أَحسَنُ مِن وَصفِ دارِسِ الدَمَنِ

أَحسَنُ مِن وَصفِ دارِسِ الدَمَنِ

وَمِن حَمامٍ يَبكي عَلى فَنَنِ

وَمِن حَمامٍ يَبكي عَلى فَنَنِ

Better than describing faded campsite traces,

More delightful than the description of the deserted abodes,

Far better than the sketch of ruins in the dust,

And than doves weeping on a bough,

And than a dove mourning over lost dwellings,

Or the mourning of a dove upon the bough,

وَمِن دِيارٍ عَفَت مَعالِمُها

وَمِن دِيارٍ عَفَت مَعالِمُها

رَيحانَةٌ رُكِّبَت عَلى أُذُنِ

رَيحانَةٌ رُكِّبَت عَلى أُذُنِ

And than dwellings whose landmarks have vanished,

And places whose features have been effaced,

Or abandoned homes whose markers are effaced,

Is a basil sprig placed upon an ear,

Like an ear ornament swept by the wind.

Is a sprig of basil placed behind the ear,

في رَوضَةٍ بِالنَباتِ يانِعَةٍ

في رَوضَةٍ بِالنَباتِ يانِعَةٍ

قَد حَفَّها كُلُّ نَيِّرٍ حَسَنِ

قَد حَفَّها كُلُّ نَيِّرٍ حَسَنِ

In a garden lush with vegetation,

In a blooming garden enclosed,

Within a garden ripe with vegetation,

Which every radiant, lovely thing has encircled.

Guarded by every chirping finch.

Surrounded by all things radiant and fair;

كَأَنَّما الوَشيُ مِن زَخارِفِها

كَأَنَّما الوَشيُ مِن زَخارِفِها

وَشيُ ثِيابٍ بُسِطنَ بِاليَمَنِ

وَشيُ ثِيابٍ بُسِطنَ بِاليَمَنِ

As though the embroidery of its adornments

As if its pebbled paths were ornaments

As though the tapestry of its ornaments

Were the embroidery of garments spread out in Yemen.

And garments from Yemen spread about.

Were embroidered robes spread out in Yemen's lands.

وَقَهوَةٍ لا القَذى يُخالِطُها

وَقَهوَةٍ لا القَذى يُخالِطُها

تَأتيكَ مِن مَعدِنٍ وَمِن عَطَنِ

تَأتيكَ مِن مَعدِنٍ وَمِن عَطَنِ

And wine that no impurity taints,

And coffee without chaff mixed in,

And wine that no impurity disturbs,

Comes to you from its source and resting-place,

Brought to you from a mine or from 'Aṭan.

That comes to you from its origin and home;

مِن بَيتِ خَمّارَةٍ تَروحُ بِها

مِن بَيتِ خَمّارَةٍ تَروحُ بِها

إِلَيكَ مِثلَ العَروسِ مِن وَطَنِ

إِلَيكَ مِثلَ العَروسِ مِن وَطَنِ

From a wine-seller's house—she brings it at evening

From the house of a wine-seller who sends it

From the vintner's house it issues forth to you,

To you, like a bride leaving home.

To you like a bride leaving her homeland.

Just like a bride presented from her kin.

سَورَتُها في الرُؤوسِ صاعِدَةٌ

سَورَتُها في الرُؤوسِ صاعِدَةٌ

وَلينُها في المَذاقِ كَالدُهُنِ

وَلينُها في المَذاقِ كَالدُهُنِ

Its heady force rises in their heads,

Its aroma rising to the heads,

Its rising power surges through the head,

And its smoothness on the palate is like oil.

Its smoothness on the palate like butter.

Yet in the taste, it feels as smooth as oil;

مِن كَفِّ ظَبيٍ أَغَنَّ ذي غَنَجٍ

مِن كَفِّ ظَبيٍ أَغَنَّ ذي غَنَجٍ

أُبدِعَ فيهِ طَرائِفُ الحُسَنِ

أُبدِعَ فيهِ طَرائِفُ الحُسَنِ

From the hand of a nasal-voiced, coquettish gazelle,

From the hand of a youth who sang melodiously

Served by a fawn, nasal-voiced and coy,

In whom rare wonders of beauty were fashioned.

Perfecting in it the subtleties of beauty.

In whom the novelties of beauty are devised,

يَسعى بِصَفراءَ كَالعَقيقَةِ في ال

يَسعى بِصَفراءَ كَالعَقيقَةِ في ال

كَأسِ عَلَيها الوِشاحُ مِن مُزُنِ

كَأسِ عَلَيها الوِشاحُ مِن مُزُنِ

He hastens with golden wine, like a lightning flash, in the

He hurries with it yellow like carnelian

Who moves with yellow vintage, bright as agate,

cup, with a sash of rainclouds upon it.

In a cup over which a kerchief from Muzan hangs.

Within a cup that wears a sash of rain-bubbles.

فَتِلكَ أَشقى مِن نَعتِ دِعبِلَةٍ

فَتِلكَ أَشقى مِن نَعتِ دِعبِلَةٍ

وَمِن صِفاتِ الطُلولِ وَالدِمَنِ

وَمِن صِفاتِ الطُلولِ وَالدِمَنِ

So that is more wretched than describing a sturdy she-camel,

So more delightful than describing Dibbalah

For this brings more joy than describing a camel,

And than descriptions of ruins and campsite traces.

And the qualities of easy women and degraded men.

Or listing attributes of effaced remains.