لَستُ لِدارٍ عَفَت بِوَصّافِ

لَستُ لِدارٍ عَفَت بِوَصّافِ

وَلا عَلى رَبعِها بِوَقّافِ

وَلا عَلى رَبعِها بِوَقّافِ

I am no lavish describer of a vanished dwelling,

I do not care for a house whose foundations have crumbled,

I am not one to describe a dwelling erased,

nor one to linger long at its campsite.

Nor for its quarters however endowed.

Nor at its abandoned quarters do I stand,

وَلا أُسَلّي الهُمومَ في غَسقِ ال

وَلا أُسَلّي الهُمومَ في غَسقِ ال

لَيلِ بِحادٍ في البيدِ عَسّافِ

لَيلِ بِحادٍ في البيدِ عَسّافِ

Nor do I soothe my sorrows in the darkness of the

I do not distract my worries in the darkness of night

Nor do I console my cares in the dusk of the

night with a camel-driver wandering aimlessly through the wastes.

With a separation as piercing as a sword.

Night, with a camel-driver straying through the waste,

لَكِن بِوَجهِ الحَبيبِ أَشرَبُها

لَكِن بِوَجهِ الحَبيبِ أَشرَبُها

بَينَ نَدامى وَبَينَ أُلّافِ

بَينَ نَدامى وَبَينَ أُلّافِ

But with my beloved’s face before me, I drink it,

Rather with the face of my beloved I sip them

But by the face of the beloved I drink it down,

among drinking companions and close friends:

Among intimates or estranged.

Amidst drinking companions and intimate friends,

مِن قَهوَةٍ كَالعَقيقِ صافِيَةٍ

مِن قَهوَةٍ كَالعَقيقِ صافِيَةٍ

عادِيَّةِ العُمرِ ذاتِ أَسلافِ

عادِيَّةِ العُمرِ ذاتِ أَسلافِ

a clear wine, like carnelian,

With coffee as pure as carnelian,

A wine like carnelian stone, pure and clear,

as ancient as ʿĀd, with forebears of its own.

Of a lifetime accrued and of noble ancestry.

Ancient of days, possessing a lineage of old,

كَأَنَّ في لَحظِ عَينِ مازِجِها

كَأَنَّ في لَحظِ عَينِ مازِجِها

إِذا اِجتَلاها بَريقَ أَسيافِ

إِذا اِجتَلاها بَريقَ أَسيافِ

As though in the glance of its mixer’s eye,

As if in a glance from the eye of its pourer,

As if in the glance of the one who mixes it,

when he beholds it, there were the gleam of swords.

When he pours it, there is a gleam of swords.

When he unveils it, lies the lightning of swords,

كَأَنَّها وَالمِزاجُ يَقرَعُها

كَأَنَّها وَالمِزاجُ يَقرَعُها

في قَعرِ كَأسٍ نَجيعُ أَجوافِ

في قَعرِ كَأسٍ نَجيعُ أَجوافِ

It is as though, while the mixing water strikes it,

As if it and the pouring roil it

As though it were, when the water strikes it,

it were dark blood from the entrails at the bottom of a cup.

In the depths of a cup, shattering insides.

In the bottom of the cup, the lifeblood of hearts,

تَفتَرُّ في الكَأسِ حينَ تَمزُجُها

تَفتَرُّ في الكَأسِ حينَ تَمزُجُها

بِماءِ مُزنٍ عَن دُرِّ أَصدافِ

بِماءِ مُزنٍ عَن دُرِّ أَصدافِ

It smiles in the cup when you mix it

It seethes in the cup when he mixes it

It smiles in the chalice when you temper it

with raincloud water, revealing pearls from shells:

With clear water from a precious pearl shell.

With rain-cloud water, revealing pearls of the shell,

مُنتَظِماتٌ وَغَيرُ مُنتَظِمٍ

مُنتَظِماتٌ وَغَيرُ مُنتَظِمٍ

تَغورُ فيها وَبَعضُها طافِ

تَغورُ فيها وَبَعضُها طافِ

some strung together, others unstrung,

Symmetrically arrayed yet in disarray

Some strung in order, and others unstrung,

some sinking within it, and some afloat.

Plunging in it while some float atop.

Some sinking deep within, while others float,

فَذاكَ أَشهى مِنَ الوُقوفِ عَلى

فَذاكَ أَشهى مِنَ الوُقوفِ عَلى

رَبعٍ لِأَسماءَ آيُهُ عافِ

رَبعٍ لِأَسماءَ آيُهُ عافِ

So that is sweeter than standing at

That is far sweeter than pausing at

For that is more desirable than standing upon

a campsite of Asmāʾ whose traces have faded.

A quarter whose verses grace and bless.

A ruin of Asma whose traces have vanished.