وليلةٍand many a night قصّرتُI shortened مِنfrom طُولِهاits length
وليلةٍ قصّرتُ مِن طُولِها
بقهوةٍwith wine حيريَّةِof al-Hira العُنصُرِorigin
بقهوةٍ حيريَّةِ العُنصُرِ
And many a night I shortened
with wine originating in al-Hira.
قدhad عُتِّقتbeen aged فيin دنهاits wine jar فاغتدَتand so became
قد عُتِّقت في دنها فاغتدَت
تُخبرُناit tells us عنof سالفِbygone الأعصرِages
تُخبرُنا عن سالفِ الأعصرِ
It had been aged in its jar and came to
tell us of bygone ages.
تُخبرُit tells عنof كسرىKisra وايقاعهِand his onslaught
تُخبرُ عن كسرى وايقاعهِ
بعدَafter اختصاصٍclose association ببنيwith the sons of المنذرِal-Mundhir
بعدَ اختصاصٍ ببني المنذرِ
It tells of Kisra and his onslaught,
after close ties with the sons of al-Mundhir.
نمّتtold tales علىagainst كاتمِthe concealer of انوارهاits radiance
نمّت على كاتمِ انوارها
بفائحٍwith a waft منof نشرِهاits fragrance الأعطرِmost fragrant
بفائحٍ من نشرِها الأعطرِ
It betrayed the one concealing its radiance
with a waft of its sweetest perfume.
شرِبتُهاI drank it مِنfrom كفِّthe hand of ريمٍa gazelle رناwho gazed
شرِبتُها مِن كفِّ ريمٍ رنا
بسحرِwith the magic of طرفٍan eye فاترٍlanguid أحورِdark-pupilled
بسحرِ طرفٍ فاترٍ أحورِ
I drank it from the hand of a gazelle who gazed
with the magic of a languid, dark-pupilled eye.
أسكرنيhe intoxicated me اذكَرَّwhen he turned نحويtoward me بهاwith it
أسكرني اذكَرَّ نحوي بها
بالسِّحرِby magic لاnot بالمائعِby the liquid المُسكرِintoxicating
بالسِّحرِ لا بالمائعِ المُسكرِ
He intoxicated me when he turned toward me with it,
by magic, not by the intoxicating liquid.
فاهتزَّand swayed اذwhen كرَّhe turned بهاwith it قَدُّهُhis figure
فاهتزَّ اذ كرَّ بها قَدُّهُ
كماjust as تثنَّتbent قامةُthe shaft of السّمهريthe Samhari spear
كما تثنَّت قامةُ السّمهري
And his figure swayed as he turned with it,
as the shaft of a Samhari spear bends.
أبدىhe showed نِفاراًskittishness حينَwhen آنستُهُI befriended him
أبدى نِفاراً حينَ آنستُهُ
وذاكَand that شأنُthe way of الرّشأِthe gazelle fawn الأعفرِtawny
وذاكَ شأنُ الرّشأِ الأعفرِ
He shied away when I befriended him,
and that is the way of the tawny gazelle fawn.
سقيتُهُI gave him a drink كأساًa cup فأهدتand it bestowed لهupon him
سقيتُهُ كأساً فأهدت له
وَرداًroses بداappeared فيon خدِّهِhis cheek الأزهرِradiant
وَرداً بدا في خدِّهِ الأزهرِ
I gave him a cup to drink, and it bestowed upon him
roses that appeared on his radiant cheek.
كأنَّهُas though he were اذwhen عبَّhe drank deeply فيfrom كأسهِhis cup
كأنَّهُ اذ عبَّ في كأسهِ
بدرُthe full moon of الدُّجىnight's darkness قدhad قارنَcome into conjunction with المُشتريJupiter
بدرُ الدُّجى قد قارنَ المُشتري
He seemed, as he drank deeply from his cup,
the full moon of night in conjunction with Jupiter.
Sol 6.1