وَخَمّارٍ طَرَقتُ بِلا دَليلٍ

وَخَمّارٍ طَرَقتُ بِلا دَليلٍ

سِوى ريحِ العَتيقِ الخَسرَواني

سِوى ريحِ العَتيقِ الخَسرَواني

And I called on a wine-seller by night, with no guide,

I knocked at a tent, with no guide

And a tavern-keeper I visited by night without a guide,

save the scent of aged Khosrawani wine.

Except the fragrant old eastern breeze

Save for the scent of the vintage Khosrowan wine.

فَقامَ إِلَيَّ مَذعوراً يُلَبّي

فَقامَ إِلَيَّ مَذعوراً يُلَبّي

وَجَونُ اللَيلِ مِثلُ الطَيلَسانِ

وَجَونُ اللَيلِ مِثلُ الطَيلَسانِ

So he rose to meet me, startled, answering my call,

He stood up to me, frightened, crying out

He rose to meet me, startled, answering my call,

while night's blackness was like a taylasan mantle.

While the night was as dark as obsidian

While the darkness of night hung like a Taylasan cloak.

فَلَمّا أَن رَأى زِقّي أَمامي

فَلَمّا أَن رَأى زِقّي أَمامي

تَكَلَّمَ غَيرَ مَذعورِ الجَنانِ

تَكَلَّمَ غَيرَ مَذعورِ الجَنانِ

Then, when he saw my wineskin before me,

When he saw my face before him

But when he saw my wineskin placed before me,

he spoke, no longer frightened at heart.

He spoke, no longer frightened

He spoke with a heart no longer seized by fear.

وَقالَ أَمِن تَميمٍ قُلتُ كَلّا

وَقالَ أَمِن تَميمٍ قُلتُ كَلّا

وَلَكِنّي مِنَ الحَيِّ اليَماني

وَلَكِنّي مِنَ الحَيِّ اليَماني

And he said, “Are you of Tamim?” I said, “No,

And said, are you from Tamim? I said no

He said, "Are you of Tamim?" I answered, "Nay,"

but I am of the Yemeni clan.”

Rather, I am from the living people of Yemen

"But rather I am of the Yemeni clan."

فَقامَ مِمِبزَلٍ فَأَجافَ دَنّاً

فَقامَ مِمِبزَلٍ فَأَجافَ دَنّاً

كَمِثلِ سَماوَةِ الجَمَلِ الهِجانِ

كَمِثلِ سَماوَةِ الجَمَلِ الهِجانِ

Then he rose with a tapping tool and pierced a wine-jar,

He got up from his abode, and drew near

He stood with a piercer and broached a clay jar,

like the towering form of a pure-bred white camel.

Like the pacing of a restless camel

Resembling the hump of a noble white camel.

فَسَيَّلَ بِالبِزالِ لَها شِهاباً

فَسَيَّلَ بِالبِزالِ لَها شِهاباً

أَضاءَ لَهُ الفُراتُ إِلى عُمانِ

أَضاءَ لَهُ الفُراتُ إِلى عُمانِ

Then through the tap he sent a meteor streaming for it,

He poured for it a drink, lighting up

And through the spigot he poured out a shooting star,

by whose light the Euphrates shone as far as Oman.

The Euphrates for it, to Oman

That illuminated the Euphrates as far as Oman.

رَأَيتُ الشَيءَ حينَ يُصانُ يَزكو

رَأَيتُ الشَيءَ حينَ يُصانُ يَزكو

وَنُقصانُ المُدامِ عَلى الصِيانِ

وَنُقصانُ المُدامِ عَلى الصِيانِ

I have seen that a thing grows when preserved,

I saw the thing, when protected, grow pure

I have seen that things, when hoarded, tend to increase,

yet wine dwindles in safekeeping,

While the decrease of wine is in the containers

Yet the decrease of wine comes from its very keeping,

سِوى لَونٍ وَحُسنِ صَفا أَديمِ

سِوى لَونٍ وَحُسنِ صَفا أَديمِ

وَروحٍ قَد صَفا وَالجِسمُ فانِ

وَروحٍ قَد صَفا وَالجِسمُ فانِ

save for its color and the beauty of its clear surface,

Except a hue, beauty of clear complexion

Save for its color and the beauty of a clear sheen,

and a spirit grown pure, while the body perishes.

And a soul that is pure, though the body perishes

And a spirit purified, while the body has perished.