وَحَمراءَand a red wine كَالياقوتِlike ruby بِتُّI spent the night أَشُجُّهاI dilute it with water
وَحَمراءَ كَالياقوتِ بِتُّ أَشُجُّها
وَكادَتand it nearly بِكَفّيin my hand فيin الزُجاجَةِthe glass أَنto تُدميbleed
وَكادَت بِكَفّي في الزُجاجَةِ أَن تُدمي
And a ruby-red wine I spent the night cutting with water;
Red like ruby, her branches nearly bled my palms,
And a red wine like a ruby, which I spent the night tempering,
and in the glass in my hand it almost bled.
As I placed her in the glass.
That nearly seemed to bleed within the glass in my palm.
فَأَحسِنso how fine! بِهاit is (exclamatory) شَيخوخَةًold age فيin إِنائِهاits vessel
فَأَحسِن بِها شَيخوخَةً في إِنائِها
وَأَلطِفand how delicate! بِهاit is (exclamatory) بَينَbetween المَفاصِلِthe joints وَالعَظمِand bone
وَأَلطِف بِها بَينَ المَفاصِلِ وَالعَظمِ
How fine, then, its old age within its vessel,
Let her age gracefully in her vessel,
How excellent is its aging within its vessel,
and how delicate it is between the joints and bone!
And move gently between joints and bones.
And how subtle its coursing between the joints and the bone.
تُغازِلُflirts with عَقلَthe mind of المَرءِa man قَبلَbefore ابتِسامِهِhis smile
تُغازِلُ عَقلَ المَرءِ قَبلَ ابتِسامِهِ
وَتَخدَعُهُand beguiles him عَنaway from لُبِّهِhis reason وَعَنِand from الحِلمِself-restraint
وَتَخدَعُهُ عَن لُبِّهِ وَعَنِ الحِلمِ
It flirts with a man's mind before he smiles,
She teases the mind before bringing a smile,
It flirts with a man's intellect before he even smiles,
and beguiles him away from his reason and self-restraint.
And distracts it from essence and wisdom,
And beguiles him of his core reason and his restraint.
وَعَنهُand from him يَسيلُflows away الهَمَّcare أَوَّلَfirst أَوَّلاًfirst (in succession)
وَعَنهُ يَسيلُ الهَمَّ أَوَّلَ أَوَّلاً
وَإِنand even if كانَhe is مَسجورَablaze الجَوانِحِthe ribs of the breast بِالهَمِّwith care
وَإِن كانَ مَسجورَ الجَوانِحِ بِالهَمِّ
And care flows away from him, little by little,
The worries pour from it at first sip,
From him it drains away sorrow, bit by bit,
even if his breast is ablaze with care.
Even if grief has cast spells on its life,
Even if his ribs were stoked with the fire of anguish.
وَيَنساقُand is drawn لِلجَدوىto generosity وَإِنand even if كانَhe is مُمسِكاًtightfisted
وَيَنساقُ لِلجَدوى وَإِن كانَ مُمسِكاً
وَيُظهِرُand displays إِكثاراًlavishness وَإِنand even if كانَhe is ذاpossessed of عُدمِpoverty
وَيُظهِرُ إِكثاراً وَإِن كانَ ذا عُدمِ
And he is drawn to generosity, even if he is tightfisted,
And it rushes to futility though self-restrained,
He yields to generosity, even if he were a miser,
and displays lavishness, even if he is destitute.
Feigning excess though needy,
And displays abundance, though he be destitute.
كَذاكَthus عَلِمتُI have known الراحَwine ماnot الغَيثُrain فيin الظَماthirst
كَذاكَ عَلِمتُ الراحَ ما الغَيثُ في الظَما
بِأَنفَعَmore beneficial مِنهاthan it فيin الطَبيعَةِnatural constitution وَالجِسمِand the body
بِأَنفَعَ مِنها في الطَبيعَةِ وَالجِسمِ
Such have I known wine: rain in times of thirst
Thus I learned, drought knows rain's greater blessing,
Thus have I known wine; the rain in times of thirst
is no more beneficial than it to one's constitution and body.
To nature and the body it brings.
Is not more beneficial to the spirit and body than she.
Sol 6.1