دَعleave عَنكَaway from you رائِعَةَthe loveliest الأَغانيthe songs
دَع عَنكَ رائِعَةَ الأَغاني
جَفَّتhave dried عَلىupon شَفَتِيmy lip الأَمانيwishes
جَفَّت عَلى شَفَتِي الأَماني
Set aside the loveliest of songs;
Leave your sublime songs
Wishes have dried upon my lip.
My hopes have dried on my lips
أَرفَوسُOrpheus لَيسَis not بِمُستَطيـable (start)
أَرفَوسُ لَيسَ بِمُستَطيـ
ـعٍable (end) أَنto يُهَدهِدَlull ليfor me جَنانيmy heart
ـعٍ أَن يُهَدهِدَ لي جَناني
Orpheus is unable
Arphos is not capable
To lull my heart to rest.
Of rocking my heavens for me
أَدِرpass round الكُؤوسَthe cups مَليئَةًfull
أَدِر الكُؤوسَ مَليئَةً
وَذَرِand leave المَثالِثَthe third strings وَالمَثانيand the second strings
وَذَرِ المَثالِثَ وَالمَثاني
Pass round the brimming cups,
Pass the brimming cups
And leave the third and second strings.
And leave the trifles and double measures
بَلrather بِالدِّنانِwith casks فَعاطِنيthen ply me with drink
بَل بِالدِّنانِ فَعاطِني
لاnot أَرتَويI am quenched بِسِوىwith anything but الدِنانِcasks
لا أَرتَوي بِسِوى الدِنانِ
Rather, ply me with casks:
Nay, give me the goblets
Nothing but casks can quench me.
I won’t be sated except by the goblets
هاتِbring it اِسقِنيgive me drink كاساًa cup لِأَنـso I may forget (start)
هاتِ اِسقِني كاساً لِأَنـ
ـسَىforget (end) فَوقَupon أَرضِكَyour earth ماwhat كَيانيmy being
ـسَى فَوقَ أَرضِكَ ما كَياني
Come, pour me a cup, that I may
Bring me a cup so I may
Forget what I am upon your earth.
Forget over your land what my being was
هاتِbring it اِسقِنيgive me drink حَتّىuntil أُحَلـI soar (start)
هاتِ اِسقِني حَتّى أُحَلـ
ـلِقَsoar (end) مِنfrom سَمائيmy sky فيinto العِنانِthe firmament
ـلِقَ مِن سَمائي في العِنانِ
Come, give me drink until I soar
Bring me a drink so I may
From my sky into the firmament,
Unbind myself from my halter in the open air
وَأَفِّرُّand I flee مِنfrom شَرَكِthe snare الزَماtime (start)
وَأَفِّرُّ مِن شَرَكِ الزَما
نِtime (end) وَمِنand from أَحابيلِthe snares المَكانِplace
نِ وَمِن أَحابيلِ المَكانِ
And flee the snare of time
And escape from the shackles of time
And the traps of place.
And the snares of space
أَتَسَلَّقُI climb النورَthe light الشُعاthe ray (start)
أَتَسَلَّقُ النورَ الشُعا
عَray (end) إِلىtoward كَواكِبَstars ليtoward me رَوانيgazing
عَ إِلى كَواكِبَ لي رَواني
I climb the light, the radiant beam,
I climb the brilliant light
Toward stars that gaze upon me.
To stars that quench my thirst
أَناI مِنfrom هُناكَthere مِنَfrom السَماheaven (start)
أَنا مِن هُناكَ مِنَ السَما
ءِheaven (end) فَمَنwho then عَلىonto الدُنياthe world رَمانيthrew me
ءِ فَمَن عَلى الدُنيا رَماني
I am from there, from heaven—
I am from there, from the sky
Who, then, flung me onto this world?
So who on earth cast me down?
مَنwho دَنَّسَdefiled القُدسَholiness الطَهّوutterly pure (start)
مَن دَنَّسَ القُدسَ الطَهّو
رَutterly pure (end) وَحَطَّand debased بِالعَفِّthe chaste one الحَصانِthe virtuous one
رَ وَحَطَّ بِالعَفِّ الحَصانِ
Who defiled pure holiness
Who defiled the pure chaste one
And brought the chaste and virtuous low?
And mounted the steed of disgrace?
أَوor فَاِسقِنيthen give me drink بِالقِبَّةِfrom the dome الزَرblue (start)
أَو فَاِسقِني بِالقِبَّةِ الزَر
قاءِblue (end) كَأسُكَyour cup ماnot رَوانيquenched me
قاءِ كَأسُكَ ما رَواني
Or give me drink from the blue
Or give me a drink from the azure dome
Dome; your cup has not quenched me.
Your cup did not quench me
هُوَit مَنfrom ثَرىdust التُربَthe soil الخَسيـlowly (start)
هُوَ مَن ثَرى التُربَ الخَسيـ
ـسِlowly (end) فَماso not أَفادَit helped وَماand not شَفانيit healed me
ـسِ فَما أَفادَ وَما شَفاني
It comes from the dust of lowly soil;
He who sowed the vile dust
So it neither helped nor healed me.
Brought me no gain or healing balm
وَأَراهُand I see it لَمnot يَبعَثrevive بِقَلـin my heart (start)
وَأَراهُ لَم يَبعَث بِقَلـ
ـبيmy heart (end) بَعضَsome of آماليmy hopes الفَوانيfading
ـبي بَعضَ آمالي الفَواني
And I see it has not revived in my heart
And I see he did not revive
Any of my fading hopes.
Some of my fleeting hopes
أَدنىbrought nearer مِنَsome of الأَلَمِpain القَصِيdistant
أَدنى مِنَ الأَلَمِ القَصِي
وَأَضاعَand squandered أَحلاميmy dreams الدَوانيnear-at-hand
وَأَضاعَ أَحلامي الدَواني
It brought some distant pain nearer
He brought me closer to deep pain
And squandered my near-at-hand dreams.
And wasted my mad dreams
هاتِbring it اِسقنيgive me drink واجعلand make كؤوcups (start)
هاتِ اِسقني واجعل كؤو
سَcups (end) الراحِwine أَفواهَmouths الحِسانِbeautiful women
سَ الراحِ أَفواهَ الحِسانِ
Come, give me drink, and make the cups
Bring me a drink and make
Of wine the mouths of beautiful women,
The cups of comfort kiss eloquent lips
فَأَذوقُهاso I taste it مَمزوجَةًmixed
فَأَذوقُها مَمزوجَةً
بِشَذاwith the fragrance الهَوىlove وَلُفىand remnants (uncertain reading) الحِنانtenderness
بِشَذا الهَوى وَلُفى الحِنان
So I may taste it mingled
That I may taste them mixed
With love's fragrance and traces of tenderness.
With the scent of love and the curl of tenderness
أَوor فَاِسقنيِهاthen give it to me to drink فيin العُيوthe eyes (start)
أَو فَاِسقنيِها في العُيو
نِeyes (end) الموحِياتِinspiring ليَto me المَعانيmeanings
نِ الموحِياتِ ليَ المَعاني
Or give it to me to drink in the eyes
Or serve me them in the eyes
That inspire meanings in me;
That inspire in me meanings
أَوor فيin النُحورِthe throats البيضwhite تُغـentice (start)
أَو في النُحورِ البيض تُغـ
ـريentice (end) فَوقَabove أَغصانٍbranches لِدانِsupple
ـري فَوقَ أَغصانٍ لِدانِ
Or in white throats that entice
Or on the white breasts that
Above supple branches;
Stir above the branches of the saplings
أَوor فيin كِمامِbud-sheaths الوَردِroses رَيْlush (start)
أَو في كِمامِ الوَردِ رَيْ
ياlush (end) أَوor ثُغورِmouths الأُقحُوانِdaisies
يا أَو ثُغورِ الأُقحُوانِ
Or in lush rosebuds,
Or in the bud’s veil
Or in the mouths of daisies.
Or the lips of the maidens
هذيthese اِوانٍvessels وَالجَماand beauty (start)
هذي اِوانٍ وَالجَما
لُbeauty (end) يَزيدُهُenhances it حُسنُbeauty الأَوانيthe vessels
لُ يَزيدُهُ حُسنُ الأَواني
These are vessels, and beauty
This is the time and beauty
Is enhanced by beautiful vessels.
Is enhanced by beautiful cups
وَالراحُand wine روحلٌspirit (apparent typo) لَيسَnot يَجreveals (start)
وَالراحُ روحلٌ لَيسَ يَج
لُوهاreveals it (end) سِوىexcept حُسنِbeauty المَبانيforms
لُوها سِوى حُسنِ المَباني
And wine is a spirit; nothing
And the soul is a foal impossible
Reveals it but the beauty of its forms.
To bridle except by beautiful buildings
هاتِbring it اِسقِنيgive me drink وَاِحلُلand loosen بِراwith your wine (start)
هاتِ اِسقِني وَاِحلُل بِرا
حِكَyour wine (end) عُقدَةًa knot زَمَّتbound لِسانيmy tongue
حِكَ عُقدَةً زَمَّت لِساني
Come, give me drink, and with your wine loosen
Bring me a drink and undo with your wine
A knot that bound my tongue.
A knot that has bound my tongue
إِنّيindeed I أَرانيI see myself إِنif ظَمِئـI thirst (start)
إِنّي أَراني إِن ظَمِئـ
ـتُI thirst (end) إِلىfor الطَلاعِيِّwine; tongue-tied (apparent word fusion) البَيانِspeech
ـتُ إِلى الطَلاعِيِّ البَيانِ
I find myself, when I thirst,
If I thirst to the clarity of rhetoric
For wine, tongue-tied in speech.
My lips and your cup speak of love
شَفَتيmy lip وَكَأسكَand your cup عاشِقاtwo lovers (start)
شَفَتي وَكَأسكَ عاشِقا
نِtwo lovers (end) عَنِof الهَوىlove يَتَحَدَّثانِthe two converse
نِ عَنِ الهَوى يَتَحَدَّثانِ
My lip and your cup are two lovers
We gained from fickle time
Speaking to one another of love.
A boon and spent the night in embrace
غَنَماًthe two won مِنَfrom الدَهرِtime الخَؤوtreacherous (start)
غَنَماً مِنَ الدَهرِ الخَؤو
نِtreacherous (end) مُنىًwishes فَباتاso the two spent the night فيin قرانِwedlock
نِ مُنىً فَباتا في قرانِ
They won from treacherous time
My heartbeats and the seeds
Their wishes, and spent the night in wedlock.
Of love complain to each other
دَقّاتُbeats قَلبيmy heart وَالحباand the bubbles (start)
دَقّاتُ قَلبي وَالحبا
بُbubbles (end) مِنَof الجَوىburning longing يَتَشاكَيانِthe two complain to one another
بُ مِنَ الجَوى يَتَشاكَيانِ
My heartbeats and the bubbles
Bring me a cup to drown
Complain to one another of burning longing.
The heaviest of my afflictions
هاتِbring it اِسقِنيgive me drink كَأَساًa cup لِأَغـso I may drown (start)
هاتِ اِسقِني كَأَساً لِأَغـ
ـرَقَdrown (end) فيهِin it أَثقَلَthe heaviest ماwhat أُعانيI suffer
ـرَقَ فيهِ أَثقَلَ ما أُعاني
Come, pour me a cup, that I may drown
My body and soul in ceaseless
In it the heaviest of my sufferings.
Burning agony
جِسميmy body وَروحيand my soul فيin سَعيـa blaze (start)
جِسمي وَروحي في سَعيـ
ـرٍblaze (end) سَرمَدٍeternal يَتَحَرَّقانِthe two burn
ـرٍ سَرمَدٍ يَتَحَرَّقانِ
My body and soul are in a blaze,
The cup intimates to me
Burning for all eternity.
What it intimates, so comfort me with another
يوحيreveals إِلَيَّto me الكَأسُthe cup ماwhat
يوحي إِلَيَّ الكَأسُ ما
يوحيit reveals فَعَزّونيso console me بِثانِwith a second cup
يوحي فَعَزّوني بِثانِ
The cup reveals to me what
To spread in my heart the sadness
It reveals; so console me with a second,
Of visions I hoped for long ago
لِتَشيعَso that they may spread فيin قَلبيmy heart الحَزيsorrowful (start)
لِتَشيعَ في قَلبي الحَزي
نِsorrowful (end) رُؤىvisions رَجاهاit hoped for them مِنsince زَمانِlong ago
نِ رُؤى رَجاها مِن زَمانِ
That through my grieving heart may spread
Silence my echo
Visions it has long hoped for.
For hopes have dried on my lips
أَطفىءْquench صَدايَmy thirst فَإِنَّنيfor I
أَطفىءْ صَدايَ فَإِنَّني
جَفَّتhave dried عَلىupon شَفَتيmy lip الأَمانيwishes
جَفَّت عَلى شَفَتي الأَماني
Quench my thirst, for
Wishes have dried upon my lip.
Partial English translation: 60 of 62 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1