أَيَأتيwill there come نَبِيٌّa prophet يَجعَلُmakes الخَمرَwine طِلقَةًlawful
أَيَأتي نَبِيٌّ يَجعَلُ الخَمرَ طِلقَةً
فَتَحمِلَso it may bear ثُقلاًa burden مِنof هُموميmy cares وَأَحزانيand my sorrows
فَتَحمِلَ ثُقلاً مِن هُمومي وَأَحزاني
Will a prophet come to make wine lawful,
so it may bear some weight of my cares and sorrows?
وَهَيهاتَbut far from it لَوeven if حَلَّتit became lawful لَماcertainly not كُنتُI would be شارِباًdrinking
وَهَيهاتَ لَو حَلَّت لَما كُنتُ شارِباً
مُخَفَّفَةًlightening فيin الحِلمِsound judgment كِفَّةَthe pan of ميزانيmy scales
مُخَفَّفَةً في الحِلمِ كِفَّةَ ميزاني
Far from it! Even were it lawful, I would not drink
wine that lightens the pan of my scales of reason.
إِذاwhen خَزَنونيthey store me away فيin الثَرىthe soil فَمَقالِديthen my keys
إِذا خَزَنوني في الثَرى فَمَقالِدي
مُضَيَّعَةٌneglected لاnot يُحسنُis skilled at الحِفظَsafekeeping خُزّانيmy keepers
مُضَيَّعَةٌ لا يُحسنُ الحِفظَ خُزّاني
When they store me in the soil, my keys
will lie neglected; my keepers know not how to guard.
كَأَنِّيَas though I were نَبتٌa plant مَرَّpassed يَومٌa day وَلَيلَةٌand a night
كَأَنِّيَ نَبتٌ مَرَّ يَومٌ وَلَيلَةٌ
عَلَيَّover me وَكاناand they both were مُنفَضَّينِpenniless فَجَزّانيso they both cut me down
عَلَيَّ وَكانا مُنفَضَّينِ فَجَزّاني
I am like a plant: a day and a night passed
over me; both were penniless, so they cut me down.
هُماthey two بَدَوَِيّانِtwo Bedouins الطَريقَthe road تَعَرَّضاthey both lay in wait
هُما بَدَوَِيّانِ الطَريقَ تَعَرَّضا
وَبُردَيَّand my two cloaks مِنfrom نَسجِthe weaving of الشَبيبَةِyouth بَزّانيthey both robbed me
وَبُردَيَّ مِن نَسجِ الشَبيبَةِ بَزّاني
They are two Bedouins who lay in wait along the road
and robbed me of my two cloaks, woven of youth.
قَوِيّانِtwo strong ones عَزّانيthey both overpowered me عَلَيهِin it وَأَوقَعاand they both inflicted
قَوِيّانِ عَزّاني عَلَيهِ وَأَوقَعا
بِغَيرِيَupon others besides me ماwhat بيupon me أَوقَعاهُthey both inflicted it فَعَزّانيso that consoled me
بِغَيرِيَ ما بي أَوقَعاهُ فَعَزّاني
Two strong ones, they overpowered me in this, and inflicted
on others what they inflicted on me—and that consoled me.
وَماand not ضَيَّقاthey both narrowed أَرضيmy land وَلَكِنbut أَراهُماI see them both
وَما ضَيَّقا أَرضي وَلَكِن أَراهُما
إِلىinto الضَنَكِnarrow confines مِنfrom وَجهِthe surface of البَسيطَةِthe earth لَزّانيthey both thrust me
إِلى الضَنَكِ مِن وَجهِ البَسيطَةِ لَزّاني
They have not narrowed my land, yet I see that they
have thrust me from the earth's surface into narrow confines.
وَماand not أَكَلاthey both ate زاديmy provisions وَلَكِنbut أَكَلتُهُI ate it
وَما أَكَلا زادي وَلَكِن أَكَلتُهُ
وَقَدand already نَبَّهانيthey both roused me لِلسُرىfor night travel وَاِستَفَزّانيand they both spurred me on
وَقَد نَبَّهاني لِلسُرى وَاِستَفَزّاني
They have not eaten my provisions; I ate them myself,
when they had roused me for night travel and spurred me on.
وَلَمand did not يَرضَياthey both accept إِلّاexcept بِنَفسيwith my soul مِنَof القِرىguest-fare
وَلَم يَرضَيا إِلّا بِنَفسي مِنَ القِرى
وَلَوand even if صُنتُهُI had preserved it عَنfrom طارِقَيmy two night-guests لِأَحزانيfor my sorrows
وَلَو صُنتُهُ عَن طارِقَي لِأَحزاني
They would accept no guest-fare but my soul,
even had I saved it from my two night-guests for my sorrows.
وَماand not هاجَstirred ذِكريmy memories بارِقٌa lightning flash نَحوَtoward بارِقٍBariq
وَما هاجَ ذِكري بارِقٌ نَحوَ بارِقٍ
وَلاnor هَزَّنيstirred me شَوقٌlonging لِجارَةِfor the female neighbor of هَزّانِHazzan
وَلا هَزَّني شَوقٌ لِجارَةِ هَزّانِ
No flash of lightning toward Bariq has stirred my memories,
nor has longing for Hazzan's neighbor moved me.
بَلِrather الفَتَيانِthe two youths اِعتادَhas grown used to قَلبيmy heart أَذاهُماthe harm of those two
بَلِ الفَتَيانِ اِعتادَ قَلبي أَذاهُما
يَشيمانِthey both draw أَسيافَthe swords of الرَدىdeath وَيَهُزّانِand they both brandish
يَشيمانِ أَسيافَ الرَدى وَيَهُزّانِ
Rather, my heart has grown used to the harm of those two youths:
they draw the swords of death and brandish them.
عَزيزانِboth mighty بِاللَهِthrough God الَّذيwho لَيسَthere is not مِثلُهُHis equal
عَزيزانِ بِاللَهِ الَّذي لَيسَ مِثلُهُ
يُذِلّانِthey both abase فيwithin مِقدارِهِHis decree وَيُعِزّانِand they both exalt
يُذِلّانِ في مِقدارِهِ وَيُعِزّانِ
Mighty through God, who has no equal,
they abase and exalt according to His decree.
وَكَمand how often فَتَكاthey both slew وَالحِسُّand sensation قَدindeed بانَis absent عَنهُماfrom them both
وَكَم فَتَكا وَالحِسُّ قَد بانَ عَنهُما
بِأَهلِamong the people of وُهودٍhollows أَوor جِبالٍmountains وَحِزّانِand rugged tracts
بِأَهلِ وُهودٍ أَو جِبالٍ وَحِزّانِ
And how often they have slain, though sensation is absent from them,
the people of hollows, or of mountains and rugged tracts.
وَماand not تَرَكاthey both spared تُركَthe Turks of القِبابِthe domed tents وَغادَراand they both left
وَما تَرَكا تُركَ القِبابِ وَغادَرا
بِرُمحَينِwith two spears أَوor جُرزَينِtwo maces أُسرَةَthe clan of جُرزانِJurzan
بِرُمحَينِ أَو جُرزَينِ أُسرَةَ جُرزانِ
They spared not the Turks of the domed tents, and laid low
with two spears or two maces the clan of Jurzan.
سَلاask, you two غابَthe thickets of تَرجٍTarj وَالأُنَيعِمَand al-Unay'im كَمhow many ثَوىhave lain dead
سَلا غابَ تَرجٍ وَالأُنَيعِمَ كَم ثَوى
بِذاكَin that place وَهَذاand this place مِنof أُسودٍlions وَخُزّانِand male hares
بِذاكَ وَهَذا مِن أُسودٍ وَخُزّانِ
Ask, you two, Tarj's thickets and al-Unay'im how many lie dead
in that place and this—lions and hares alike.