أَرَىI seeكُلَّeveryقَوْمٍpeopleيَمْنَعُونَthey preventحَرِيمَهُمْtheir women
I see every people protecting their women
وَلَيْسَand notلِأَصْحَابِfor companionsالنَّبِيذِof wineحَرِيمٌ1a protected honor
And wine drinkers have no honor to protect ⟦1⟧.
أَخُوهُمْtheir brotherمَاas long asدَارَتْcirculatedالْكَأْسُthe cupبَيْنَهُمْamong them
Their brother, as long as the cup circulates among them,
وَكُلُّهُمْand all of themرَثُّworn outالْوِصَالِof connectionسَؤُومٌ2bored
And all of them are weary of friendship, bored ⟦2⟧.
فَهَذَاso thisبَيَانِيmy statementلَمْnotأَقُلْI saidبِجَهَالَةٍwith ignorance
This is my clear statement; I did not speak out of ignorance,
وَلَكِنَّنِيbut Iبِالْفَاسِقِينَof the wickedعَلِيمٌam knowledgeable
Rather, I am well acquainted with the wicked.
وَقَدْand indeedكَانَwasهَذَاthisالْمَعْنَىmeaningفِيamongأَصْحَابِcompanionsالنَّبِيذِof wineأَوْجَدَmore prevalent
And indeed this condition was more prevalent among wine drinkers,
فَأَمَّاbut as forالْيَوْمَtodayفَقَدِthen indeedاسْتَوَىbecame equalالنَّاسُthe people
But today, all people have become the same.
قَالَsaidالْأَضْبَطُAl-Adbatبْنُibnقُرَيْعٍ3Qurai'
Al-Adbat ibn Qurai' said ⟦3⟧,
لَمَّاwhenانْتَقَلَhe movedفِيamongالْقَبَائِلِthe tribesفَأَسَاءُواand they treated badlyجِوَارَهُhis neighborhood
When he moved among the tribes and they treated him badly as a neighbor,
بَعْدَafterأَنْthatتَأَذَّىhe was harmedبِبَنِيby BanuسَعْدٍSa'd
after he had been troubled by Banu Sa'd:
بِكُلِّin everyوَادٍvalleyبَنُوBanuسَعْدٍSa'd
'In every valley, there are Banu Sa'd.'
خُذْtakeبِقَوْلِيwith my word
Accept my advice,
وَدَعْand leaveقَوْلَsayingأَبِيof Abuالْعَاصِal-As
and disregard the saying of Abu al-As.
وَخُذْand takeبِقَوْلِthe sayingمَنْof one whoقَالَsaid
Adopt the saying of him who said:
عِشْliveوَلَاand do notتَغْتَرَّbe deceived
'Live and do not be deceived.'
وَيَقُولُand saysمَنْone whoقَالَsaid
And the saying of him who said:
لَاdo notتَطْلُبْseekأَثَرًاa traceبَعْدَafterعَيْنٍan eye
'Do not seek a trace after the eye has seen.'
وَيَقُولُand saysمَنْone whoقَالَsaid
And the saying of him who said:
امْلَأْfillحُبَّكَyour waterskinمِنْfromأَوَّلِthe firstمَطْرَةٍrain
'Fill your waterskin from the first rain.'
وَandدَعْleaveمَاwhatيُرِيبُكَmakes you doubtإِلَىforمَاwhatلَاdoes notيُرِيبُكَmake you doubt
And 'Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt.'
أَخُوكَyour brotherمَنْthe one whoصَدَقَكَis truthful to you
Your true brother is he who is truthful to you
وَمَنْand whoأَتَاكَcame to youمِنْfromجِهَةِthe direction ofعَقْلِكَyour mind
and who approaches you through your reason,
وَلَمْand notيَأْتِكَhe comes to youمِنْfromجِهَةِthe direction ofشَهْوَتِكَyour desire
and not through your desires.
وَأَخُوكَand your brotherمَنْthe one whoاحْتَمَلَboreثِقْلَthe weightنَصِيحَتِكَof your adviceفِيregardingحَظِّكَyour share
And your brother is he who endures the burden of your sincere advice concerning your interests,
وَلَمْand notتَأْمَنِyou are safeلَائِمَتَهُhis blameإِيَّاكَupon youفِيforغَدِكَyour future
and from whom you are not safe from his criticism about your future.
وَقَالَand saidالْآخَرُthe other
And another said:
إِنَّindeedأَخَاكَyour brotherالصِّدْقَthe truthfulمَنْthe one whoلَمْdid notيَخْدَعْكَdeceive you
Indeed your true brother is he who does not deceive you,
وَمَنْand whoيَضِيرُharmsنَفْسَهُhimselfلِيَنْفَعَكَ4to benefit you
and who harms himself to benefit you ⟦4⟧.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidعُبَيْدُUbaydبْنُibnالْأَبْرَصِ5al-Abras
And indeed Ubayd ibn al-Abras said ⟦5⟧:
وَأَعْلَمَنَّand I will surely knowعِلْمًاknowledgeيَقِينًاcertain
'And I know with certain knowledge
أَنَّهُthatلَيْسَnotيُرْجَىis hopedلَكَfor youمِنْfromلَيْسَone who is notمَعَكَwith you
that you cannot expect help from one who is not with you.'
وَلَاand notتَزَالُyou will continueبِخَيْرٍin goodnessمَاas long asكَانَthere isلَكَfor youوَاعِظٌan admonisherمِنْfromنَفْسِكَyourself
And you will continue in goodness as long as you have an admonisher within yourself,
وَعَيْنٌand an eyeمِنْfromعَقْلِكَyour mindعَلَىuponطِبَاعِكَ6your nature
and an eye of your reason watching over your temperament ⟦6⟧,
أَوْorمَاas long asكَانَthere isلَكَfor youأَخٌa brotherنَصِيحٌsincereوَandوَزِيرٌa ministerشَفِيقٌcompassionate
or as long as you have a sincere brother and a compassionate advisor,
وَandالزَّوْجَةُthe wifeالصَّالِحَةُrighteousعَوْنُa helperصِدْقٍof truth
And a righteous wife is a true help.
وَandالسَّعِيدُthe fortunate oneمَنْhe whoوُعِظَis admonishedبِغَيْرِهِby others
And fortunate is he who takes warning from others.
فَإِنْfor ifلَمْnotتُرْزَقْyou are grantedمِنْofهَذِهِtheseالْخِصَالِqualitiesخَصْلَةًa single qualityوَاحِدَةًone
For if you are not granted even one of these qualities,
فَلَاthen noبُدَّescapeلَكَfor youمِنْfromنَكْبَةٍa calamityمُوجِعَةٍpainful
then you are inevitably destined for a painful calamity
يَبْقَىremainsأَثَرُهَاits markوَيَلُوحُand appearsلَكَto youذِكْرُهَاits memory
whose mark will remain and whose memory will haunt you.
وَلِذَلِكَand for that
And for that reason... (text continues)
Footnotes
- 1.لِأَصْحَابِ النَّبِيذِ حَرِيمٌ: أَيْ لَا يَحْمُونَ نِسَاءَهُمْ وَلَا يَغَارُونَ عَلَيْهِنَّ.
Wine drinkers have no honor: i.e., they do not protect their women or feel jealousy for them.
- 2.رَثُّ الْوِصَالِ: سَيِّئُ الْعِشْرَةِ، وَسَؤُومٌ: مَلُولٌ.
Rathth al-wisal: bad in companionship, and sa'um: bored/weary.
- 3.الْأَضْبَطُ بْنُ قُرَيْعٍ: شَاعِرٌ جَاهِلِيٌّ مَشْهُورٌ.
Al-Adbat ibn Qurai': a famous pre-Islamic poet.
- 4.الْبَيْتُ لِلْحَارِثِ بْنِ حِلِّزَةَ أَوْ لِغَيْرِهِ مِنْ شُعَرَاءِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
The verse is by al-Harith ibn Hilliza or another pre-Islamic poet.
- 5.عُبَيْدُ بْنُ الْأَبْرَصِ: شَاعِرٌ جَاهِلِيٌّ مِنْ شُعَرَاءِ الْمُعَلَّقَاتِ.
Ubayd ibn al-Abras: a pre-Islamic poet, one of the authors of the Mu'allaqat.
- 6.طِبَاعِكَ: أَيْ أَخْلَاقِكَ وَسَجَايَاكَ.
Tiba'ik: i.e., your morals and natural dispositions.