إذاif حَذرتَyou dread زماناًa time لمdid not تُسترyou were sheltered بهin it
إذا حَذرتَ زماناً لم تُستر به
كمhow often قدindeed أتىhas come سهلُthe ease دهرٍof an age بعدafter أَصْعَبِهits hardest part
كم قد أتى سهلُ دهرٍ بعد أَصْعَبِه
If you dread a time in which you found no shelter,
how often has an age's ease followed its hardest days!
فاقبلso accept منfrom الدّهرtime ماwhat آتاكit brings you مختلِطاًmixed
فاقبل من الدّهر ما آتاك مختلِطاً
لعلَّperhaps مُرَّكyour bitter lot يحلوgrows sweet فيin تَقلُّبهits changes
لعلَّ مُرَّك يحلو في تَقلُّبه
So accept from time what it brings you, mixed as it is;
perhaps your bitter lot will grow sweet as time changes.
خُذْهاtake it إليكfor yourself ودَعْand stop لوميblaming me مُشَعْشَةًmixed with water
خُذْها إليك ودَعْ لومي مُشَعْشَةً
منfrom كفّthe hand of أقنىone aquiline-nosed أسيلِsmooth الخدّof cheek مُذْهَبِهِwith his cheek gilded
من كفّ أقنى أسيلِ الخدّ مُذْهَبِهِ
Take it for yourself, mixed with water, and stop blaming me,
from the hand of one with an aquiline nose and a smooth, gilded cheek.
فيin كلّevery مَعْقِدseat of حسنbeauty منهin him مُعْترِضٌa barrier
في كلّ مَعْقِد حسن منه مُعْترِضٌ
يَحْميهprotects it دونكfrom you منfrom أنthat تَستبدّyou take sole possession بهof it
يَحْميه دونك من أن تَستبدّ به
At every seat of beauty in him stands a barrier,
guarding it from you, lest you take sole possession of it.
فكُحلُfor the kohl عينيهof his eyes ممنوعguarded بِخنْجرهby his dagger
فكُحلُ عينيه ممنوع بِخنْجره
ووردُand the roses خدّيهof his cheeks مَحْمِيّprotected بعقربهby his scorpion
ووردُ خدّيه مَحْمِيّ بعقربه
For the kohl of his eyes is guarded by his dagger,
and the roses of his cheeks are protected by his scorpion.
لاdo not تتركleave القدَحَthe goblet المملوءfilled فيin يدهhis hand
لا تترك القدَحَ المملوء في يده
إنيindeed I أخافfear عليهاfor it منbecause of تَلَهّبهhis blazing heat
إني أخاف عليها من تَلَهّبه
Do not leave the brimming goblet in his hand;
I fear for it because of his blazing heat.
وصُنْهand spare him عنfrom سقْيناserving us drink إنif أغارُI am jealous بهover him
وصُنْه عن سقْينا إن أغارُ به
وسَقِّهand give him drink واسقِنيand give me drink منfrom فضلthe remainder of مَشْربهhis drink
وسَقِّه واسقِني من فضل مَشْربه
And spare him serving us, if I am jealous over him;
and give him drink, and give me what remains of his draught.
وانظرand look إلىat الليلthe night كالزّنجيlike a Zanj man منهزِماًfleeing
وانظر إلى الليل كالزّنجي منهزِماً
والصّبحand dawn فيin إثرهits wake يعدوraces بأشْهبَهon his gray steed
والصّبح في إثره يعدو بأشْهبَه
And look at night, fleeing like a Zanj man,
while dawn races in its wake on his gray steed.
والبدرُand the full moon مُنْتصِبٌstanding upright ما(emphatic particle) بينamong أنجمهits stars
والبدرُ مُنْتصِبٌ ما بين أنجمه
كأنّهas though it were مَلِكٌa king فيin وسطthe midst of موْكِبهhis procession
كأنّه مَلِكٌ في وسط موْكِبه
And the full moon stands upright among its stars,
as though it were a king in the midst of his procession.