وَعُقارٍ كَأَنَّما نَتَعاطى

وَعُقارٍ كَأَنَّما نَتَعاطى

في كُؤوسِ اللُجَينِ مِنها سِراجا

في كُؤوسِ اللُجَينِ مِنها سِراجا

And wine, as though we were passing around

With a drink as though we were sipping

And a vintage wine—it is as if we were passing

A lamp of it in cups of silver.

In crystal cups, it shone like a lamp

Within cups of silver, a radiant lamp;

خَندَريسٌ كَأَنَّها كُلُّ طيبٍ

خَندَريسٌ كَأَنَّها كُلُّ طيبٍ

زَوَّجوها وَلَيسَ تَهوى الزَواجا

زَوَّجوها وَلَيسَ تَهوى الزَواجا

Aged wine, as though it were all perfume;

A glistening one, as if it were every perfume

An aged liquor that seems to possess every fragrance;

They married her off, though she has no love for marriage.

Wed together, though it cares not for marriage

They gave her in marriage to water, though she desires no union,

فَرَمَت أَوجُهَ النُدامى بِنَبلٍ

فَرَمَت أَوجُهَ النُدامى بِنَبلٍ

لَيسَ يُدمي وَلَيسَ يُبدي شِجاجا

لَيسَ يُدمي وَلَيسَ يُبدي شِجاجا

So she shot at the drinking companions' faces with arrows

So the remorseful turned away their faces with arrows

So she struck the faces of the drinking companions with arrows

That draw no blood and leave no gashes.

That wound not, nor make a sound

That draw no blood and leave no visible scars.

مَزَجَ الكَأسَ لي غَزالٌ أَديبٌ

مَزَجَ الكَأسَ لي غَزالٌ أَديبٌ

هاشِمِيٌّ أَصابَ فيها المِزاجا

هاشِمِيٌّ أَصابَ فيها المِزاجا

A cultured gazelle mixed the cup for me,

A graceful gazelle mixed me a cup

A cultured gazelle mixed the draft for me,

A Hashimite, who got its blend just right.

A poet of Hashim who hit the right blend

A Hashemite noble who struck the perfect blend.

فَتَحَسَّيتُها وَناوَلتُ ظَبياً

فَتَحَسَّيتُها وَناوَلتُ ظَبياً

فاتِرَ الطَرفِ ساحِراً مِغناجا

فاتِرَ الطَرفِ ساحِراً مِغناجا

So I sipped it and passed it to a gazelle,

I took it carefully and sipped like a thirsty beast

I sipped it slowly, then handed it to a fawn

Languid of gaze, bewitching and coquettish.

With a languid eye, enchanting and wooing

With languid eyes, enchanting and coquettish.

قالَ لي وَالمُدامُ تَأخُذُ فيهِ

قالَ لي وَالمُدامُ تَأخُذُ فيهِ

يا أَميري إِن كُنتَ بي مِلهاجا

يا أَميري إِن كُنتَ بي مِلهاجا

He said to me, as the wine took hold of him:

He said to me, as the wine took hold

He spoke to me as the wine began to take hold of him:

"O my prince, if you are infatuated with me,

My lord, if you wish, make me your amusement

'O my prince, if you are truly passionate about me,

فَقُمِ الآنَ طائِعاً قُلتُ عُج بي

فَقُمِ الآنَ طائِعاً قُلتُ عُج بي

يا مَليكي إِلى الفِراشِ فَعاجا

يا مَليكي إِلى الفِراشِ فَعاجا

Then rise now, willingly." I said, "Turn with me,

So I said willingly, come now my beauty

Then rise now, willingly.' I replied, 'Turn with me,

O my king, toward the bed!" And he turned.

To the bed, make haste and fly

O my king, toward the bed,' and so he turned.

فَحَلَلنا هُناكَ تِكَّةَ خَزٍّ

فَحَلَلنا هُناكَ تِكَّةَ خَزٍّ

وَحَسَرنا قَباءهُ الديباجا

وَحَسَرنا قَباءهُ الديباجا

So there we untied a silken drawstring,

There we loosened a knot of silk

There, we loosened a waistband of silk,

And stripped off his brocade robe.

And unveiled its brocade cover

And stripped away his brocade tunic.

ثُمَّ أَرسَلتُ بازَ صِدقٍ نَشيطاً

ثُمَّ أَرسَلتُ بازَ صِدقٍ نَشيطاً

يَقتُلُ الوَزَّ ثُمَّ وَالدُرّاجا

يَقتُلُ الوَزَّ ثُمَّ وَالدُرّاجا

Then I loosed a vigorous, trusty hawk,

Then I sent a loyal hawk, quick and keen

Then I unleashed a trusty, vigorous hawk

That kills the geese, and then the francolins.

To kill the goose, and then the drake

To hunt the geese and the francolins.