فَكَمْ مِنْ رَوْحَةٍ والشَّمْ

فَكَمْ مِنْ رَوْحَةٍ والشَّمْ

سُ لَمْ تَدْنُ لِتَطْفيلِ

سُ لَمْ تَدْنُ لِتَطْفيلِ

And how many an afternoon outing, while the sun

How many a meadow with dusk yet to come,

had not yet neared sunset,

To Saint Saeed’s monastery or Saint Michael’s haven’t gone.

إلى دَيْرِ سَعيدٍ أَوْ

إلى دَيْرِ سَعيدٍ أَوْ

إلى دَيْرِ مَخائِيلِ

إلى دَيْرِ مَخائِيلِ

to the monastery of Saʿīd, or

A night like resurrection day in breadth and length,

to the monastery of Makhāʾīl!

You see its stars like fire in the oil lamps’ light.

ولَيْلٍ مِثْلَ يَوْمِ البَعْ

ولَيْلٍ مِثْلَ يَوْمِ البَعْ

ثِ في العَرْضِ وفي الطُولِ

ثِ في العَرْضِ وفي الطُولِ

And many a night, like the Day

of Resurrection in breadth and length,

I saw the stars, with it, like rolling eyes,

تَرَى أَنْجُمَهُ كَالنا

تَرَى أَنْجُمَهُ كَالنا

رِ في زُهْرِ القَناديلِ

رِ في زُهْرِ القَناديلِ

whose stars you see like fire

On legs like a heavily pregnant camel’s, dark and plump.

in gleaming lamps.

You see in its face your face, so gentle of expression.

فَعايَنْتُ بِهِ الأَنْجُ

فَعايَنْتُ بِهِ الأَنْجُ

مَ مِثْلَ الأَعْيُنِ الحولِ

مَ مِثْلَ الأَعْيُنِ الحولِ

Then I beheld the stars there

The baskets came, with a jug and kerchief.

like squinting eyes,

بِساقٍ كَمَهاةٍ مُغْ

بِساقٍ كَمَهاةٍ مُغْ

زِلٍ أَدْماءَ عُطْبُولِ

زِلٍ أَدْماءَ عُطْبُولِ

with a cupbearer like a female oryx,

She poured it like an anklet of twisted ruby,

with her young, white and long-necked.

Unceasingly, unseen but in my imaginings.

تَرى في وَجْهِهِ وَجْهَ

تَرى في وَجْهِهِ وَجْهَ

كَ لِلرِّقَةِ مِنْ ميلِ

كَ لِلرِّقَةِ مِنْ ميلِ

In his face you see your own,

Like mechanical figurines, whose meaning in attempts to grasp

so fine it is, from a mile away.

Escapes you, elusive as a phantom.

أَتى الدَّنَّ بِمِبْزالٍ

أَتى الدَّنَّ بِمِبْزالٍ

وإِبْريقٍ ومَنْديلِ

وإِبْريقٍ ومَنْديلِ

He approached the wine-jar with a borer,

It shows you dawn in a veil of darkness,

and a pitcher and a cloth;

Folded back. We drank it in the presence of houri-like faces,

فَأَجْراها كَخِلْخالٍ

فَأَجْراها كَخِلْخالٍ

مِنَ الياقوتِ مَفْتولِ

مِنَ الياقوتِ مَفْتولِ

then he let it flow like an anklet

Who, if they wished, would all speak alike,

twisted from ruby:

Articulate, with their trinkets and ornaments.

مُداماً لا يَرى طَرْفَ

مُداماً لا يَرى طَرْفَ

كَ مِنْها غَيْرَ تَخْييلِ

كَ مِنْها غَيْرَ تَخْييلِ

wine of which your eye sees

nothing but an illusion,

كَشَخْصِ الآَلِ لا يُدْرَ

كَشَخْصِ الآَلِ لا يُدْرَ

كَ مَعْناهُ بِتَحْصيلِ

كَ مَعْناهُ بِتَحْصيلِ

like a mirage’s form, whose

true nature cannot be grasped with certainty.

يُريكَ الصُّبْحَ في سِتْرٍ

يُريكَ الصُّبْحَ في سِتْرٍ

مِنَ الظَّلْماءِ مَسْدولِ

مِنَ الظَّلْماءِ مَسْدولِ

It shows you dawn behind a veil

of darkness drawn down.

شَرِبْناها عَلى أَوْجُ

شَرِبْناها عَلى أَوْجُ

هِ حُورٍ كَالتَماثيلِ

هِ حُورٍ كَالتَماثيلِ

We drank it gazing upon the faces

of dark-eyed beauties like statues,

إِذا شِئْنَ تَمَنْطَقْنَ

إِذا شِئْنَ تَمَنْطَقْنَ

جَميعاً بِالخَلاخيلِ

جَميعاً بِالخَلاخيلِ

who, if they wished, could gird themselves,

all of them, with anklets.