أَمَاتَتْIt killedنُفُوساًsoulsمِنْfromحَيَاةٍa lifeقَرِيبَةًclose
It killed souls from a close life...
وَمَاتَتْand she diedفَلَمْand was notتُطْلَبْsoughtبِوَتَرٍfor blood-revengeوَلَاnorتَبْلِcompensation
and she died without being sought for blood-revenge or compensation.
شَقَقْنَاWe split openلَهَاfor itفِيinالدَّنِّthe jarعَيْناًa spring
We split open a spring for it in the jar,
فَأَسْبَلَتْso it poured forth
so it poured forth
كَمَاjust asأَخْضَلَتْmoistenedعَيْنَthe eye ofالْخَرِيدَةِthe virginبِالْكَحْلِwith eyeliner
just as the eye of the virgin is moistened with eyeliner.
كَأَنَّAs ifفَنِيقاًa stallion camelبَازِلاًin its primeشُقَّwas slitنَحْرُهُits throat
As if a prime stallion camel had its throat slit,
إِذَاwhenأَسْفَرَتْshone forthمِنْهَاfrom itالشُّعَاعُthe rayعَلَىuponالْبَزْلِthe tapped jar
when its rays shone forth upon the tapped jar.
وَدَارَتْAnd went roundعَلَيْنَاamong usالْكَأْسُthe cupمِنْfromكَفِّthe palm ofظَبْيَةٍa gazelle-like maid
And the cup went round among us from the palm of a gazelle-like maid,
مُبْتَلَّةٍplumpحَوْرَاءَwith intensely black-and-white eyesكَالرِّشَإِlike the fawnالطِّفْلِyoung
plump, dark-eyed, like the young fawn.
كَأَنَّAs ifظِبَاءًgazellesعُكَّفاًgatheredفِيinرِيَاضِهَاits meadows
As if gathered gazelles in its meadows,
أَبَارِيقُهَاits pitchersأَوْجَسْنَperceivedقَعْقَعَةَthe rattle ofالنَّبْلِarrows
its pitchers, perceived the rattle of arrows.
وَحَنَّAnd yearnedلَنَاfor usعُودٌa luteفَبَاحَand divulgedبِسِرِّهِits secret
And a lute yearned for us and divulged its secret,
فَكَانَand upon it wasعَلَيْهِupon itسَاقُthe leg ofجَارِيَةٍa slave girlعُطْلِunadorned
and resting upon it was the leg of an unadorned slave girl,
تُضَاحِكُهُshe laughs with itطَوْراًat timesوَتُبْكِيهِand makes it weepتَارَةًat another
laughing with it at times and making it weep at another,
خَدَلَّجَةٌplump-limbedهَيْفَاءُslim-waistedذَاتُpossessingشُوًىshanksعَبْلِthick
plump-limbed, slim-waisted, with thick shanks.
إِذَاWhenمَاeverعَلَتْroseمِنَّاamong usذُؤَابَةُthe forelock ofوَاحِدٍsomeone
Whenever the head of someone among us rose high,
تَمَشَّتْthere walkedبِهِwith himمَشْيَthe gait ofالْمُقَيَّدِthe shackled oneفِيinالْوَحْلِthe mud
it walked with him like the gait of the shackled one in the mud.
فَلَاNeitherنَحْنُweمُتْنَاdiedمَوْتَةَthe death ofالدَّهْرِfateبَغْتَةًsuddenly
Neither did we die a sudden death of fate,
وَلَاnorهِيَitعَادَتْreturnedبَعْدَafterعَلَلٍa first quenchوَلَاnorنَهْلِa second
nor did it return after a first quench nor a second.
سَأَنْقَادُI shall submitلِلَّذَّاتِto pleasuresمُتَّبِعَfollowingالْهَوَىdesire
I shall submit to pleasures, following desire,
لِأُمْضِيَto carry outهَمّاًa careأَوْorأُصِيبَfindفَتًىa youthمِثْلِيlike me
to dispel a care or find a youth like me.
هَلْIsالْعَيْشُlifeإِلَّاanything butأَنْthatتَرُوحَyou spend the afternoonمَعَwithالصَّبَاyouthful dalliance
Is life anything but spending your afternoon with youthful dalliance,
وَتَغْدُوَand you spend the morningصَرِيعَprostrate byالْكَأْسِthe cupوَالْأَعْيُنِand the eyesالنُّجُلِlarge and wide
and spending the morning prostrate by the cup and the large, wide eyes?
قِيلَIt was saidوَأَدْخَلَAnd introducedالْفَضْلُAl-Fadlبْنُson ofيَحْيَىYahyaأَبَاAbuنُوَّاسٍNuwasإِلَىtoعِنْدِthe presence ofالرَّشِيدِAl-Rashid
It was said: Al-Fadl ibn Yahya brought Abu Nuwas into the presence of Al-Rashid,
فَقَالَand saidلَهُto himالرَّشِيدُAl-RashidأَنْتَYou areالْقَائِلُthe one who said
and Al-Rashid said to him: "You are the one who said:
عُتِقَتْIt has agedفِيinالدَّنِّthe jarحَتَّىuntil
It has aged in the jar until
هِيَit isفِيinرِقَّةِthinness/purityدِينِيlike my religion
it is like the thinness of my religion.
أَحْسَبُكَI deem youزِنْدِيقاًa heretic
I deem you a heretic!"
قَالَHe saidيَاOأَمِيرَCommanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the FaithfulقَدْI haveقُلْتُsaidمَاwhatيَشْهَدُtestifiesلِيfor meبِخِلَافِto the contraryذَلِكَof that
He said: "O Commander of the Faithful, I have said what testifies for me to the contrary of that."
قَالَHe saidوَمَاAnd what isهُوَit?
He said: "And what is it?"
قَالَHe saidقُلْتُI said
He said: "I said:
أَيَّةَWhat sort ofنَارٍfireقَدَحَdid strikeالْقَادِحُthe striker
What sort of fire did the striker strike,
وَأَيَّand to whatحَدٍّlimitبَلَغَdid reachالْمَازِحُthe jester
and to what limit did the jester reach?
لِلَّهِTo God belongsدَرُّthe bounty ofالشَّيْبِgrey hairمِنْasوَاعِظٍan admonisher
How wonderful is grey hair as an admonisher
وَنَاصِحٍand advisorلَوْif onlyقَبِلَwas acceptedالنَّاصِحُthe advisor
and advisor, if only the advisor were accepted!
فَاغْدُSo set out earlyفَمَاfor there is notفِيinالْحَقِّthe truthأَغْلُوطَةٌan error
So set out early, for in the truth there is no error,
وَرُحْand set out lateلِمَاfor that whichأَنْتَyouلَهُto itرَائِحُare heading
and set out late for that which you are heading towards.
مَنْWhoeverيَتَّقِfearsاللَّهَGodفَذَاكَthen that isالَّذِيthe one
Whoever fears God, then that is the one
سِيقَto whom is drivenإِلَيْهِto himالْمَتْجَرُthe merchandiseالرَّابِحُprofitable
to whom the profitable merchandise is driven.
لَاNoneيَجْتَلِيgazes atالْحَوْرَاءَthe dark-eyed maidenمِنْfromخِدْرِهَاher pavilion
None gazes at the dark-eyed maiden from her pavilion
إِلَّاexceptامْرُؤٌa manمِيزَانُهُwhose scaleرَاجِحُis heavy
except a man whose scale is heavy.
فَاسْمُSo raiseبِعَيْنَيْكَwith your eyesإِلَىtowardsنِسْوَةٍwomen
So raise your eyes towards women
مُهُورُهُنَّwhose dowriesالْعَمَلُare righteousالصَّالِحُdeeds
whose dowries are righteous deeds."
فَقَالَThen saidالْفَضْلُAl-FadlيَاOسَيِّدِيmy masterإِنَّهُhe indeedلَيُؤْمِنُbelievesبِالْبَعْثِin the Resurrection
Then Al-Fadl said: "O my master, he indeed believes in the Resurrection
وَيَحْمِلُهُand drives himالْمُجُونُlevityعَلَىtoذِكْرِmentioningمَاwhatلَاnotيَعْتَقِدُهُhe believes
and levity drives him to mention what he does not believe." Then he recited:
لَقَدْIndeedدَارَhas revolvedفِيinرَسْمِthe trace ofالدِّيَارِthe abodesبُكَائِيmy weeping
Indeed, my weeping has revolved around the traces of the abodes,
وَقَدْand has grownطَالَlongتَرْدَادِيmy frequentingبِهَاthemوَعَنَائِيand my toil
and long has been my frequenting them and my toil.
كَأَنِّيAs if I amمُرِيعٌfrightenedفِيinالدِّيَارِthe abodesطَرِيدَةٌa hunted game
As if I am a frightened hunted game in the abodes,
أَرَاهَاI see itأَمَامِيahead of meمَرَّةًat timesوَوَرَائِيand behind me
I see it ahead of me at times and behind me.
فَلَمَّاThen whenبَدَاappearedلِيto meحَانٍa tavern-keeperلَاwhoseتَهُرُّbarkكِلَابُهُdogs
Then when a tavern-keeper appeared to me whose dogs do not bark
عَلَيَّat meوَلَاnorيُنْكِرْنَdo they object toطُولَthe length ofثُوَائِيmy sojourn
at me, nor do they object to the length of my sojourn,
فَمَاI did notرِمْتُهُleave itحَتَّىuntilأَتَىwentدُونَshort ofمَاwhatحَوَتْcontained
I did not leave it until there went short of what was contained in
يَمِينِيmy right handوَحَتَّىand evenرِيطَتِيmy outer garmentوَحِذَائِيand my sandals
my right hand, and even my outer garment and my sandals.
وَكَأْسٍAnd a cupكَمِصْبَاحِlike the lamp ofالسَّمَاءِthe skyشَرِبْتُهَاI drank it
And a cup like the lamp of the sky, I drank it
عَلَىuponقُبْلَةٍa kissأَوْorمَوْعِدٍan appointmentبِلِقَاءِfor meeting
upon a kiss or an appointment for meeting.
أَتَتْPassedدُونَهَاover itالْأَيَّامُthe daysحَتَّىuntilكَأَنَّهَاit was as if it
The days passed over it until it was as if it were
تَسَاقُطُthe falling ofنُورٍlightمِنْfromفُتُوقِrents ofسَمَاءِthe sky
falling light from the rents of the sky.
تَرَىYou seeضَوْءَهَاits lightمِنْfromظَاهِرِthe outside ofالْبَيْتِthe houseسَاطِعاًradiant
You see its light from the outside of the house radiant,
عَلَيْكَupon youوَلَوْeven ifغَطَّيْتَهُyou covered itبِغِطَاءِwith a cover
upon you, even if you covered it with a cover.
تَبَارَكَBlessed isمَنْHe whoسَاسَmanagedالْأُمُورَaffairsبِقُدْرَةٍwith power
Blessed is He who managed affairs with power,
وَفَضَّلَand favoredهَارُوناًHarunعَلَىoverالْخُلَفَاءِthe caliphs
and favored Harun over the caliphs.
نَرَاكَWe see youبِخَيْرٍin well-beingمَاas long asانْطَوَيْنَاwe harborعَلَىuponالتُّقَىpiety
We see you in well-being as long as we harbor piety,
وَمَاand as long asسَاسَmanagesدُنْيَانَاour worldly lifeأَبُوthe father ofالْأَمْنَاءِthe trusted ones
and as long as the father of the trusted ones manages our worldly life.
إِمَامٌAn Imamيَخَافُwho fearsاللَّهَGodحَتَّىuntilكَأَنَّمَاit is as if
An Imam who fears God until it is as if
يُؤَمِّلُhe hopes forرُؤْيَاهُHis visionصَبَاحَmorningمَسَاءِand evening
he hopes for His vision morning and evening.
أَشَمُّHigh-nosed/nobleطِوَالُlong ofالسَّاعِدَيْنِforearmsكَأَنَّمَاas if
Noble, with long forearms, as if
يُنَاطُare suspendedنِجَادَاthe two sword-belts ofسَيْفِهِhis swordبِلِوَاءِto a banner
the two sword-belts of his sword are suspended to a banner.