جَادَتْmay pour generously عَلَيْكَupon you مِنَfrom السَّحَابِthe clouds سَوارِيnight-roaming rainclouds
جَادَتْ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ السَّحَابِ سَوارِي
بِمَدامِعٍwith tears تَرْوِيwater حِمَاكَyour protected grounds غِزَارِabundant
بِمَدامِعٍ تَرْوِي حِمَاكَ غِزَارِ
May night-roaming clouds pour generously upon you
with abundant tears that water your protected grounds.
ياO مَرْبَعَspring abode of الأطرابjoys والأَتْرابِand companions of like age بَلْrather
يا مَرْبَعَ الأطراب والأَتْرابِ بَلْ
يَاO مَرْبَعَspring abode of الأَنْواءِrainstorms وَالأَنْوَارِand blossoms
يَا مَرْبَعَ الأَنْواءِ وَالأَنْوَارِ
O spring abode of joys and companions of like age—nay,
O spring abode of rainstorms and blossoms!
رَبْعٌa dwelling قَطَعْتُI spent بهin it اللَّياليthe nights وَاصِلاًjoining
رَبْعٌ قَطَعْتُ به اللَّيالي وَاصِلاً
خَمْرَthe wine of اللذاذةِpleasure والهَوَىand passion بِخُمارِwith a hangover
خَمْرَ اللذاذةِ والهَوَى بِخُمارِ
A dwelling where I spent the nights, joining
the wine of pleasure and passion with a hangover,
حَتَّىuntil كَأَنِّيas though I لِلْخَلاَعَةِfor wanton revelry آخِذٌtaking
حَتَّى كَأَنِّي لِلْخَلاَعَةِ آخِذٌ
بِيدِby the hand of الصِّبَاyouth مِنْagainst صَرْفِهنَّtheir vicissitudes بِثَارِin vengeance
بِيدِ الصِّبَا مِنْ صَرْفِهنَّ بِثَارِ
until, for wanton revelry, I seemed to be taking
vengeance on the nights’ vicissitudes by the hand of youth;
حَيْثُwhere التَّغَزُّلُlove poetry لاnot التَّعَزُّلُseclusion شِيمَتيmy way
حَيْثُ التَّغَزُّلُ لا التَّعَزُّلُ شِيمَتي
وَوِصَالُand union with رَبَّاتِladies of الشُّعُورِtresses شِعَارِيmy watchword
وَوِصَالُ رَبَّاتِ الشُّعُورِ شِعَارِي
where love poetry, not seclusion, was my way,
and union with long-haired women my watchword.
إذْwhen لاnot يَعُوجُturns aside إلىtoward الدِّيارِthe dwellings مُسائِلاًquestioning
إذْ لا يَعُوجُ إلى الدِّيارِ مُسائِلاً
شِعْريmy verse ولاnor أَشْكُوI lament فِراقَparting from قِفَارِbarren wastes
شِعْري ولا أَشْكُو فِراقَ قِفَارِ
When it would not turn to question the dwellings—
my verse—nor would I lament parting from barren wastes.
وَإِذَاand when جَنَحْتُI inclined إلىtoward الحِسَانِbeautiful women تَعَشُّقاًout of love
وَإِذَا جَنَحْتُ إلى الحِسَانِ تَعَشُّقاً
شَفَعتْpaired شَبِيبتيmy youthful prime الهَوْىpassion بِيَسارِwith wealth
شَفَعتْ شَبِيبتي الهَوْى بِيَسارِ
And when I turned toward beauties out of love,
my youthful prime paired passion with wealth.
وَلَّتْit departed فَلَيْسَso there is none سِوىexcept الشَّبابِyouth مُصَاحِبيmy companion
وَلَّتْ فَلَيْسَ سِوى الشَّبابِ مُصَاحِبي
مِنْهَاfrom it وَلَيْسَand there is none سِوَىexcept الرَّجَاءِhope بِجَارِيmy neighbor
مِنْهَا وَلَيْسَ سِوَى الرَّجَاءِ بِجَارِي
It has departed; youth alone is my companion
from it, and hope alone is my neighbor.
وكِلَاهُماand both of them عِنْدِيto me تَعِلَّةُthe consolation of رَاقِدٍa sleeper
وكِلَاهُما عِنْدِي تَعِلَّةُ رَاقِدٍ
مُتَرقِّبٍawaiting طَيْفَthe phantom of الخيالِthe vision السَّاريroaming by night
مُتَرقِّبٍ طَيْفَ الخيالِ السَّاري
And both, to me, are a sleeper’s consolation,
awaiting the phantom of a vision roaming by night.
وَلَقَدْand indeed أَقُولُI say لِصَاحِبيَّto my two companions بِرَمْلَةِon the sands of الthe (al-)
وَلَقَدْ أَقُولُ لِصَاحِبيَّ بِرَمْلَةِ ال
جَرْعَاءِJarʿāʾ ماsomewhere بَيْنَbetween النَّقاal-Naqā (the dune) والغَارِand al-Ghār (the cave)
جَرْعَاءِ ما بَيْنَ النَّقا والغَارِ
And indeed I say to my two companions on the sands of al-
Jarʿāʾ, somewhere between al-Naqā and al-Ghār,
حَيْثُwhere النِّياقُthe she-camels بناwith us تَسيرُtravel وَنَحْنُwhile we فيin
حَيْثُ النِّياقُ بنا تَسيرُ وَنَحْنُ في
قَلْبِthe heart of الدُّجَىnight’s darkness أَخْفىmore hidden مِنَthan الأَسْرارِsecrets
قَلْبِ الدُّجَى أَخْفى مِنَ الأَسْرارِ
where the she-camels carry us onward, while we, in
the heart of night, are more hidden than secrets:
لاdo not تَخْدَعنَّكُمَاdeceive you two المَعاطِفُthe curving figures إِنِّهاindeed they
لا تَخْدَعنَّكُمَا المَعاطِفُ إِنِّها
قَدindeed أَنَحلَتْhave made gaunt سُمْرَbrown القَناlances الخطَّارِswaying
قَد أَنَحلَتْ سُمْرَ القَنا الخطَّارِ
Do not let those curving figures deceive you two: they
have made the swaying brown lances waste away.
وَتوَّقَياand you two beware تِلْكَthose المحاسِنcharms إِنّهاindeed they
وَتوَّقَيا تِلْكَ المحاسِن إِنّها
نَارُthe fire of القُلوبُhearts وَجَنَّةُand the paradise of الأَبْصَارِeyes
نَارُ القُلوبُ وَجَنَّةُ الأَبْصَارِ
And beware, you two, of those charms: they are
the hearts’ fire and the eyes’ paradise.
مَدْحُpraise of الوَزيرِthe vizier أَحقُّmost deserving ماthat which صُرِفَتْwere turned لَهُtoward it
مَدْحُ الوَزيرِ أَحقُّ ما صُرِفَتْ لَهُ
عِنْدَamid القَوافيthe rhymes أَعْيُنُthe eyes of الأَبِكَارِvirgins
عِنْدَ القَوافي أَعْيُنُ الأَبِكَارِ
Praise of the vizier is the worthiest aim toward which are turned
amid the rhymes, the eyes of virgins.
Translation model: Sol 6.1