ياO شَقيقَbrother of النَفسِthe soul مِنof حَكَمٍHakam
يا شَقيقَ النَفسِ مِن حَكَمٍ
نِمتَyou slept عَنthrough لَيليmy night وَلَمand did not أَنَمِI sleep
نِمتَ عَن لَيلي وَلَم أَنَمِ
O brother of my soul, of Hakam,
O companion of my soul with wisdom
Oh brother of my soul from the clan of Hakam,
You slept through my night, while I did not sleep.
I could not sleep though the night was long
You slept through my night, while I found no sleep.
فَاسقِنيso give me to drink الخَمرَthe wine الَّتيthat اختَمَرَتveiled itself
فَاسقِني الخَمرَ الَّتي اختَمَرَت
بِخِمارِwith the veil of الشَيبِgray hair فيin الرَحِمِthe womb
بِخِمارِ الشَيبِ في الرَحِمِ
So give me the wine that veiled itself
So serve me the wine that was fermented
So pour me the wine that has fully matured,
With gray hair's veil while still in the womb.
With the yeast of old age in the womb
Veiled in grayness while still within the womb.
ثُمَّتَthen اِنصاتَyielded الشَبابُyouth لَهاto it
ثُمَّتَ اِنصاتَ الشَبابُ لَها
بَعدَماafter جازَتit passed beyond مَدىthe bounds of الهَرَمِold age
بَعدَما جازَت مَدى الهَرَمِ
Then youth yielded to it
Then the youth would listen to it
Then youthfulness harkened back to it,
After it had passed beyond the bounds of old age.
After it crossed the expanse of time
After it had passed the furthest limits of senility.
فَهيَso it is لِليَومِon the day الَّذيon which بُزِلَتit was tapped
فَهيَ لِليَومِ الَّذي بُزِلَت
وَهيَand it is تِربُa contemporary of الدَهرِTime فيin القِدَمِantiquity
وَهيَ تِربُ الدَهرِ في القِدَمِ
So, on the day it was tapped,
It is for the day when it was poured
For on the very day its vessel was broached,
It was Time's peer in antiquity.
And it is the soil of time from early days
It was already the peer of Time in ancientness.
عُتِّقَتit was aged حَتّىso much that لَوِif اتَّصَلَتit were joined
عُتِّقَت حَتّى لَوِ اتَّصَلَت
بِلِسانٍto a tongue ناطِقٍspeaking وَفَمِand a mouth
بِلِسانٍ ناطِقٍ وَفَمِ
So aged was it that, were it endowed
It was preserved as if it was endowed
It has been aged so long that, were it possessed
With a speaking tongue and a mouth,
With a tongue and an eloquent mouth
Of a speaking tongue and a mouth,
لاwould surely اِحتَبَتsit with knees clasped فيamong القَومِthe company ماثِلَةًupright
لا اِحتَبَت في القَومِ ماثِلَةً
ثُمَّthen قَصَّتit recounted قِصَّةَthe story of الأُمَمِthe nations
ثُمَّ قَصَّت قِصَّةَ الأُمَمِ
It would sit upright among the company, knees clasped,
It would not be concealed amongst the people
It would sit among the assembly, upright and dignified,
Then recount the story of the nations.
Then it narrated the story of civilizations
And recount the history of vanished nations.
قَرَّعَتهاstruck it بِالمِزاجِwith mixing-water يَدٌa hand
قَرَّعَتها بِالمِزاجِ يَدٌ
خُلِقَتwas fashioned لِلكَأسِfor the cup وَالقَلَمِand the pen
خُلِقَت لِلكَأسِ وَالقَلَمِ
A hand struck it with mixing-water,
A hand well-made for the goblet and the pen
A hand struck it with the mixing water,
Fashioned for the cup and the pen,
Tempered it with perfect blend
A hand created for both the goblet and the pen.
فيamong نَدامىdrinking companions سادَةٍlords نُجُبٍnoble men
في نَدامى سادَةٍ نُجُبٍ
أَخَذواthey took اللَذّاتِthe pleasures مِنfrom أُمَمِnear at hand
أَخَذوا اللَذّاتِ مِن أُمَمِ
Among drinking companions, noble lords,
In the drinking parties of eminent nobles
Amidst drinking companions, noble lords all,
Who took their pleasures close at hand.
Who took pleasures from civilizations
Who have seized life's pleasures in abundance.
فَتَمَشَّتso it coursed فيthrough مَفاصِلِهِمtheir joints
فَتَمَشَّت في مَفاصِلِهِم
كَتَمَشّيlike the spreading of البُرءِhealing فيthrough السَقَمِsickness
كَتَمَشّي البُرءِ في السَقَمِ
So it coursed through their joints
It crept in their joints
So it coursed through their very joints,
As healing courses through sickness.
As creeps the innocence in the sick
As the flow of healing courses through sickness.
فَعَلَتit acted فيin البَيتِthe house إِذwhen مُزِجَتit was mixed
فَعَلَت في البَيتِ إِذ مُزِجَت
مِثلَlike فِعلِthe action of الصُبحِdawn فيin الظُلَمِthe darkness
مِثلَ فِعلِ الصُبحِ في الظُلَمِ
When mixed, it did within the house
It acted in the house when it was blended
It transformed the house the moment it was mixed,
What dawn does within the darkness.
Like the dawn acts in the darkness
Just as the dawn breaks upon the darkness.
فَاهتَدىso found his way ساريthe night-traveler الظَلامِthe darkness بِهاby it
فَاهتَدى ساري الظَلامِ بِها
كَاهتِداءِlike the wayfinding of السَفرِthe travelers بِالعَلَمِby a landmark
كَاهتِداءِ السَفرِ بِالعَلَمِ
So the traveler through darkness found his way by it,
So the wanderer in darkness was guided by it
So the night-traveler found his way by its light,
As travelers find their way by a landmark.
As is the journey guided by the flag
As wayfarers are guided by a mountain landmark.
Sol 6.1