ولَيلةٍand a night بِتُّI spent the night تَجلُوdispels ليfor me حَنَادِسَهَاits deep darkness
ولَيلةٍ بِتُّ تَجلُو لي حَنَادِسَهَا
مُدَامَةٌwine كَدَمِlike the blood of المذْبُوحِthe slaughtered one حَمرَاءُred
مُدَامَةٌ كَدَمِ المذْبُوحِ حَمرَاءُ
And on a night I passed, its deep darkness was dispelled for me
A night whose stars reveal themselves to me
By wine, red as the blood of the slaughtered.
A wine the color of slaughtered blood, red
كالنَّارِlike fire والمَاءِand water إنwhen شِيمَتْbeheld وإنْand when لمسَتْtouched
كالنَّارِ والمَاءِ إن شِيمَتْ وإنْ لمسَتْ
وفيand in الحَقيقَةِthe truth لاnot نَارٌfire ولاnor مَاءُwater
وفي الحَقيقَةِ لا نَارٌ ولا مَاءُ
Like fire when beheld, and water when touched,
Like fire and water, however it's described, whatever's said
Yet in truth she is neither fire nor water.
In truth there's neither fire nor water
شَمْطَاءُgray-haired عَذْراءُa virgin فيin دَنٍّa wine jar وفيand in قَدَحٍa goblet
شَمْطَاءُ عَذْراءُ في دَنٍّ وفي قَدَحٍ
فَاعْجبْso marvel لهاat her وهيand she is شمْطَاءٌgray-haired وعَذْرَاءُand a virgin
فَاعْجبْ لها وهي شمْطَاءٌ وعَذْرَاءُ
Gray-haired yet a virgin, in a wine jar and in a goblet—
A wanton virgin in humbleness and in a goblet
So marvel at her: she is gray-haired and a virgin.
Marvel at her, wanton yet chaste
كأنَّهَاas though she were فيin الدُّجَىthe darkness والزِّقُّand the wineskin يَقذِفُهَاpours her forth
كأنَّهَا في الدُّجَى والزِّقُّ يَقذِفُهَا
بَرْقٌa lightning flash لَهُit has منfrom خِلالِbetween الغَيمِthe clouds لألاءُbrilliance
بَرْقٌ لَهُ من خِلالِ الغَيمِ لألاءُ
In the dark, as the wineskin pours her out, she seems
As if amid the gloom and drizzle she's struck
A lightning flash whose radiance shines through the clouds.
By lightning that gives her an aura
يَسعَىhastens بِهاwith her شَادِنٌa young gazelle مِيلٌswaying معاطفُهُhis sides
يَسعَى بِها شَادِنٌ مِيلٌ معاطفُهُ
دَاجيdark الغَدَائِرِthe tresses قَانِيdeep-red الخَدِّthe cheek أحْوَاءُdusky-lipped
دَاجي الغَدَائِرِ قَانِي الخَدِّ أحْوَاءُ
A young gazelle bears her, his sides swaying,
A mellow drinker pursues her, his cloak
Dark-tressed, crimson-cheeked, dusky-lipped.
Of ample folds, his cheek rosy
لَهُhe has محلاَّنِtwo abodes فيin قَلْبِيmy heart وفيand in بَصَريmy sight
لَهُ محلاَّنِ في قَلْبِي وفي بَصَري
سَوادُthe black pupil هذَاthis ومنand of ذَاكَthat السُويدَاءُthe heart's dark core
سَوادُ هذَا ومن ذَاكَ السُويدَاءُ
He has two abodes, in my heart and in my eye:
He occupies places in my heart and in my sight
The black pupil of this, and the dark core of that.
This blackness, and from that, radiance
وشَابَهاand mingled with her نُطْفَةٌa drop منfrom فِيهِhis mouth صَافيةٌclear
وشَابَها نُطْفَةٌ من فِيهِ صَافيةٌ
كالرَّاحِlike wine فَهيَso it is معwith الصَّهْبَاءthe tawny wine صَهْبَاءُtawny wine
كالرَّاحِ فَهيَ مع الصَّهْبَاء صَهْبَاءُ
And a clear drop from his mouth mingled with her,
And her ferment is a draught, pure
Like wine; so with the tawny wine, it too is tawny wine.
Like the wind, so with the pale one, pale
لَحَاreproached علَىfor شُرْبِهاdrinking her قَوْمٌsome people وماand not عَلِمواthey knew
لَحَا علَى شُرْبِها قَوْمٌ وما عَلِموا
ياO ويحَهُمْwoe to them إنَّindeed ذَاكَthat اللَّومَthe reproach إغْرَاءُenticement
يا ويحَهُمْ إنَّ ذَاكَ اللَّومَ إغْرَاءُ
Some people condemned drinking her, yet did not know—
A people blamed her drinking, but knew not
Ah, woe to them! That reproach is indeed enticement.
Alas, that blame itself's enticement
سَاءَdid wrong الذينَthose who نهواthey forbade عنfrom شُربِهَاdrinking her ولقَدْand indeed
سَاءَ الذينَ نهوا عن شُربِهَا ولقَدْ
شُرَّابُهاher drinkers أحسَنُواthey did well صُنْعاًin conduct وماand not سَاؤُاthey did wrong
شُرَّابُها أحسَنُوا صُنْعاً وما سَاؤُا
Those who forbade drinking her did wrong; and indeed,
Evil were those who forbade drinking her, for
Her drinkers did well, and did no wrong.
Her servers acted well, and came to no evil
Sol 6.1