سَقَىmay water اللهُGod أيَّامَthe days of الصَّبَابَةِyearning وَالهَوَىand love
سَقَى اللهُ أيَّامَ الصَّبَابَةِ وَالهَوَى
وَعًصرَand the time of الشّبابِyouth الغَضِّtender أكرِمhow noble بِهِit is عَصرَاa time
وَعًصرَ الشّبابِ الغَضِّ أكرِم بِهِ عَصرَا
May God water the days of yearning and love,
God watered the days of my youth and passion
And the time of tender youth—how noble a time!—
And the prime of my green adolescence - may it be a generous time!
سَحَاباًa cloud يدِرّpours forth المَاءَwater فيin مَحلِthe drought of رَوضِهَاtheir garden
سَحَاباً يدِرّ المَاءَ في مَحلِ رَوضِهَا
وَيُنبِتُand makes grow فِيon أَغصَانِهَاtheir branches الوَرَقَthe leaves الخُضرَاgreen
وَيُنبِتُ فِي أَغصَانِهَا الوَرَقَ الخُضرَا
With a cloud pouring water upon their parched garden,
Like clouds that pour down water in the dwellings of the garden
And bringing forth green leaves on their branches;
And cause the green leaves to grow on its branches.
وَجَادَand may shower أَصِيلاًa late afternoon بالقصيبَةat al-Qusayba لَمnot يُضَفwas added
وَجَادَ أَصِيلاً بالقصيبَة لَم يُضَف
إِلَىto حُسنِهِits beauty عَيبٌa flaw سِوَىexcept أنَّهُthat it مَرّاpassed
إِلَى حُسنِهِ عَيبٌ سِوَى أنَّهُ مَرّا
And lavish rain on a late afternoon at al-Qusayba; nothing was added
And it was generous with the wine that had no fault added
To its beauty as a flaw, save that it passed.
To its beauty except that it was bitter.
إِذِwhen الشَّمسُthe sun تَحكِينِيmirrors me وَتَحكِيand mirrors مُعَذِّبيmy tormentor
إِذِ الشَّمسُ تَحكِينِي وَتَحكِي مُعَذِّبي
بِماin what احمَرَّturned red مِنهَاof it لِلغُرُوبِat sunset وَمَاand what اصفَرّاturned yellow
بِما احمَرَّ مِنهَا لِلغُرُوبِ وَمَا اصفَرّا
When the sun mirrored me and mirrored my tormentor,
When the sun reproached me and reproached my tormentor
In the red it took on at sunset, and in its yellow.
With what reddened of it for sunset and what yellowed.
وراحَةُand the palm of مَنthe one whom أهوَىI love وبَارِقُand the gleam of ثَغرِهِhis teeth
وراحَةُ مَن أهوَى وبَارِقُ ثَغرِهِ
وَلَحظَتُهُand his glance الوَطفَاءُthick-lashed تَمزِجmixes لِيfor me خَمرَاwine
وَلَحظَتُهُ الوَطفَاءُ تَمزِج لِي خَمرَا
And the palm of him I love, and the gleam of his teeth,
And the rest of my beloved and the lightning of his smile
And his thick-lashed glance mixed wine for me.
And his languorous glance mixed wine for me.
فَقَامَتso stood بِهِwith it حَولِيaround me سقاةٌcupbearers كَثِيرَةٌmany
فَقَامَت بِهِ حَولِي سقاةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ
مُنَىthe wishes of كُلِّeach ساقٍcupbearer أنthat أمِيدَI sway لَهُfor him سُكرَاin drunkenness
مُنَى كُلِّ ساقٍ أن أمِيدَ لَهُ سُكرَا
So many cupbearers stood around me with it,
Many cupbearers then stood around me
Each cupbearer's wish was that I sway for him in drunkenness.
The wish of every pourer being that I prolong the drunkenness.
فَلَمso did not أدرِI know مِمَّاfrom what كنتI was أُسقَىbeing given drink هَلwhether الهَوَىlove
فَلَم أدرِ مِمَّا كنت أُسقَى هَل الهَوَى
شَرِبتُI drank أمِor الصَّهبَاءَtawny wine صِرفاًunmixed أمِor السِّحرَاenchantment
شَرِبتُ أمِ الصَّهبَاءَ صِرفاً أمِ السِّحرَا
So I could not tell what I was being served: was it love
So I did not know whether it was passion I was given to drink
I drank, or unmixed tawny wine, or enchantment?
Or whether it was the limpid or the bewitched wine.
سلامٌpeace عَلَىupon ذَاكَthat الأَصِيلِlate afternoon وَطِيبِهِand its sweetness
سلامٌ عَلَى ذَاكَ الأَصِيلِ وَطِيبِهِ
يُرَدَّدُis repeated مَاwhenever مَرَّpasses الأصِيلُthe late afternoon وَمَاand not مَرَّاpasses
يُرَدَّدُ مَا مَرَّ الأصِيلُ وَمَا مَرَّا
Peace upon that late afternoon and its sweetness,
Greetings to that generous one and his goodness
Repeated whenever late afternoon passes—and when it does not.
However much the generous one refused and refused.
Sol 6.1