سَقىmay water اللَهُGod دَيراًa monastery فيهِin it نادَمتُI shared wine with قِسّيساa priest
سَقى اللَهُ دَيراً فيهِ نادَمتُ قِسّيسا
فَكانَand he was شَريفاًnoble ظاهِرَshowing البِشرِgood cheer قِدّيساa saint
فَكانَ شَريفاً ظاهِرَ البِشرِ قِدّيسا
May God water a monastery where I shared wine with a priest.
God watered a monastery where I visited a priest
And he was noble, visibly cheerful—a saint.
Who was noble, of clear complexion, saintly
لَهُhe has خُلُقٌcharacter يُرضيpleases النَبِيَّthe Prophet مُحَمَّداًMuhammad
لَهُ خُلُقٌ يُرضي النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّداً
وَيَأتيand he acts بِماaccording to what أَوصىenjoined بِهِconcerning it قَومَهُhis people عيسىJesus
وَيَأتي بِما أَوصى بِهِ قَومَهُ عيسى
He has a character that pleases the Prophet Muhammad,
Of manners pleasing to Prophet Muhammad
And he does what Jesus enjoined upon his people.
And adhering to what Jesus enjoined his people
وَيَطرَبُand he is enraptured إِنif غَنَّيتُهُI sing to him فَكَأَنَّنيso it is as though I
وَيَطرَبُ إِن غَنَّيتُهُ فَكَأَنَّني
ضَرَبتُI struck لَهُfor him فيin الديرِthe monastery بِالصُبحِat dawn ناقوساa bell
ضَرَبتُ لَهُ في الديرِ بِالصُبحِ ناقوسا
And he is enraptured if I sing to him, as though I
I gladden him when I sing to him, as though
Had rung a bell for him in the monastery at dawn.
I rang for him at dawn in the monastery a bell
سَقانيhe gave me to drink مُداماًwine قَرقَفاًshiver-inducing wine ذَهَبِيَّةًgolden
سَقاني مُداماً قَرقَفاً ذَهَبِيَّةً
كَأَنَّas though عَلىalong حافاتِهاits edges الدُرَّpearls مَغروساplanted
كَأَنَّ عَلى حافاتِها الدُرَّ مَغروسا
He gave me golden, shiver-inducing wine to drink,
He served me a goblet, gold plated
As though pearls were planted along its edges.
As if pearls were implanted on its rims
مُعَتَّقَةًaged مِنfrom صَيدِناياSaydnaya سَبَأتُهاI bought it
مُعَتَّقَةً مِن صَيدِنايا سَبَأتُها
يَهُزُّshakes بِهاwith it الرّاووقُthe wine-strainer أَعطافَthe flanks of إِبليساIblis
يَهُزُّ بِها الرّاووقُ أَعطافَ إِبليسا
Aged wine from Saydnaya, which I had bought;
Freed from Sheba, I deemed it
With it the wine-strainer makes Iblis’s flanks sway.
The basilisk sways with it the skirts of Satan
فَمنso from وَجهِهاits face فيin الكَأسِthe cup يُبديhe shows طَلاقَةًgood cheer
فَمن وَجهِها في الكَأسِ يُبدي طَلاقَةً
إِلَيَّtoward me وَمِنand from وَجهيmy face يُقابِلُhe encounters تَعبيساa scowl
إِلَيَّ وَمِن وَجهي يُقابِلُ تَعبيسا
So, from its face in the cup, he shows good cheer
So from its face in the cup he shows sprightliness
Toward me, but from my face he encounters a scowl.
Toward me and from my face he retorts with a frown
كُمَيتاًdark-red wine بِهاwith it يَسعىmoves about عَلىamong الشَّربِthe drinkers شادِنٌa young gazelle
كُمَيتاً بِها يَسعى عَلى الشَّربِ شادِنٌ
مِنَfrom among التُركِthe Turks تَكسوهُclothes him المَهابَةُawe ناموساdignity
مِنَ التُركِ تَكسوهُ المَهابَةُ ناموسا
A young gazelle moves among the drinkers with this dark-red wine,
Withdrawn with it he hastens to drinking
One of the Turks, whom awe clothes in dignity.
Clad by the Turks with awe, a turban
يُخالُhe seems إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِختالَhe struts فيin بُردِthe mantle of حُسنِهِhis beauty
يُخالُ إِذا ما اِختالَ في بُردِ حُسنِهِ
وَقَدwhile he has ماسَswayed مِنfrom سُكرِthe intoxication of المُدامَةِwine طاوُوساa peacock
وَقَد ماسَ مِن سُكرِ المُدامَةِ طاوُوسا
When he struts in the mantle of his beauty, he seems—
He fancies, when he preens in the chill of his beauty
Swaying in wine’s intoxication—a peacock.
Having tasted the inebriation of wine, a peacock
ذُؤابَتُهُhis forelock الثُعبانُthe serpent إِذwhen راعَterrified شَكلُهاits shape
ذُؤابَتُهُ الثُعبانُ إِذ راعَ شَكلُها
إِلىinto قَلبِهِhis heart فِرعَونَPharaoh يَومَthe day of عَصاthe staff of موسىMoses
إِلى قَلبِهِ فِرعَونَ يَومَ عَصا موسى
His forelock is the serpent whose shape struck terror
Its hooded snake, when it saw its shape
Into Pharaoh’s heart on the day of Moses’ staff.
Carried to its heart Pharaoh, the day of Moses' staff
يُسَرُّis delighted الَّذيthe one whom تَلقاهُyou meet him يَوماًone day بِقُربِهِnear him
يُسَرُّ الَّذي تَلقاهُ يَوماً بِقُربِهِ
سُرورَthe joy of سُلَيمانٍSolomon عَلىover عَرشِthe throne of بَلقيساBilqis
سُرورَ سُلَيمانٍ عَلى عَرشِ بَلقيسا
Whoever you find one day in his company rejoices
He rejoices, who met him once in his proximity
With Solomon’s joy over the throne of Bilqis.
With Solomon's bliss on Bilquis' throne
فَأَنشَدَنيthen he recited to me شِعراًverse أَنيقاًelegant مُهَذَّباًpolished
فَأَنشَدَني شِعراً أَنيقاً مُهَذَّباً
بِهِin it وافَقَmatched وَالتَطبيقُand antithesis فيin الحُسنِbeauty تَجنيساwordplay
بِهِ وافَقَ وَالتَطبيقُ في الحُسنِ تَجنيسا
Then he recited to me elegant, polished verse,
So he recited to me refined, elegant verse
In which antithesis and wordplay matched in beauty.
In which adaptation and rhyme in beauty harmonized
وَيَنبُضُand shoots سَهماًan arrow طَرفُهُhis glance كُلَّماwhenever رَناhe gazes
وَيَنبُضُ سَهماً طَرفُهُ كُلَّما رَنا
وَقَوَّسَand arched مِنهُof him الحاجِبَthe eyebrow السّحبُthe clouds تَقويساin a bowlike curve
وَقَوَّسَ مِنهُ الحاجِبَ السّحبُ تَقويسا
And his glance looses an arrow whenever he gazes,
And his eyelash throbs an arrow whenever it hums
And the clouds have arched his eyebrow into a bow.
And the brow arches it like a bow's curving
عَلىaround خَصرِهِhis waist تَنضَمُّcome together عَشرُten أَنامِلٍfingertips
عَلى خَصرِهِ تَنضَمُّ عَشرُ أَنامِلٍ
وَفيand in سَرجِهِhis saddle النُعمىbliss مِنَfrom الرِدفِthe rump وَالبوسىand misery
وَفي سَرجِهِ النُعمى مِنَ الرِدفِ وَالبوسى
Ten fingertips meet around his waist,
On his waist gather ten fingers
And in his saddle, from his rump come bliss and misery.
And in his saddlebag the soft and the busa cloth
Sol 6.1