خذtake ياO نديمُdrinking companion وهاتand bring غيرَwithout مطّبٍdelaying (uncertain reading)
خذ يا نديمُ وهات غيرَ مطّبٍ
كأساًa cup تبسَّمُsmiles عنrevealing دمٍblood أوor عندمِdragon’s-blood resin
كأساً تبسَّمُ عن دمٍ أو عندمِ
Take, O drinking companion, and bring without delay
Take, my friend, and bring a cup not mixed,
A cup that smiles, revealing blood or dragon’s-blood resin.
Smiling over blood or over tears,
تجلىis unveiled فتضحكthen she laughs والغمامand the cloud معبّسٌscowling
تجلى فتضحك والغمام معبّسٌ
يبكيweeps وتشرقand she shines فيin الزمانthe time المظلمdarkened
يبكي وتشرق في الزمان المظلم
She is unveiled and laughs, while the cloud scowls,
Dawn breaks and it laughs while the clouds frown,
Weeping, while she shines in a time of darkness.
It weeps while the dark time shines.
عذراءa virgin فيamid درّpearls الحبابof bubbles منظَّماًstrung
عذراء في درّ الحباب منظَّماً
والدرُّand pearls ليسdo not يزينlend beauty غيرَunless منظمstrung
والدرُّ ليس يزين غيرَ منظم
A virgin amid strung pearls of foam—
A virgin in a necklace well-arranged
And pearls lend no beauty unless strung.
Though the necklace adorns only the arranged.
هذاthis ووجهُand the face الروضof the garden طلقٌcheerful سافرٌunveiled
هذا ووجهُ الروض طلقٌ سافرٌ
بسوىwith anything other than ثغورthe mouths أقاحهِof its daisies لمnot يلثمbe veiled
بسوى ثغور أقاحهِ لم يلثم
All this, while the garden’s face is cheerful and unveiled,
While the garden's face is bare and open
Veiled by nothing but the mouths of its daisies.
Save for mouths not yet kissed.
وعيونand the eyes نرجسهof its narcissi جرىflowed دمعtears الندىof dew
وعيون نرجسه جرى دمع الندى
فيهاwithin them ولسنَand they are not وانeven though نعسنَthey drowse بنوَّمasleep
فيها ولسنَ وان نعسنَ بنوَّم
And the eyes of its narcissi: tears of dew have flowed
And narcissus eyes - the dew's tears
Within them; though they drowse, they are not asleep.
Flowed in them, though they seemed asleep.
والبدرُand the full moon فيin جنحthe folds الظلامof darkness وعمرهُand its life
والبدرُ في جنح الظلام وعمرهُ
فيin العنفوانits prime كغرَّةٍlike a white forehead-blaze منof أدهمa black horse
في العنفوان كغرَّةٍ من أدهم
And the full moon, in darkness’s folds, with its life
The full moon in the wings of darkness,
In its prime, is like a white blaze on a black horse.
In full bloom like a brown cheek.
وكأنماand as though زنجَّيةٌa Zanj woman محبوبةٌbeloved
وكأنما زنجَّيةٌ محبوبةٌ
جليتwas unveiled فنقَّطهاthen he gifted her المحبّthe lover بدرهمwith a dirham
جليت فنقَّطها المحبّ بدرهم
And it is as though a beloved Zanj woman
As if a beloved black woman
Were unveiled, and her lover gave her a dirham.
Adorned with coins by her lover.
Sol 6.1