وَفِتيَةٍand young men نازَعواthey passed around وَاللَيلُwhile the night مُعتَكِرٌmurky
وَفِتيَةٍ نازَعوا وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِرٌ
بَرقاًa lightning-flash تَلوحُgleam بِهِby it أَيدٍhands وَأَقداحُand goblets
بَرقاً تَلوحُ بِهِ أَيدٍ وَأَقداحُ
And young men passed around, while the night was murky,
Youths were disputing while the night was pitch dark
And many a youth have vied while the night was dark,
a lightning-flash, in whose light hands and goblets gleamed.
With lightning flashing from hands and goblets
Sharing lightning that flashed through hands and goblets;
أَذكىkindled سِراجاًa lamp وَساقيwhile the cupbearer of القَومِthe company يَمزِجُهاmixes it
أَذكى سِراجاً وَساقي القَومِ يَمزِجُها
فَلاحَthen shone فيin البَيتِthe house كَالمِصباحِlike the lamp مِصباحُa lamp
فَلاحَ في البَيتِ كَالمِصباحِ مِصباحُ
A lamp was kindled while the company’s cupbearer mixed the wine;
They kindled lamps and the server mixed drinks
It kindled a light as the cupbearer mixed the draught,
and in the house one lamp shone like the other.
The house lit up like lamps upon lamps
So a lamp shone in the house, just like the lamp itself.
كِدناwe nearly عَلىdespite عِلمِناour knowledge لِلشَكِّbecause of doubt نَسأَلُهُask him
كِدنا عَلى عِلمِنا لِلشَكِّ نَسأَلُهُ
أَراحُناis our wine نارُناour fire أَمor نارُناour fire الراحُthe wine
أَراحُنا نارُنا أَم نارُنا الراحُ
Despite what we knew, doubt nearly made us ask him:
We exerted our knowledge but still questioned
We almost, despite our knowledge, asked him in doubt:
“Is our wine our fire, or is our fire the wine?”
Did our fire give us comfort or make us more restless
"Is our wine this fire of ours, or is our fire the wine?"
Sol 6.1