أَذَّنَhe called out مُجتازاًpassing by بِناby us بِالصَلاةto prayer
أَذَّنَ مُجتازاً بِنا بِالصَلاة
وَغارَتِand disappeared الأَنجُمُthe stars مُستَوسِقاتclustered together
وَغارَتِ الأَنجُمُ مُستَوسِقات
He called to prayer as he passed us,
The muezzin called us to prayer,
And the stars disappeared, clustered together.
And the stars faded, seeking drink.
وَاِبتَسَمَand smiled الصُبحُthe dawn وَأَبدىand revealed لَناto us
وَاِبتَسَمَ الصُبحُ وَأَبدى لَنا
عَنfrom غُرَّةٍa radiant brow واضِحَةٍbright كالأَضاةlike a pool
عَن غُرَّةٍ واضِحَةٍ كالأَضاة
Dawn smiled and revealed to us
Dawn smiled at us, revealing
A radiant brow, shining like a pool.
A crescent moon bright as a forefinger.
ياO أَيُّهاyou الساقيthe cupbearer أَدِرpass around كَأَسَناour cup
يا أَيُّها الساقي أَدِر كَأَسَنا
وَاِكرُرand serve again عَلَيناto us سَيِّدَthe lord of الأَشرَباتthe drinks
وَاِكرُر عَلَينا سَيِّدَ الأَشرَبات
O cupbearer, pass our cup around,
O cupbearer, fill our cups
And serve us again the lord of drinks.
And bring us the best of drinks.
وَاِسقِand give drink to سَعيداًSa'id وَاِبنَand the son of بِشرٍBishr أَخاkinsman of
وَاِسقِ سَعيداً وَاِبنَ بِشرٍ أَخا
شَيبانَShayban مِنfrom أَكؤُسِكَyour cups المُترَعاتbrimming
شَيبانَ مِن أَكؤُسِكَ المُترَعات
And give Sa'id and Ibn Bishr, kinsman of
Serve Sa'id and the son of Bashar, my brother,
Shayban, drink from your brimming cups.
Aged from your overflowing cups.
وَاِسقِand give drink to خَليليmy dear friend خَلَفاًKhalaf إِنَّهُindeed he
وَاِسقِ خَليلي خَلَفاً إِنَّهُ
ليfor me ثِقَةٌa confidant دونَabove جَميعِall الثِقاتthe confidants
لي ثِقَةٌ دونَ جَميعِ الثِقات
And give my dear friend Khalaf drink; indeed, he is
Serve my friend Khalaf, for he
My confidant above all other confidants.
Is dearer to me than all friends.
فِتيانُyoung men صِدقٍof true worth كُلُّهُمeach of them قَولُهُhis saying
فِتيانُ صِدقٍ كُلُّهُم قَولُهُ
حَيّاكُمُmay He bless you اللَهُGod وَخُذand take ذاthis وَهاتand give
حَيّاكُمُ اللَهُ وَخُذ ذا وَهات
True-hearted young men, each of whom says,
True men, all of them, their word
“God bless you! Take this, and give!”
Is "God keep you!" Take this and bring more.
مِزاجُthe admixture of كَأسيmy cup فيamong نَدامايَmy drinking companions مِنfrom
مِزاجُ كَأسي في نَدامايَ مِن
دُموعِtears عَينٍan eye بِالبُكاwith weeping هامِلاتstreaming
دُموعِ عَينٍ بِالبُكا هامِلات
The admixture in my cup among my drinking companions is from
The flavor of my cup amid my tears
Tears of an eye, streaming with weeping.
From weeping eyes streaming down.
لَوif أَنَّthat ماءَthe water العَينِof the eye مِنfrom طولِthe duration ماthat
لَو أَنَّ ماءَ العَينِ مِن طولِ ما
يَجريit flows فُراتٌthe Euphrates غاضَran dry ماءُthe water الفُراتof the Euphrates
يَجري فُراتٌ غاضَ ماءُ الفُرات
If the water of the eye, through the length of its
If my tears flowed as long as
Flowing, were the Euphrates, the Euphrates' water would run dry.
The Euphrates, the Euphrates would run dry.
كانَتthere was لَناfor us فيin صَفوَةٍserenity خَلوَةٌa secluded gathering
كانَت لَنا في صَفوَةٍ خَلوَةٌ
ذاتُhaving هَناةٍan escapade ياoh لَهاfor it مِنof هَناةan escapade
ذاتُ هَناةٍ يا لَها مِن هَناة
We had a secluded gathering in serenity,
We shared an intimate visit
With an escapade—ah, what an escapade!
In a delightful, secluded place.
فيin مَجلِسٍa gathering غُيِّبَwere kept away عَنهُfrom it العِداthe enemies
في مَجلِسٍ غُيِّبَ عَنهُ العِدا
تَقصُرُfall short عَمّاof what كانَwas فيهِin it الصِفاتdescriptions
تَقصُرُ عَمّا كانَ فيهِ الصِفات
In a gathering from which the enemies were kept away;
In a gathering from which quarrels were absent,
Descriptions fall short of what was there.
Too short for all we hoped for.
جاءَتshe came تَمَشّيwalking بَعدَafter لَيّانِهاher delay
جاءَت تَمَشّي بَعدَ لَيّانِها
فيamong نُسوَةٍwomen يَمشينَthey walk مُستَخفِياتconcealing themselves
في نُسوَةٍ يَمشينَ مُستَخفِيات
She came walking after her delay,
She came walking after her sickness
Among women walking in secret.
In women walking with little steps.
جَلَسنَthey sat يَسمَعنَthey listen to أَحاديثَناour conversations
جَلَسنَ يَسمَعنَ أَحاديثَنا
وَنَحنُand we نَشكوwe complain of الكُرَبَthe sorrows الزَجِلاتclamorous
وَنَحنُ نَشكو الكُرَبَ الزَجِلات
They sat listening to our conversations,
They sat listening to our talk
While we complained of clamorous sorrows.
As we complained of heavy sorrows.
وَهُنَّand they يَبكينَthey weep لَناfor us رَحمَةًout of compassion
وَهُنَّ يَبكينَ لَنا رَحمَةً
سَقياًa blessing of water لِتِلكَfor those الأَعيُنِthe eyes الباكيِاتweeping
سَقياً لِتِلكَ الأَعيُنِ الباكيِات
And they wept for us out of compassion:
And they wept for us compassionately,
May rain bless those weeping eyes!
Watering those crying eyes.
جاريَةٌa maiden فيof حَسَبٍlineage باذِخٍlofty
جاريَةٌ في حَسَبٍ باذِخٍ
ماجِدَةُnoble in الآباءِfathers وَالأُمَّهاتand mothers
ماجِدَةُ الآباءِ وَالأُمَّهات
A maiden of lofty lineage,
A slave girl of noble lineage
Of noble fathers and mothers.
Glorious fathers and mothers.
سَقَتنِيَshe gave me to drink الريقَsaliva بِفيهاwith her mouth فَياso, oh
سَقَتنِيَ الريقَ بِفيها فَيا
طيباًhow sweet لَهُfor it مِنfrom فَمِthe mouth of تِلكَthat الفَتاةmaiden
طيباً لَهُ مِن فَمِ تِلكَ الفَتاة
She gave me her saliva to drink from her mouth—oh,
She gave me her saliva from her mouth, so
How sweet it was from the mouth of that maiden!
Sweet from the mouth of that girl.
ياO فَوزُFawz هَلis there ليfor me مِنكُمُfrom you مَجلِسٌa meeting
يا فَوزُ هَل لي مِنكُمُ مَجلِسٌ
تَقَرُّmay be gladdened عَينيmy eye فيهِin it قَبلَbefore المَماتdeath
تَقَرُّ عَيني فيهِ قَبلَ المَمات
O Fawz, is there a meeting with you for me
O my bliss, will you meet me
Where my eye may find joy before death?
Before death, to gladden my eye?
ياoh بَأبيwith my father as ransom أَنتِyou لَقَدindeed سَرَّنيit delighted me
يا بَأبي أَنتِ لَقَد سَرَّني
ماwhat كانَwas مِنfrom قَولِكِyour saying لِلعاذِلاتto the reproachful women
ما كانَ مِن قَولِكِ لِلعاذِلات
Oh, may my father be your ransom! I was indeed delighted
O my father, I was pleased
By what you said to the reproachful women:
With what you said to the slanderers.
وَاللَهِby God لاnot أَسمَعُI listen to فيin حُبِّكُمlove for you
وَاللَهِ لا أَسمَعُ في حُبِّكُم
حَتّىuntil أَذوقَI taste المَوتَdeath قَولَthe words of الوشاةthe slanderers
حَتّى أَذوقَ المَوتَ قَولَ الوشاة
“By God, in my love for you I will not heed
By God, until I taste death, I hear not
The slanderers' words until I taste death.”
The words of the envious about your love.
عَنَّفَنيrebuked me الأَقوامُthe people فيfor حُبِّهاlove for her
عَنَّفَني الأَقوامُ في حُبِّها
إِلاexcept أَخاthe kinsman of شَيبانَShayban ذاpossessor of المَكرُماتnoble deeds
إِلا أَخا شَيبانَ ذا المَكرُمات
The people rebuked me for loving her,
The people blamed me for loving her
Except Shayban's kinsman, the man of noble deeds.
Except my brother Shayban of bounties.
هَمّيmy wish مِنَfrom الدُنياthe world خُلُوّيmy being alone بِهاwith her
هَمّي مِنَ الدُنيا خُلُوّي بِها
بِذاكَfor that أَدعوI call upon خالِقيmy Creator فيin الصَلاةprayer
بِذاكَ أَدعو خالِقي في الصَلاة
My wish in this world is to be alone with her;
My only wish in this world is to be alone with her.
For that I call upon my Creator in prayer.
For that I pray to my Creator in my prayers.
ياO أَيُّهاyou الناسُpeople اِلزَمواkeep to شَأنَكُمyour own affairs
يا أَيُّها الناسُ اِلزَموا شَأنَكُم
فَإِنَّماfor only تَلزَمُclings to نَفسيmy soul شَكاةan affliction
فَإِنَّما تَلزَمُ نَفسي شَكاة
O people, keep to your own affairs,
O people, mind your own business,
For affliction clings to my soul alone.
For only my own soul laments my state.
Sol 6.1