رَبَّmany a لَيلٍnight كَساكَclothed you ثَوبُa robe نَعيمٍbliss
رَبَّ لَيلٍ كَساكَ ثَوبُ نَعيمٍ
بَينَamong ساقٍa cupbearer وَسامِرٍand a nighttime conversationalist وَنَديمِand a drinking companion
بَينَ ساقٍ وَسامِرٍ وَنَديمِ
Many a night has clothed you in a robe of bliss,
Lord of the night whose cloak is bliss
Among a cupbearer, a nighttime conversationalist, and a drinking companion,
Between leg and elbow and boon companion,
وَكُؤوسٍand cups جَرَتfollowed وَراءَafter كُؤوسٍcups
وَكُؤوسٍ جَرَت وَراءَ كُؤوسٍ
وَأَعانَتand helped عَلىalong طَريقِthe path of الهُمومِcares
وَأَعانَت عَلى طَريقِ الهُمومِ
And cups that followed after cups,
And cups passed after cups
And lent their aid along the path of cares.
Which helped release sorrows,
وَلَناand we had مِزهَرٌa lute كَمِثلِjust like فَطيمِa weaned child
وَلَنا مِزهَرٌ كَمِثلِ فَطيمِ
فيin يَديthe two hands of مُطرِبٍa musician كَأُمِّlike the mother of الفَطيمِthe weaned child
في يَدي مُطرِبٍ كَأُمِّ الفَطيمِ
And we had a lute, like a weaned child,
We had a blossom like Fatima’s
In the hands of a musician like the weaned child's mother.
In the hands of a singer like Fatima's mother,
وَسَمواthey marked صَدرَهُits breast بِعاجٍwith ivory وَذَلٍand tortoiseshell (uncertain reading)
وَسَموا صَدرَهُ بِعاجٍ وَذَلٍ
فَزَهَتهُso beautified it مَحاسِنُthe beauties of التَوسيمِthe marking
فَزَهَتهُ مَحاسِنُ التَوسيمِ
They inlaid its breast with ivory and tortoiseshell [uncertain reading],
With breasts adorned with ivory and submission
So the beauty of its markings made it splendid,
So her beauty was perfected by decoration’s touch,
مِثلُlike أَرضٍearth تَحَبَّرَتwas adorned بِأَقاحٍwith daisies
مِثلُ أَرضٍ تَحَبَّرَت بِأَقاحٍ
أَوor سَماءٍa sky تَكَلَّلَتwas crowned بِنُجومِwith stars
أَو سَماءٍ تَكَلَّلَت بِنُجومِ
Like earth adorned with daisies,
Like land scattered with thistle blooms
Or a sky crowned with stars.
Or sky bejeweled with stars,
ذوwith مُلاوٍtuning pegs سودِblack الفُروعِthe tips وَحُمرٍand red
ذو مُلاوٍ سودِ الفُروعِ وَحُمرٍ
مِثلَlike أَطرافِthe fingertips of فَرحَةٍFarha وَنَعيمِand Na'im
مِثلَ أَطرافِ فَرحَةٍ وَنَعيمِ
With tuning pegs tipped in black and red,
With black boughs and red tips
Like the fingertips of Farha and Na'im,
Like fingers of joy and bliss,
وَوِسامَينِand two ornaments لاnot تَجولُmove about عَلَيهِupon it
وَوِسامَينِ لا تَجولُ عَلَيهِ
كَخَلاخيلِlike the anklets of مارِدٍMarid وَظَلومِand Zalum
كَخَلاخيلِ مارِدٍ وَظَلومِ
And two ornaments that do not move upon it,
And two moles that wander not thereon
Like the anklets of Marid and Zalum.
Like eyes of a genie or injustice,
أَحمَرُred الزيرِthe treble string أَسوَدُblack البَمِّthe bass string أَحوىdark-hued
أَحمَرُ الزيرِ أَسوَدُ البَمِّ أَحوى
هَلquestion marker رَأَيتُمyou have seen جَداوِلَthe tables of التَقويمِthe almanac
هَل رَأَيتُم جَداوِلَ التَقويمِ
Red in its treble string, black in its bass string, dark-hued—
Reddieh-pale, black-eyed, alluring,
Have you seen the almanac's tables?
Have you seen the streams of perfection?
Sol 6.1