هاتيbring الذهَبيّاthe golden one (wine)
هاتي الذهَبيّا
لِتَروقَso it may soothe النَفسthe soul
لِتَروقَ النَفس
Bring the golden wine,
Bring me the golden one
To soothe the soul,
To please the soul
قَبلَbefore المَنيّاdeath
قَبلَ المَنيّا
ياO حَبيبbeloved الأُنسcompanionship
يا حَبيب الأُنس
Before death,
Before the end
O beloved companion.
O beloved companion
كَيفَhow السوياwell-being (uncertain reading)
كَيفَ السويا
كَيفَhow الانحباسconfinement
كَيفَ الانحباس
How can one be well? [Reading uncertain.]
How is harmony
How can one stay confined?
How is withdrawal
أَرِنيshow me الحِيَلاthe stratagems
أَرِني الحِيَلا
إِلىto القاصِراتthe modest-eyed maidens
إِلى القاصِرات
Show me the stratagems
Show me the means
To reach the modest-eyed maidens.
To the young maidens
رَوضُgarden of الرَبيعspring
رَوضُ الرَبيع
تَحُلُّهُinhabit it الأَزهارthe flowers
تَحُلُّهُ الأَزهار
The garden of spring—
Garden of spring
Flowers dwell within it—
Adorned with flowers
حلوٌsweet بَديعwondrous
حلوٌ بَديع
زانَهُadorned it الأَنوارthe lights
زانَهُ الأَنوار
Is sweet and wondrous;
Sweet and wonderful
Lights have adorned it.
Embellished with lights
صارَhas become فيin تَنويعِvariety
صارَ في تَنويعِ
كَأسٌa cup وَالعُقارand the wine
كَأسٌ وَالعُقار
It has become varied:
Became with variation
A cup and wine.
A cup and perfume
نَغتَبِقwe drink wine in the evening لَيلاat night
نَغتَبِق لَيلا
خيفَةَfor fear of الوُشاةthe tale-bearers
خيفَةَ الوُشاة
We drink wine by night,
We sneak at night
For fear of tale-bearers.
Fearful of the guards
قَلبيmy heart مُضنىworn out by suffering
قَلبي مُضنى
مِنfrom ظَبيthe gazelle of الصَريمthe sandy tract
مِن ظَبي الصَريم
My heart is ailing
My heart is grieving
From the gazelle of the sands.
From the pain of love
زادَتنيadded to my distress المِحنىthe trials
زادَتني المِحنى
اشفيheal ياO نَديمdrinking companion
اشفي يا نَديم
Trials have added to my pain;
Affliction has increased me
Heal me, O drinking companion.
Heal me, oh friend
ثُمَّthen أَرحناgive us rest
ثُمَّ أَرحنا
جِسميmy body السَقيمthe sickly
جِسمي السَقيم
Then grant us rest.
Then comfort me
My sickly body
My frail body
صارَhas become عَليلاailing
صارَ عَليلا
كَيفَhow المَماتdeath
كَيفَ المَمات
Has grown ailing.
Has become sick
What is death like?
How is death
زَينُfairness of الخَدّthe cheek
زَينُ الخَدّ
زانَهُadorned him العِذارthe cheek-down
زانَهُ العِذار
The fair-cheeked one—
Beauty of the cheek
Down has adorned him—
Adorned with coquetry
صارhas become كالوَردlike the rose
صار كالوَرد
يَسقنيgives me to drink العُقارthe wine
يَسقني العُقار
Has become like a rose.
Became like a rose
He gives me wine;
Giving me perfume
مَزَجَmixed الشَهدthe honey
مَزَجَ الشَهد
فَدَعنيso let me ياO خَمّارwine-seller
فَدَعني يا خَمّار
He has mixed in honey.
Mixed with honey
So let me, O wine-seller,
So let me drink long
مِنهُof it طَويلاfor a long time
مِنهُ طَويلا
يَسطىassails بِالثِقاتupon the trustworthy
يَسطى بِالثِقات
Drink of it a long while.
From it, oh bartender
It overpowers the trustworthy.
It drives away cares
نُطرِدَwe drive away الهَمّsorrow
نُطرِدَ الهَمّ
بإِحتِساءby sipping راحwine
بإِحتِساء راح
Let us drive sorrow away
With joyful company
By sipping wine
Takes away sickness
تُذهِبُbanishes السقمsickness
تُذهِبُ السقم
فَاِصطَبِحso drink wine in the morning ياO صاحfriend
فَاِصطَبِح يا صاح
That banishes sickness.
So wake up, oh friend
So take your morning wine, my friend,
And sleep little
وَأَقِلّand reduce النَومsleep
وَأَقِلّ النَوم
وَاِغنَمِand seize الأفراحthe joys
وَاِغنَمِ الأفراح
And sleep less,
And enjoy happiness
And seize the joys
When changing
عِندَat تَحويلاa change
عِندَ تَحويلا
قاطِعَthe severer of اللَذاتpleasures
قاطِعَ اللَذات
At the change wrought by
To sever pleasures
The severer of pleasures.
Towards a marsh
نَحوtoward عبابsurging waters
نَحو عباب
زَرَدَwove like chain mail النَسيمthe breeze
زَرَدَ النَسيم
Toward a surging sea:
The breeze blew
The breeze wove, like chain mail,
From it clothes
مِنهُfrom it أَثوابgarments
مِنهُ أَثواب
شارِداتُwandering ones الريمthe white gazelles
شارِداتُ الريم
Garments from it.
Scattered rhymes
Wandering white gazelles—
In it tents
فيهِwithin it أَترابcompanions of equal age
فيهِ أَتراب
حسنbeauty of النَعيمbliss
حسن النَعيم
Within it are companions of like age.
Good bliss
The beauty of bliss
Covered it at night
حَفَّهُsurrounded it لَيلاby night
حَفَّهُ لَيلا
بَعدَafter الميقاتthe appointed time
بَعدَ الميقات
Enfolded it by night,
After the appointed time
After the appointed time.
Where is the search
أَينَwhere التماسthe seeking
أَينَ التماس
لِيأتيso that … may come شخوصfigures; people
لِيأتي شخوص
Where is the seeking,
For the coming of people
So that figures may come?
The sitting became desolate
أَضحوspent the morning (uncertain reading) الجلاسthe seated companions
أَضحو الجلاس
امكثstay وَأَجوصand I roam
امكث وَأَجوص
The seated company spent the morning. [Reading uncertain.]
Stay and I implore
Stay, and I shall roam.
Where is the sleepyhead
أَينَwhere الخناسthe slinking one
أَينَ الخناس
أَينَwhere الخندريسthe aged wine
أَينَ الخندريس
Where is the slinking one?
Where is the flirt
Where is the aged wine,
And the nightingale
وَالسَلسَبيلاand Salsabil (sweet-flowing water)
وَالسَلسَبيلا
اغنمseize اللَذاتthe pleasures
اغنم اللَذات
And Salsabil?
Enjoy the pleasures
Seize the pleasures
Around a garden
حولaround بستانa garden
حول بستان
زانهhe adorned it
زانه
Around a garden
Adorned
That he adorned
With gazelles
معwith غزلانgazelles
مع غزلان
النَبيلthe noble one
النَبيل
With the gazelles
Of noble breed
Of the noble one.
I have a companion for it
عِنديwith me سانsān (unclear)
عِندي سان
غصنهits bough الأَميلthe most inclined
غصنه الأَميل
With me is sān [unclear],
Whose branch is beautiful
Its most inclined bough.
Sing, oh night
غنيsing ياO ليلاLayla
غني يا ليلا
أَينَwhere النَجاةdeliverance
أَينَ النَجاة
Sing, O Layla.
Where is salvation
Where is deliverance?
Where is the companion
أَينَwhere الأَنيسthe companion
أَينَ الأَنيس
أَينَwhere مَنthe one who يَقولsays
أَينَ مَن يَقول
Where is the companion?
Where is one who says
Where is the one who says,
That is Khamis
ذاكَthat one خَميسKhamis
ذاكَ خَميس
فَهوَfor he عِندَduring القَولspeech
فَهوَ عِندَ القَول
"That is Khamis"?
So he is, when speaking
For when he speaks,
Like a priest
مِثلَlike قِسِّيسa priest
مِثلَ قِسِّيس
أَحمَدَAhmad يَصولcharges forth
أَحمَدَ يَصول
He is like a priest.
Ahmad rages
Ahmad charges forth.
How can I have means
كَيفَhow ليfor me حيلاstratagems
كَيفَ لي حيلا
أَحسنthe best of الثقاتthe trustworthy
أَحسن الثقات
How can I find a way?
For the best companions
The best of the trustworthy,
Fruit of the heart
ثَمرَةَfruit of القَلبthe heart
ثَمرَةَ القَلب
قارِعِone who strikes السَماعmusic; listening
قارِعِ السَماع
Fruit of the heart,
Opposing hearing
Who strikes up the music:
Ahmad of the Arabs
أَحمَدAhmad العرَبthe Arabs
أَحمَد العرَب
ذاكَthat one مِنfrom كلاعKulaʿ
ذاكَ مِن كلاع
Ahmad of the Arabs—
That is of folktales
That one is from Kulaʿ.
My intimate friend
لَصَفيُّindeed pure اللبthe mind
لَصَفيُّ اللب
فَيَكادso he almost يَراعis frightened
فَيَكاد يَراع
Truly pure of mind,
Who almost cries
So he is almost frightened.
In him there is some talk
قَدindeed فيهof him قيلاit was said
قَد فيه قيلا
عميmy uncle سالمSalim ماتdied
عمي سالم مات
It has indeed been said of him:
My uncle Salim died
"My uncle Salim has died."
Partial English translation: 79 of 80 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1