تصبَّحtake a morning draught بِوجهِwith the face of الراحِwine وَالطائِرand the bird السَعدِauspicious
تصبَّح بِوجهِ الراحِ وَالطائِر السَعدِ
كميتاًdark-red wine وبعدand after المزجِmixing فيin صفةِthe appearance of الوردِroses
كميتاً وبعد المزجِ في صفةِ الوردِ
Take a morning draught with wine's face and the auspicious bird,
You woke up with the face of comfort and the happy bird
Greet the morning with the face of wine and the bird of good fortune,
Dark-red wine, rose-colored once mixed.
A goblet full, and after mixing the description of a rose in it
A dark red wine that, once blended, takes on the hue of a rose.
تَضمَّنهاcontained it زِقٌa wineskin أَزبُّshaggy كَأَنَّهُas though it were
تَضمَّنها زِقٌ أَزبُّ كَأَنَّهُ
صَريعٌa fallen man مِنamong السودانِblack people ذوwith شَعرٍhair جَعدِcurly
صَريعٌ مِن السودانِ ذو شَعرٍ جَعدِ
A shaggy wineskin held it, as though it were
It contained foam whiter as if it were
Contained within a hairy wineskin, as though it were
A fallen black man with curly hair.
A slain man from Sudan with curly hair
A fallen man from the land of the Blacks, with tightly curled hair;
وَلَمّاand when حَلَلناwe untied رأسَهُits head مِنfrom رباطِهِits binding
وَلَمّا حَلَلنا رأسَهُ مِن رباطِهِ
وَفاضَand it gushed دماًblood كالمِسكِlike musk أَوor عنبرِambergris of الهندِIndia
وَفاضَ دماً كالمِسكِ أَو عنبرِ الهندِ
And when we untied its head from its binding,
And when we undid his head from its band
And when we loosened its head from its binding,
And it gushed blood like musk or Indian ambergris,
Blood flowed like musk or Indian ambergris
It poured forth blood like musk, or like the ambergris of India;
وَجَدناهُwe found it فيin بعضِsome of الزَواياthe corners كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَجَدناهُ في بعضِ الزَوايا كَأَنَّهُ
أَخوone afflicted with قِرَّةٍcold يَهتَزُّshakes مِنfrom شِدَّةِthe severity of البَردِthe cold
أَخو قِرَّةٍ يَهتَزُّ مِن شِدَّةِ البَردِ
We found it in one of the corners, as though it were
And we found him in some corners as if he were
We found it resting in a corner, as though it were
One stricken with cold, shaking from the bitter chill.
A brother of happiness shaking from the severity of the cold
A man struck by the chill, shivering from the bitter cold.
أَخوone afflicted with قِرَّةٍcold يُبديshows لَناto us وجهَthe surface of صفحةٍa side
أَخو قِرَّةٍ يُبدي لَنا وجهَ صفحةٍ
كَلَونِlike the color of رَقيقِdelicate الجِلدِskin مِنamong وَلَدِthe children of السَندِSind
كَلَونِ رَقيقِ الجِلدِ مِن وَلَدِ السَندِ
One stricken with cold, showing us the surface of its side,
A brother of happiness showing us the face of a delicate complexion
A man struck by the chill, revealing to us a wide surface
Like the complexion of a tender-skinned child of Sind.
The color of smooth skin from a boy of India
Like the hue of the delicate skin of the children of Sindh.
سَيغنيwill spare أَباAbu الهنديّal-Hindi عَنthe need for وَطبِthe milk-skin of سالِمٍSalim
سَيغني أَبا الهنديّ عَن وَطبِ سالِمٍ
أَباريقَpitchers لَمdid not يعلقcling بِهاto them وَضرَthe greasy residue of الزبدِbutter
أَباريقَ لَم يعلق بِها وَضرَ الزبدِ
Abu al-Hindi will be spared the need for Salim's milk-skin
It will make Abu Al-Hindi forget the medicine of Salim
It will suffice Abu al-Hindi, sparing him the need for Salim's milk-skin,
By pitchers untouched by butter's greasy residue,
Jugs that curdled cream did not stick to
With pitchers unsoiled by the greasy remnants of churned butter.
مُفدَّمةًcovered at the mouth قَزّاًwith silk كأنَّas though رِقابَهاtheir necks
مُفدَّمةً قَزّاً كأنَّ رِقابَها
رِقابَthe necks of بَناتِdaughters of الماءِwater أُفزِعنَwere frightened بِالرَعدِby thunder
رِقابَ بَناتِ الماءِ أُفزِعنَ بِالرَعدِ
Their mouths covered with silk, as though their necks
Blood stained leather bags as if their necks
Covered with silk strainers, their necks looking as though they were
Were the necks of waterbirds startled by thunder.
Were necks of the daughters of water startled by thunder
The necks of water-birds, startled by the roar of thunder.
جلتهاunveiled it الجَواليthe unveiling women حينَwhen طابَbecame pleasing مِزاجُهاits blend
جلتها الجَوالي حينَ طابَ مِزاجُها
وَطَيَّبنَهاand they perfumed it بالمسكِwith musk وَالعَنبَرِand ambergris الوَرديrose-colored
وَطَيَّبنَها بالمسكِ وَالعَنبَرِ الوَردي
The women unveiled it when its blend was pleasing,
Their leather bags were emptied by the servants when their mood was good
The cupbearers unveiled it clearly when its blend grew perfect,
And perfumed it with musk and rose-colored ambergris.
And they scented it with musk and pink ambergris
And perfumed it with musk and rosy ambergris.
إِذاwhen أَنفَذواthey used up ماwhat فيهِwas in it جاؤاthey brought بِمِثلِهِmore like it
إِذا أَنفَذوا ما فيهِ جاؤا بِمِثلِهِ
غَطارفةًnoble men أَهلpeople of السَماحَةِgenerosity وَالمَجدِand glory
غَطارفةً أَهل السَماحَةِ وَالمَجدِ
When they emptied what it held, they brought more like it,
When they finished what was in it, they came with the like of it
Whenever they exhaust its contents, they bring forth its equal,
Nobles, people of generosity and glory.
Generous people of generosity and glory
Those noble lords, the people of generosity and glory.
تمجُّpours forth سُلافاًchoice wine مِنfrom قَواريرَbottles صُفِّفَتset in rows
تمجُّ سُلافاً مِن قَواريرَ صُفِّفَت
وَطاساتand bowls صفرbrass كلّهاall of them حَسَنُbeautiful القَدِّin shape
وَطاسات صفر كلّها حَسَنُ القَدِّ
Pouring forth choice wine from bottles set in rows,
Pouring smoothly from arranged pitchers
Pouring forth the finest wine from flasks arranged in rows,
And brass bowls, all finely shaped.
And yellow cups, all of beautiful size
And golden bowls, every one of them beautifully shaped;
كميتاًdark-red wine ثوتrested فيin الدنِّthe wine-jar تِسعينninety حجَّةًyears
كميتاً ثوت في الدنِّ تِسعين حجَّةً
مُشعشعةًdiluted فيin شربِهاdrinking it واجِبُdue الحَدِّthe prescribed penalty
مُشعشعةً في شربِها واجِبُ الحَدِّ
Dark-red wine that rested in the wine-jar for ninety years,
A goblet settled firmly in the world ninety pilgrimages
A dark red wine that has lingered in the vat for ninety years,
Diluted—yet drinking it incurs the prescribed penalty.
Radiant in its drinking, necessary limit
Sparkling and radiant, the drinking of which makes the penal lash a duty.
عَقارwine إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ذاقَهاtastes it الشَيخُthe old man أَرعَشَتtrembled
عَقار إِذا ما ذاقَها الشَيخُ أَرعَشَت
مَفاصلُهُhis joints وازدادَand he increased وَجداًin longing إِلىupon وَجدِlonging
مَفاصلُهُ وازدادَ وَجداً إِلى وَجدِ
Wine—whenever an old man tastes it, trembling seizes
A liquor, when the Sheikh tastes it, his joints tremble
A potent brew that, should an old man taste it, sends a tremble
His joints, and his longing grows upon longing.
And his passion increases to passion
Through his joints, and adds passion upon his passion,
وَيَبكيand he weeps عَلىover ماwhat فاتَهُpassed him by مِنof شَبابِهِhis youth
وَيَبكي عَلى ما فاتَهُ مِن شَبابِهِ
بُكاءَthe weeping of أَسيرٍa captive فيin الصِفادِfetters وَفيand in القيدِchains
بُكاءَ أَسيرٍ في الصِفادِ وَفي القيدِ
And he weeps for the youth that has passed him by,
And he cries over what he missed of his youth
Making him weep for the youth that has slipped away from him,
The weeping of a captive in fetters and in chains.
The cry of a prisoner in shackles and chains
With the weeping of a captive bound in shackles and chains.
فَيَومانِso two days يَومٌone day للأَميرِfor the emir أزورهُI visit him
فَيَومانِ يَومٌ للأَميرِ أزورهُ
وَيَومٌand a day لقرعِfor beating الصَنجِthe cymbals وَالرّاحِand wine وَالنّردِand backgammon
وَيَومٌ لقرعِ الصَنجِ وَالرّاحِ وَالنّردِ
So two days: one for the emir, whom I visit,
So two days, one day for the prince I visit him
My days are but two: one day for the prince, whom I visit,
And one for beating cymbals, wine, and backgammon.
And a day for the beating of the tambourine, comfort, and backgammon
And another for the striking of cymbals, wine, and backgammon.
يَقولُsays أَبوAbu الهِنديِّal-Hindi إِذwhen طابَgrew pleasant لَيلُهُhis night
يَقولُ أَبو الهِنديِّ إِذ طابَ لَيلُهُ
وَحلَّقتِand soared الجَوزاءُal-Jawza بِالكَوكَبِwith the star الفَردِsolitary
وَحلَّقتِ الجَوزاءُ بِالكَوكَبِ الفَردِ
Abu al-Hindi says, when his night has grown pleasant,
Abu Al-Hindi says when his night was good
Abu al-Hindi says, as his night grows sweet and pleasant,
And al-Jawza has soared with the solitary star:
And Al-Jawza circled the single planet
And the constellation of Gemini soars alongside the solitary star:
شَهِدتُI was present بِفِتيانٍwith young men تَميمٌTamim أَبوهُمtheir father
شَهِدتُ بِفِتيانٍ تَميمٌ أَبوهُم
حِسانُhandsome وُجوهٍof face مِنfrom رَبابٍRabab وَمِنand from سَعدِSa'd
حِسانُ وُجوهٍ مِن رَبابٍ وَمِن سَعدِ
I was with young men whose father is Tamim,
I witnessed young men whose father was Tameem
"I sat in the company of youths whose forefather is Tamim,
Handsome of face, from Rabab and from Sa'd.
Beautiful faces of lute and happiness
With handsome faces, hailing from the tribes of Rabab and Sa'd."
Sol 6.1