وَقَهوَةٍand a wine عُتِّقَتwas aged فيin دَيرِthe monastery of شَمّاسِa deacon
وَقَهوَةٍ عُتِّقَت في دَيرِ شَمّاسِ
تَفتَرُّsmiles فيin كَأسِهاits cup عَنrevealing ضَوءِthe light of مِقباسِa firebrand
تَفتَرُّ في كَأسِها عَن ضَوءِ مِقباسِ
And wine, aged in a deacon's monastery,
And many a wine aged in the Monastery of Shammas,
Smiles within its cup, revealing a firebrand's glow.
Gleaming in its cup with the light of a burning torch.
لَولاbut for مُداراةُthe careful handling of حاسيهاits drinker إِذاwhen اِقتَرَبَتit drew near
لَولا مُداراةُ حاسيها إِذا اِقتَرَبَت
مِنto فيهِhis mouth لَاِنتَهَبَتit would surely plunder مِنfrom مُقلَةِthe eye of الحاسيthe drinker
مِن فيهِ لَاِنتَهَبَت مِن مُقلَةِ الحاسي
But for its drinker's care as it draws near
Were it not for the drinker's gentle coaxing as it neared
His mouth, it would rob the drinker's eye.
His mouth, it would have snatched the sight from his eye.
لَهاit has أَليفانِtwo companions مِنof لَونٍcolor وَرائِحَةٍand fragrance
لَها أَليفانِ مِن لَونٍ وَرائِحَةٍ
مَثوىresting place مَقَرِّهِماtheir abode فيin العَينِthe eye وَالراسِand the head
مَثوى مَقَرِّهِما في العَينِ وَالراسِ
It has two companions: color and fragrance;
It possesses two intimate companions of color and scent,
Their dwelling-place is in the eye and head.
Their dwelling place settled within the eye and the head.
مِزاجُهاits admixture دَمعُthe tears of حاسيهاits drinker فَأَيُّso which فَتىًyoung man
مِزاجُها دَمعُ حاسيها فَأَيُّ فَتىً
لَمdid not يَبكِweep إِذwhen ذاقَهاhe tasted it مِنfrom حُرقَةِthe burning of الكاسِthe cup
لَم يَبكِ إِذ ذاقَها مِن حُرقَةِ الكاسِ
It is mixed with its drinker's tears; what young man
Its mixture is the drinker's tears; for what young man
Has not wept on tasting it, from the cup's burning?
Has not wept upon tasting it, from the burning sting of the cup?
سِلمٌpeace وَلَكِنَّهاyet it is حَربٌwar لِذائِقِهاto its taster
سِلمٌ وَلَكِنَّها حَربٌ لِذائِقِها
ياO حَبَّذاhow welcome بَأسُهاits fierceness ماwhatever كانَthere may be مِنof باسِfierceness
يا حَبَّذا بَأسُها ما كانَ مِن باسِ
It is peace, yet war to whoever tastes it.
It is peace, yet it is a war against its taster;
Oh, how welcome its fierceness, however fierce it may be!
Oh, how lovely is its might—whatever might that may be!
نازَعتُهاI shared it with فِتيَةًyoung men غُرّاًradiant غَطارِفَةًhighborn
نازَعتُها فِتيَةً غُرّاً غَطارِفَةً
لَيسواthey are not إِذاif اِمتُحِنواthey are tested يَوماًever بِأَنكاسِweaklings
لَيسوا إِذا اِمتُحِنوا يَوماً بِأَنكاسِ
I shared it with radiant, highborn youths,
I shared it with noble youths, bright-faced and princely,
Who, if ever tested, are no weaklings.
Who are not found to be base when put to the test.
لاnot يَبطَرونَgrow insolent وَلاnor يَخزونَdisgrace نادِيَهُمtheir gathering
لا يَبطَرونَ وَلا يَخزونَ نادِيَهُم
كَأَنَّهُمas though they were جُثَثٌbodies مِنwith غَيرِno أَنفاسِbreaths
كَأَنَّهُم جُثَثٌ مِن غَيرِ أَنفاسِ
They neither grow insolent nor disgrace their gathering,
They show no arrogance, nor do they disgrace their gathering,
As though they were bodies without breath.
As though they were lifeless bodies, devoid of breath.
يُديرُهاhe passes it around هاشِمِيُّHashimite الطَرفِin gaze مُعتَدِلٌwell-proportioned
يُديرُها هاشِمِيُّ الطَرفِ مُعتَدِلٌ
أَبهىmore splendid إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis مَشىhe walks مِنthan طاقَةِa sprig of الآسِmyrtle
أَبهى إِذا ما مَشى مِن طاقَةِ الآسِ
A shapely cupbearer, Hashimite in gaze, passes it round,
A well-proportioned cupbearer with a Hashimi glance serves it,
More splendid when he walks than a sprig of myrtle.
More radiant when he walks than a spray of myrtle.
حَثَّhe urged on المُدامَthe wine وَغَنّاناand sang to us عَلىin طَرَبٍrapture
حَثَّ المُدامَ وَغَنّانا عَلى طَرَبٍ
الآنَnow طابَhas grown sweet الهَوىlove ياO مَعشَرَcompany of الناسِpeople
الآنَ طابَ الهَوى يا مَعشَرَ الناسِ
He pressed the wine upon us and sang to us in rapture:
He urged the wine to flow and sang to us in rapture:
“Now love is sweet, O company of men!”
"Now passion has become sweet, O assembly of people!"
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ظَنَّhe thought أَنّيthat I was غَيرُnot مُحتَمِلٍable to endure
حَتّى إِذا ظَنَّ أَنّي غَيرُ مُحتَمِلٍ
أَشارَhe gestured نَحويtoward me لِأَمرٍfor some purpose بَينَamong جُلّاسيmy companions
أَشارَ نَحوي لِأَمرٍ بَينَ جُلّاسي
Until, when he thought I could bear no more,
Until, when he deemed that I could no longer endure,
He gestured toward me for some purpose among my companions.
He signaled towards me regarding a matter among my guests.
فَقُلتُso I said أَضرِبُI cite فيconcerning مَعروفِهِhis kindness مَثَلاًa proverb
فَقُلتُ أَضرِبُ في مَعروفِهِ مَثَلاً
لِعادَةٍin keeping with a custom قَدalready مَضَتhad passed مِنّيfrom me إِلىtoward الآسيthe healer
لِعادَةٍ قَد مَضَت مِنّي إِلى الآسي
So I said, citing a proverb about his kindness,
So I spoke, striking a parable regarding his favor,
In keeping with my past custom toward the healer:
Following a custom I have long held toward the healer:
مَنwhoever يَفعَلِdoes الخَيرَgood لاnot يَعدَمlack جَوازِيَهُits rewards
مَن يَفعَلِ الخَيرَ لا يَعدَم جَوازِيَهُ
لاnot يَذهَبُis lost العُرفُkindness بَينَbetween اللَهِGod وَالناسِand people
لا يَذهَبُ العُرفُ بَينَ اللَهِ وَالناسِ
“Whoever does good will not lack its rewards;
"Whoever does good shall not be deprived of its reward;
Kindness is never lost between God and people.”
Kindness is never lost between God and mankind."
Sol 6.1