Sol 6.1

  1. أترع الأَكوابَ مِن صافي الشَراب

    وَاِنتَهَز فُرصة رَيعان الشَبابِ

    Fill the cups with pure wine,

    and seize the opportunity of youth's prime.

  2. وَإِذا هَبَّت نُسَيمات الصبا

    فَاِدَّكر صَبوَة أَيّام التَصابي

    And when the little east-wind breezes blow,

    recall the ardor of youthful dalliance.

  3. وَاِغتنم رشفَ لمى الكأس فَما

    ثَغره غَير لآلٍ أَو حَبابِ

    And seize the chance to sip the cup's dark lip, for

    its mouth is nothing but pearls or bubbles.

  4. فَهيَ شَمس كَم جَلاها قَمَرٌ

    بَينَنا حَتّى تَوارَت بِالحِجابِ

    For it is a sun, often unveiled by a moon

    among us, until it vanished behind a veil.

  5. نقط المُزن اللآلي عِندَما

    زَوَّجوا بكر الطلا باِبن السَحابِ

    The rain-clouds sprinkled pearls when

    they wed virgin wine to the son of the clouds.

  6. وَعَجبنا عِندَما قَد مَزَجوا

    ذائِبَ الياقوت بِالدرّ المُذابِ

    And we marveled when they mixed

    molten ruby with melted pearls.

  7. فَاِجتل البكر زَفافاً وَأَزح

    عَن مَعاني حُسنها فَضل النِقابِ

    So behold the maiden at her wedding, and remove

    the remaining veil from the subtleties of her beauty.

  8. راحة كَم جَلَبَت مِن راحة

    لَكَ في راحة مَعسول الرضابِ

    A draught of wine—how much comfort it brought

    you, in the palm of one with honey-sweet saliva.

  9. علّنا مِن بَعد نَهل فَشَفى

    علّة الصابي بِتَعليل المصابِ

    He gave us a second draught after the first, and cured

    the lover's ailment by comforting the afflicted—

  10. شادِنٌ شادٍ لَنا شادَ الهَنا

    بَينَ ألحان وَحان مُستَطابِ

    a singing fawn who built joy for us

    amid melodies and a delightful tavern.

  11. وَلَقَد غَنّى فَأَغنانا عَن الن

    ناي وَالعود وَهند وَالرَباب

    And indeed he sang, sparing us the need for the

    flute, the lute, Hind, and the rebab.

  12. وَجَناني يَجتَني مِن وجنة

    جنَّةً بَين تَجنٍّ وَاِجتِنابِ

    And my heart gathers from a cheek

    a paradise, amid unjust reproach and avoidance.

  13. وَيح قَلبي كَم يقاسي مِحني

    وَيَرى مِن منحي عَذباً عَذابي

    Alas for my heart—how much it endures my trials,

    and counts my torment sweet among my gifts.

  14. كَم شُجون برَّحت بي وجوى

    لَيتَ بِالعاذل مِنها بَعض ما بي

    How many sorrows and lovesick pangs have tormented me!

    If only my reproacher had some of what I bear!

  15. وَكَفى ما وَكف الدَمع فَقَد

    بَلغ السَيل إِلى أَعلى الرَوابي

    Enough of the tears that have flowed, for

    the flood has reached the highest hilltops.

  16. يا خَليليَّ أَعيناني عَلى

    برء آلام اِنتِحالي وَاِنتِحابِ

    O my two friends, help me to

    heal the pains of my wasting away and sobbing.

  17. إِنَّما بَينَكُما أَصل العَنا

    فَهوَ أَغرى بِي عَلى طول اِغتِرابي

    Between you two lies the very root of suffering,

    for it clings all the more to me throughout my long exile.

  18. يا نَسيماً مِن أَحبّائي أَتى

    مُرسَلاً يُهدي الشذا نِلت ثَوابي

    O breeze that came from my beloved ones,

    sent bearing fragrance—you have earned my reward.

  19. بلغ الأَحباب عَنّي شَجناً

    فَجوابي لَهُم أَنّ الجَوى بِي

    Convey sorrow to my beloved ones on my behalf;

    for my reply to them is that lovesick anguish dwells in me.

  20. حَبَّذا نَشرُ صبا عَهدِ الصِبا

    كَم لَها باتَ فُؤادُ الصبِّ صابي

    How sweet the east wind's fragrance in the days of youth!

    How often the lover's heart spent the night yearning for it!

  21. كَم جَلا كَأس طِلاً لي مِن طلا

    لَم يَكُن غَير تَدانيهِ طِلابي

    How often a cup of wine gleamed for me from a fawn,

    whose closeness was all I sought.

  22. تِلكَ أَوقاتٌ خلت لَكنّها

    أَعقبت ما لَم يَكُن لي بِحسابِ

    Those were times that passed, but they

    brought what I had never reckoned on.

  23. صاحِ ما بال أُناس قَصَدوا

    خفض قَدري فَأَبى غَيرَ اِنتِصابِ

    My friend, what ails people who sought

    to lower my standing, though it would only stand tall?

  24. عَلموا فَضلي فَصمّوا وَعَمَوا

    فَعَلمنا أَنَّهُم شَرُّ الدَوابِ

    They knew my worth, yet turned deaf and blind;

    so we learned they were the worst of beasts.

  25. لا أُبالي بِمَقالٍ أَو قلىً

    مِنهُمُ عِندَ حُضوري أَو غِيابي

    I care nothing for talk or hatred

    from them, whether I am present or absent.

  26. أَعواءٌ يَعبأ اللَيث بِهِ

    مِن ذِئابٍ أَو طَنينٌ مِن ذُبابِ

    Does a lion heed a howl

    from wolves, or the buzzing of flies?

  27. نَسبي في الحُبّ أَعلى شَرَفاً

    جَلَّ عَن تُهمَة واشٍ في اِنتِسابِ

    My lineage in love is loftier in honor,

    far above any slanderer's accusation about my ancestry.

  28. فَالهَوى عُذري وَصَبري وَائلي

    وَالأَسى مرّي وَضدّي من كلابِ

    Love is my ʿUdhra (my excuse), patience my Waʾil (my refuge);

    sorrow is my Murra (my bitterness), and my foe is of Kilab (dogs).

  29. يا زَماناً عَنهُم جَنّبني

    أَثوابي رمتَ أَم رُمتَ عِقابي

    O Time, which kept me apart from them,

    did you seek my reward, or did you seek my punishment?

  30. مَن يَرى بُعدي فَقَد أَبعدته

    وَقَريبي كُلّ مَن يَرجو اِقتِرابي

    Whoever wishes me distant, I have kept far away,

    and whoever hopes for my closeness is close to me.

  31. أَنا ذو الحلم فَلا قَرع العَصا

    ردّني عَن خطأ صَوب صَوابي

    I am possessed of reason; no tapping of a staff

    has turned me from error toward my right course,

  32. بَينَ قَوم جَعَلوا زينتهم

    حللاً قَد شَمَلت كُلّ مُرابِ

    among people who made their adornment

    robes that have clothed every usurer.

  33. إِنَّما حسن الفَتى بَينَ الوَرى

    بِالنُهى لَيسَ بِتحسين الثِيابِ

    A young man's beauty among humankind lies only

    in intelligence, not in adorning clothes.

  34. وَاِزدِهاء العَضب في جَوهرهِ

    لا بِما اِستحسن مِن حلى القرابِ

    And a keen sword's splendor lies in its substance,

    not in the admired ornaments of its scabbard.

  35. أَفلا أَسمو اِفتِخاراً وَسوى

    عزِّ نَفسي لَم يَكُن لي مِن معابِ

    Should I not soar in pride, when, apart from

    my self-respect, I have no fault?

  36. وَكَريم النَفس تَأبى نَفسه

    خُطّةَ الخسف وَاِيضاع الجَنابِ

    And a noble-hearted man's soul refuses

    a course of humiliation and the lowering of his standing.

  37. عَنّفوني بِسَخائي وَالنَدى

    لِيَ طَبع فَلَما أَبدوا عِتابي

    They rebuked me for my generosity, though liberality

    is my nature; when they voiced their reproach:

  38. لَيسَ لي فَضل بِجَدواي وَما ال

    فَضل إِلّا لِلذي أَمَّ رحابي

    No credit is mine for my bounty; the

    credit belongs only to the one who sought my halls.

  39. فَلَقَد أَسلَف حسن الظَنّ بِي

    لِيَ فاِستَوفى بِهِ حسن الثَوابِ

    For he advanced his good opinion of me

    to me, and through it received a fine reward in full.

  40. كَيفَ لا تَسمح بِالمال يَدي

    وَبِهِ يَنمو مِن المَجد اِكتِسابي

    How could my hand not give money freely,

    when through it my gain in glory grows?

  41. وَاِعتِقادي إِنّ ما فَوقَ الثَرى

    مِن تُراب مُستَعاد لِلتُرابِ

    And I believe that all above the earth

    is dust, destined to return to dust.

  42. يا بَني الدُنيا إِلَيكُم مِن فَتىً

    لا يرى الدُنيا سِوى لَمع سَرابِ

    O children of the world, take this from a youth

    who sees the world as nothing but a mirage's shimmer.