قَرُبَتdrew near مِنَto الفِعلِthe deed الكَريمِnoble يَداكاyour two hands
قَرُبَت مِنَ الفِعلِ الكَريمِ يَداكا
وَنَأىand was far off عَلىfor المُتَطَلِّبينَthose who aspire مَداكاyour reach
وَنَأى عَلى المُتَطَلِّبينَ مَداكا
Your hands are ever close to noble deeds,
Your two hands are close to noble deeds,
while your farthest reach eludes all who aspire.
and your reach lies far beyond those who aspire.
فَاِسلَمso remain safe أَباfather of نوحٍNuh لِتَشييدِto build up العُلاglory
فَاِسلَم أَبا نوحٍ لِتَشييدِ العُلا
وَفَداكَand may ransom you مِنfrom صَرفِvicissitudes الزَمانِtime عِداكاyour enemies
وَفَداكَ مِن صَرفِ الزَمانِ عِداكا
Live safe, Abu Nuh, to raise the heights of glory;
So remain safe, Abu Nuh, to build up glory,
may your foes ransom you from Fortune’s turns.
and may your foes ransom you from time's vicissitudes.
إِنّيindeed I لَأُضمِرُI surely harbor لِلرَبيعِfor spring مَحَبَّةًlove
إِنّي لَأُضمِرُ لِلرَبيعِ مَحَبَّةً
إِذsince كُنتُI was أَعتَدُI consider الرَبيعَspring أَخاكاyour brother
إِذ كُنتُ أَعتَدُ الرَبيعَ أَخاكا
Indeed, I harbor love for Spring,
I indeed harbor a love for spring,
since I have always counted Spring your brother.
since I have regarded spring as your brother.
وَأَراكَand I behold you بِالعَينِwith the eye الَّتيthat لَمdid not تَنصَرِفturn
وَأَراكَ بِالعَينِ الَّتي لَم تَنصَرِف
أَلحاظُهاits glances إِلّاexcept إِلىtoward نُعماكاyour bounty
أَلحاظُها إِلّا إِلى نُعماكا
I behold you with an eye whose glances
And I behold you with the eye that has never turned
have never turned except toward your favors.
its glances anywhere but toward your bounty.
ماwhat لِلمُدامِwith the wine تَأَخَّرَتwas delayed عَنfrom فِتيَةٍyoung men
ما لِلمُدامِ تَأَخَّرَت عَن فِتيَةٍ
عَزَمواthey resolved upon السَبوحَthe morning draught (likely intended) وَأَمَّلواand hoped for جَدواكاyour bounty
عَزَموا السَبوحَ وَأَمَّلوا جَدواكا
Why has the wine been slow to reach young men
Why has the wine been late for young men
resolved upon the morning draught and hoping for your bounty?
who resolved on the morning draught and hoped for your bounty?
بَكَرَتcame early لَهُمfor them سُقياwatering السَحابِthe clouds وَقَصَّرَتand fell short
بَكَرَت لَهُم سُقيا السَحابِ وَقَصَّرَت
عَنهُمof them أَوانَthe time of تَعِلَّةٍdiversion سُقياكاyour gift of drink
عَنهُم أَوانَ تَعِلَّةٍ سُقياكا
The rain cloud’s watering came early to them, yet
The clouds' watering reached them early, yet
your cup, at the hour of refreshment, held back from them.
your gift of drink failed them at the hour of diversion.
ماnot كانَwas صَوبُthe downpour المُزنِthe rain clouds يَطمَعُhoping قَبلَهاbefore it
ما كانَ صَوبُ المُزنِ يَطمَعُ قَبلَها
فيfor أَنthat يَجيءَit should arrive نَداهُits moisture قَبلَbefore نَداكاyour bounty
في أَن يَجيءَ نَداهُ قَبلَ نَداكا
Never before did the rain cloud’s downpour dream
Before this, the clouds' downpour had never hoped
that its largesse might arrive before your own.
that its moisture would arrive before your bounty.
وَلَدَيكَand with you صافِيَةٌa clear wine كَأَنَّas though نَسيمَهاits fragrance
وَلَدَيكَ صافِيَةٌ كَأَنَّ نَسيمَها
مِنfrom طيبِthe sweetness of عَرفِكَyour scent أَوor جَميلِthe beauty of نَثاكاyour renown
مِن طيبِ عَرفِكَ أَو جَميلِ نَثاكا
You have a limpid wine whose breath seems born
And you have a clear wine whose fragrance seems
of your sweet fragrance or your lovely renown.
to come from your sweet scent or your fair renown.
وَكَأَنَّand as though بِشرَكَyour smiling countenance فيin شُعاعِthe radiance of كُؤوسِهاits cups
وَكَأَنَّ بِشرَكَ في شُعاعِ كُؤوسِها
لَمّاwhen تَوالَتthey followed one another فيin الأَكُفِّthe hands دِراكاin quick succession
لَمّا تَوالَت في الأَكُفِّ دِراكا
As though your smiling welcome gleamed within the radiance of its cups
And your smiling face seems reflected in its cups' radiance,
when, one upon another, they passed through the hands.
when they passed in quick succession through the hands.
تَجلوthey brighten بِرَونَقِهاwith their luster العُيونَthe eyes إِذاwhen بَدَتthey appear
تَجلو بِرَونَقِها العُيونَ إِذا بَدَت
رِسلاًin groups وَنَشرَبُهاand we drink it عَلىin ذِكراكاremembrance of you
رِسلاً وَنَشرَبُها عَلى ذِكراكا
Its brilliance clears the eyes when it appears
They brighten the eyes with their luster when they appear
in gentle succession; we drink it in remembrance of you.
in groups; and we drink it in remembrance of you.
يُغنيsuffices for النَديمَthe boon companion عَنِin place of الغِناءِsong حَديثُناour talk
يُغني النَديمَ عَنِ الغِناءِ حَديثُنا
بِمَحاسِنٍof fine qualities لَكَyours لَمdid not تَكُنexist لِسِواكاfor anyone other than you
بِمَحاسِنٍ لَكَ لَم تَكُن لِسِواكا
Our talk spares the drinking companion any need for song—
Our talk leaves the boon companion no need for song,
it tells of virtues yours alone, possessed by none besides.
of fine qualities yours alone, possessed by no one else.
