وَفِتيَةٍ كَنُجومِ اللَيلِ أَوجُهُهُم

وَفِتيَةٍ كَنُجومِ اللَيلِ أَوجُهُهُم

مِن كُلِّ أَغيَدَ لِلغَمّاءِ فَرّاجِ

مِن كُلِّ أَغيَدَ لِلغَمّاءِ فَرّاجِ

And youths whose faces were like the stars of night,

Faces like stars in the night, each one

And youths whose faces were like the stars of the night,

each a graceful youth, a dispeller of distress,

A lamp for the sorrowful from every brilliant wick.

Each one a graceful beauty, a dispeller of deep distress,

أَنضاءِ كَأسٍ إِذا ما اللَيلُ جَنَّهُمُ

أَنضاءِ كَأسٍ إِذا ما اللَيلُ جَنَّهُمُ

ساقَتهُمُ نَحوَها سَوقاً بِإِزعاجِ

ساقَتهُمُ نَحوَها سَوقاً بِإِزعاجِ

worn thin by the cup—whenever night enfolded them,

They shine like goblets when the night covers them,

Exhausted victims of the cup; when the night enshrouds them,

it drove them toward itself with urgent prodding.

It leads them insistently towards it.

It drives them toward it with an agitated urgency.

طَرَقتُ صاحِبَ حانوتٍ بِهِم سَحَراً

طَرَقتُ صاحِبَ حانوتٍ بِهِم سَحَراً

وَاللَيلُ مُنسَدِلُ الظَلماءِ كَالساجِ

وَاللَيلُ مُنسَدِلُ الظَلماءِ كَالساجِ

I called on a tavern-keeper with them before dawn,

I knocked at a shopkeeper's door at dawn

I knocked on the tavern-keeper's door with them at dawn,

while night's darkness hung down like a cloak.

While darkness draped like a curtain.

While the night draped its darkness like a black cloak.

لَمّا قَرَعتُ عَلَيهِ البابَ أَوجَلَهُ

لَمّا قَرَعتُ عَلَيهِ البابَ أَوجَلَهُ

وَقالَ بَينَ مُسِرِّ الخَوفِ وَالراجي

وَقالَ بَينَ مُسِرِّ الخَوفِ وَالراجي

When I knocked at his door, it frightened him,

When I knocked on his door it startled him

When I banged upon the door, it startled him,

and he said, half concealing his fear and half hopeful:

And he said, between hope and fearful apprehension:

And he asked, suspended between hidden fear and hope:

مَن ذا فَقُلتُ فَتىً نادَتهُ لَذَّتُهُ

مَن ذا فَقُلتُ فَتىً نادَتهُ لَذَّتُهُ

فَلَيسَ عَنها إِلى شَيءٍ بِمُنعاجِ

فَلَيسَ عَنها إِلى شَيءٍ بِمُنعاجِ

“Who is there?” I said, “A youth summoned by his pleasure,

"Who is that?" So I said: "A youth called by his pleasure,

"Who is this?" I replied, "A youth summoned by his pleasure,"

who will not turn from it to anything else.

He cannot be prevented from it."

"One who will not turn aside from it for anything else."

اِفتَح فَقَهقَهَ مِن قَولي وَقالَ لَقَد

اِفتَح فَقَهقَهَ مِن قَولي وَقالَ لَقَد

هَيَّجتَ خَوفي لِأَمرٍ فيهِ إِبهاجي

هَيَّجتَ خَوفي لِأَمرٍ فيهِ إِبهاجي

Open!” Then he laughed aloud at my words and said, “Indeed,

He laughed at my words and said: "You have

"Open up!" He laughed loudly at my words and said, "Indeed,"

you have stirred my fear over something that brings me joy.”

Stirred up my fear of something confusing."

"You stirred my fear regarding a matter that holds my joy."

وَمَرَّ ذا فَرَحٍ يَسعى بِمِسرَجَةٍ

وَمَرَّ ذا فَرَحٍ يَسعى بِمِسرَجَةٍ

فَاِستَلَّ عَذراءَ لَم تَبرُز لِأَزواجِ

فَاِستَلَّ عَذراءَ لَم تَبرُز لِأَزواجِ

And he went off joyfully, hurrying with a lamp,

And someone happy passed by with a light,

He went joyfully, hastening with a lamp,

then drew forth a virgin who had never appeared before husbands,

And snatched away an untouched maiden, unseen by suitors,

And drew forth a virgin wine, never before unveiled to suitors,

مَصونَةً حَجَبوها في مُخَدَّرِها

مَصونَةً حَجَبوها في مُخَدَّرِها

عَنِ العُيونِ لِكِسرى صاحِبِ التاجِ

عَنِ العُيونِ لِكِسرى صاحِبِ التاجِ

kept inviolate, hidden by them in her curtained chamber,

Sheltered in her bower from strangers' eyes

A guarded treasure they had hidden within her curtained chamber,

from all eyes, for Kisra, wearer of the crown.

By Chosroes the crown-bearer.

Concealed from eyes, reserved for Chosroes, the wearer of the crown.

يُديرُها خَنِثٌ في لَهوِهِ دَمِثٌ

يُديرُها خَنِثٌ في لَهوِهِ دَمِثٌ

مِن نَسلِ آذينَ ذو قِرطٍ وَدُوّاجِ

مِن نَسلِ آذينَ ذو قِرطٍ وَدُوّاجِ

An effeminate man passes it round, gentle in his revelry,

A eunuch whirls her around in his revelry, a filthy

Served by a languid youth, gentle in his playfulness,

of Adhin's line, with an earring and a mantle.

Descendant of perfidious Dhu'dhawwad with earrings and anklets,

Of the lineage of Adhin, adorned with an earring and brocaded tunic.

يُزهى عَلَينا بِأَنَّ اللَيلَ طُرَّتُهُ

يُزهى عَلَينا بِأَنَّ اللَيلَ طُرَّتُهُ

وَالشَمسُ غُرَّتُهُ وَاللَونُ لِلعاجِ

وَالشَمسُ غُرَّتُهُ وَاللَونُ لِلعاجِ

He boasts before us that night is his forelock,

Boasting over us that the night is his mantle,

He flaunts before us that the night is his dark locks,

and the sun his bright brow, and his complexion that of ivory.

The sun his necklace, and variegated silk his adornment,

That the sun is his brow, and his skin the color of ivory.

وَالدَهرُ لَيسَ بِلاقٍ شَعبَ مُنتَظِمٍ

وَالدَهرُ لَيسَ بِلاقٍ شَعبَ مُنتَظِمٍ

إِلّا رَماهُ بِتَفريقٍ وَإِزعاجِ

إِلّا رَماهُ بِتَفريقٍ وَإِزعاجِ

And Time never meets a company united

While fate is not straight like an ordered path,

Yet Time never encounters a gathering united in harmony,

without striking it with separation and unrest.

Rather he hurls it into disarray and turmoil.

Without striking it with separation and disarray.