ياO لَيلَةًa night طابَwas sweet ليto me بِهاin it الأَرَقُsleeplessness
يا لَيلَةً طابَ لي بِها الأَرَقُ
حَتّىuntil بَداappeared مِنfrom صَباحِهاits morning الفَلَقُdaybreak
حَتّى بَدا مِن صَباحِها الفَلَقُ
O night in which sleeplessness was sweet to me,
O night of joy in which my insomnia ceased
O night in which sleeplessness was sweet to me,
Until the first light of its morning appeared!
Until the dawn broke through its darkness
Until the breaking dawn appeared from its morning.
نُسقىwe are served سُلافاًfirst-run wine مِنfrom بِنتِa daughter دَسكَرَةٍa village
نُسقى سُلافاً مِن بِنتِ دَسكَرَةٍ
ماnot شابَهاtainted her فيin دِنانِهاher wine-jars الرَنَقُcloudiness
ما شابَها في دِنانِها الرَنَقُ
We were served first-run wine from a village's daughter,
We were served a drink from the daughter of Daskara
We were served the choicest wine, daughter of the vineyard,
No cloudiness had tainted her in her wine-jars.
Whose elegance in her robes was unmatched
Untouched by any turbidity within its casks.
اِختارَهاhe chose her فيat القِطافِthe harvest سائِمُهاher buyer
اِختارَها في القِطافِ سائِمُها
حُمراًred ones وَسوداًand black ones كَأَنَّهاas though they were الحَدَقُthe pupils of eyes
حُمراً وَسوداً كَأَنَّها الحَدَقُ
Her buyer chose her at the harvest,
The herder chose her during harvest
Its vintner selected it carefully at the harvest,
Red and black, like the pupils of eyes.
Red and black, as if she were essence itself
Red grapes and black, resembling dark pupils of the eye.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen فيin الحِياضِthe vats صَيَّرَهاhe placed her
حَتّى إِذا في الحِياضِ صَيَّرَها
خالَطَهاmingled with her الزَعفَرانُsaffron وَالعَلَقُand thick blood
خالَطَها الزَعفَرانُ وَالعَلَقُ
Then, when he had placed her in the vats,
Until when in the basin he prepared her
Until, when he placed them into the pressing troughs,
Saffron and thick blood mingled with her.
Saffron and cloves mingled with her
Saffron hues mingled with the deep red of clotted blood.
حَصَّنَهاhe fortified her فيin الحِياضِthe vats فَاِحتَجَبَتso she veiled herself
حَصَّنَها في الحِياضِ فَاِحتَجَبَت
ماnot راعَهاalarmed her رَهبَةٌdread وَلاnor فَرَقُfear
ما راعَها رَهبَةٌ وَلا فَرَقُ
He fortified her in the vats, and she veiled herself;
He stored her safely in the basin where she matured
He fortified it within the vessels, so it remained veiled,
Neither dread nor fear alarmed her
Fearing no corruption, rot, or decay
Disturbed by neither terror nor fright.
خَمسينَfifty عاماًyears حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen هَرِمَتshe grew old
خَمسينَ عاماً حَتّى إِذا هَرِمَت
وَاِخضَرَّand turned green مِنfrom نَبتِthe shoots نَبتِهاher shoots الوَرَقُthe leaves
وَاِخضَرَّ مِن نَبتِ نَبتِها الوَرَقُ
For fifty years; then, when she had grown old
Fifty years passed until she aged
For fifty years, until it grew ancient with age,
And leaves had greened from the shoots of her shoots,
And the greenery of her youth turned to withered leaves
And green leaves sprouted from the offspring of its vine.
أَتَواthey came بِهاwith her فيin الحِبابِthe jars يَخفُرُهاguards her
أَتَوا بِها في الحِبابِ يَخفُرُها
مَشيٌa gait هُوَينىslow and gentle ماnot إِنat all (emphatic) بِهِin it نَزَقُrashness
مَشيٌ هُوَينى ما إِن بِهِ نَزَقُ
They brought her in jars, guarded by
They brought her in jugs, gently swaying
They brought it forth in jars, escorted by
A slow, gentle gait with no trace of rashness.
In a gait so mesmerizing and sublime
A slow and gentle gait, bearing no trace of haste.
فَبادَرواso they hastened لِاِفتِضاضِto deflower عُذرَتِهاher maidenhead
فَبادَروا لِاِفتِضاضِ عُذرَتِها
بِناقِدٍwith a piercing tool فيin شَباتِهِits point زَلَقُsmoothness
بِناقِدٍ في شَباتِهِ زَلَقُ
So they hastened to break her maidenhead
They hurried to take her virginity
They hastened then to break its virgin seal
With a piercing tool, smooth at its point.
With a critic whose youth was so fickle
With a sharp instrument, slick at its cutting edge.
فَسالَthen flowed مِنهاfrom her مِثلَlike الرُعافِa nosebleed دَمٌblood
فَسالَ مِنها مِثلَ الرُعافِ دَمٌ
يُشفىis cured بِهِby it مِنof سَقامِهِhis sickness الصَعِقُthe stricken man
يُشفى بِهِ مِن سَقامِهِ الصَعِقُ
Then blood flowed from her like a nosebleed,
From her poured a blood like fine spray
And from it flowed a blood-red stream like a hemorrhage,
By which the stricken man is cured of his sickness.
Which would cure even the stroke-ridden invalid
By which the struck-down soul is cured of his ailment.
نازَعَهاshared her سادَةٌlords غَطارِفَةٌhighborn nobles
نازَعَها سادَةٌ غَطارِفَةٌ
كَأَنَّهُمas though they مِنfrom شَقيقَةٍa strip of cloth شُقِقواwere cut
كَأَنَّهُم مِن شَقيقَةٍ شُقِقوا
Highborn lords shared her among themselves,
The lords competed for her, tearing her apart
Noble masters, magnificent in stature, passed it around,
As though they were cut from a single strip of cloth.
As if they were torn pieces of the same rag
As though they were all hewn from a single cloth.
يُسقَونَthey are served مِنfrom قَهوَةٍwine مُعَتَّقَةٍwell-aged
يُسقَونَ مِن قَهوَةٍ مُعَتَّقَةٍ
لَهاshe has دَبيبٌa creeping motion فيin المُخِّthe brain يَستَبِقُraces ahead
لَها دَبيبٌ في المُخِّ يَستَبِقُ
They are served a well-aged wine
They drank coffee aged and refined
They are served a vintage, ancient wine,
Whose creeping motion races through the brain.
With a murmuring in the brain that excites
That creeps into the brain with a racing sensation.
أَعطَواthey gave بِهاfor her رَبَّهاher owner حُكومَتَهُhis stipulated price
أَعطَوا بِها رَبَّها حُكومَتَهُ
بيضاًwhite coins كَمِثلِlike السُيوفِswords تَبتَرِقُgleam
بيضاً كَمِثلِ السُيوفِ تَبتَرِقُ
They paid her owner his asking price for her:
They gave her master his rightful due
They paid its master his full asking price,
White coins, flashing like swords.
As white as swords that glitter and glow
With silver coins flashing like the blades of swords.
جاءَhe came بِهاwith her كَالخَلوقِlike saffron perfume فيin قَدَحٍa goblet
جاءَ بِها كَالخَلوقِ في قَدَحٍ
تَزهُرُshe glows فيin جَوفِهِits hollow فَتَأتَلِقُand so she sparkles
تَزهُرُ في جَوفِهِ فَتَأتَلِقُ
He brought her, like saffron perfume, in a goblet;
He brought her like a creature in a goblet
He brought it forth in the cup, fragrant as perfume,
She glows in its hollow, then sparkles.
Blooming within it, luminous and bright
Blooming within the vessel, shimmering with light.
كَأَنَّas though إِبريقَناour ewer إِذاwhen صُفِقَتshe was poured
كَأَنَّ إِبريقَنا إِذا صُفِقَت
فيinto الكَأسِthe cup شَيخٌan old man مُزَمزِمٌmumbling شَرِقُchoking
في الكَأسِ شَيخٌ مُزَمزِمٌ شَرِقُ
As though our ewer, when she is poured
As if our flask, when beaten,
As if our pitcher, when the wine was poured,
Into the cup, were a mumbling, choking old man.
Were an ancient sheikh, venerable and devout
Was an old man mumbling prayers, choking on his words.
كَأَنَّهاas though she were وَالمِزاجُand the mixing water يَقرَعُهاstrikes her
كَأَنَّها وَالمِزاجُ يَقرَعُها
شِهابُa meteor نارٍfire فيin الجَوِّthe air يَحتَرِقُburns
شِهابُ نارٍ في الجَوِّ يَحتَرِقُ
As though she, while the mixing water strikes her,
As if she and the whisk were struck
As though, when the water strikes its surface,
Were a fiery meteor burning in the air.
By a flaming meteor burning bright
It is a meteor of fire burning in the sky.
كَأَنَّماas though حَفَّencircled مِنfrom قَراقِرِهاher bubbles
كَأَنَّما حَفَّ مِن قَراقِرِها
بِطَوقِهاaround her collar جِلدُskin حَيَّةٍa snake يَقَقُpure-white
بِطَوقِها جِلدُ حَيَّةٍ يَقَقُ
As though, from her bubbles, there lay
As if circling her neck were the skin
As if the bubbles frothing at its rim
Around her collar a pure-white snakeskin,
Of a serpent, hissing and writhing in coils
Were ringed by the glistening skin of a white snake.
فيin مَجلِسٍa gathering لَيسَthere is not فيهِin it فاحِشَةٌobscenity
في مَجلِسٍ لَيسَ فيهِ فاحِشَةٌ
إِلّاexcept حَديثٌconversation وَمَنطِقٌand speech أَنِقُgraceful
إِلّا حَديثٌ وَمَنطِقٌ أَنِقُ
In a gathering where there is no obscenity,
In a gathering with no vulgarity
In a gathering free from any obscenity,
Only conversation and graceful speech.
Only pleasant words and eloquent speech
With naught but conversation and elegant speech.
Sol 6.1