وَشَربٍand a company of drinkers كِرامٍnoble حِسانِfair الوُجوهِthe faces
وَشَربٍ كِرامٍ حِسانِ الوُجوهِ
تُغاديهُمُvisits them in the morning النَشَواتُbouts of intoxication اِبتِكاراat daybreak
تُغاديهُمُ النَشَواتُ اِبتِكارا
And a company of noble drinkers, fair of face,
With wine pure and boon companions fair of face,
whom intoxication visits at earliest dawn.
Whom revelry maketh e'en fairer to see.
كُمَيتٍtawny wine تَكادُalmost وَإِنand even if لَمnot تَذُقyou taste
كُمَيتٍ تَكادُ وَإِن لَم تَذُق
تُنَشّيintoxicates إِذاwhen الساقِيانِthe two cupbearers اِستَداراmake their rounds
تُنَشّي إِذا الساقِيانِ اِستَدارا
A tawny wine that almost, even if you have not tasted it,
Wine that though 'twere unquaffed would inebriate, Still at the pourers' hands more inebriate be!
intoxicates you when the two cupbearers make their rounds.
Coy beauties, when the dawn of day is nigh, Depart; but grey hairs from the dawn hold me.
أَعاذِلَO female reproacher لَمّاwhen تَرَينَyou see الغَداةَthe morning
أَعاذِلَ لَمّا تَرَينَ الغَداةَ
وَقَنَّعَنيand has veiled me الشَيبُgray hair مِنهُof it خِماراa veil
وَقَنَّعَني الشَيبُ مِنهُ خِمارا
O reproacher, when you see me in the morning,
Youth went; I made fair eyes that wept his loss My solace, kissing lids that o'er them be.
and gray hair has wrapped me in a veil of its own,
In a lone, desert land cut off there lies A tomb, hid under piled-up hillocks three;
وَبانَand departed الشَبابُyouth فَوَدَّعتُهُso I bade it farewell
وَبانَ الشَبابُ فَوَدَّعتُهُ
وَطالَبتُهُand I sought it بَعدَafter عَينٍa possession close at hand ضِماراa lost, inaccessible possession
وَطالَبتُهُ بَعدَ عَينٍ ضِمارا
and youth has departed, so I bade it farewell,
Whereon with freshened tears the clouds do rain, Graving full many a track and trace that flee.
and sought it, now lost after once being close at hand,
A sun of beauty she, a moon at full, A proud gazelle, a mountain hind is she.
بِبَيداءَin a wilderness مَجهولَةٍunknown قُطِّعَتwas traversed
بِبَيداءَ مَجهولَةٍ قُطِّعَت
بِعاهِمَةٍon a swift she-camel تَستَخِفُّmakes light of الضِفاراthe braided girths
بِعاهِمَةٍ تَستَخِفُّ الضِفارا
in an unknown wilderness, traversed
Pearls on her breast and collar-bones are strung Close, close together in twin rows linked free.
on a swift she-camel that makes light of braided girths.
As though upon her back were brocade spread With further semblance wrought in tracery.
تُراميstrains against النُسوعَthe girth-straps بِحَيزومِهاwith her breast
تُرامي النُسوعَ بِحَيزومِها
نُدوباًscars وَبِالدَفِّand on the flank مِنهاof her سِطاراstreaks
نُدوباً وَبِالدَفِّ مِنها سِطارا
She strains against the girth-straps with her breast,
So blacks her legs, they and her legs' calves, too, Might pass for marble columns twain or three!
leaving scars there, and streaks along her flank.
جُمالِيَّةٍa she-camel built like a male أُجُدٍstrongly built سَهوَةٍeasy-striding
جُمالِيَّةٍ أُجُدٍ سَهوَةٍ
يُلاحِمُjoins firmly مِنهاof her التَليلُthe neck الفِقاراthe spinal vertebrae
يُلاحِمُ مِنها التَليلُ الفِقارا
A she-camel built like a male, sturdy and easy-striding,
whose neck joins firmly to her backbone.
كَأَنَّas though عَلىupon الظَهرِthe back ديباجَةًa piece of brocade
كَأَنَّ عَلى الظَهرِ ديباجَةً
وَسودُand the black ones القَوائِمِthe legs يُحسَبنَare thought to be قاراpitch
وَسودُ القَوائِمِ يُحسَبنَ قارا
As though upon her back were a piece of brocade,
and her black legs look like pitch.
Partial English translation: 11 of 16 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1