قُمrise فَاِسقِنيso give me a drink مِمّاfrom what تُرَوِّقْyou filter
قُم فَاِسقِني مِمّا تُرَوِّقْ
كَأساًa cup علىupon الظَلماءِthe darkness تُشرِقْshines
كَأساً على الظَلماءِ تُشرِقْ
Rise and pour me, from what you filter,
Arise and pour me some of your fine wine
a cup that shines against the darkness.
A cup that illuminates the darkness
أَنفِقspend مِنَfrom الذَهَبِthe gold الَّذيwhich
أَنفِق مِنَ الذَهَبِ الَّذي
أوتيتَهُyou were given it إِنif كُنتَyou are مُنفِقa spender
أوتيتَهُ إِن كُنتَ مُنفِق
Spend some of the gold that
Spend from the gold you were given
you were given, if you are a spender.
If you are one who spends
أَكُؤوسُناare our cups إِلّاanything but جَواsailing ships (first part)
أَكُؤوسُنا إِلّا جَوا
ريsailing ships (completion) ماwater (poetic contraction) وَساقيناand our cupbearer يُغَرِّقmakes sink
ري ما وَساقينا يُغَرِّق
Are our cups anything but sailing ships
Our cups are nothing but the driving rain
on water, while our cupbearer makes them sink?
Watering us and overflowing
وَاِشمَتand gloat بِذاover this الهَمِّthe sorrow المُغَرwestward-bound (first part)
وَاِشمَت بِذا الهَمِّ المُغَر
ربِwestward-bound (completion) خيفَةَfor fear of القَدَحِthe goblet المُشَرِّقrising in the east
ربِ خيفَةَ القَدَحِ المُشَرِّق
And gloat over this sorrow fleeing westward,
Inhale the intoxicating scent
for fear of the eastward-rising goblet.
Of the shining chalice’s froth
وَاِسرِقand steal بِناwith us الأَيّامَthe days فَالfor the
وَاِسرِق بِنا الأَيّامَ فَال
أَيامُdays لِلأَعمارِlifespans (object of stealing) تَسرِقsteal
أَيامُ لِلأَعمارِ تَسرِق
And steal the days with us, for the
Steal away with us these days
days steal away lifespans.
For days steal away the years
عرسُwedding feast المَسَرَّةِjoy لَيسَthere is not فيin
عرسُ المَسَرَّةِ لَيسَ في
هِit سِوىother than المُدامَةِwine مِنany (emphatic) مُخَلِّقperfumer
هِ سِوى المُدامَةِ مِن مُخَلِّق
Joy's wedding feast has within
A wedding feast is naught
it no perfumer but wine.
But joy making merry
أَحرِقburn بِهاwith it هَمّيmy sorrow فَإِنfor
أَحرِق بِها هَمّي فَإِن
نَكَyou (word completion) مُحرِقٌone who burns ماwhat كانَwas مُحرِقburning
نَكَ مُحرِقٌ ما كانَ مُحرِق
Burn away my sorrow with it, for
Burn my worries with it
you burn what once was burning.
For you who burn what burns
بُقياًspare عَلىupon نارِthe fire of الكُئوthe cups (first part)
بُقياً عَلى نارِ الكُئو
سِcups (completion) وَكُفَّand desist عَنfrom نارِthe fire of المُحَلِّقal-Muhalliq
سِ وَكُفَّ عَن نارِ المُحَلِّق
Spare the fire of the cups,
Staying by the fire of cups
and leave al-Muhalliq's fire alone.
Cease the fire of soaring
وَاِسكُتand be silent فَإِنَّfor indeed العودَthe lute يَنspeaks (first part)
وَاِسكُت فَإِنَّ العودَ يَن
طِقُspeaks (completion) وَهوَand it أَعذَبُsweeter مِنكَthan you مَنطِقin speech
طِقُ وَهوَ أَعذَبُ مِنكَ مَنطِق
And be silent, for the lute speaks,
Hush, for the lute speaks
and its speech is sweeter than yours.
More sweetly than your speech
مُتَبَجبِجٌexultant بِالمَسِّat a touch أَوor
مُتَبَجبِجٌ بِالمَسِّ أَو
مُستَأذَنٌasked for permission بِالنَقرِby plucking مُرهقhard-pressed
مُستَأذَنٌ بِالنَقرِ مُرهق
Rejoicing at a touch, or
Thrumming at the touch
asked for leave by plucking, hard-pressed.
Or knocking for leave, weary
أَتُراهُdo you see it عوداًa piece of wood يابِساًdry
أَتُراهُ عوداً يابِساً
أَنَّىhow could it be وَبِالإِطرابِand through musical enchantment يورِقputs forth leaves
أَنَّى وَبِالإِطرابِ يورِق
Do you take it for dry wood?
See it a withered wood?
How, when it leafs out with enchanting music?
Nay, with trembling it leafs anew
وَمُمَزِّقٍand a tearer عَنّاoff us القَميthe shirt (first part)
وَمُمَزِّقٍ عَنّا القَمي
صَshirt (completion) فَماso not اِسمُهُhis name إِلّاexcept المُمَزِّقal-Mumazziq ('the Tearer')
صَ فَما اِسمُهُ إِلّا المُمَزِّق
And one who tears the shirt off us—
Shredding veils from us
his name is none but al-Mumazziq, 'the Tearer.'
Its name is none but Shredder
أَرَأَيتَhave you seen أَحسَنَanything lovelier مِنthan حَديspeech (first part)
أَرَأَيتَ أَحسَنَ مِن حَدي
ثِspeech (completion) العودِthe lute حَيثُwhen اللَيلُthe night يطرقcomes knocking
ثِ العودِ حَيثُ اللَيلُ يطرق
Have you seen anything lovelier than the speech
Have you seen aught fairer
of the lute, when night comes knocking?
Than the lute’s song as night falls?
وَكَأَنَّنيand as though I بِيَدِin the hand of الدجىdarkness
وَكَأَنَّني بِيَدِ الدجى
فيin جَيبِهِits collar طَرَباًfrom musical rapture تَشَقِّقa rending
في جَيبِهِ طَرَباً تَشَقِّق
And it is as though, in darkness's hand, I were
As if in the gloaming’s hand
a rent in its collar from rapture.
Song bursts and cracks
وَالنَجمُand the star مُشفٍnear death مُدنَفٌgravely ill
وَالنَجمُ مُشفٍ مُدنَفٌ
مِنof لَونِهِits hue الشَفَقيِّtwilight-red مُشفِقafraid
مِن لَونِهِ الشَفَقيِّ مُشفِق
And the star is near death, gravely ill,
The stars slope, bruised
fearful of its twilight-red hue.
From their rosy hue, anxious
وَالصُبحُand dawn مِنfrom وَجهِthe face of الفُلاso-and-so (first part)
وَالصُبحُ مِن وَجهِ الفُلا
نِso-and-so (completion) كَماjust as تَقولُyou say الشَمسُthe sun تُشرِقrises
نِ كَما تَقولُ الشَمسُ تُشرِق
And dawn comes from so-and-so's face,
And dawn on the horizon
just as you say, 'The sun rises.'
Says, as the sun says, I rise
وَالشَمسُand the sun مُؤمِنَةٌbelieving بِمُعin the miracle (first part)
وَالشَمسُ مُؤمِنَةٌ بِمُع
جِزِmiracle (completion) نورِlight طَلعَتِهِhis countenance تُصَدِّقconfirms
جِزِ نورِ طَلعَتِهِ تُصَدِّق
And the sun believes in the miracle
The sun believes in the miracle
of his face's radiance, affirming its truth.
Of her nascent light, true
وَرَشاشُand the spray بَحرِthe sea of النَقعdust يوday (first part)
وَرَشاشُ بَحرِ النَقع يو
مَday (completion) حُروبِهِhis battles لِلشَمسِthe sun (object of drowning) يُغرِقdrowns
مَ حُروبِهِ لِلشَمسِ يُغرِق
And the spray of the sea of dust,
The spray of the tumultuous sea
on the day of his battles, drowns the sun.
In its battles drowns the sun
وَإِذاand when المُحَدِّثُthe narrator قالspeaks عَنabout
وَإِذا المُحَدِّثُ قال عَن
هُhim فَكُلُّthen every مَنperson who سَمِعَhears المُصَدِّقone who believes
هُ فَكُلُّ مَن سَمِعَ المُصَدِّق
And when the narrator speaks of
When the speaker says of it
him, everyone who hears believes.
All who hear believe him
قُلsay ماwhat تَشاءُyou wish وَزِدand add more وَباand exaggerate (first part)
قُل ما تَشاءُ وَزِد وَبا
لِغexaggerate (completion) إِنَّكَindeed you الثَبتُthe reliable witness المُحَقِّقthe verifier
لِغ إِنَّكَ الثَبتُ المُحَقِّق
Say what you wish, add more, and
Say what you will, and more
exaggerate: you are the trustworthy verifier.
You are steadfast and true
حوشيتَmay you be spared إِنَّindeed سِواكَothers than you يَلpick up (first part)
حوشيتَ إِنَّ سِواكَ يَل
تَقِطُpick up (completion) الفَرائِدَchoice pearls أَوor يُلَفِّقcobble together
تَقِطُ الفَرائِدَ أَو يُلَفِّق
Far be it from you! Others pick up
Be generous, none but you
choice pearls, or cobble things together.
Glean jewels or forge them
عَلِّقhang عُقودَnecklaces الدُرِّpearls بِالwith the
عَلِّق عُقودَ الدُرِّ بِال
أَقلامِpens جاهِدَةًstriving تُعَلِّقhang
أَقلامِ جاهِدَةً تُعَلِّق
Hang necklaces of pearls with
Hang necklaces of pearls
pens, striving to hang them.
On pens competing to hang them
وَقَدand already اِستَجَرَّprocured مِنَfrom التِجاthe merchants (first part)
وَقَد اِستَجَرَّ مِنَ التِجا
رِmerchants (completion) الدُرَّpearls وَالشُعَراءُand the poets تُنفِقspend
رِ الدُرَّ وَالشُعَراءُ تُنفِق
And he has procured from the merchants
And merchants gained jewels and poets spent
pearls, while the poets spend.
Exhausting its abundant wealth, so closed
فَاِستَنفَدواso they exhausted مِنهُfrom him حَواstores (first part)
فَاِستَنفَدوا مِنهُ حَوا
صِلَstores (completion) دُرِّهِhis pearls فهوَso he المُغَلِّقthe one who closes up
صِلَ دُرِّهِ فهوَ المُغَلِّق
So they exhausted his stores
As if each praising you
of pearls; thus he is the one who closes up.
Brays while you bleat with wealth
وَكَأَنَّand as though مادِحَهُhis praiser يُغَرwarbles (first part)
وَكَأَنَّ مادِحَهُ يُغَر
ردُwarbles (completion) وَهوَwhile he بِالأَموالِfor money يَنعِقcaws
ردُ وَهوَ بِالأَموالِ يَنعِق
And it is as though his praiser warbles,
The branch bears fruit, earth bears
while he caws for money.
A plant, and the vein flows full
الفَرعُthe branch يُثمِرُbears fruit وَالثَرىand the soil
الفَرعُ يُثمِرُ وَالثَرى
أَثرىthe richest ثَرىًsoil وَالعِرقُand the root مُعرِقdeep-rooted
أَثرى ثَرىً وَالعِرقُ مُعرِق
The branch bears fruit, and the soil
O you who visit generosity
is the richest soil; the root is deep-rooted.
Ever overflowing when you give
ياO عارِضَraincloud الكَرَمِgenerosity الَّذيwhich
يا عارِضَ الكَرَمِ الَّذي
ماnot زالَceased يُغرِقfloods حينَwhen يُغدِقpours lavishly
ما زالَ يُغرِق حينَ يُغدِق
O raincloud of generosity, which
The clouds claim the dew
never ceases to flood when it pours lavishly.
Your right refutes anddispels
لِلسُحبِfor the clouds دَعوىa claim فيconcerning النَدىdew; bounty
لِلسُحبِ دَعوى في النَدى
بَطَلَتwas annulled بِحَقٍّby a truth مِنكَfrom you يُزهِقsweeps away
بَطَلَت بِحَقٍّ مِنكَ يُزهِق
The clouds' claim to dew and bounty
is annulled by a truth from you that sweeps it away.
Partial English translation: 54 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1