نَعَمyes سَهِرتُI stayed awake نَديمَcompanion of الكَأسِthe goblet وَالوَتَرِand the lute-string
نَعَم سَهِرتُ نَديمَ الكَأسِ وَالوَتَرِ
وَاللَيلُand the night يَقظانُwakeful عَينِeye of الزُهْرِthe bright stars وَالزَهَرِand the blossoms
وَاللَيلُ يَقظانُ عَينِ الزُهْرِ وَالزَهَرِ
Yes, I stayed awake, companion to the goblet and the lute-string,
Yes, I stayed up late with the cup and lute companions,
while night was wakeful, with stars and blossoms for eyes.
And the night kept awake the eyes of flowers and blossoms.
ياO نائِمَsleeper through اللَيلِthe night ماذاwhat فاتَhas eluded نائِمَهُits sleeper
يا نائِمَ اللَيلِ ماذا فاتَ نائِمَهُ
مِنof لَذَّةٍpleasure تَشتَريهاbuys it العَينُthe eye بِالسَهَرِwith sleeplessness
مِن لَذَّةٍ تَشتَريها العَينُ بِالسَهَرِ
O sleeper through the night, how much its sleeper has missed
O you who sleep the night, what did you miss, o sleeper,
of pleasure that the eye buys with sleeplessness!
Of the pleasure the eye buys with staying up?
لاno بُدَّescape بَينَbetween الرِضاcontentment وَالسُخطِand displeasure مِنfrom سَهَرٍsleeplessness
لا بُدَّ بَينَ الرِضا وَالسُخطِ مِن سَهَرٍ
يُقَلِّبُmakes alternate اللَيلَthe night بَينَbetween الطولِlength وَالقِصَرِand shortness
يُقَلِّبُ اللَيلَ بَينَ الطولِ وَالقِصَرِ
Between contentment and displeasure, sleeplessness is inevitable,
There must be between pleasure and displeasure some waking
making the night alternate between length and brevity.
That turns the night between long and short.
وَأَنتَand you ياO قَمَريmy moon لاno بُدَّescape مِنكَfrom you وَلَوeven if
وَأَنتَ يا قَمَري لا بُدَّ مِنكَ وَلَو
بَنَيتَyou built دارَكَyour home ليfor me فيin دارَةِthe halo of القَمَرِthe moon
بَنَيتَ دارَكَ لي في دارَةِ القَمَرِ
And you, O my moon, I cannot do without, even if
And you, my moon, I must have you even if
you built your home for me within the moon’s halo.
You built your house for me in the moon's orbit.
ياO مَورِدَwatering place of العَيشِlife لَمhas not يَترُكْهُleft it وارِدُهُits drinker
يا مَورِدَ العَيشِ لَم يَترُكْهُ وارِدُهُ
عَلىin الصَفاءِclarity وَلَمand has not يَهجُرْهُforsaken it لِلكَدَرِbecause of the murk
عَلى الصَفاءِ وَلَم يَهجُرْهُ لِلكَدَرِ
O wellspring of life, whose drinker has not left it
O life's resort, its resorter did not leave it
in its clarity, nor forsaken it for its murk.
Untainted, nor did he abandon it to turbidity.
ظَبيٌa gazelle إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) أَدارَhe passed around الخَمرَthe wine قُلتُI said لَهُto him
ظَبيٌ إِذا ما أَدارَ الخَمرَ قُلتُ لَهُ
هَذاthis الَّذيwhich لَمdid not تُدِرهُpass it around ظَبيَةُthe doe of الخَمَرِthe thicket
هَذا الَّذي لَم تُدِرهُ ظَبيَةُ الخَمَرِ
A gazelle—when he passes round the wine, I say to him:
I said to the gazelle when he passed the wine,
“This is what the doe of the thicket never passed around.”
"This is what the gazelle of wine did not know."
إِنif نامَhe sleeps زُرتُI visit خَيالاًas a dream-image أَوor يَهُبَّhe wakes أَزُرI visit
إِن نامَ زُرتُ خَيالاً أَو يَهُبَّ أَزُر
أَوor يَمشِhe walks أَسعَI hasten وَإِنand if خَبَّhe quickens الخُطىthe steps أَطِرI fly
أَو يَمشِ أَسعَ وَإِن خَبَّ الخُطى أَطِر
If he sleeps, I visit as a dream-image; or if he wakes, I visit;
If he sleeps, I visit a fantasy, he wraps a belt
or if he walks, I hasten; and if he quickens his steps, I fly.
Or walks proudly, and if his pace falters, I reproach.
Sol 6.1