لَنا مَجْلِسٌ لو لم تَغِبْ عنه كاملٌ

لَنا مَجْلِسٌ لو لم تَغِبْ عنه كاملٌ

وجامعَةٌ شَمْلَ السُّرورِ شَمولُ

وجامعَةٌ شَمْلَ السُّرورِ شَمولُ

We have a gathering—if only you, Kamil, were not absent—

We have a gathering that would be complete, were you not absent from it,

and an all-embracing company that gathers joy’s scattered fellowship:

and wine that gathers all joy together:

ربَيبَةُ عُمْرِ الزَّعْفرانِ ذَكِيَّةٌ

ربَيبَةُ عُمْرِ الزَّعْفرانِ ذَكِيَّةٌ

شَمائِلُها للزَّعفرانِ شُكُولُ

شَمائِلُها للزَّعفرانِ شُكُولُ

a fragrant fosterling of saffron’s lifetime,

a fragrant foster-child of the Saffron Monastery,

whose qualities are counterparts to saffron’s own.

her qualities counterparts to saffron's.

تَضَمَّنَها في بيتِ عُزْرَةَ قائمٌ

تَضَمَّنَها في بيتِ عُزْرَةَ قائمٌ

على فَردِ رِجْلٍ فيه ليسَ يَميلُ

على فَردِ رِجْلٍ فيه ليسَ يَميلُ

A standing vessel encloses her within a virgin house,

In ʿUzra's house, an upright one holds her,

upon a single leg, yet never leaning there.

on a single leg, never leaning there.

يُحدُّرُ في الأكنانِ حيّاً مُسنَّداً

يُحدُّرُ في الأكنانِ حيّاً مُسنَّداً

ويُصْلَبُ في الجُدْرانِ وهوَ قَتيلُ

ويُصْلَبُ في الجُدْرانِ وهوَ قَتيلُ

It is lodged alive in alcoves, upright and supported,

Alive, it is lowered into shelters, propped up,

and crucified upon walls when dead.

and crucified upon the walls when slain.

بأخضر تبدو منه للعين لجةٌ

بأخضر تبدو منه للعين لجةٌ

تَلاقَتْ دَبورٌ فوقَها وقَبولُ

تَلاقَتْ دَبورٌ فوقَها وقَبولُ

Within its green, a surging sea appears to the eye,

With something green that looks to the eye like a deep sea,

above which west wind and east wind meet.

above which a west wind and an east wind have met.

تَبَيَّض بالكافورِ لا أنَّ نَشْرَه

تَبَيَّض بالكافورِ لا أنَّ نَشْرَه

يَقِلُّ ولكنَّ السَّماحَ جَميلُ

يَقِلُّ ولكنَّ السَّماحَ جَميلُ

She is whitened with camphor—not because her fragrance

It has whitened with camphor—not that its fragrance

falls short, but because generosity is beautiful.

is scant, but generosity is beautiful.

وأبيضَ صافٍ خلصته من القذى

وأبيضَ صافٍ خلصته من القذى

شمالٌ جلَتْ مَتْنَيْهِ فهو صَقيلُ

شمالٌ جلَتْ مَتْنَيْهِ فهو صَقيلُ

And clear white water, purified of every mote,

And something white and clear, cleansed of specks

polished on both flanks by a north wind until it gleams.

by a north wind that polished its two sides, leaving it gleaming.

يَرُدُّ على الصَهَّباءِ بَرْدَ فُؤادِها

يَرُدُّ على الصَهَّباءِ بَرْدَ فُؤادِها

إذا زارَها منه أخٌ وخَليلُ

إذا زارَها منه أخٌ وخَليلُ

It restores to tawny wine the coolness of her heart

It restores to the tawny wine the coolness of her heart,

whenever some of it visits her as brother and friend.

when a brother and a friend from it visit her.

كأنَّ حَصى الياقوتِ نَهْبُ أكُفِّنا

كأنَّ حَصى الياقوتِ نَهْبُ أكُفِّنا

يَذوبُ عليها تارةً ويَسيلُ

يَذوبُ عليها تارةً ويَسيلُ

As though ruby pebbles, plunder for our palms,

As though ruby pebbles, the plunder of our hands,

were melting upon them now and flowing.

melt upon her at times and flow.

ومحبوسَةُ الأنفاسِ مَجروحَةُ الحَشا

ومحبوسَةُ الأنفاسِ مَجروحَةُ الحَشا

يُخَفِّفُ عنها الصَّبُّ وهو ثَقيلُ

يُخَفِّفُ عنها الصَّبُّ وهو ثَقيلُ

And one whose breath is imprisoned, whose belly is wounded—

And one whose breaths are imprisoned and entrails wounded:

the impassioned pourer relieves her, though he is heavy.

pouring lightens her burden, though it is heavy.

كأنَّ شَمالاً صافَحَتْ صَفْوَ مائِها

كأنَّ شَمالاً صافَحَتْ صَفْوَ مائِها

وليسَ إليه للشَّمالِ سَبيلُ

وليسَ إليه للشَّمالِ سَبيلُ

As though a north wind had clasped her limpid water,

As though a north wind had shaken hands with her clear water,

although no north wind has any path to it.

yet the north wind has no path to it.

ترى أسمحَ الفِتيانِ يَطلُبُ نَيْلَها

ترى أسمحَ الفِتيانِ يَطلُبُ نَيْلَها

على أنَّه طَلْقُ اليدَيْنِ مُنِيلُ

على أنَّه طَلْقُ اليدَيْنِ مُنِيلُ

You see the most generous of youths seeking to win her,

You see the most generous of young men seeking her bounty,

though bright-browed and himself a munificent giver.

though he is open-handed, a giver.

إذا لم يَكُنْ للماءِ ظِلٌّ يَكُنُّه

إذا لم يَكُنْ للماءِ ظِلٌّ يَكُنُّه

فَسِربالُها ظِلٌّ عليه ظَليلُ

فَسِربالُها ظِلٌّ عليه ظَليلُ

If the water has no shade to shelter it,

When the water has no shade to shelter it,

her mantle casts over it shade upon shade.

then her tunic is a deep shade over it.

وقد حَجَبَ الجُدرانَ عن كلِّ ناظِرٍ

وقد حَجَبَ الجُدرانَ عن كلِّ ناظِرٍ

منَ الرَّيْطِ مبَلولٌ صَباه بَليلُ

منَ الرَّيْطِ مبَلولٌ صَباه بَليلُ

The walls are veiled from every observer

And the walls have been concealed from every onlooker

by fine, wetted linen, its east breeze moist.

by soaked fine cloth, its east breeze moist—

حِجابٌ من الكَتَّانِ رَقَّ هَواؤُه

حِجابٌ من الكَتَّانِ رَقَّ هَواؤُه

كأنَّ هجيرَ اليَومِ فيه أصيلُ

كأنَّ هجيرَ اليَومِ فيه أصيلُ

A curtain of linen whose air has grown gentle,

a linen screen whose air has grown gentle,

as though the day’s blazing noon within it were late afternoon.

as though the day's blazing noon were late afternoon within it.

يُرَشُّ بماءِ الوَرْدِ حتى ترى له

يُرَشُّ بماءِ الوَرْدِ حتى ترى له

دُموعاً على ما اخضلَّ منه تجولُ

دُموعاً على ما اخضلَّ منه تجولُ

It is sprinkled with rosewater until you see upon it

It is sprinkled with rosewater until you see upon it

tears roaming over all that has grown drenched.

tears coursing over the parts of it that have grown wet.

فإنْ أنتَ لم تُدْرِكْ ثِقاتَكَ عاجلاً

فإنْ أنتَ لم تُدْرِكْ ثِقاتَكَ عاجلاً

طلعْتَ عليهم والعُقولُ أفولُ

طلعْتَ عليهم والعُقولُ أفولُ

If you do not reach your trusted companions quickly,

So if you do not reach your trusted companions soon,

you will rise upon them while their minds are setting.

you will appear before them while their wits are setting.