أَذاقَني الصَدَّ سوءُ تَدبيري

أَذاقَني الصَدَّ سوءُ تَدبيري

لِأَنَّ قَصدي بِغَيرِ تَقديري

لِأَنَّ قَصدي بِغَيرِ تَقديري

My poor planning made me taste rejection,

Ill fortune caused my plans to go awry

My own poor judgment made me taste rejection,

for my aim was not guided by my judgment.

For I had aims beyond my destiny.

For I pursued my aim without due circumspection.

ذاكَ لِأَنّي فَتىً لَهِجتُ بِما

ذاكَ لِأَنّي فَتىً لَهِجتُ بِما

يَخلُصُ في خالِصِ القَواريرِ

يَخلُصُ في خالِصِ القَواريرِ

That is because I am a youth enamored of what

Because I was a youth who liked to speak

This, because I am a youth enthralled by that which

is pure in clear glass bottles:

Of wine that's pure and filled up to the brim-

Gleams pure and clear within the purest crystal flagon.

مِن خَندَريسٍ لِجامُها خَزَفٌ

مِن خَندَريسٍ لِجامُها خَزَفٌ

وَثَوبُها المُستَكِنِّ مِن قيرِ

وَثَوبُها المُستَكِنِّ مِن قيرِ

aged wine, whose bridle is earthenware

In earthen jars from Khandaris it flowed,

Old vintage wine, its bridle made of earthen clay,

and whose hidden robe is made of pitch.

Or stitched skin bags smeared with bitumen's glim.

Its secret vesture coated deep in pitch and tar.

تُشرِقُ في الكَأسِ مِن تلأُلِئها

تُشرِقُ في الكَأسِ مِن تلأُلِئها

بِمُحكَماتٍ مِنَ التَصاويرِ

بِمُحكَماتٍ مِنَ التَصاويرِ

It shines in the cup with its glitter,

It shone as if with jewelry in the cup

It radiates within the cup, a glittering display,

with finely wrought images,

Engraved with finest pictures on the rim,

Forming precise and masterful designs of imagery.

كَأَنَّما لاعِبُ الخَيالِ إِذا

كَأَنَّما لاعِبُ الخَيالِ إِذا

أَظلَمَ يَلهى بِنَغمَةِ الزيرِ

أَظلَمَ يَلهى بِنَغمَةِ الزيرِ

like a shadow-play performer who, when

As when imagination's juggler makes

As if a shadow-player, when the light grows dim,

darkness falls, plays to the treble string's tune.

Play by music at nighttime clear and prim;

Were playing in the dark the lute's high, slender string.

وَأَحوَرِ المُقلَتَينِ مُكتَحِلٍ

وَأَحوَرِ المُقلَتَينِ مُكتَحِلٍ

في فِتيَةٍ سادَةٍ نَحاريرِ

في فِتيَةٍ سادَةٍ نَحاريرِ

And of one with dark, lustrous eyes, wearing kohl,

And the long-lashed eyes with kohl are daubed

And with a fawn-eyed beauty, lids adorned with kohl,

among noble, accomplished young men,

Of smooth-cheeked boys, so clever and so slim.

Amidst a band of noble youths, learnèd and kingly souls.

في مَجلِسٍ مُشرِفٍ عَلى شَجَرٍ

في مَجلِسٍ مُشرِفٍ عَلى شَجَرٍ

يَضحَكُ تُفّاحُهُ إِلى الخَيرِ

يَضحَكُ تُفّاحُهُ إِلى الخَيرِ

in a gathering-place overlooking trees,

We sat in a pavilion with a view

In an assembly seated high above the trees,

whose apples smile toward goodness;

Of trees whose apples smiled up to the limb,

Where ripening apples laugh towards the season's offering.

وَطائِرٍ واقِعٍ عَلى فَنَنٍ

وَطائِرٍ واقِعٍ عَلى فَنَنٍ

تُسعِدُهُ ضَجَّةُ العَصافيرِ

تُسعِدُهُ ضَجَّةُ العَصافيرِ

and a bird perched upon a bough,

And birds lit on branches singing songs

And there, a bird alighting upon a slender bough,

cheered by the sparrows' clamor.

To blend with chiming notes and voices slim.

Cheered by the clamor that the sparrow flock is proffering.

فَلَم نَزَل يَومَنا وَلَيلَتَنا

فَلَم نَزَل يَومَنا وَلَيلَتَنا

نَقراً عَلى السَطحِ بِالطَنابيرِ

نَقراً عَلى السَطحِ بِالطَنابيرِ

So through our day and our night we kept on

Our day and night were happy, hour on hour,

And so we ceased not, through our day and through our night,

plucking long-necked lutes on the rooftop,

Tapping the roof to time of tambourine,

To strum upon the rooftop with the lute's delight.

حَتّى رَأَينا السَوادَ مُنحَسِراً

حَتّى رَأَينا السَوادَ مُنحَسِراً

وَدارَتِ الشَمسُ في المَقاصيرِ

وَدارَتِ الشَمسُ في المَقاصيرِ

until we saw the darkness receding

Until the darkness we saw shrinking back,

Until we saw the darkness receding from the skies,

and the sun made its rounds through the private chambers.

The sun moved round the cupola's broad brim;

And through the palace chambers, the sun began to rise.

وَحينَ حانَت صَلاتُنا لِضُحىً

وَحينَ حانَت صَلاتُنا لِضُحىً

قُمنا نُصَلّي بِغَيرِ تَكبيرِ

قُمنا نُصَلّي بِغَيرِ تَكبيرِ

And when it was time for our midmorning prayer,

And when the dawn came and our prayer was called,

And when the hour of morning prayer arrived at last,

we rose to pray without saying 'God is greatest.'

We rose and prayed, no need for chanting hymn.

We rose to pray—though no 'Allahu Akbar' passed.