast from pure silver.
Cast of pure silver
كأَنَّas though ماwhat قُبِّبَwas domed منof سَقفهِits roof
كأَنَّ ما قُبِّبَ من سَقفهِ
قِحْفٌa bowl منof البَلَّورِcrystal مكْبوبُturned upside down
قِحْفٌ من البَلَّورِ مكْبوبُ
As though the domed part of its roof
As if its arched ceiling
Were an inverted bowl of crystal.
Was made of molded crystal
كمhow many a سالبٍone who strips بِزَّةَthe garb أعدائِهof his enemies
كم سالبٍ بِزَّةَ أعدائِه
أطرقَbowed his head فيهwithin it وهوwhile he مَسلوبُstripped
أطرقَ فيه وهو مَسلوبُ
How many a man who strips his enemies of their garb
How often a leper finds shelter
Has bowed his head here, himself stripped!
And leaves cured of his affliction
فربَّfor many a شَيءٍthing فيهwithin it أبصرْتَهyou saw it
فربَّ شَيءٍ فيه أبصرْتَه
لولاهbut for it أضحىwould be وهوwhile it مَحجوبُconcealed
لولاه أضحى وهو مَحجوبُ
For many a thing you have seen within it
Many things in it you will see
Would, but for it, have been concealed.
Veiled, if not for it
يخلوis empty وفيهand within it منof صُنوفِvarieties الوَغىwarfare
يخلو وفيه من صُنوفِ الوَغى
للصيَّدِof hunting والقَصْفِand revelry أعاجيبُmarvels
للصيَّدِ والقَصْفِ أعاجيبُ
It is empty, yet within it are varied scenes of warfare,
Alone yet filled with wonders
And marvels of hunting and revelry.
Of hunting and archery
تعترضُappear across الخيلُthe horses علىon جُدرهits walls
تعترضُ الخيلُ على جُدره
قُبْلاًface-on فَمجنوبٌso one led alongside ومَركوبُand one ridden
قُبْلاً فَمجنوبٌ ومَركوبُ
Horses appear across its walls,
Horses gallop up to its walls
Face-on: some led alongside, some ridden.
Riderless, saddled
وتلتقيand meet بالبيضِwith shining swords فرسانُهits horsemen
وتلتقي بالبيضِ فرسانُه
فضاربٌso one striking منهمamong them ومضروبُand one struck
فضاربٌ منهم ومضروبُ
And its horsemen meet with shining swords:
Its horsemen meet with spears
Some among them striking, others struck.
Striking and struck
مَنظرُa scene حربٍof war ماnot لهاit has مَخْبَرٌreality
مَنظرُ حربٍ ما لها مَخْبَرٌ
سلاحُهاits weapons بالدَّمِwith blood مخَضوبُstained
سلاحُها بالدَّمِ مخَضوبُ
A scene of war with no reality behind it,
A scene of war sans witness
Its weapons stained with blood.
Its weapons blood-stained
لاnot يَرتجيhopes for العزَّglory بهاthrough it غالبٌa victor
لا يَرتجي العزَّ بها غالبٌ
ولاnor يخافُfears الذُّلَّhumiliation مغلوبُone defeated
ولا يخافُ الذُّلَّ مغلوبُ
No victor hopes for glory through it,
No victor hopes for glory here
Nor does any defeated man fear humiliation.
No loser fears disgrace
وتطرُدُand pursue الوحشَthe wild beasts بهاin it أكلبٌhounds
وتطرُدُ الوحشَ بها أكلبٌ
داميةٌbloodied منهاof them المَخاليبُthe claws
داميةٌ منها المَخاليبُ
And hounds pursue the wild beasts there,
Hounds chase beasts within
Their claws bloodied.
Bloody-jawed, fierce
فَلَبَّةٌso a throat بالنَّابِby a fang مَلبوبةٌpierced in the throat
فَلَبَّةٌ بالنَّابِ مَلبوبةٌ
ومَنكِبٌand a shoulder بالظِّفْرِby a claw منكوبwounded
ومَنكِبٌ بالظِّفْرِ منكوب
So a throat is pierced by a fang,
A lioness, fangs bared
And a shoulder wounded by a claw.
Pouncing, claws unsheathed
ويَشربُand drinks الرَّاحَwine بهwithin it شاربٌa drinker
ويَشربُ الرَّاحَ به شاربٌ
مُرتَفِقleaning on an elbow بالتاجِwith a crown مَعْصوبُbound about the head
مُرتَفِق بالتاجِ مَعْصوبُ
And a drinker drinks wine within it,
A drinker sips wine
Leaning on his elbow, his head bound with a crown.
Crowned cup in hand
عِيانُهhis appearance يُنْبِيكَtells you عنof نعمةٍluxury
عِيانُه يُنْبِيكَ عن نعمةٍ
وَهْوَyet he بماin what عايْنتَyou have seen مَكذوبُfalsely portrayed
وَهْوَ بما عايْنتَ مَكذوبُ
His appearance tells you of luxury,
Its pleasures teach you nothing
Yet what you have seen of him is unreal.
Lies, though seen with eyes
حتىuntil إذاwhen نِلْتَyou enjoyed بهwithin it لَذَّةًa pleasure
حتى إذا نِلْتَ به لَذَّةً
ليسَthere is not علىupon مَنwhoever نالَهاenjoyed it حُوبُsin
ليسَ على مَن نالَها حُوبُ
At last, when you had enjoyed a pleasure there
Until you attain delight
For which no one who enjoys it incurs sin,
No blame on those who do
مِلْناwe turned إلىto شُربٍdrinking حلالٍlawful لناfor us
مِلْنا إلى شُربٍ حلالٍ لنا
إنindeed الحلالَwhat is lawful الطِّلْقَfreely permitted مَشروبُdrinkable
إن الحلالَ الطِّلْقَ مَشروبُ
We turned to drinking lawful for us:
We crave permitted drink
For what is freely permitted may be drunk.
For the lawful is pure and potable
راحَbegan يُحيِّيكَgreets you بهاwith it شادنٌa young gazelle
راحَ يُحيِّيكَ بها شادنٌ
زَيَّنَهadorned him ظَرْفٌgrace وتأديبُand good breeding
زَيَّنَه ظَرْفٌ وتأديبُ
A young gazelle began to greet you with it,
A server revives you with it
Adorned by grace and good breeding.
Graced by manner and tact
فالمسكُso musk مهجورٌforsaken إذاwhen صُفِّقَتْit is decanted
فالمسكُ مهجورٌ إذا صُفِّقَتْ
فيinto الكاسthe cup والكافورُand camphor مَسبوبُreviled
في الكاس والكافورُ مَسبوبُ
So musk is forsaken when it is decanted
Musk is spurned when glasses
Into the cup, and camphor is reviled.
Clink, camphor poured
وليسَand does not يكبوstumble الهمُّworry إلاexcept إذاwhen
وليسَ يكبو الهمُّ إلا إذا
أُعمِلَis put to work فيهagainst it الكاسُthe cup والكُوبُand the goblet
أُعمِلَ فيه الكاسُ والكُوبُ
Nor does worry stumble, except when
Cares dissolve only when
The cup and goblet are put to work against it.
Cups and goblets ply their work