قَصر الأَمير بَوادي النير بين سَقى

قَصر الأَمير بَوادي النير بين سَقى

رياك عَني مِن الوَسميّ مِدرار

رياك عَني مِن الوَسميّ مِدرار

Prince’s Palace in Wadi al-Nayr—may you remain ever watered;

O prince's palace in Wadi al-Nayrabayn, may

may the abundant, pouring season-rain water your meadow in my stead.

a copious early-autumn rain water your fragrance on my behalf.

كَم مَنزل فيكَ أَيام هَواجرها

كَم مَنزل فيكَ أَيام هَواجرها

أَصائل وَلياليهنَّ أَسحار

أَصائل وَلياليهنَّ أَسحار

How many a stay I made in you, through days whose scorching noons

How many a sojourn in you, in days whose scorching noons

became late afternoons, and whose nights were dawns—

were late afternoons, and whose nights were hours before dawn!

حَيث الشَبيبة بكر في غضارتها

حَيث الشَبيبة بكر في غضارتها

وَلِلصَبابة أَحلاف وَأَنصارُ

وَلِلصَبابة أَحلاف وَأَنصارُ

where youth was maiden-fresh in all its bloom,

Where youth was a virgin in its lush prime,

and ardent love had allies and champions;

and ardent longing had allies and champions.

حَيث الرِياض تَغنيني حَمائمها

حَيث الرِياض تَغنيني حَمائمها

بِالدَف وَالجنك وَالمَيطورلي جار

بِالدَف وَالجنك وَالمَيطورلي جار

where the garden doves sang to me

Where the gardens' doves sang to me

to tambourine, chang, and mayṭar playing beside me;

with tambourine and chang harp, and the mayṭūr was my neighbor.

حَيث الخَمائل أَفلاك بِها طَلَعَت

حَيث الخَمائل أَفلاك بِها طَلَعَت

زهر مِن الزهر وَالندمان أَقمار

زهر مِن الزهر وَالندمان أَقمار

where the bowers were heavens in which there rose

Where the leafy groves were celestial spheres, in which rose

radiant stars born of blossoms, while the boon companions were moons;

bright stars of blossoms, while the drinking companions were moons.

حَيث المُدامة رَقت في زجاجتها

حَيث المُدامة رَقت في زجاجتها

يُديرها قاتن الأَجفان سحار

يُديرها قاتن الأَجفان سحار

where the wine grew limpid in its glass,

Where the wine grew delicate in its glass,

passed around by a spellbinding, enchanting-eyed beauty—

passed round by a spellbinder with beguiling eyelids.

عُطرية نَفضت فيها عَوارضهُ

عُطرية نَفضت فيها عَوارضهُ

فَتيق مسك لَهُ الأَرواح سفار

فَتيق مسك لَهُ الأَرواح سفار

an aromatic wine into which his cheeks had breathed

Fragrant: his teeth had scattered into it

fresh-opened musk, its fragrance borne abroad by breezes;

musk set free, whose messengers were the breezes.

ياقوتة أَفرَغَت في قشر لُؤلؤَةٍ

ياقوتة أَفرَغَت في قشر لُؤلؤَةٍ

فَلاحَ للشُرب مِنها النور وَالنار

فَلاحَ للشُرب مِنها النور وَالنار

a ruby poured into a shell of pearl,

A ruby poured into the shell of a pearl,

from which light and fire flashed for the drinkers;

so light and fire shone from it for the drinkers.

شَمس تَعاطَيتها مِن راحَتي قَمَر

شَمس تَعاطَيتها مِن راحَتي قَمَر

لَهُ مِن الحُسن ما يَرضى وَيَختار

لَهُ مِن الحُسن ما يَرضى وَيَختار

a sun I received from the two palms of a moon

A sun I drank from a moon's two palms,

whose beauty held all one could desire or choose.

who had all the beauty he could desire and choose.

يَسعى إِلَيَّ بِها تَحت الدُجا حذراً

يَسعى إِلَيَّ بِها تَحت الدُجا حذراً

مِن الوشاة لِأَن اللَيل ستار

مِن الوشاة لِأَن اللَيل ستار

He came toward me with it beneath the darkness, wary

He hastened to me with it beneath the darkness, wary

of informers—for night is a veil.

of talebearers, for night is a veil.

مُتَوج الراح بِالأبريق ذو قَرط

مُتَوج الراح بِالأبريق ذو قَرط

مثل الهِلال لَهُ الجَوزاءُ زِنار

مثل الهِلال لَهُ الجَوزاءُ زِنار

He crowns the wine from the ewer, wearing an earring

His palms crowned with the ewer, he wore an earring

like the crescent, with Gemini for a sash.

like the crescent, with Orion for his girdle.

يَسقي وَأَسقيهِ مِن ثَغر وَمِن قَدَح

يَسقي وَأَسقيهِ مِن ثَغر وَمِن قَدَح

إِلى الصَباح فَمرباح وَمخسار

إِلى الصَباح فَمرباح وَمخسار

He gives me drink, and I give him drink, from lips and cup,

He gave me drink, and I him, from lips and from a cup,

until morning—between gain and loss.

until morning—one a great winner, the other a great loser.

يَضمنا بِأَعالي القَصر ثَوب هَوى

يَضمنا بِأَعالي القَصر ثَوب هَوى

زُرت عَلَيهِ مِن الأَشواق أَزرار

زُرت عَلَيهِ مِن الأَشواق أَزرار

High in the palace, a robe of passion enfolds us,

A robe of love enfolded us high in the palace,

fastened over us with buttons of longing.

fastened with buttons of longing.

أَمتع الطَرف مِني في مَحاسنه

أَمتع الطَرف مِني في مَحاسنه

وَلَيسَ عِندي مِن العُذال أَشعار

وَلَيسَ عِندي مِن العُذال أَشعار

I feast my eyes upon his beauties,

I delighted my gaze in his charms,

utterly unaware of the reproachers—

and I had no verses from the reproachers,

حَتّى تَيقظ دَهري بَعدَما غَفلت

حَتّى تَيقظ دَهري بَعدَما غَفلت

عَني حَوادثهُ وَالدَهرُ غَدار

عَني حَوادثهُ وَالدَهرُ غَدار

until my Time awoke, after I had been heedless

until my fate awoke, after its calamities had been heedless

of its vicissitudes; for Time is treacherous.

of me—and fate is treacherous.