خُذtake فارِغاًempty وَهاتِهِand bring it مَلآناfull
خُذ فارِغاً وَهاتِهِ مَلآنا
مِنfrom قَهوَةٍwine قَدalready عُتِّقَتit was aged أَزماناfor ages
مِن قَهوَةٍ قَد عُتِّقَت أَزمانا
Take an empty cup, and bring it back full,
Take it empty and bring it full
with wine that has been aged for ages.
Of coffee freed from time's rule
أَقَلُّthe least ماtime that مَلَكَهاhe possessed it مالِكُهاits owner
أَقَلُّ ما مَلَكَها مالِكُها
أَنthat لَحِقَتit reached عَهدَthe reign of أَنوAnu شَرواناShirwan
أَن لَحِقَت عَهدَ أَنو شَروانا
Its owner has kept it, at the very least,
The least its owner has ruled
since the reign of Anushirwan.
Is that it met Anoushirwan's days
ذَخيرَةُthe treasured reserve of الراهِبِthe monk كَيso that يَجعَلَهاhe may make it
ذَخيرَةُ الراهِبِ كَي يَجعَلَها
إِذاwhen أَتَتcame أَعيادُهُhis feast days قُرباناan offering
إِذا أَتَت أَعيادُهُ قُربانا
The monk's treasured reserve, kept so that he may make it,
The monk's treasure, that he makes
when his feast days come, an offering.
An offering when his feasts come
مُدامَةٌwine ماذُكِرَتwere never mentioned أَوصافُهاits qualities
مُدامَةٌ ماذُكِرَت أَوصافُها
إِلّاexcept اِنثَنىhe turned back سامِعُهاits hearer سَكراناdrunk
إِلّا اِنثَنى سامِعُها سَكرانا
A wine whose qualities are never described
A liquor whose traits aren't summed
without the listener coming away drunk.
Unless its hearer bends, drunk
تَكادُit almost مِنbecause of لَألائِهاits radiance إِذاwhen بَدَتit appeared
تَكادُ مِن لَألائِها إِذا بَدَت
تُهديit guides إِلىto مَكانِهاits location العُمياناthe blind
تُهدي إِلى مَكانِها العُميانا
Such is its radiance that, when it appears, it almost
Its glimmers, when first shown, give
guides the blind to where it is.
Sight itself to the blind man
كَالنارِlike fire إِلّاexcept أَنَّهاthat it ماnot أُوقِدَتit was kindled
كَالنارِ إِلّا أَنَّها ما أُوقِدَت
فيin الكَأسِthe cup إِلّاexcept أَطفَأَتit extinguished نيراناfires
في الكَأسِ إِلّا أَطفَأَت نيرانا
Like fire, except that it is never kindled
Like fire but when lit
in the cup without extinguishing fires.
In the cup, quenches all flames
ماnot المَلِكُthe king الأَعظَمُthe greatest فيin سُلطانِهِhis dominion
ما المَلِكُ الأَعظَمُ في سُلطانِهِ
إِلّاexcept الَّذيthe one who أَضحىbecame بِهاfrom it نَشواناtipsy
إِلّا الَّذي أَضحى بِها نَشوانا
The mightiest king in his dominion is none
No greater king in his reign
but he who has grown tipsy on it.
Than he who toasted with it in joy
كَمhow often رَفَعَتit raised مُتَّضِعاًa lowly man وَكَرَّمَتand made generous
كَم رَفَعَت مُتَّضِعاً وَكَرَّمَت
مُبَخَّلاًone deemed miserly وَشَجَّعَتand emboldened جَباناa coward
مُبَخَّلاً وَشَجَّعَت جَبانا
How often it has raised the lowly and made generous
How many low it uplifted and graced
one deemed miserly, and emboldened a coward.
Miser it opened up, coward made bold
تَسعىmoves about بِهاwith it جارِيَةٌa maiden إِذاwhen اِنثَنَتshe swayed
تَسعى بِها جارِيَةٌ إِذا اِنثَنَت
أَخجَلَput to shame لينُthe suppleness of عِطفِهاher side أَغصاناbranches
أَخجَلَ لينُ عِطفِها أَغصانا
A maiden moves about with it; when she sways,
A girl runs with it, when she sways
the suppleness of her figure puts branches to shame.
Shaming the bend of branches with her grace
بِتُّI spent the night أُعاطيهاI share it فَتاةًa maiden جَمَعَتshe combined
بِتُّ أُعاطيها فَتاةً جَمَعَت
لِعاشِقيهاfor her lovers الحُسنَbeauty وَالإِحساناand kindness
لِعاشِقيها الحُسنَ وَالإِحسانا
I spent the night sharing it with a maiden who combined
I stayed to give it to a girl who gathered
beauty and kindness for her lovers.
For her lovers, beauty and goodness
كامِلَةَperfect in الحُسنِbeauty حَكَتshe resembled غُصنَthe branch of النَقاthe sand dune
كامِلَةَ الحُسنِ حَكَت غُصنَ النَقا
الرَيّانَwell-watered أَوor غَزالَهُits gazelle العَطشاناthirsty
الرَيّانَ أَو غَزالَهُ العَطشانا
Perfect in beauty, she resembled the sand dune's branch,
Perfect of feature, she told of the supple branch
well-watered, or its thirsty gazelle.
Watering, or the thirsty fawn
مَخضوبَةَdyed البَنانِthe fingertips فيin يَمينِهاher right hand
مَخضوبَةَ البَنانِ في يَمينِها
كَأسُa cup of مُدامٍwine تَخضِبُit dyes البَناناthe fingertips
كَأسُ مُدامٍ تَخضِبُ البَنانا
With dyed fingertips, she holds in her right hand
Red-lipped, in her right hand
a cup of wine that dyes the fingertips.
A goblet of wine stains the lips red
وَليand I have نَديمٌa drinking companion ماجِدٌnoble لاnot أَرتَضيI accept
وَلي نَديمٌ ماجِدٌ لا أَرتَضي
عَنهُin his place بَديلاًa substitute كائِناًbeing مَنwhoever كاناhe may be
عَنهُ بَديلاً كائِناً مَن كانا
And I have a noble drinking companion; I will not accept
And I have a noble boon companion I wouldn't
a substitute for him, whoever he may be.
Trade for another, whoever he may be
أَخوa man of فُكاهاتٍjests مَتىwhenever حاضَرتَهُyou converse with him
أَخو فُكاهاتٍ مَتى حاضَرتَهُ
فيin مَجلِسٍa gathering وَجَدتَهُyou find him بُستاناa garden
في مَجلِسٍ وَجَدتَهُ بُستانا
A man of jests: whenever you converse with him
A brother of jokes, whenever you're with him
at a gathering, you find him a garden.
In company, you find it a garden
حُلوُsweet الأَحاديثِconversation وَإِنand if غَنّاكَhe sings to you لَمnot
حُلوُ الأَحاديثِ وَإِن غَنّاكَ لَم
تَجِدهُyou find him فيin أَلحانِهِhis melodies لَحّاناprone to errors
تَجِدهُ في أَلحانِهِ لَحّانا
Sweet in conversation; and if he sings to you, you will not
Sweet of speech, and if he sings to you
find him erring in his melodies.
You won't find him, in his tunes, a composer
لاnot يَعرِفُknows الهَمَّsorrow فَتىًa young man يَعرِفُهُhe knows him
لا يَعرِفُ الهَمَّ فَتىً يَعرِفُهُ
وَلاnor تَرىyou see نَديمَهُhis drinking companion نَدماناregretful
وَلا تَرى نَديمَهُ نَدمانا
A young man who knows him knows no sorrow,
He knows no care, that lad who knows him
nor do you see his drinking companion regretful.
Nor will you see his companion showing regret
Sol 6.1