وَمَجلِسٍ ما لَهُ شَبيهٌ

وَمَجلِسٍ ما لَهُ شَبيهٌ

حَلَّ بِهِ الحُسنُ وَالجَمالُ

حَلَّ بِهِ الحُسنُ وَالجَمالُ

And a gathering with no equal,

A council with no peer

A gathering that has no equal,

where loveliness and beauty had settled.

Where beauty and perfection dwell

Where grace and beauty have taken residence.

يَمطُرُ فيهِ السُرورُ سَحّاً

يَمطُرُ فيهِ السُرورُ سَحّاً

بِديمَةٍ ما لَها اِنتِقالُ

بِديمَةٍ ما لَها اِنتِقالُ

Joy rains down there in torrents,

Joy rains continuously

Joy rains down within it in torrents,

in a steady rain that never departs.

With unceasing constancy

A ceaseless downpour that never departs.

شَهِدتُهُ في شَبابِ صِدقٍ

شَهِدتُهُ في شَبابِ صِدقٍ

ما إِن يُسامى لَهُم فَعالُ

ما إِن يُسامى لَهُم فَعالُ

I attended it among youths of true worth,

I saw it in truthful youth

I attended it amidst noble youths,

whose deeds could never be matched.

When their deeds were yet untold

Whose deeds remain beyond all rivalry.

نَأخُذُ صَهباءَ بِنتَ كَرمٍ

نَأخُذُ صَهباءَ بِنتَ كَرمٍ

عَذراءَ لَم تُؤوِها الحِجالُ

عَذراءَ لَم تُؤوِها الحِجالُ

We take tawny wine, daughter of the vine,

We took fair Sahba, Karim's daughter

We take the reddish wine, daughter of the vine,

a virgin whom no bridal canopies had sheltered.

An untouched virgin sheltered from slander

A virgin whom bridal curtains have never sheltered.

نَشرَبُها بِالكِبارِ صِرفاً

نَشرَبُها بِالكِبارِ صِرفاً

وَلَيسَ في شُربِنا مُطالُ

وَلَيسَ في شُربِنا مُطالُ

We drink it unmixed from large cups,

Drank it straight without delay

We drink it pure from great goblets,

and there is no delay in our drinking.

Our drinking free of idle waste

With no delay in our rounds.

يَسعى بِها مُخطَفٌ غَريرٌ

يَسعى بِها مُخطَفٌ غَريرٌ

كَأَنَّهُ البَدرُ أَو مِثالُ

كَأَنَّهُ البَدرُ أَو مِثالُ

A slender-waisted, guileless youth hurries about with it,

A sly raider sought her

Served by a slender-waisted, youthful cupbearer,

as though he were the full moon, or a statue.

Like the full moon or an idol

Resembling the full moon or a sculpted image.

فَصُرِّعَ القَومُ وَاِستَدارَت

فَصُرِّعَ القَومُ وَاِستَدارَت

رَحى الحُمَيّا بِهِم فَمالوا

رَحى الحُمَيّا بِهِم فَمالوا

Then the company was felled, and there revolved

The people fell unconscious as

The company was struck down as the millstone

the millstone of wine's heady force around them, and they reeled.

The mill of hungover whirled around

Of wine spun around them, making them sway.

كَأَنَّما الشَربُ بَعدَ هَذيٍ

كَأَنَّما الشَربُ بَعدَ هَذيٍ

صَرعى تَمادى بِهِم كَلالُ

صَرعى تَمادى بِهِم كَلالُ

The drinkers, after delirious babbling, seemed

Our drinking after this

As if the drinkers, after their delirious babble,

like men struck down, with weariness lingering upon them.

Brought drowsiness and stupor

Were fallen warriors overcome by exhaustion.

حَتّى إِذا ما بَدا سُهَيلٌ

حَتّى إِذا ما بَدا سُهَيلٌ

وَحانَ مِن لَيلِنا اِرتِحالُ

وَحانَ مِن لَيلِنا اِرتِحالُ

At last, when Suhayl appeared,

Until Suhail star rose

Until, when the Star of Canopus appeared,

and the hour came to leave our night behind,

And our night drew to an end

And the time for our night's departure drew near,

نَبَّهتُ طَلقَ اليَدَينِ سَمحاً

نَبَّهتُ طَلقَ اليَدَينِ سَمحاً

يَمطُرُ مِن كَفِّهِ النَوالُ

يَمطُرُ مِن كَفِّهِ النَوالُ

I roused the open-handed, generous man,

I roused relaxed-handed generosity

I roused the open-handed, generous one,

from whose palm bounty rains—

Rain pouring from his palms

From whose palm bounty pours like rain—

مُحَمَّداً خَيرَ مَن يُرَّجى

مُحَمَّداً خَيرَ مَن يُرَّجى

يَقصُرُ عَن وَصفِهِ المَقالُ

يَقصُرُ عَن وَصفِهِ المَقالُ

Muhammad, the best of those in whom one places hope;

Muhammad, the best refuge

Muhammad, the best of those in whom hope is placed,

speech falls short of describing him.

Beyond words to describe him

Whom speech falls short of describing.

فَقُلتُ خُذها فَدَتكَ نَفسي

فَقُلتُ خُذها فَدَتكَ نَفسي

فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ لَهُ زَوالُ

فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ لَهُ زَوالُ

So I said, “Take it—may my soul be your ransom,

I said: she is yours, my soul your ransom

I said, "Take this cup, may my soul be your ransom,"

for everything must pass away.”

For all things come to pass

"For everything is destined to pass away."

فَقامَ وَالنَومُ في المَآقي

فَقامَ وَالنَومُ في المَآقي

كَأَنَّما مَسَّهُ خَبالُ

كَأَنَّما مَسَّهُ خَبالُ

So he rose, sleep still in the inner corners of his eyes,

He rose though sleep held his eyelids

He rose, with sleep still lingering in his eyes,

as though madness had touched him.

As if touched by a sorcerer’s spell

Looking as though touched by madness.

ثُمَّ اِحتَبى مُسرِعاً وَغَنّى

ثُمَّ اِحتَبى مُسرِعاً وَغَنّى

بِخُسرَوِيٍّ لَهُ دَلالُ

بِخُسرَوِيٍّ لَهُ دَلالُ

Then he hastily sat clasping his knees and sang

Then sped eagerly and sang

Then he quickly sat clasping his knees and sang

to a Khusrawi tune full of coquettish charm:

A Khosrow song that entrances

In a royal Persian melody possessed of charm:

عَيناكَ دَمعاهُما سِجالُ

عَيناكَ دَمعاهُما سِجالُ

كَأَنَّ شَأنَيهِما وِشالُ

كَأَنَّ شَأنَيهِما وِشالُ

“Your eyes—their tears pour in bucketfuls,

Your eyes with tear-lined lids

"Your eyes—their tears pour forth like buckets,"

as though their tear-ducts were trickling springs.”

Appear kohl-lined and dark

"As if their ducts were leaking waterskins."