دَقَّgrew subtle مَعنىthe essence الخَمرِthe wine حَتّىuntil
دَقَّ مَعنى الخَمرِ حَتّى
هُوَit فيin رَجمِguesswork الظُنونِthe conjectures
هُوَ في رَجمِ الظُنونِ
The essence of wine grew so subtle that
The nature of the wine became so subtle, until
it is a matter of conjecture.
It existed only in the casting of conjectures.
كُلَّماwhenever حاوَلَهاhe sought it الناthe obser-
كُلَّما حاوَلَها النا
ظِرُ-ver مِنfrom طَرفِthe edge الجُفونِthe eyelids
ظِرُ مِن طَرفِ الجُفونِ
Whenever it was sought by the obser-
Whenever the beholder seeks to capture it
ver, from the edge of the eyelids,
With the glancing vision of the eyelids,
رَجَعَreturned الطَرفُthe gaze حَسيراًweary
رَجَعَ الطَرفُ حَسيراً
عَنfrom خَيالِthe phantom الزَرَجَونِthe wine
عَن خَيالِ الزَرَجَونِ
the gaze returned, weary,
The gaze returns, exhausted and weary,
from the phantom of wine.
Falling short of the mere phantom of the wine.
لَمnot تَقُمit took shape فيin الوَهمِthe imagination إِلّاexcept
لَم تَقُم في الوَهمِ إِلّا
كَذَّبَتit belied عَينَthe eye اليَقينِthe certainty
كَذَّبَت عَينَ اليَقينِ
It never took shape in the imagination without
It arises not in the imagination, except
belying the eye of certainty.
To give the lie to the eye of certainty.
فَمَتىso when تُدرِكُyou perceive ماwhat لاnot
فَمَتى تُدرِكُ ما لا
يُتَحَرّىis sought out بِالعُيونِwith the eyes
يُتَحَرّى بِالعُيونِ
So when will you perceive what is not
So how can you grasp that which cannot
sought out with the eyes?
Be sought out by the sight of eyes?
Sol 6.1