سَقاني القَهوَةَ السَلسَل

سَقاني القَهوَةَ السَلسَل

شَبيهُ الرَشإِ الأَكحَل

شَبيهُ الرَشإِ الأَكحَل

He gave me the smooth-flowing wine—

He served me coffee smooth like silk

one like a gazelle fawn with kohl-dark eyes.

Its color like kohl black as ink

مَزَجتُ الراحَ مِن فيهِ

مَزَجتُ الراحَ مِن فيهِ

بِمِثلِ الراحِ أَو أَفضَل

بِمِثلِ الراحِ أَو أَفضَل

I mixed the wine with what came from his mouth—

I mixed its scent with his own

the like of wine, or better.

They matched or even better shown

عَذيري مِن تَثَنّيهِ

عَذيري مِن تَثَنّيهِ

إِذا أَدبَرَ أَو أَقبَل

إِذا أَدبَرَ أَو أَقبَل

Who will defend me against his swaying

My excuse was in its bending

when he turns away or comes toward me,

When it came and when it’s sending

وَمِن وَردٍ بِخَدَّيهِ

وَمِن وَردٍ بِخَدَّيهِ

إِذا جَمَّشتُهُ يَخجَل

إِذا جَمَّشتُهُ يَخجَل

and against the roses on his cheeks

And from a rose between his cheeks

when I caress him and he blushes?

When I inhaled, shyness it speaks

أَبى أَن يُنجِزَ الوَعدَ

أَبى أَن يُنجِزَ الوَعدَ

وَأَن يُعطي الَّذي يُسأَل

وَأَن يُعطي الَّذي يُسأَل

He refused to fulfill the promise

He refused to keep his promise made

and to give what was asked of him.

Or give me that which I had bade

فَلَمّا سَرَتِ الراحُ

فَلَمّا سَرَتِ الراحُ

بِهِ سَمَّحَ وَاِستَرسَل

بِهِ سَمَّحَ وَاِستَرسَل

Then, when the wine coursed

But when the scent began to spread

through him, he relented and let himself go.

Relenting, he poured forth instead

فَلَم أَنظُر بِهِ السُكرَ

فَلَم أَنظُر بِهِ السُكرَ

وَخَيرُ الأَمرِ ما اِستُعجِل

وَخَيرُ الأَمرِ ما اِستُعجِل

So I did not wait for him to grow drunk,

I watched not for drunkenness

and the best course is one taken promptly.

Better to hasten, not progress

وَقَطعُ التِكَّةِ الرَأيُ

وَقَطعُ التِكَّةِ الرَأيُ

إِذا التَكَّةُ لَم تُحلَل

إِذا التَكَّةُ لَم تُحلَل

And cutting the drawstring is the sensible course

To cut desire is wisest choice

if the drawstring is not untied.

If knot of longing stays tightly voiced

فَأَدرَكتُ الَّذي طالَب

فَأَدرَكتُ الَّذي طالَب

تُ أَو قُلتُ وَلَم أَفعَل

تُ أَو قُلتُ وَلَم أَفعَل

So I attained what I sought—

I reached what I had sought in full

or so I said, without doing it.

Whether said or held as rule

جَزى اللَهُ أَبا نوحٍ

جَزى اللَهُ أَبا نوحٍ

جَزاءَ المُحسِنِ المُجمِل

جَزاءَ المُحسِنِ المُجمِل

May God reward Abu Nuh

God reward Abu Nuhe

with the reward due a gracious benefactor.

With goodness, grace and charity

وَتَمَّت عِندَهُ النَعما

وَتَمَّت عِندَهُ النَعما

ءُ فَهوَ المُنعِمُ المُفضِل

ءُ فَهوَ المُنعِمُ المُفضِل

And bounty reached perfection with him;

With him, bounty was complete

for he is the benefactor, the giver of favors.

The Giver, Noble and Discreet

تَوَلّاني بِمَعروفٍ

تَوَلّاني بِمَعروفٍ

كَسَيلِ الديمَةِ المُسبِل

كَسَيلِ الديمَةِ المُسبِل

He cared for me with kindness

They came to me with graciousness

like the streaming torrent of steady rain.

Like easy rain in gentleness

أَخٌ ماغَيَّرَ العَهدَ ال

أَخٌ ماغَيَّرَ العَهدَ ال

لَذي كانَ وَلا بَدَّل

لَذي كانَ وَلا بَدَّل

A brother who did not change the pledge

A brother true, unchanged by time

that had stood, nor altered it,

No different now, as in his prime

عَلى شيمَتِهِ الأولى

عَلى شيمَتِهِ الأولى

وَفي مَذهَبِهِ الأَوَّل

وَفي مَذهَبِهِ الأَوَّل

still true to his original character,

His noble ways still hold their place

and steadfast in his original way.

His early teachings, still I trace