وافىcame يطوفgoing round بشمسwith the sun of كاسهhis cup
وافى يطوف بشمس كاسه
قمرٌa moon تلثمveiled himself فيin نواسهhis trailing locks
قمرٌ تلثم في نواسه
He came round bearing the sun of his cup—
A crescent moon whispers in his chalice
a moon veiled in his trailing locks.
As the radiant sun circles round
طابbecame delightful الصبوحthe morning draught فخذso take it علىbeside
طاب الصبوح فخذ على
وردٍa rose بوجنتهon his cheek واسهand his myrtle
وردٍ بوجنته واسه
The morning draught is sweet; drink to
The morn is sweet, so pluck
the rose upon his cheek and his myrtle.
A rose, offering its cheek
تكسوclothes الحميّاthe wine's heat خدهhis cheek
تكسو الحميّا خده
قبساًa flame هديناwe were guided باقتباسهby borrowing its light
قبساً هدينا باقتباسه
The wine's heat clothes his cheek
The sun dresses his cheek
in a flame by whose borrowed light we were guided.
With rays borrowed from its glow
حلوsweet اللمىthe lips' dusky hue لكنهُbut he
حلو اللمى لكنهُ
ولّىappointed الجفونthe eyelids علىto احتراسهguarding him
ولّى الجفون على احتراسه
Sweet are his dusky lips, yet he
Sweet is the glance, though
has set his eyelids to guard him.
He shields his eyes in caution
أبداًalways يجورacts cruelly بلحظهُwith his glance
أبداً يجور بلحظهُ
منfrom جفنهhis eyelid سيفthe sword of افتراسهhis predation
من جفنه سيف افتراسه
He is forever cruel with his glance;
His gaze always wanders
from his eyelid comes the sword with which he preys.
Like a preying sword from his eyelid
ظبيٌa gazelle تملكpossessed حبهُlove for him
ظبيٌ تملك حبهُ
قلبthe heart of المتيمthe lovesick one معtogether with حواسهhis senses
قلب المتيم مع حواسه
A gazelle: love for him has possessed
A gazelle captivates his heart
the lovesick one's heart, together with his senses.
With senses entranced
فتنbewitched الخواطرthe thoughts جفنهhis eyelid
فتن الخواطر جفنه
لماwhen تنبهit awoke منfrom نعاسهits drowsiness
لما تنبه من نعاسه
His eyelid bewitched minds
His thoughts tempt his eyelids
when it awoke from its drowsiness.
When awakened from slumber
وغداand became الفؤادthe heart كناسهhis lair
وغدا الفؤاد كناسه
فعلامso why يفتكdoes he slay فيin كناسهhis lair
فعلام يفتك في كناسه
And the heart became his lair;
And the heart turns into his chalice
why, then, does he slay within his lair?
Why wreak havoc in his chalice?
أفديI ransom بروحيwith my soul أهيفاًa slender-waisted youth
أفدي بروحي أهيفاً
ماas long as دمتI remain حيّاalive لمnot أناسهI forget him
ما دمت حيّا لم أناسه
With my soul I would ransom a slender-waisted youth,
I'd sacrifice myself for a lovesick one
whom I shall not forget as long as I live.
As long as I live, I'll not forget him
منwhoever قاسcompares بالأغصانwith branches قاstature (first part)
من قاس بالأغصان قا
متهُhis stature (completion) توهمّis mistaken فيin قياسهhis comparison
متهُ توهمّ في قياسه
Whoever compares his stature to branches
He who judges branches
is mistaken in his comparison.
Deceives himself in his judgement
جاذبتهI grappled with him بيدwith the hand of الهوىlove
جاذبته بيد الهوى
حتىuntil غدوتI became أعزdearest of ناسهhis people
حتى غدوت أعز ناسه
I grappled with him with love's hand,
Passion seized him in its hand
until I became the dearest of his people.
Until he became its most beloved
أتراهdo you think he قاسيsuffered ماwhat لقيتُI endured
أتراه قاسي ما لقيتُ
منfrom النوىseparation أوor لمnot يقاسهhe suffer it
من النوى أو لم يقاسه
Has he, I wonder, suffered what I suffered
Does he resent what I have endured
from separation, or has he not suffered it?
Or has he not suffered the same?
مذsince غابhe left عنيfrom me لمnot يرقplease
مذ غاب عني لم يرق
ليto me مؤنسٌa comforting companion بعدafter ائتناسهcloseness with him
لي مؤنسٌ بعد ائتناسه
Since he left me, no companion has pleased
Since he left, I have not
me, after the intimacy I knew with him.
Found a companion like his company
قدindeed كانthere was ليfor me كبدٌa liver بهاwith it
قد كان لي كبدٌ بها
ألقىI faced النوىseparation وشديدand fierce بأسهits assault
ألقى النوى وشديد بأسه
I once had a liver with which
I once had a liver in me
I faced separation and its fierce assault.
Where I unloaded my woes and mighty sorrows
لكننيbut I قدalready بعتهاsold it
لكنني قد بعتها
بالوصلfor union أيامduring the days of اختلاسهsnatching it secretly
بالوصل أيام اختلاسه
But I have sold it
But I sold it
for union in the days of its stolen moments.
For union in our days of secret love
لمnot انسَI forget يومthe day of لقائهmeeting him
لم انسَ يوم لقائه
لمnot أنسهI forget it وحياةby the life of راسهhis head
لم أنسه وحياة راسه
I have not forgotten the day of meeting him;
I'll never forget the day we met
I have not forgotten it—by the life of his head!
I'll not forget him for my life
ياO درpearls of مبسمthe smile of ثغرهِhis mouth
يا در مبسم ثغرهِ
لاnot زلتmay you cease ترشفsipping منfrom لعاسهhis saliva
لا زلت ترشف من لعاسه
O pearls of his smiling mouth,
O beauty of his smiling lips
may you ever sip the moisture of his mouth.
You still sip from his cup
أصبحتyou have become تحكيresemble نظمthe verse of منشيthe creator of النظمpoetry
أصبحت تحكي نظم منشي النظم
منfrom بعدafter اندراسهits fading away
من بعد اندراسه
You now resemble the verse of him who brought forth poetry
You now recite the poems of Nashī the poet
after it had faded away:
After his passing
حسنHasan الثناpraise العطارal-Attar
حسن الثنا العطار
صدرforemost in الفضلexcellence بلnay مولىmaster of أناسهits people
صدر الفضل بل مولى أناسه
Hasan al-Attar, of fair renown,
Hasan the perfume-seller, chief of merit, rather my soul's companion
foremost in excellence—nay, master of its people.
His sea of knowledge never ceased its flow
حبرٌa learned scholar سحابthe cloud of علومهِhis learning
حبرٌ سحاب علومهِ
لمnever يرمbe accused يوماًever باحتباسهof its withholding
لم يرم يوماً باحتباسه
A scholar: the cloud of his learning
Each refined person is humbled
has never been accused of withholding its rain.
By his refinement without boasting
ومهذبand a refined man ينحطsinks كلّevery
ومهذب ينحط كلّ
مهذبٍrefined man دونbeneath اقتعاسهhis lofty bearing
مهذبٍ دون اقتعاسه
And a refined man: every
As for wit, it is
refined man sinks beneath his lofty bearing.
Sharper and more eloquent than despair
أماas for الذكاءُintelligence فإنهُthen indeed he
أما الذكاءُ فإنهُ
أذكىcleverer وأبرعand more accomplished منthan أياسهits Iyas
أذكى وأبرع من أياسه
As for intelligence, he is
Ornamentation turned delicate
cleverer and more accomplished than its Iyas.
When singled out in its rhyming
أضحىbecame البديعrhetorical embellishment رقيقهhis slave
أضحى البديع رقيقه
لماsince تفرّدstood unrivaled فيin جناسهhis wordplay
لما تفرّد في جناسه
The art of embellishment has become his slave,
No complex problem remains obscure
since he is unrivaled in his wordplay.
Except it's clarified and confusion removed
لمnot يلتبسbecome obscure منany مشكلٍdifficult matter
لم يلتبس من مشكلٍ
إلاexcept that جلاmade clear وجهthe face of التباسهits obscurity
إلا جلا وجه التباسه
No difficult matter ever grew obscure
In whichever art you desire him
but he unveiled the face of its perplexity.
It's as if he laid its foundation
فيin أيwhichever فنٍdiscipline شئتهُyou choose it
في أي فنٍ شئتهُ
فكأنهُso he seems بانيthe builder of أساسهits foundation
فكأنهُ باني أساسه
In whatever discipline you choose,
O you whose eloquence told
he seems the builder of its foundation.
The story of life's gushing at its onset
ياO منone whose بلاغتهhis eloquence حكتresembled
يا من بلاغته حكت
سيلthe torrent of الحياrain عندat انبجاسهits bursting forth
سيل الحيا عند انبجاسه
O you whose eloquence resembles
Take the daughter of a thought who came
the torrent of rain when it bursts forth,
To bestow poetry when her beauty shone
خذtake بنتa daughter of فكرٍthought أقبلتshe has come
خذ بنت فكرٍ أقبلت
تهديshe offers القريضverse لبانto a builder of اسهits foundation
تهدي القريض لبان اسه
take a daughter of thought who has come
Seeking forgiveness and pardon
offering verse to the builder of its foundation.
Without pretense she came to implore
ترجوshe hopes for نوالa gift of تسامحٍindulgence
ترجو نوال تسامحٍ
لمnot تأتِshe came إلاexcept بالتماسهwith a request for it
لم تأتِ إلا بالتماسه
She hopes for a gift of indulgence;
Greet and wish well one who is lovesick
she has come only to ask for it.
The crescent moon whispers in his chalice
واسلمand be well ودمand endure ماas long as أهيفٌa slender-waisted youth
واسلم ودم ما أهيفٌ
وافىcame يطوفgoing round بشمسwith the sun of كاسهhis cup
وافى يطوف بشمس كاسه
And be well, and live on, as long as a slender-waisted youth
comes round bearing the sun of his cup.
Partial English translation: 56 of 58 Arabic lines translated.