اِسقِنيها بِسَوادِ

اِسقِنيها بِسَوادِ

قَبلَ تَغريدِ المُنادي

قَبلَ تَغريدِ المُنادي

Pour it for me in the darkness,

Pour it slowly in the darkness

Pour it for me in the deep darkness,

before the caller's chant:

Before the caller's morning song,

Before the caller sings his chant,

مِن كُمَيتٍ بَلَغَت في ال

مِن كُمَيتٍ بَلَغَت في ال

دَنِّ أَقصى مُستَزادِ

دَنِّ أَقصى مُستَزادِ

a dark-red wine that has reached, in the

From a skin so full it reached

Of a dark red vintage that attained,

jar, the utmost maturity.

The brim and could take no more.

In the cask, the utmost peak of age,

رَضِعَت وَالدَهرَ ثَدياً

رَضِعَت وَالدَهرَ ثَدياً

وَتَلَتهُ في الوِلادِ

وَتَلَتهُ في الوِلادِ

It suckled alongside Time at one breast,

It suckled time and from it drew

She suckled at the breast of Time,

and followed him in birth.

Milk when time itself was young,

Following him in the order of birth,

فَهيَ فيها كُلُّ ما يَب

فَهيَ فيها كُلُّ ما يَب

لُغُ مَقروحُ الفُؤادِ

لُغُ مَقروحُ الفُؤادِ

For within it is all that

So it contains all that can make

For she holds within her all that is sought,

one wounded at heart may attain.

A wounded heart spill over.

By the one with a wounded heart,

سُمتُها عِندَ يَهودِي

سُمتُها عِندَ يَهودِي

يٍ خَصيبِ المُستَرادِ

يٍ خَصيبِ المُستَرادِ

I bargained for it with a Jew

A Jew who lives off lush oases

I bargained for her with a Jewish host,

whose pastureland was fertile.

Once owned it at his wish and will

Whose grounds were rich and fertile,

فَشَرِبنا شُربَ قَومٍ

فَشَرِبنا شُربَ قَومٍ

عَطِشوا مِن عَهدِ عادِ

عَطِشوا مِن عَهدِ عادِ

So we drank like people

And we drank like men who after long

So we drank the draught of a folk,

who had thirsted since the days of ʿĀd,

Thirst quaffed since the days of 'Aad.

Parched since the days of ancient 'Ad,

بَينَ أَفياءِ عَريشٍ

بَينَ أَفياءِ عَريشٍ

عَمَدوهُ بِعِمادِ

عَمَدوهُ بِعِمادِ

among the shadows of an arbor

Twixt poles that propped the goat-hair tent

Amidst the shadows of a vine trellis,

they had supported with pillars,

They built and pegged down good and firm,

Propped aloft by sturdy pillars,

وَدِنانٍ مُسنَداتٍ

وَدِنانٍ مُسنَداتٍ

مُعلَماتٍ بِمِدادِ

مُعلَماتٍ بِمِدادِ

and wine jars propped up,

And plugged them with hard, wooden pegs

And great casks set leaning in rows,

marked with ink.

Sharp like the jabs of prods and goads.

Marked with inscriptions in ink,

أَنفَذوهُنَّ بِطَعنٍ

أَنفَذوهُنَّ بِطَعنٍ

مِثلَ أَفواهِ المَزادِ

مِثلَ أَفواهِ المَزادِ

They pierced them, making openings

Then having mixed it thoroughly

They broached them with a piercing thrust,

like the mouths of waterskins.

They saw it foam and seethe and surge,

Like the open mouths of waterskins,

ثُمَّ لَمّا مَزَجوها

ثُمَّ لَمّا مَزَجوها

وَثَبَت وَثبَ الجَرادِ

وَثَبَت وَثبَ الجَرادِ

Then, when they mixed it,

Then drank it in and it possessed

Then, when they mingled her with water,

it leapt like locusts;

Them like a swooning, drugged fatigue.

She leapt up like a swarm of locusts,

ثُمَّ لَمّا شَرِبوها

ثُمَّ لَمّا شَرِبوها

أَخَذَت أَخذَ الرُقادِ

أَخَذَت أَخذَ الرُقادِ

then, when they drank it,

And then, as they drank her down,

it took hold as sleep does.

She seized them as sleep seizes the weary.