اِكسِر بِمائِكَ سَورَةَ الصَهباءِ

اِكسِر بِمائِكَ سَورَةَ الصَهباءِ

فَإِذا رَأَيتَ خُضوعَها لِلماءِ

فَإِذا رَأَيتَ خُضوعَها لِلماءِ

Break the fury of the tawny wine with your water;

Break with your waters the wall of endurance

Break the violence of the crimson vintage with your water,

and when you see her submission to the water,

And when you see it submit to the water

And when you witness its submission to the stream,

فَاِحبِس يَدَيكَ عَنِ الَّتي بَقِيَت بِها

فَاِحبِس يَدَيكَ عَنِ الَّتي بَقِيَت بِها

نَفسٌ تُشاكِلُ أَنفُسَ الأَحياءِ

نَفسٌ تُشاكِلُ أَنفُسَ الأَحياءِ

then stay your hands from her, in whom there remains

Then restrain your hands from what remains

Restrain your hand from that which yet retains

a soul resembling the souls of the living.

A soul that rivals souls of the living

A spirit resembling the very souls of the living.

صَفراءُ تَسلُبُكَ الهُمومَ إِذا بَدَت

صَفراءُ تَسلُبُكَ الهُمومَ إِذا بَدَت

وَتُعيرُ قَلبَكَ حُلَّةَ السَرّاءِ

وَتُعيرُ قَلبَكَ حُلَّةَ السَرّاءِ

Golden, she robs you of cares when she appears,

Yellow that robs you of worries when it appears

A golden draught that steals away sorrow when unveiled,

and lends your heart a robe of joy.

And mocks your heart with the garb of bliss

And clothes your heart in the raiment of pure delight.

كَتَبَ المِزاجُ عَلى مُقَدَّمِ تاجِها

كَتَبَ المِزاجُ عَلى مُقَدَّمِ تاجِها

سَطرَينِ مِثلَ كِتابَةِ العُسَراءِ

سَطرَينِ مِثلَ كِتابَةِ العُسَراءِ

The added water inscribed upon the front of her crown

Disposition wrote on the front of its crown

The mixture has inscribed upon the front of its crown

two lines like a left-handed woman's writing.

Two lines like the writing of hardship

Two lines that resemble the scribbling of the left-handed.

نَمَّت عَلى نُدَمائِها بِنَسيمِها

نَمَّت عَلى نُدَمائِها بِنَسيمِها

وَضِيائِها في اللَيلَةِ الظَلماءِ

وَضِيائِها في اللَيلَةِ الظَلماءِ

She betrayed her drinking companions with her fragrance

It grew on its groves with its breeze

It betrayed its drinking companions with its fragrant breath,

and her radiance in the dark night.

And its glow in the dark night

And by its radiance amidst the pitch-black night.

قَد قُلتُ حينَ تَشَوَّفَت في كَأسِها

قَد قُلتُ حينَ تَشَوَّفَت في كَأسِها

وَتَضايَقَت كَتَضايُقِ العَذراءِ

وَتَضايَقَت كَتَضايُقِ العَذراءِ

I said, when she adorned herself in her cup

I said when it peered into its cup

I spoke when it gazed up from within its goblet,

and shrank back as a virgin shrinks:

And was straitened like the straitening of the maiden

Constricted and shy like the hesitation of a virgin:

لا بُدَّ مِن عَضِّ المَراشِفِ فَاِسكُني

لا بُدَّ مِن عَضِّ المَراشِفِ فَاِسكُني

وَتَشَبُّكِ الأَحشاءِ بِالرَحشاءِ

وَتَشَبُّكِ الأَحشاءِ بِالرَحشاءِ

"Lips must be bitten—so be still—

You must bite the pillows, so settle

"The lips must inevitably be bitten, so be still,

and innards entwined with entrails."

And the intestines cling to the mattress

And let the vitals intertwine with your flowing essence."

وَمُهَفهَفٍ نَبَّهتُهُ لَمّا هَدا

وَمُهَفهَفٍ نَبَّهتُهُ لَمّا هَدا

وَتَغَلَّقَت عَيناهُ بِالإِغفاءِ

وَتَغَلَّقَت عَيناهُ بِالإِغفاءِ

And I roused a slender-waisted youth when he had grown still,

And a drowsy one I awakened when he nodded off

And a slender-waisted lad I roused when he had settled,

and his eyes had closed in slumber.

And his eyes shut heavily with sleep

And his eyes were heavily sealed by slumber.

وَشَكا إِلَيَّ لِسانُهُ مِن سُكرِهِ

وَشَكا إِلَيَّ لِسانُهُ مِن سُكرِهِ

بِتَلَجلُجٍ كَتَلَجلُجِ الفَأفاءِ

بِتَلَجلُجٍ كَتَلَجلُجِ الفَأفاءِ

And his tongue complained to me of his drunkenness

And his tongue complained to me of his drunkenness

His tongue complained to me of his intoxication,

with a stammer like a stammerer's.

With babbling like the babbling of delirium

With a stammer like the speech of one who stutters.

فَعَفَوتُ عَنهُ وَفي الفُؤادِ مِنَ الهَوى

فَعَفَوتُ عَنهُ وَفي الفُؤادِ مِنَ الهَوى

كَتَلَهُّبِ النيرانِ في الحُلَفاءِ

كَتَلَهُّبِ النيرانِ في الحُلَفاءِ

So I forgave him, though the passion in my heart

So I pardoned him and in my heart from passion

So I pardoned him, though within my heart lay passion

was like fires blazing in halfa grass.

Is the flaming of fires in the tent poles

Raging like fire blazing through dry alfa grass.