كأنَّas though عُقاراًpotent wine خَنْدَريساًwell-aged تَضوعتgave off fragrance
كأنَّ عُقاراً خَنْدَريساً تَضوعت
مَناطِيلُهاits wine-vessels منfrom طيبهاits sweet scent والنَّياطِلُand wine-measures
مَناطِيلُها من طيبها والنَّياطِلُ
As though an aged wine had breathed its fragrance abroad—
As though a potent, aged wine, perfuming
whose great flagons and brimming cups were fragrant with its sweetness—
its wine-vessels and measures with its sweet scent,
تُشَجُّis diluted بأشْراطِيَّةٍwith early-spring rainwater مُطْمَئنَّةٍstill
تُشَجُّ بأشْراطِيَّةٍ مُطْمَئنَّةٍ
مواسِمُهاits appointed times أسْحارُهاits predawn hours والأصائِلُand late afternoons
مواسِمُها أسْحارُها والأصائِلُ
blended with the placid waters of Ashrāṭiyya,
mixed with the still waters of an early-spring rain,
whose appointed seasons are dawn and late afternoon;
whose appointed times are predawn and late afternoon,
حوىgathered دَرَّهاits abundant rain دونrather than النَّحائزlong sand-ridges والصُّوىand cairns
حوى دَرَّها دون النَّحائز والصُّوى
وقائِعُrock pools منof صَمَّانِهاits stony uplands وخمائلُand lush hollows
وقائِعُ من صَمَّانِها وخمائلُ
its abundant flow gathered before hollows and stone markers,
whose flow was gathered, not by sand-ridges and cairns,
in pools among its rocky tracts and leafy bowers:
but by rock pools and lush hollows in its stony uplands,
سجاياcharacter traits الوزيرthe minister الخِنْدِفِيِّthe Khindifi ولُطْفهand his gentleness
سجايا الوزير الخِنْدِفِيِّ ولُطْفه
إذاwhen الغيظُanger أضحىhas become وهوwhile it is للحلمto forbearance خاذلdisloyal
إذا الغيظُ أضحى وهو للحلم خاذل
such are the inborn traits and gentleness of the Khindifī minister
were the Khindifi minister's virtues and his gentleness,
when anger shows itself, at odds with forbearance.
when anger takes hold and forsakes forbearance.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أُمِرَّتْis embittered نفسهhis soul منby دَنِيَّةٍa base deed
إذا ما أُمِرَّتْ نفسه من دَنِيَّةٍ
فمعسولةٌthen honey-sweet نَعْماؤهُhis favors والشَّمائلُand character traits
فمعسولةٌ نَعْماؤهُ والشَّمائلُ
Whenever some baseness makes his soul bitter,
Whenever his soul is embittered by a base deed,
honey-sweet remain his favors and his ways.
then his favors and character are honey-sweet.
يَسُرُّكَdelights you منهin him جودُهُhis generosity ورواؤهُand his handsome presence
يَسُرُّكَ منه جودُهُ ورواؤهُ
فبَدْرٌthus a full moon وغيثٌand rain مُسْتنيرٌradiant وهاطِلُand pouring
فبَدْرٌ وغيثٌ مُسْتنيرٌ وهاطِلُ
His generosity and radiant appearance delight you:
What delights you in him is his generosity and handsome presence:
a full moon and a rain cloud—one shining, one pouring.
a radiant full moon and pouring rain.
هُمامٌa noble hero يضيقfalls short القولspeech عنof كُنْهthe full essence وصفهhis description
هُمامٌ يضيق القول عن كُنْه وصفه
فسَحْبانُso Sahban فيin عَدِّenumerating المناقِبِmerits باقِلُBaqil
فسَحْبانُ في عَدِّ المناقِبِ باقِلُ
A high-souled man: speech falls short of his essence and of describing him;
A noble hero: words fall short of his full description;
in numbering his virtues, even Sahbān would become a Bāqil.
so Sahban, recounting his merits, is Baqil.
وسيفٌand a sword بيومon the day of الرَّوْعterror فيin كفِّthe hand of باسلٍa valiant man
وسيفٌ بيوم الرَّوْع في كفِّ باسلٍ
وفيand on الدَّستthe dais راسٍsteadfast مشمخرtowering حلاحلa mighty lord
وفي الدَّست راسٍ مشمخر حلاحل
And on the day of terror, a sword in a valiant warrior’s hand;
And a sword on the day of terror, in a valiant man's hand;
and upon the seat of rule, steadfast and towering, a mighty chief.
and on the dais, steadfast, towering, a mighty lord.
أبىhe refused أنto يُطيعheed العذلreproach فيin البأسvalor والنَّدىand generosity
أبى أن يُطيع العذل في البأس والنَّدى
فعَمَّso he encompassed all نوالاًwith bounty واستراحَand rested العَواذِلُthe reprovers
فعَمَّ نوالاً واستراحَ العَواذِلُ
He refused to obey reproach in courage or generosity;
He refuses to heed reproach in valor and generosity;
so his gifts embraced everyone, and the reproachers found rest.
his bounty reaches all, and his reprovers are at rest.
وأنand to يبذُلَbestow المعروفِkindness إِلاexcept تبرُّعاًvoluntarily
وأن يبذُلَ المعروفِ إِلا تبرُّعاً
إذاwhen اقْتَسرتْwrested away مالَthe wealth البخيلِof the miser المسائلpetitions
إذا اقْتَسرتْ مالَ البخيلِ المسائل
Nor would he bestow a kindness save as a free gift,
And he refuses to grant kindness except of his own free will,
as petitioners wrest wealth from a miser’s grasp;
when petitions wring the miser's wealth from him.
وأنْand to يأخُذattain الآرابَaims غيرَwithout مُجاهِرٍacting openly
وأنْ يأخُذ الآرابَ غيرَ مُجاهِرٍ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle المَباغيdesired ends شَوَّهتْهاdisfigured them المخاتِلُcunning schemes
إذا ما المَباغي شَوَّهتْها المخاتِلُ
nor attain his aims without openly declaring them,
And he refuses to attain his aims without acting openly,
when stratagems have disfigured what is sought;
when cunning schemes disfigure the ends men seek.
وأنْand to ينقُضَbreak العهدthe pledge الوكيدfirmly binding حفيظةًout of resentment
وأنْ ينقُضَ العهد الوكيد حفيظةً
لديهِwithin him ولوand even if أنَّthat الذُّنوبَthe offenses زَلازِلُearthquakes
لديهِ ولو أنَّ الذُّنوبَ زَلازِلُ
nor break a binding covenant out of anger,
And he refuses to break a binding pledge out of resentment
though offenses before him were earthquakes;
he harbors, even if the offenses are earthquakes.
وأنand to يقتُلkill الجانيthe offender بغيرwithout اغْتِفارهِpardoning him
وأن يقتُل الجاني بغير اغْتِفارهِ
ولوand even if أمكَنتْهُenabled him فُرْصةٌan opportunity ومَقاتِلُand vital spots
ولو أمكَنتْهُ فُرْصةٌ ومَقاتِلُ
nor kill an offender rather than pardon him,
And he refuses to kill the offender instead of pardoning him,
though opportunity and the means of combat were his.
even if opportunity and exposed vital spots give him the means.
فتىًa young man أحْرزَsecured المجدَglory الأثيلَdeep-rooted لنفسهfor himself
فتىً أحْرزَ المجدَ الأثيلَ لنفسه
حَليفاهُhis two allies حَزْمٌresolve مُسْتمرٌّunwavering ونائِلُand bounty
حَليفاهُ حَزْمٌ مُسْتمرٌّ ونائِلُ
A young noble who secured deep-rooted glory for himself;
A young man who has secured deep-rooted glory for himself;
his two allies are unwavering resolve and liberality.
his two allies are unwavering resolve and bounty.
فلاso no بُخْلstinginess والأيامُwhile the days غبرٌdust-gray جَديبَةٌbarren
فلا بُخْل والأيامُ غبرٌ جَديبَةٌ
ولاand no طيشَrecklessness والأحداثُwhile events هوجٌwild بواسلfierce
ولا طيشَ والأحداثُ هوجٌ بواسل
No miserliness, though the days are dust-colored and barren;
No stinginess, though the days are dust-gray and barren,
no rashness, though events are wild and ruinous.
nor recklessness, though events are wild and fierce.
صَؤولٌfierce in attack إذاwhen التفَّتْclosed around عليهhim كتيبةٌa battalion
صَؤولٌ إذا التفَّتْ عليه كتيبةٌ
قؤُولٌa powerful speaker إذاwhen التفَّتْgathered around عليهhim المَحافِلُassemblies
قؤُولٌ إذا التفَّتْ عليه المَحافِلُ
An assailant when a battalion closes around him,
Fierce in attack when a battalion closes around him,
an orator when assemblies gather around him.
forceful in speech when assemblies gather around him.
أبوfather of جعفرٍJa'far غرْسُa sapling الخِلافةof the caliphate والذيand the one who
أبو جعفرٍ غرْسُ الخِلافة والذي
يُقِرُّacknowledges لهto him بالبأسvalor سيفٌa sword وذابِلُand a slender spear
يُقِرُّ له بالبأس سيفٌ وذابِلُ
Abū Ja‘far, a shoot of the caliphate—the man
Abu Ja'far, the caliphate's sapling, and the one
whose valor both sword and lance acknowledge.
whose valor sword and slender spear acknowledge.
يجوزُgoes beyond bounds علىwith regard to أموالِهِhis wealth لِعُفاتِهِfor his supplicants
يجوزُ على أموالِهِ لِعُفاتِهِ
ولكنهbut he عندtoward الرَّعِيَّةِthe subjects عادِلُjust
ولكنه عند الرَّعِيَّةِ عادِلُ
Those who seek his bounty may range freely through his wealth,
He goes beyond bounds with his wealth for his supplicants;
yet toward his subjects he remains just.
but toward his subjects he is just.
يقولونَthey say شِعْرٌpoetry وهوyet it is سِحْرٌmagic تألَّفَwon over
يقولونَ شِعْرٌ وهو سِحْرٌ تألَّفَ
القُلوبَhearts فأنْباso reported عنهabout it حَبْرٌa scholar وجاهِلُand an ignorant man
القُلوبَ فأنْبا عنه حَبْرٌ وجاهِلُ
They call it poetry, though it is magic that has won over
They call it poetry, yet it is magic that has won
hearts—as learned and ignorant alike attest of him.
hearts; scholar and ignorant alike have spoken of it.
ولكنهُbut it حِلٌّlawful وهاروتُand Harut مُؤْمِنٌa believer
ولكنهُ حِلٌّ وهاروتُ مُؤْمِنٌ
وتَخْييلُهُand its illusion حَقٌّtruth وبَغدادُand Baghdad بابِلُBabylon
وتَخْييلُهُ حَقٌّ وبَغدادُ بابِلُ
Yet it is lawful, and Hārūt is a believer;
Yet it is lawful, and Harut is a believer;
its imagining is truth, and Baghdad appears as Babylon.
and its illusion is truth, and Baghdad is Babylon.
