وَمُدامٍand wine كَأَنَّهاas though it were فيin حَشاthe belly of الدَنْthe wine jar (first part)
وَمُدامٍ كَأَنَّها في حَشا الدَنْ
نِwine jar (completion) صَباحٌmorning مُقارَنُjoined بِمَساءِwith evening
نِ صَباحٌ مُقارَنُ بِمَساءِ
And wine, as though within the wine jar's belly
And a glowing goblet there, as though
it were morning joined to evening.
'T were dust of dawn in hue of gloom,
فَهِيَfor it is نَفسٌa soul لَهاit has مِنَof الطينِclay جِسمٌa body
فَهِيَ نَفسٌ لَها مِنَ الطينِ جِسمٌ
لَمnot تُمَتَّعallowed to enjoy فيهِwithin it بِطولِwith length of البَقاءِremaining
لَم تُمَتَّع فيهِ بِطولِ البَقاءِ
For it is a soul with a body of clay,
A spirit with a body made of clay
not granted a long stay within it.
Not blessed with length of days in it to stay.
ماnot تَوَهَمتُI imagined قَبلَهاbefore it أَنthat فيin العاthe world (first part)
ما تَوَهَمتُ قَبلَها أَن في العا
لَمِworld (completion) ناراًa fire تُذكىis kindled بِقَرعِby the striking of الماءِwater
لَمِ ناراً تُذكى بِقَرعِ الماءِ
Before it, I never imagined that in the world
I never dreamed before I met with her
a fire could be kindled by the striking of water.
A flame could burn, fanned but by splash of water.
بَزَلَتit was tapped وَالضُحىwhile morning عَنِfrom اللَيلِthe night مَحجوhidden (first part)
بَزَلَت وَالضُحى عَنِ اللَيلِ مَحجو
بُhidden (completion) فَلاحَتso it shone كَالشَمسِlike the sun فيin الظُلماءِthe darkness
بُ فَلاحَت كَالشَمسِ في الظُلماءِ
It was tapped while morning was veiled by night,
She slipped; and morning from the dark of night
and it shone like the sun in the darkness.
Fled, then shone forth e'en as the sun beams bright,
وَتَلاهُand followed it الفَجرُthe dawn المُنيرُradiant فَعُفناso we shunned
وَتَلاهُ الفَجرُ المُنيرُ فَعُفنا
هُit لِأَنّاbecause we عَنfrom نورِهِits light فيin غِناءِsufficiency
هُ لِأَنّا عَن نورِهِ في غِناءِ
And radiant dawn followed it, but we shunned
And dawn then followed, beauteous, but we turned
it, for we had no need of its light.
From its clear light as needing nought we yearned
ماnot اِستَزَدناwe sought more بِهِthrough it ضِياءًlight عَلىbeyond أَيسَthe least (first part)
ما اِستَزَدنا بِهِ ضِياءً عَلى أَيسَ
رَleast (completion) ماwhat كانَwas عِندَناwith us مِنof ضِياءِlight
رَ ما كانَ عِندَنا مِن ضِياءِ
We sought no added light through it beyond the least
To add unto the radiance that she lent,
of the light we already had.
Flooding the place where we were with her glent.
مازَجَتit mingled with جَوهَرَthe substance of الزُجاجِthe glass فَجاءَتso it appeared
مازَجَت جَوهَرَ الزُجاجِ فَجاءَت
كَشُعاعٍlike a ray مُمازِجٍmingling لِهَواءِwith air
كَشُعاعٍ مُمازِجٍ لِهَواءِ
It mingled with the substance of the glass and appeared
She mixed clear glass and came as intertwined
like a ray mingling with air.
With beam of light embracing wandering wind.
وَتَجَلَّتand it appeared مِنfrom الحَبابِthe bubbles بَدرٌa full moon
وَتَجَلَّت مِن الحَبابِ بَدرٌ
يَتَلاشىfades away بِاللَحظِat a glance وَالإيماءِand a gesture
يَتَلاشى بِاللَحظِ وَالإيماءِ
And it emerged from the bubbles as a full moon,
The bubbles showed a full moon growing less
fading away at a glance and a gesture.
That passes with a wink or waving tress.
بَينَماwhile تَكتَسيclothe themselves بِهِin it زَردُthe mail-rings of البَلوcrystal (first part)
بَينَما تَكتَسي بِهِ زَردُ البَلو
رِcrystal (completion) حَتّىuntil تَرفُضُthey scatter مِثلَlike الهَباءِdust motes
رِ حَتّى تَرفُضُ مِثلَ الهَباءِ
While the crystal's mail-rings clothe themselves in it,
Green emerald with that light took on a dress
until they scatter like dust motes.
Till you might think it thinnest gauze in its finesse
فَكَأَنّاso it is as though we بَينَamong الكُؤوسِthe cups بِدُرٍّwith pearls
فَكَأَنّا بَينَ الكُؤوسِ بِدُرٍّ
تَتَهادىglide gracefully كَواكِبthe stars of الجَوزاءِal-Jawza
تَتَهادى كَواكِب الجَوزاءِ
So we seem, among the cups and pearls,
As though the goblets were a silver bow
like the stars of al-Jawza gliding gracefully.
And stars therein that in the Swan do go.
وَكأَنَّand as though المُديرَthe cupbearer فيin الحِلَّةِthe robe البَيwhite (first part)
وَكأَنَّ المُديرَ في الحِلَّةِ البَي
ضاءِwhite (completion) مِنهاbecause of it فيin حُلَّةٍa robe صَفراءِyellow
ضاءِ مِنها في حُلَّةٍ صَفراءِ
And it is as though the cupbearer in his white robe
And as the butler in his whiteness vies
were, because of it, clad in a yellow robe.
With her who dons a gown of yellow dyes.
حَبَذاhow delightful العَيشُlife حَيثُwhere تَسريwander الأَمانيwishes
حَبَذا العَيشُ حَيثُ تَسري الأَماني
بَينَbetween جَدِّthe earnestness of الغِناwealth وَهَزلِand the playfulness of الغِناءِsong
بَينَ جَدِّ الغِنا وَهَزلِ الغِناءِ
How sweet is life where wishes wander
Sweet life where fancy strays 'twixt earnest, jest,
between the earnestness of wealth and the playfulness of song.
And youth's intoxication's more than palmwine zest.
حَيثُwhere سُكرُthe intoxication of الشَبابِyouth أَقضىmore deadly عَلىto قَلheart (first part)
حَيثُ سُكرُ الشَبابِ أَقضى عَلى قَل
بيmy heart (completion) وَأَمضىand more piercing مِنthan نَشوَةِthe rapture of الصَهباءِtawny wine
بي وَأَمضى مِن نَشوَةِ الصَهباءِ
Where youth's intoxication is deadlier to my heart
and more piercing than the rapture of tawny wine.
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1