يَضحَكنَthey laugh عَنrevealing بَرَدٍhailstones وَنورِand blossoms of أَقاحِdaisies
يَضحَكنَ عَن بَرَدٍ وَنورِ أَقاحِ
وَيَشُبنَand they blend طَعمَthe flavor of رُضابِهِنَّtheir saliva بِراحِwith wine
وَيَشُبنَ طَعمَ رُضابِهِنَّ بِراحِ
They laugh, revealing hailstones and daisy blossoms,
They laugh at the cold and the light of pear trees,
and blend the flavor of their saliva with wine.
And their smiles have the flavor of meadows in the wind.
وَإِذاand when بَرَزنَthey emerge مِنَfrom الخُدورِsecluded chambers سَفَرنَthey clear away عَنaway from
وَإِذا بَرَزنَ مِنَ الخُدورِ سَفَرنَ عَن
هَمَّيكَyour two cares مِنwith وَردٍroses وَمِنand with تُفّاحِapples
هَمَّيكَ مِن وَردٍ وَمِن تُفّاحِ
And when they emerge from their secluded chambers, they dispel
When they emerge from their chambers, they reveal
your two cares with roses and apples.
A cure for your cares in roses and apples.
وَإِذاand when كَسَرنَthey half-close جُفونَهُنَّtheir eyelids نَظَرنَthey gaze مِنfrom
وَإِذا كَسَرنَ جُفونَهُنَّ نَظَرنَ مِن
مَرضىailing eyes يَشُفُّكَwastes you away سِحرُهُنَّtheir magic صِحاحِhealthy
مَرضى يَشُفُّكَ سِحرُهُنَّ صِحاحِ
And when they half-close their eyelids, they gaze from
When their lids are lowered, their glances
ailing yet healthy eyes, whose magic wastes you away.
Heal with a sorcery pure and serene.
تَظماthirst إِلَيهِنَّfor them القُلوبُhearts وَقَدand may تَرىyou see
تَظما إِلَيهِنَّ القُلوبُ وَقَد تَرى
فيهِنَّin them رِيَّthe thirst-quenching of الهائِمِthe lovesick one المُلتاحِthe parched one
فيهِنَّ رِيَّ الهائِمِ المُلتاحِ
Hearts thirst for them, though you may find
Hearts flock to them, and one may see
in them the slaking of the parched lover's thirst.
In them the confused gait of the love-smote gazelle.
وَالحُبُّand love سُقمٌsickness لِلصَحيحِfor the healthy إِذاwhen غَلاgoes to excess
وَالحُبُّ سُقمٌ لِلصَحيحِ إِذا غَلا
فيهِin it المُحِبُّthe lover وَنَشوَةٌand intoxication لِلصاحيfor the sober
فيهِ المُحِبُّ وَنَشوَةٌ لِلصاحي
And love is sickness for the healthy when pursued to excess
Love makes the healthy ill when passion
by the lover, and intoxication for the sober.
O’erflows in the lover—yet to the wakeful it is joy.
بَكَرَcame early العَذولُthe reproacher فَكَفَّso he blunted غَربَthe edge of بَطالَتيmy frivolity
بَكَرَ العَذولُ فَكَفَّ غَربَ بَطالَتي
وَبَداand appeared المَشيبُgray hair فَكَفَّso it blunted غَربَthe edge of جِماحيmy unruliness
وَبَدا المَشيبُ فَكَفَّ غَربَ جِماحي
The reproacher came early and dulled the edge of my frivolity,
My celibacy ceased, stopping the westering of my prime,
and gray hair appeared and dulled the edge of my unruliness.
And gray hair appeared, halting the flight of my youth.
قَدalready آنَthe time has come أَنto أَعصيI defy الغَوايَةَtemptation إِذnow that نَضاhas faded
قَد آنَ أَن أَعصي الغَوايَةَ إِذ نَضا
صِبغُthe dye of الشَبابِyouth وَأَنand to أُطيعَI obey اللاحيthe reproacher
صِبغُ الشَبابِ وَأَن أُطيعَ اللاحي
It is time to defy temptation, with the fading
Now is the time to disobey wantonness, since the hue
of youth's dye, and to obey the reproacher.
Of youth has passed, and to obey seemliness.
لَأُخَبِّرَنَّكَI shall surely tell you عَنabout بَنيthe sons of الجَرّاحِal-Jarrah
لَأُخَبِّرَنَّكَ عَن بَني الجَرّاحِ
وَعَتادِهِمand their store مِنof سُؤدُدٍnobility وَسَماحِand generosity
وَعَتادِهِم مِن سُؤدُدٍ وَسَماحِ
I shall surely tell you of Banu al-Jarrah,
I will tell you about the clan of al-Jarrāḥ
and their store of nobility and generosity,
And their gear of saddles and generosity.
وَمَكانِهِمand their standing مِنin فارِسٍPersia حَيثُwhere التَقَتhave met
وَمَكانِهِم مِن فارِسٍ حَيثُ التَقَت
غُرَرُthe forehead blazes of الجِيادِfine steeds تُعانُare reinforced بِالأَوضاحِby white markings
غُرَرُ الجِيادِ تُعانُ بِالأَوضاحِ
and their standing in Persia, where meet
Their abode was in Persia where the steeds
the blazes of fine steeds, reinforced by white markings.
Contend, urged on with cries at morningtide,
مِنfrom بَيتِa house of مَكرُمَةٍnoble deeds وَعِزِّand the might of أَرومَةٍancestry
مِن بَيتِ مَكرُمَةٍ وَعِزِّ أَرومَةٍ
بَسلٍinviolable عَلىto المُتَغَلِّبينَusurpers لَقاحِunsubdued
بَسلٍ عَلى المُتَغَلِّبينَ لَقاحِ
From a house of noble deeds and ancestral might,
A house of honor and the glory of noble lineage,
inviolable to usurpers, unsubdued.
Conquering, yet gentle to those defeated.
وَرِثواthey inherited الكِتابَةَthe scribal art وَالفُروسَةَand horsemanship قَبلَهاbefore it
وَرِثوا الكِتابَةَ وَالفُروسَةَ قَبلَها
عَنfrom كُلِّevery أَبيَضَfair-faced man مِنهُمُamong them وَضّاحِradiant
عَن كُلِّ أَبيَضَ مِنهُمُ وَضّاحِ
They inherited the scribal art, and horsemanship before it,
They inherited writing and horsemanship
from every fair-faced, radiant man among them.
From every white ancestor of theirs, illustrious,
كُتّابُscribes مُلكٍof the realm يَستَقيمُis straightened بِرَأيِهِمby their counsel
كُتّابُ مُلكٍ يَستَقيمُ بِرَأيِهِم
أَوَدُthe crookedness of الخِلافَةِthe caliphate أَوor أُسودُlions of صَباحِdawn raids
أَوَدُ الخِلافَةِ أَو أُسودُ صَباحِ
Royal scribes, whose counsel straightens
Scribes to kings whose rule was just because of their counsels,
the caliphate's crookedness, or lions of dawn raids,
Bringing to the Caliphate splendor or bright dawn.
بِصُدورِwith the points of أَقلامٍpens تَرُدُّrestore إِلَيهِمُto them
بِصُدورِ أَقلامٍ تَرُدُّ إِلَيهِمُ
شَرَفَthe honor of الرِياسَةِleadership أَوor صُدورِthe points of رِماحِspears
شَرَفَ الرِياسَةِ أَو صُدورِ رِماحِ
with pen-points that restore to them
With the breasts of their pens they return
the honor of leadership, or with spear-points.
To them glory of governance or breasts of spears.
أَمّاas for الخُطوبُcalamities فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I غالَبتُهاwrestled with them
أَمّا الخُطوبُ فَإِنَّني غالَبتُها
فَغَلَبتُهاso I overcame them بِالأَغلَبِthrough the mighty one الجَحجاحِthe magnanimous lord
فَغَلَبتُها بِالأَغلَبِ الجَحجاحِ
As for calamities, I wrestled with them,
As for misfortunes, I have overcome them
and overcame them through the mighty, magnanimous lord,
And conquered them by means most excellent.
بِأَبيthrough Abu مُحَمَّدٍِMuhammad الَّذيwho طالَتgrew long يَديmy hand
بِأَبي مُحَمَّدٍِ الَّذي طالَت يَدي
بِنَدىthrough the bounty of يَدَيهِhis two hands وَتَمَّand became complete ريشُthe feathers of جَناحيmy wing
بِنَدى يَدَيهِ وَتَمَّ ريشُ جَناحي
through Abu Muhammad, by whom my hand grew long,
By my father Muḥammad, whose hand’s dew reached me
through his hands' bounty, and my wing's feathers grew full.
And perfected the plumage of my wings.
ضَحِكاتُهُhis laughter بِشرُthe cheer of النَوالِgiving وَكَفُّهُand his palm
ضَحِكاتُهُ بِشرُ النَوالِ وَكَفُّهُ
بَحرٌa sea لِكَفِّfor the hand of الطالِبِthe seeker المُمتاحِthe water-drawer
بَحرٌ لِكَفِّ الطالِبِ المُمتاحِ
His laughter is the cheer of giving, and his palm
His laughter foretells favor, his palm a sea
a sea for the hand of the seeker drawing from it.
To the seeker’s palm unstinting.
وَالنائِلُand bounty الغَمرُdeep الهَنِيُّdelightful غَداwent forth بِناwith us
وَالنائِلُ الغَمرُ الهَنِيُّ غَدا بِنا
عَنaway from نَزرِthe meagerness of أَهلِthe possessors of النائِلِbounty الضَحضاحِshallow
عَن نَزرِ أَهلِ النائِلِ الضَحضاحِ
And deep, delightful bounty has carried us away
The copious receiver, made joyful, will become, through us,
from the meager gifts of those whose bounty is shallow.
Independent of the owners of scanty streams.
نَفسيmy soul فِداؤُكَyour ransom طالَماso often أَغنَيتَنيyou enriched me
نَفسي فِداؤُكَ طالَما أَغنَيتَني
فَكَفَيتَنيso you spared me need عَنof هَذِهِthese الأَشباحِbodily forms
فَكَفَيتَني عَن هَذِهِ الأَشباحِ
My soul be your ransom! So often you have enriched me,
My soul be your ransom! Oft you have enriched me,
and spared me dependence on these mere shapes:
Sparing me these phantoms.
خِلَقٌoutward forms مُخَيَّلَةٌillusory بِغَيرِwithout خَلائِقٍcharacter traits
خِلَقٌ مُخَيَّلَةٌ بِغَيرِ خَلائِقٍ
تُرضىthat are approved وَأَبدانٌand bodies بِلاwithout أَرواحِsouls
تُرضى وَأَبدانٌ بِلا أَرواحِ
illusory forms, without qualities
Imagined natures, without natural traits,
one could approve, and bodies without souls.
Pleased; and bodies without spirits.
فَعَلَيكَso on you دونَهُمُrather than them يَكونُshall be مُعَوَّليmy reliance
فَعَلَيكَ دونَهُمُ يَكونُ مُعَوَّلي
وَإِلَيكَand to you عَنهُمaway from them غُدوَتيmy morning journey وَرَواحيand my evening journey
وَإِلَيكَ عَنهُم غُدوَتي وَرَواحي
So on you, rather than them, shall my reliance rest,
Therefore my reliance will be placed in you, beyond them,
and to you, away from them, I journey morning and evening.
And my going and coming be toward you, away from them.
كَمhow many مِنof يَدٍa favor لَكَof yours لَمnot أَكُنI was أَشريbuying بِهاwith it
كَم مِن يَدٍ لَكَ لَم أَكُن أَشري بِها
رِبعِيَّspringtime صَوبِdownpour of الديمَةِsteady rain السَحّاحِpouring abundantly
رِبعِيَّ صَوبِ الديمَةِ السَحّاحِ
How many a favor of yours I would not exchange for
How many hands have been yours though I did not point them
the spring downpour of steady, pouring rain!
Toward the fertile plain with palm trees luxuriant!
إِنif سُدتَyou surpassed فيهاin them المُنعِمينَthe benefactors فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I
إِن سُدتَ فيها المُنعِمينَ فَإِنَّني
فيin الشُكرِgratitude عَنهاfor them سَيِّدُthe chief of المُدّاحِpraise-poets
في الشُكرِ عَنها سَيِّدُ المُدّاحِ
If in these favors you lead all benefactors, then I am
If you have shut up the beneficent there, yet I
in gratitude for them, the chief of praise-poets.
In gratitude will be foremost of praisers.
وَلَئِنand if indeed سَأَلتُكَI asked you حاجَتيmy need فَبِعُقبِthen after ماhaving
وَلَئِن سَأَلتُكَ حاجَتي فَبِعُقبِ ما
عَظَّمتُهاI made it great وَوَثِقتُand I trusted بِالإِنجاحِin fulfillment
عَظَّمتُها وَوَثِقتُ بِالإِنجاحِ
And if I have asked you for what I need, it was after
If I have asked a need of you, by the consequence of what
I had made it a large request and trusted it would be granted.
I have exalted and been confident would be granted.