هِمِّتُهُhis ambition خَمْرٌwine وماخورُand a brothel
هِمِّتُهُ خَمْرٌ وماخورُ
وهَمُّهُand his concern عُودٌan oud وطَنْبورُand a tanbur
وهَمُّهُ عُودٌ وطَنْبورُ
His ambition is wine and a brothel,
and his concern an oud and a tanbur.
ولَيْسَand is not دُنْياهُhis worldly life ولاnor دينُهُhis religion
ولَيْسَ دُنْياهُ ولا دينُهُ
إِلاexcept مَهاًoryxes (beautiful women) مِثْلَlike الدُّمىbeautiful statues حُورُwide, dark-eyed
إِلا مَهاً مِثْلَ الدُّمى حُورُ
Neither his worldly life nor his religion
is anything but wide-eyed oryxes, lovely as statues.
ذَيْلُthe trailing hem الصِّباof youth فيin الغَيِّdebauchery مَجْرورُdragged
ذَيْلُ الصِّبا في الغَيِّ مَجْرورُ
والعُمْرُand life بِاللَّذّاتِwith pleasures مَعْمورُfilled
والعُمْرُ بِاللَّذّاتِ مَعْمورُ
Youth's hem is dragged through debauchery,
and life is filled with pleasures.
ولَيْلَةُand the night الهَيْكَلِthe temple كَمْhow many أَنْفَدْتُI used up
ولَيْلَةُ الهَيْكَلِ كَمْ أَنْفَدْتُ
فيهاthere دِنانٌwine-jars ودَنانيرُand dinars
فيها دِنانٌ ودَنانيرُ
And that night at the temple—how much I used up:
wine-jars and dinars there!
أَقْبَلْنَthey approached كَالرَّوْضِlike a garden تَغْشاهُcover it مِنْof
أَقْبَلْنَ كَالرَّوْضِ تَغْشاهُ مِنْ
دُرٍّpearls وياقوتٍand rubies أَزاهيرُblossoms
دُرٍّ وياقوتٍ أَزاهيرُ
They came like a garden covered with
blossoms of pearls and rubies,
علىupon خُصورٍwaists أُرْهِفَتْmade slender دِقَّةًin fineness
على خُصورٍ أُرْهِفَتْ دِقَّةً
فَفيso within الزَّنانيرِthe girdles زَنابيرُwasps
فَفي الزَّنانيرِ زَنابيرُ
upon waists made exquisitely slender—
so within their girdles were wasps.
فماso not دَرَيْناwe knew أَوُجوهُwhether the faces الدُّمىof the statue-like beauties
فما دَرَيْنا أَوُجوهُ الدُّمى
أَحْسَنُmore beautiful أَمْor تِلْكَthose التَصاويرُpictures
أَحْسَنُ أَمْ تِلْكَ التَصاويرُ
So we could not tell: were those living statues' faces
lovelier, or those painted images?
وعِنْدَناand with us صَفْراءُgolden wine مَنْwhoever قَامَرَتْshe gambled with
وعِنْدَنا صَفْراءُ مَنْ قَامَرَتْ
بِالسُّكْرِwith drunkenness مِنّاamong us فهوthen he مَقْمورُbeaten at gambling
بِالسُّكْرِ مِنّا فهو مَقْمورُ
And we had golden wine: whoever she gambled with
among us in drunkenness was the loser.
سُلافُfree-run wine أَعْنابٍof grapes فَعُنْقودُهاso her cluster
سُلافُ أَعْنابٍ فَعُنْقودُها
مِنْfrom قَبْلِbefore أَنْthat يُعْصَرَit be pressed مَعْصورُpressed
مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُعْصَرَ مَعْصورُ
Free-run grape wine—her cluster
was already pressed before it was pressed.
زادَexceeded علىbeyond المِصْباحِthe lamp إِشْراقُهاher radiance
زادَ على المِصْباحِ إِشْراقُها
فَهوso it ظَلامٌdarkness وهيand she النُّورُthe light
فَهو ظَلامٌ وهي النُّورُ
Her radiance outshone the lamp,
so it was darkness, and she was light.
حَتَّىuntil إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis انْحَلَّcame undone جَيْبُthe collar الدُّجىof darkness
حَتَّى إِذا ما انْحَلَّ جَيْبُ الدُّجى
فيناamong us وجَيْبُwhile the collar الصُّبْحِof dawn مَزْرورُbuttoned shut
فينا وجَيْبُ الصُّبْحِ مَزْرورُ
Until, when the collar of darkness came undone
around us, while dawn's collar was still buttoned,
جَرَتْhappened هَناتٌcertain little incidents ليto me أَجْمَلْتُهاI outlined them
جَرَتْ هَناتٌ لي أَجْمَلْتُها
فَهَلْso, is there? لَهاfor them عِنْدَكَwith you تَفْسيرُan explanation
فَهَلْ لَها عِنْدَكَ تَفْسيرُ
certain things befell me; I have only outlined them—
so have you an explanation for them?
Sol 6.1