بادِرseize شَبابَكَyour youth قَبلَbefore الشَيبِgray hair وَالعارِand disgrace
بادِر شَبابَكَ قَبلَ الشَيبِ وَالعارِ
وَحَثحِثِand hasten الكَأسَthe cup مِنof بِكرٍvirgin wine لِإِبكارِfor an early-morning draught
وَحَثحِثِ الكَأسَ مِن بِكرٍ لِإِبكارِ
Seize your youth before gray hair and disgrace,
Make the most of your youth before old age and disgrace,
Seize your youth before gray hairs and shame arrive,
And hasten the cup of virgin wine for a morning draught,
And pass around the cup of morning wine for celebration,
And urge the cup along from dawn to early dawn.
مِنof قَهوَةٍwine لَمdid not تَزَلcease تَخفىremain hidden وَيَحجُبُهاand screens it
مِن قَهوَةٍ لَم تَزَل تَخفى وَيَحجُبُها
كِنُّthe shelter الحَرائِرِfreeborn women عَصراًfor an age بَعدَafter إِعصارِages
كِنُّ الحَرائِرِ عَصراً بَعدَ إِعصارِ
Wine that has always remained hidden, screened
Coffee that has always been hidden and veiled
Draft a dark vintage that has long lain hidden, veiled
By noblewomen's seclusion, age after age.
Like the privacy of chaste women in the evening after turmoil,
Like sheltered noble ladies, age following upon age.
ظَلَّتit remained مِنَthrough الدَهرِtime أَزماناًfor ages مُخَدَّرَةًkept secluded
ظَلَّت مِنَ الدَهرِ أَزماناً مُخَدَّرَةً
يَصونُهاsafeguards it كَنَفٌa sheltered nook مِنin بَيتِthe house خَمّارِa wine seller
يَصونُها كَنَفٌ مِن بَيتِ خَمّارِ
For ages it remained secluded,
It has remained sedated by time for ages
She remained cloistered through the eras of time,
Kept safe in a sheltered nook of a wine seller's house.
Protected in the bosom of a liquor shop,
Guarded by the care of a vintner’s house.
مِنfrom قَعرِthe depths جَوفٍa hollow interior ذيhaving ساقٍa leg بِلاwithout قَدَمٍa foot
مِن قَعرِ جَوفٍ ذي ساقٍ بِلا قَدَمٍ
نيطَتwas fastened بِدَنٍّto a wine jar عَظيمِhuge in البَطنِthe belly هَدّارِresounding
نيطَت بِدَنٍّ عَظيمِ البَطنِ هَدّارِ
From the depths of a hollow with a leg but no foot,
From the depths of a belly with a leg without a foot
From the depths of a hollow vessel, legged but footless,
Fastened to a huge-bellied, resounding wine jar.
Fastened to an enormously fat body,
Suspended in a great-bellied cask that rumbles deep.
مُمازِجُmingled with الخَلقِthe fabric مِنof زِفتٍpitch بِطانَتُهُits lining
مُمازِجُ الخَلقِ مِن زِفتٍ بِطانَتُهُ
وَالظَهرُand the outer shell مِنfrom فَوقِهِabove it بِنيانُa structure فَخّارِearthenware
وَالظَهرُ مِن فَوقِهِ بِنيانُ فَخّارِ
Mingled with its fabric, its lining is pitch,
The creation is made of dregs that line it
A blend of elements, its inner lining made of pitch,
And above it, the outer shell is built of earthenware.
And the back above it is made of fragile clay,
While its outer back is built of fired clay.
فيهِin it مُدامٌwine كَعَينِlike the eye الديكِof a rooster صافِيَةٌclear
فيهِ مُدامٌ كَعَينِ الديكِ صافِيَةٌ
مِنof مِسكِmusk دارينَDarin فيهاin it نَفحَةُa waft الغارِlaurel
مِن مِسكِ دارينَ فيها نَفحَةُ الغارِ
Within is clear wine, like a rooster's eye,
It contains a pure liquid like the eye of a rooster
Within holds wine clear as a rooster’s eye,
With Darin's musk and a breath of laurel in it.
With the scent of musk of two abodes wherein lies the aroma of the cave,
Carrying the scent of laurel and musk from Darin.
ياoh رُبَّmany a لَيلٍnight طَرَقناwe visited by night بَيتَthe house صاحِبِهاits owner
يا رُبَّ لَيلٍ طَرَقنا بَيتَ صاحِبِها
بِفِتيَةٍwith young men كَنُجومِlike stars اللَيلِof the night أَحرارِfreeborn
بِفِتيَةٍ كَنُجومِ اللَيلِ أَحرارِ
Oh, many a night we called at its owner's house,
O Lord of a night in which we knocked on the door of its companion
How many a night have we knocked at her master's door,
With freeborn youths like stars of the night.
With youths like the free stars of the night,
With a band of noble youths like stars in the night.
فَقامَthen he rose مُستَنبِطاًdrawing forth لِلراحِfor the wine فيin ظُلَمٍdarkness
فَقامَ مُستَنبِطاً لِلراحِ في ظُلَمٍ
يَسعىhurrying إِلىtoward شَبَحٍa dim shape فيin كِنِّthe shelter أَستارِof curtains
يَسعى إِلى شَبَحٍ في كِنِّ أَستارِ
Then he rose to draw out the wine in the darkness,
So he got up searching for comfort in the darkness
He rose to draw the wine amidst the gloom,
Hurrying toward a dim shape sheltered by curtains.
Seeking an image in the fold of curtains,
Making his way toward a phantom veiled in drapes.
فَقالَthen said بَعضُهُمُsome of them لَمّاwhen رَأَواthey saw عَجَباًa marvel
فَقالَ بَعضُهُمُ لَمّا رَأَوا عَجَباً
فيin الكَأسِthe cup تَحتَbeneath الدُجىthe deep darkness مِنfrom زِندِهاits firestick الواريsparking
في الكَأسِ تَحتَ الدُجى مِن زِندِها الواري
Some of them said, when they saw a marvel
Some of them said when they saw the wonder
And some exclaimed, when they witnessed the wonder
In the cup beneath the dark, from its sparking firestick:
In the cup glowing under the darkness:
Of the cup beneath the dark, lit by its kindling spark:
شَمسُthe sun النَهارِof day وَماذاand what وَقتُthe time طَلعَتِهاof its rising
شَمسُ النَهارِ وَماذا وَقتُ طَلعَتِها
وَقالَand said بَعضُهُمُsome of them ضَوءٌa gleam مِنَfrom النارِfire
وَقالَ بَعضُهُمُ ضَوءٌ مِنَ النارِ
'The sun of day! And what an hour for its rising!'
“It’s the sun of daytime, what is the time of its rising?”,
"Is this the sun of day? Yet what time is this for rising?"
And others said, 'A gleam of fire.'
And some said: “It’s a light from the fire.”
While others said, "It is a gleam of fire."
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen نَقَلَتcarried كاساتِهاits cups خُرُدٌbashful maidens
حَتّى إِذا نَقَلَت كاساتِها خُرُدٌ
مِنfrom بَينِamong ذيa man wearing قُرطُقٍa tunic أَوor ذاتِa woman wearing زِنّارِa girdle
مِن بَينِ ذي قُرطُقٍ أَو ذاتِ زِنّارِ
Until, when bashful maidens carried its cups,
Until when the little cups were passed around
Until, when bashful maidens bore its cups around,
Whether a man in a tunic or a woman in a girdle,
Among the short-statured or the accessorized,
Dressed in silken tunics or girded with waist-sashes,
جاءَتshe came بِمُشرِقَةٍwith a radiant draught تُهدىare guided السَراةُnight travelers بِهاby it
جاءَت بِمُشرِقَةٍ تُهدى السَراةُ بِها
إِنif ضَلَّstrayed فيin ظُلمَةٍdarkness عَنfrom قَصدِهِhis course الساريthe nightfarer
إِن ضَلَّ في ظُلمَةٍ عَن قَصدِهِ الساري
She brought a radiant draught by which night travelers are guided,
She came with a radiance by which the elite are gifted
She brought a radiant draught to guide the night-traveler,
Should the nightfarer stray in darkness from his course.
If one gets lost in the darkness from his path.
Should the wayfarer stray from his path in the dark.
كَأَنَّهاas though it were عِندَat مَسِّthe touch الماءِof water مِنجَزَعٍfrom fright
كَأَنَّها عِندَ مَسِّ الماءِ مِنجَزَعٍ
وَالماءُand the water يَجزَعُrecoils in fear مِنهاfrom it شِبهَlike فَرّارِa fugitive
وَالماءُ يَجزَعُ مِنها شِبهَ فَرّارِ
As though, at water's touch, in fright it were—
As if it was shaken by the touch of water and alarmed,
When touched by water, she seems to tremble in panic,
And the water recoils from it like a fugitive—
And the water got alarmed by its resemblance to mercury,
While the water recoils from her like one in flight.
فيin حَلبَةِthe racecourse الحانِof the tavern جانٌa jinn خَلفَهُbehind it شُهُبٌmeteors
في حَلبَةِ الحانِ جانٌ خَلفَهُ شُهُبٌ
مُبادِرٌhastening away راعَهُstartled it شَخصٌa figure بِإِنفارِby frightening it away
مُبادِرٌ راعَهُ شَخصٌ بِإِنفارِ
A jinn in the tavern's racecourse, with meteors behind it,
In the hippodrome of melodies a soul followed by sorrows,
In the tavern’s arena: a spirit pursued by shooting stars,
Hastening away, startled by a figure driving it off.
An eager person startled by someone’s neighing,
A fugitive startled by a figure into sudden retreat.
وَالكَأسُand the cup تُمسِكُهاrestrains it مِنfrom أَنthat تُراعَit be frightened فَماso it never
وَالكَأسُ تُمسِكُها مِن أَن تُراعَ فَما
تَنفَكُّceases فيهاwithin it بِإِقبالٍwith forward movement وَإِدبارِand backward movement
تَنفَكُّ فيها بِإِقبالٍ وَإِدبارِ
And the cup keeps it from taking fright, so it
And the cup held by someone lest it gets startled, so
Yet the cup contains her, lest she flee in terror,
Never ceases moving back and forth within.
It does not stop pouring in and pouring out,
So she swirls within, advancing and retreating.
عَروسُa bride خِدرٍa secluded chamber مِنَof الياقوتِruby نَشرَبُهاwe drink her
عَروسُ خِدرٍ مِنَ الياقوتِ نَشرَبُها
تُكِنُّshe shelters تَحتَbeneath سَماهاher sky بَدرَthe full moon أَقمارِof moons
تُكِنُّ تَحتَ سَماها بَدرَ أَقمارِ
A bride in a ruby bower, whom we drink;
The bride of narcotics made of ruby we drink her
A secluded bride of ruby essence we drink,
She shelters beneath her sky the full moon of moons.
Who hides moons under her mark,
Who shelters beneath her sky a brilliant full moon.
تَبدوshe appears لَناto us عُطُلاًunadorned حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen مُزِجَتshe is mixed
تَبدو لَنا عُطُلاً حَتّى إِذا مُزِجَت
حَلّىadorned لَهاfor her المَزجُthe mixing سِمطَيtwo strands دُرِّof pearls قَسطارِa jeweler
حَلّى لَها المَزجُ سِمطَي دُرِّ قَسطارِ
She appears unadorned to us until, when mixed,
She seems suspended to us until when blended,
She appears to us unadorned, but once she is mixed,
The mixing decks her with twin strands of a jeweler's pearls.
Mixing embellished her with scattered pearls,
The mixture decks her in strings of tested pearls.
كَأَنَّهُas though it were بَرَدٌhail فيin الطَوقِthe necklace مِنتَظِمٌarrayed
كَأَنَّهُ بَرَدٌ في الطَوقِ مِنتَظِمٌ
فيin غَيرِthe absence of سِلكٍa thread وَلَمand was not يوثَقfastened بِمِسمارِwith a nail
في غَيرِ سِلكٍ وَلَم يوثَق بِمِسمارِ
As though it were hail, arrayed along a necklace,
As if it is ice around the neck, neatly arranged
Like hailstones arranged in a perfect collar,
Without a thread, and not fastened with a nail.
Without wire nor fastened with nails,
Strung without cord, secured without a clasp.
وَخادِلٍand a full-limbed maiden مِنfrom جَواريthe maidens الحَيِّof the tribe تُسعِدُهاaccompany her
وَخادِلٍ مِن جَواري الحَيِّ تُسعِدُها
أَصواتُthe sounds مُختَلِفٍvarying مِنfrom وَقعِthe striking أَوتارِof strings
أَصواتُ مُختَلِفٍ مِن وَقعِ أَوتارِ
And a full-limbed maiden of the tribe, accompanied
And a necklace from the lively, arousing concubines
And a tender maiden of the tribe accompanies her
By varied sounds from the striking of strings,
With varying melodious rhythms of strings,
With the varied melodies of struck strings.
مِنfrom بَينِamong بَمٍّa bass string إِلىto مَثنىًa second string وَمَثلَثِهِand its third string
مِن بَينِ بَمٍّ إِلى مَثنىً وَمَثلَثِهِ
وَماand whatever خَلىlies beyond ذاكَthat مِنof أَصواتِthe sounds أَوتارِof strings
وَما خَلى ذاكَ مِن أَصواتِ أَوتارِ
From the bass string to the second and third,
Among the bass, the octave and its double,
Ranging from the bass string to the second and the third,
And the sounds of other strings besides these.
And that was not devoid of sounds of strings,
And all the resonant tones the cords can yield.
نيطَتwere fastened إِلىto بَدَنٍa body كَالخَلقِlike a creature لَيسَthere is not لَهُfor it
نيطَت إِلى بَدَنٍ كَالخَلقِ لَيسَ لَهُ
روحٌa soul وَلَكِنَّهُbut it مِنfrom تَحتِunder نَجّارِa carpenter
روحٌ وَلَكِنَّهُ مِن تَحتِ نَجّارِ
Fastened to a body like a creature's, possessing no
Fastened to a body without spirit like creation
Attached to a body shaped like a man, yet possessing
Soul, but fashioned by a carpenter.
But made by a skillful carpenter,
No soul, fashioned beneath a carpenter’s hand.
أَتاهُhe came upon it فيin غَيضَةٍa thicket فَاِختارَthen he chose جَيِّدَهُits best part
أَتاهُ في غَيضَةٍ فَاِختارَ جَيِّدَهُ
وَظَلَّand he kept يَنحىcarving لَهُfor it قَطعاًcutting بِمِنشارِwith a saw
وَظَلَّ يَنحى لَهُ قَطعاً بِمِنشارِ
He found it in a thicket and chose its finest part,
He came across it in a swoon so he chose the finest parts
He came to it in the thicket, selected the finest wood,
And kept shaping it, cutting with a saw.
And kept tilting cuts towards it with a saw,
And set about carving it, cutting with a saw.
مُعَقرَبُscorpion-curved الرَأسِat the head كَالمِسراجِlike a lamp صَنعَتُهُits craftsmanship
مُعَقرَبُ الرَأسِ كَالمِسراجِ صَنعَتُهُ
سِحرٌmagic وَماand not مَسَّهُtouched it تَعقيدُthe tying of knots سَحّارِby a sorcerer
سِحرٌ وَما مَسَّهُ تَعقيدُ سَحّارِ
Scorpion-curved at the head, lamp-like; its workmanship
Obliquely headed like a lamp, magic made it
With a scorpion-curved head, crafted like a lamp,
Is magic, though no sorcerer's knotting has touched it.
Not touched by the intricacy of a magician,
It is pure magic, though untouched by sorcerer’s knots.
تَمَّتwere perfected مَلاويهِits tuning pegs حَتّىuntil خِلتَyou thought خِلقَتَهاtheir form
تَمَّت مَلاويهِ حَتّى خِلتَ خِلقَتَها
أَصابِعاًfingers حُرِّكَتset in motion مِنfrom مِفصَلِa joint جارِmoving freely
أَصابِعاً حُرِّكَت مِن مِفصَلِ جارِ
Its tuning pegs were perfected, till you thought their shapes
Its keys were completed so that its creation was perfected
Its tuning pegs were finished until you would swear
Were fingers moved from a supple joint.
Fingers moved by the articulation of a neighbor,
They were fingers moving from a neighbor’s joint.
يَحكيimitates صَداهُits resonance مَجيدَone excellent in الصَوتِvoice إِذwhen نَطَقَتspoke
يَحكي صَداهُ مَجيدَ الصَوتِ إِذ نَطَقَت
مِنهُfrom it اللُغاتُthe languages عَلىaccompanied by طَبلٍa drum وَزَمّارِand a piper
مِنهُ اللُغاتُ عَلى طَبلٍ وَزَمّارِ
Its resonance mimics a fine-voiced singer, when
Its echo tells of the majestic voice when languages spoke
Its resonance mimics a glorious voice when
Languages speak from it, accompanied by drum and piper.
Through the drum and guitar.
Its notes speak over the drum and the piper's flute.
فَذاكَso that قَبلَbefore نُزولِthe descent الشَيبِof gray hair عادَتُناour custom
فَذاكَ قَبلَ نُزولِ الشَيبِ عادَتُنا
لَكِنَّناbut we نَرتَجيhope for غُفرانَforgiveness غَفّارِthe Ever-Forgiving
لَكِنَّنا نَرتَجي غُفرانَ غَفّارِ
That was our custom before gray hair descended,
That’s how we were before the descent of old age,
Such was our custom before the descent of gray age,
But we hope for forgiveness from the Ever-Forgiving.
But we hope for the forgiveness of the Forgiver.
But now we hope for the mercy of the All-Forgiving.
Sol 6.1