لِلَّهِto God (expressing admiration) نَهرٌa river سالَflowed فيin بَطحاءِa broad, level plain
لِلَّهِ نَهرٌ سالَ في بَطحاءِ
أَشهىmore delightful وُروداًto approach for a drink مِنthan لِمىthe dusky tint of lips الحَسناءِthe beautiful woman
أَشهى وُروداً مِن لِمى الحَسناءِ
What a river flowed across the broad plain!
God, how wondrous the river that flowed through a broad plain,
Sweeter to visit than the lips of a beauty.
more delightful to drink from than a beauty's dusky lips.
مُتَعَطِّفٌcurving مِثلَlike السِوارِthe bracelet كَأَنَّهُas though it were
مُتَعَطِّفٌ مِثلَ السِوارِ كَأَنَّهُ
وَالزَهرُand the flowers يَكنُفُهُsurrounds it مَجَرُّa stream سَماءِthe sky
وَالزَهرُ يَكنُفُهُ مَجَرُّ سَماءِ
Curving like a bracelet, as though
Curving like a bracelet, as though it were—
the flowers around it were a galaxy in the sky.
with flowers flanking it—the Milky Way.
قَدindeed رَقَّgrew clear حَتّىuntil ظُنَّit was thought قُرصاًa disc مُفرَغاًcast
قَد رَقَّ حَتّى ظُنَّ قُرصاً مُفرَغاً
مِنof فَضَّةٍsilver فيin بُردَةٍa mantle خَضراءِgreen
مِن فَضَّةٍ في بُردَةٍ خَضراءِ
So delicate it grew, it seemed a disk cast
It grew so clear that it was thought a disc cast
of silver within a mantle of green.
of silver in a green mantle.
وَغَدَتand came to تَحُفُّsurround بِهِaround it الغُصونُthe branches كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَغَدَت تَحُفُّ بِهِ الغُصونُ كَأَنَّها
هُدبٌeyelashes يَحُفُّfringes بِمُقلَةٍaround an eye زَرقاءِblue
هُدبٌ يَحُفُّ بِمُقلَةٍ زَرقاءِ
Branches came to encircle it, as though they were
And the branches came to fringe it, as though they were
eyelashes surrounding a blue eye.
eyelashes fringing a blue eye.
وَلَطالَماand many a time عاطَيتُI shared فيهِin it مُدامَةًwine
وَلَطالَما عاطَيتُ فيهِ مُدامَةً
صَفراءَyellow تَخضِبُstains أَيدِيَthe hands of النُدَماءِthe drinking companions
صَفراءَ تَخضِبُ أَيدِيَ النُدَماءِ
How often there I passed around well-aged wine,
And many a time I shared wine there,
red, staining the drinking companions’ hands.
yellow, staining the hands of drinking companions,
وَالريحُand the wind تَعبَثُplays بِالغُصونِwith the branches وَقَدand already جَرىflowed
وَالريحُ تَعبَثُ بِالغُصونِ وَقَد جَرى
ذَهَبُthe gold of الأَصيلِlate afternoon عَلىover لُجَينِthe silver of الماءِthe water
ذَهَبُ الأَصيلِ عَلى لُجَينِ الماءِ
The wind played with the branches, while there streamed
while the wind played with the branches and there flowed
the gold of evening over the silver of the water.
late afternoon's gold over the water's silver.
Sol 6.1