أحبِبْhow dear! إليَّto me بإلْفٍwith a companion ذِيpossessing مُساعَدَةٍhelpfulness
أحبِبْ إليَّ بإلْفٍ ذِي مُساعَدَةٍ
لاnot أتّقيI ward off الكأسَthe cup منهfrom him بالمعاذيرِwith excuses
لا أتّقي الكأسَ منه بالمعاذيرِ
How dear to me is a helpful companion;
Bring me the wine with helping hands,
I do not fend off his cup with excuses.
I do not avoid the cup with excuses.
يقولُhe says خُذْهاtake it وكفُّand the hand الصُّبحِdawn قدalready أخذَتْhas begun
يقولُ خُذْها وكفُّ الصُّبحِ قد أخذَتْ
فيin حَلِّunfastening جَيبٍa neckline منof الظَّلماءِthe darkness مَزرورِbuttoned shut
في حَلِّ جَيبٍ من الظَّلماءِ مَزرورِ
He says, “Take it,” while dawn's hand has begun
He says take it and the dawn has covered
To unfasten a buttoned neckline of darkness.
The dark houses with its light veil.
وكشَّفَand laid bare البيتُthe tent ذوpossessing الأطنابِthe guy ropes صفحتَهits side
وكشَّفَ البيتُ ذو الأطنابِ صفحتَه
كأنهas though it were فوقَabove صَرحٍa palace منof قَواريرِglass
كأنه فوقَ صَرحٍ من قَواريرِ
And the tent with its guy ropes laid bare its side,
The room with carpets has uncovered its pages
As though it stood above a palace of glass.
As if it was over a palace of glass.
بيتٌa tent إذاwhen خلعَshed الدَّيجورُdeep darkness حُلَّتَهits robe
بيتٌ إذا خلعَ الدَّيجورُ حُلَّتَه
لمdid not يَخلَعِstrip off الصّبحُdawn عنهfrom it ثوبَa garment دَيجورِdarkness
لم يَخلَعِ الصّبحُ عنه ثوبَ دَيجورِ
A tent—when deep night shed its robe,
A room when daylight takes off its clothes
Dawn did not strip it of its garment of darkness.
The dawn does not take off the clothes of daylight from it.
مُقَيَّدٌtethered فيin عُبابِthe surge الماءِthe water يُسمِعُناlets us hear
مُقَيَّدٌ في عُبابِ الماءِ يُسمِعُنا
إذاwhen أَطَفْناwe circle بهaround it أنَّاتِgroans مأسورِa captive
إذا أَطَفْنا به أنَّاتِ مأسورِ
Tethered amid the water's surge, it lets us hear,
Tied in the deep water, it makes us hear
When we circle it, the groans of a captive.
When we move it, the moans of the captive.
كأنَّas though دُهْماًdark forms تبارَتْvied with one another فيin السِّباقِthe race بهaround it
كأنَّ دُهْماً تبارَتْ في السِّباقِ به
دُهْمُblack ones الجِيادِthe steeds تبارَتْvied with one another فيin المَضاميرِthe racecourses
دُهْمُ الجِيادِ تبارَتْ في المَضاميرِ
As though dark forms vying in a race around it
As if pure-bred horses competed on it
Were black steeds vying on the racecourses.
The horses of steeds competed on the racetracks.
إذاwhen جَرَيْنَthey run علىover أرضٍground مُمَسَّكَةٍmusk-scented
إذا جَرَيْنَ على أرضٍ مُمَسَّكَةٍ
أَثرْنَthey stirred up بالجَرْيِby running منهاfrom it نَقْعَa dust-cloud كافورِcamphor
أَثرْنَ بالجَرْيِ منها نَقْعَ كافورِ
When they gallop over musk-scented ground,
When they run on solid ground
They raise from it, as they run, a cloud of camphor-dust.
They mark with running the scent of camphor from it.
مازِلْتُI kept on أشربُهاI drink it صِرفاًunmixed وأمزُجُهاand I mix it
مازِلْتُ أشربُها صِرفاً وأمزُجُها
للظّبيِfor the gazelle منfrom فَلَقِa cleft الأحشاءِthe innards مَسجورِaflame
للظّبيِ من فَلَقِ الأحشاءِ مَسجورِ
I kept drinking it unmixed, and mixing it
I kept drinking it pure and mixed
With what came from a cleft in my heart, aflame for the gazelle.
For the gazelle from the split interiors cooked.
فيin مجلسٍa gathering-place راحَmoved طوعَat the bidding of الرِّيحِthe wind تُعنِتُهharasses it
في مجلسٍ راحَ طوعَ الرِّيحِ تُعنِتُه
أنفاسُهاits breaths بينbetween تقديمٍurging forward وتأخيرِand holding back
أنفاسُها بين تقديمٍ وتأخيرِ
In a gathering-place that moved at the wind's bidding, harried
In a sitting the wind went to disturb it
By its breaths, now urging it forward, now holding it back.
Its breaths with offering and delay.
لهit has جَناحانِtwo wings يَحْبُوgives to الشَّرْبَthe drinkers خَفقُهُماtheir beating
له جَناحانِ يَحْبُو الشَّرْبَ خَفقُهُما
بلؤلؤٍwith pearls منof حَبابِbubbles الماءِthe water مَنثورscattered
بلؤلؤٍ من حَبابِ الماءِ مَنثور
It has two wings whose beating presents the drinkers
It has two wings that canter with their flutter
With scattered pearls of water-foam.
The drinking of pearls from the water sprinkled.
غناؤناour singing فيهin it ألحانُmelodies السُّكورِthe weirs إذاwhen
غناؤنا فيه ألحانُ السُّكورِ إذا
مُلَّis found tiresome الغِناءُsinging وجنّاتُand the hums النَّواعيرِthe waterwheels
مُلَّ الغِناءُ وجنّاتُ النَّواعيرِ
Our music there is the weirs' melodies—when
Our singing in it is the tunes of stillness when
Singing grows tiresome—and the waterwheels' humming.
The singing is filled and the heavens of the fountains.
كأنَّماas though الرّيحُthe wind منfrom طيبِthe sweetness النَّسيمِthe breeze بهin it
كأنَّما الرّيحُ من طيبِ النَّسيمِ به
تَسريwafts إليناto us برَيَّاwith the fragrance of الوَردِroses منfrom جُورِJur
تَسري إلينا برَيَّا الوَردِ من جُورِ
As though the wind, so sweet is the breeze there,
As if the wind from the fragrance of the breeze in it
Were wafting to us the fragrance of roses from Jur.
Flows to us the smell of roses from thickets.
حتىuntil مضىpassed اليومُthe day مُبيَضّاًshining white شمائلُهits ways
حتى مضى اليومُ مُبيَضّاً شمائلُه
وعارضَتْand appeared شمسُهits sun مصفرَّةَyellowing النُّورِthe light
وعارضَتْ شمسُه مصفرَّةَ النُّورِ
Until the day passed, its ways shining white,
Until the day went whitening its features
And its sun appeared with yellowing light.
And its sun opposed yellowed with light.
Sol 6.1