هَذا قِناعُ اللَيلِ مَحسورُ

هَذا قِناعُ اللَيلِ مَحسورُ

فَاِشرَب فَقَد لاحَ التَباشيرُ

فَاِشرَب فَقَد لاحَ التَباشيرُ

Here is night's veil, drawn back;

This is the mask of the enchanted night,

The mask of night is drawn aside,

so drink—for dawn's first signs have appeared—

So drink, for dawn's first glow is in sight.

So drink, for the streaks of dawn have appeared,

سُلافَةً لَم تَعتَصِرها يَدٌ

سُلافَةً لَم تَعتَصِرها يَدٌ

وَلَم يُدَنِّسها الأَعاصيرُ

وَلَم يُدَنِّسها الأَعاصيرُ

a free-run wine no hand has pressed,

A wine unpressed by any hand,

A pure vintage that no hand has pressed,

and no whirlwinds have defiled.

Unmarred by storms over the land.

And which no whirlwinds have defiled.

تَنزو إِذا الماءُ تَراءى لَها

تَنزو إِذا الماءُ تَراءى لَها

كَما رَمى بِالشَرَرِ الكيرُ

كَما رَمى بِالشَرَرِ الكيرُ

It leaps when water appears to it,

When water you espy, it flows to you,

It leaps when water comes into view,

as the bellows casts out sparks.

As embers flying, bright and new.

Just as the bellows cast forth sparks.

كَريمَةٌ أَصغَرُ آبائِها

كَريمَةٌ أَصغَرُ آبائِها

إِن نُسِبَت كِسرى وَسابورُ

إِن نُسِبَت كِسرى وَسابورُ

Noble-born: its youngest forefathers,

Noble though her lineage august,

A noble daughter; the youngest of her sires—

if its lineage is traced, are Khosrow and Shapur.

Be it Kisra's or Sabur's trust.

If her lineage be traced—are Chosroes and Sapor.

طَوى عَلَيها الدَهرُ أَيّامَهُ

طَوى عَلَيها الدَهرُ أَيّامَهُ

وَعُمِّيَت عَنها المَقاديرُ

وَعُمِّيَت عَنها المَقاديرُ

Time has folded its days over it,

Over her the ages held sway

Time has folded its days over her,

and the fates were blinded to it.

And hid her from life's disarray.

And the decrees of fate were blinded to her.

فَلَم تَزَل تَخلُصُ حَتّى إِذا

فَلَم تَزَل تَخلُصُ حَتّى إِذا

صارَ إِلى النِصفِ بِها الصيرُ

صارَ إِلى النِصفِ بِها الصيرُ

It kept growing purer, until

Until when halfway was the strain,

She ceased not to refine herself, until

its transformation had brought it down to half.

Deliverance from it she did gain.

The transformation brought her essence to the half.

جاءَت كَروحٍ لَم يَقُم جَوهَرٌ

جاءَت كَروحٍ لَم يَقُم جَوهَرٌ

لُطفاً بِهِ أَو يُحصِهِ نورُ

لُطفاً بِهِ أَو يُحصِهِ نورُ

It emerged like a spirit no substance could match

She came like a soul without a core

She emerged like a spirit; no substance remained

in subtlety, nor could light encompass it.

That formed it gently or lit before.

To embody her subtlety, nor could light encompass her.

يَسقِكَها مُختَلَقٌ ماجِنٌ

يَسقِكَها مُختَلَقٌ ماجِنٌ

مُعَوَّدٌ لِلسَقيِ نِحريرُ

مُعَوَّدٌ لِلسَقيِ نِحريرُ

Let a well-formed libertine serve it to you,

A rogue pours her, full of guile,

Served to you by a shapely, libertine youth,

well-practiced at pouring, a consummate expert,

To camels trained to walk the mile.

Accustomed to the pour, a master of the craft.

مُنقَطِعُ الرِدفِ هَضيمُ الحَشا

مُنقَطِعُ الرِدفِ هَضيمُ الحَشا

أَحوَرُ في عَينَيهِ تَفتيرُ

أَحوَرُ في عَينَيهِ تَفتيرُ

with a sharply defined rump and slender waist,

His saddle-girth in twain, eyes bleared,

Heavy of hip, slender of waist,

dark-eyed, with languor in his eyes.

Askance, their sockets blood-inseared.

Deep-eyed, with a languor in his gaze.

قَد عَقرَبَت رابِيَةٌ صُدغَهُ

قَد عَقرَبَت رابِيَةٌ صُدغَهُ

فَالصَدغُ بِالعَنبَرِ مَطرورُ

فَالصَدغُ بِالعَنبَرِ مَطرورُ

Rābiya has curled his sidelock like a scorpion;

A scorpion has stung his cheek, hence

A rising curl acts the scorpion upon his temple,

his sidelock is thus anointed with ambergris.

The swelling with amberscence.

And the sidelock is sleeked with ambergris.

أَحسَنُ مِن سَيرٍ عَلى ناقَةٍ

أَحسَنُ مِن سَيرٍ عَلى ناقَةٍ

سَيرٌ عَلى اللَذَةِ مَقصورُ

سَيرٌ عَلى اللَذَةِ مَقصورُ

Better than a journey on a she-camel

Better to walk in bliss, the sage

Better than a journey upon a she-camel

is a journey confined to pleasure.

Avers, than ride the camel's stage.

Is a journey devoted solely to pleasure.