أَمَا تَرَى راهِبَ الأَسْحَارِ قَدْ هَتَفا

أَمَا تَرَى راهِبَ الأَسْحَارِ قَدْ هَتَفا

وحَثَّ تَغْريدُهُ لَمّا عَلاَ الشّعَفَا

وحَثَّ تَغْريدُهُ لَمّا عَلاَ الشّعَفَا

Do you not see that the monk of the predawn hours has cried out?

Behold the monk chanting at dawn,

And his song urged us on when he mounted the peaks.

His warbling hastens as the boughs rustle.

أَوْفَى بِصَبْغِ أبي قَابُوسَ مَفْرقُهُ

أَوْفَى بِصَبْغِ أبي قَابُوسَ مَفْرقُهُ

كَدُرَّةِ التّاجِ لَمّا عُولِيَتْ شَرَفَا

كَدُرَّةِ التّاجِ لَمّا عُولِيَتْ شَرَفَا

The crown of his head rose high with Abu Qabus's dye,

The hue of his hood resembles Father of Qabus,

Like a crown's pearl when raised aloft.

Like a pearl-studded crown raised loftily.

مُشَنّفاً بِعَقيقٍ حَولَ مَذْبَحِهِ

مُشَنّفاً بِعَقيقٍ حَولَ مَذْبَحِهِ

هَلْ كُنتَ في غيرِ أُذْنٍ تَعْقِدُ الشُّنُفَا

هَلْ كُنتَ في غيرِ أُذْنٍ تَعْقِدُ الشُّنُفَا

Adorned with agate earrings around his throat—

Adorned with carnelian around his altar,

Have you ever fastened earrings anywhere but on an ear?

Were you not lending an ear, plaiting braids?

كأنّما الْتَفَّ في هُدَّابِ راهِبَةٍ

كأنّما الْتَفَّ في هُدَّابِ راهِبَةٍ

يَسْتَوْحِشُ الأُنْسَ إلاَّ بيعَه أنفا

يَسْتَوْحِشُ الأُنْسَ إلاَّ بيعَه أنفا

As though wrapped in the fringes of a nun's robe,

As if a ringdove roosted on a devotees chest

Shunning company in disdain, save that of his churches.

Finding company loathsome unless selling itself.

لمّا أراحَتْ رُعاةُ اللّيلِ غَارِبَةً

لمّا أراحَتْ رُعاةُ اللّيلِ غَارِبَةً

مِنَ الكواكبِ كانتْ تَرْتَعِي السُّدُفا

مِنَ الكواكبِ كانتْ تَرْتَعِي السُّدُفا

When night's shepherds brought home a setting flock

When the shepherds of night rested their flock

Of stars that had been grazing in the darkness,

Of stars grazing the boughs.

هَزَّ اللِّواءَ على ما كانَ مِنْ سِنَةٍ

هَزَّ اللِّواءَ على ما كانَ مِنْ سِنَةٍ

واهْتَزَّ ثُمَّ عَلا وارْتَجَّ ثُمَّ هَفا

واهْتَزَّ ثُمَّ عَلا وارْتَجَّ ثُمَّ هَفا

He shook the banner, drowsy though he was,

He shook his banner despite his advanced years

And swayed, then rose, shuddered, then fluttered.

Swaying, rising, then settling gently.

ثُمَّ اسْتَمَرّ كما غَنّى على طَرَبٍ

ثُمَّ اسْتَمَرّ كما غَنّى على طَرَبٍ

مُرَنّحٌ قَدْ عَلا تَطْرِيبُهُ وَصَفَا

مُرَنّحٌ قَدْ عَلا تَطْرِيبُهُ وَصَفَا

Then he continued, like one singing in rapture—

Then persisted melodiously in song,

A reeling singer whose trilling rose high and clear.

Trilling, his clear tones rising.

إذا اسْتَهَلَّ اسْتَهَلّتْ حولَهُ عُصَبٌ

إذا اسْتَهَلَّ اسْتَهَلّتْ حولَهُ عُصَبٌ

كالحيِّ صِيحَ صَباحاً فيه فاختلفا

كالحيِّ صِيحَ صَباحاً فيه فاختلفا

Whenever he cried out, bands around him cried out,

When he commenced, flocks gathered about

Like a tribe where a morning shout went up and they moved to and fro.

Like desert beasts roaring at dawn vying in estimation.

نَبّهْتُهُ والنّدامَى طالَ مَكْثُهمُ

نَبّهْتُهُ والنّدامَى طالَ مَكْثُهمُ

فقلتُ قُمْ واكْفِنا الهَمَّ الذي وَكَفَا

فقلتُ قُمْ واكْفِنا الهَمَّ الذي وَكَفَا

I roused him; the drinking companions had lingered long,

I roused him as revelers overstayed their welcome,

So I said: Rise and spare us the sorrow dripping down.

Saying arise, relieve us of the care that consumed us!

فاصْرِفْ بِصِرْفِكَ وَجْهَ الماءِ يومكَ ذَا

فاصْرِفْ بِصِرْفِكَ وَجْهَ الماءِ يومكَ ذَا

حتى تَرَى نائماً منهم ومُنْصَرِفا

حتى تَرَى نائماً منهم ومُنْصَرِفا

So turn water's face away with your unmixed wine this day of yours,

Turn your visage from the water this day

Until you see one of them asleep and another departing.

Until you see the sleepers departing.

فَقامَ مُلْتَحِفاً كالبدرِ مُطّلِعاً

فَقامَ مُلْتَحِفاً كالبدرِ مُطّلِعاً

والظّبي مُلْتَفِتاً والغُصْنِ مُنْعَطِفا

والظّبي مُلْتَفِتاً والغُصْنِ مُنْعَطِفا

So he rose, cloaked, like the full moon rising,

So he stood, cloaked like the rising moon

And like a gazelle looking back, and a branch bending.

The gazelle glancing back, the bough inclining.

رَقّتْ غُلالَةُ خَدَّيْهِ فلَوْ رَمِيَا

رَقّتْ غُلالَةُ خَدَّيْهِ فلَوْ رَمِيَا

باللّحْظِ أَوْ بالمُنَى هَمّا بأنْ يَكِفَا

باللّحْظِ أَوْ بالمُنَى هَمّا بأنْ يَكِفَا

The veil of his cheeks grew so thin that, were they struck

The smoothness of his cheeks softened, were they to glance

By a glance or a wish, they would almost drip.

Or wish, they would cease their resistance.

كأنَّ قافاً أُدِيرَتْ فوقَ وَجْنَتِهِ

كأنَّ قافاً أُدِيرَتْ فوقَ وَجْنَتِهِ

واخْتَطَّ كاتِبُهَا مِنْ فَوْقِها أَلِفَا

واخْتَطَّ كاتِبُهَا مِنْ فَوْقِها أَلِفَا

As though a qaf had been drawn in a circle above his cheek,

As if a Qaf were inscribed above his cheek

And its scribe had drawn an alif above it.

And its scribe had flourished a thousand whorls.

فقلتُ مِنْ بعد ما شَاهَدْتُ هَيئتَهُ

فقلتُ مِنْ بعد ما شَاهَدْتُ هَيئتَهُ

حَسْبِي بِذَا عِوَضاً مِنْ خَمْرَتي وكَفا

حَسْبِي بِذَا عِوَضاً مِنْ خَمْرَتي وكَفا

Then I said, after beholding his appearance:

After beholding his countenance, I said

This is enough for me in place of my wine—it suffices.

That suffices me in place of wine cups and more.

فاسْتَلَّ راحاً كَبِيضٍ وافَقَتْ حَجَناً

فاسْتَلَّ راحاً كَبِيضٍ وافَقَتْ حَجَناً

خِلالَنا أو كَنَارٍ صادَفَتْ سَعَفَا

خِلالَنا أو كَنَارٍ صادَفَتْ سَعَفَا

Then he drew out wine like bright blades meeting crooked rods

He shone brilliantly, matching the full moon

Among us, or like fire encountering palm fronds.

Parting our company, or fire meeting kindling.

فكانَ مِنْ ضَوْئِها إِذْ قامَ مُصْطَبِحاً

فكانَ مِنْ ضَوْئِها إِذْ قامَ مُصْطَبِحاً

وضَوْءِ وَجْنَتِهِ ما عَمّنَا وَكَفَى

وضَوْءِ وَجْنَتِهِ ما عَمّنَا وَكَفَى

So from its glow, as he rose for a morning draught,

In the radiance as he rose revived at dawn

And from his cheek's glow, came light that bathed us all and sufficed.

His cheek and my companions lit our abode sufficiently.

صَفراء أو قَلَّ ما اصْفَرَّتْ فأَنتَ تَرى

صَفراء أو قَلَّ ما اصْفَرَّتْ فأَنتَ تَرى

ذَوْباً مِنَ الدُّرِ رَصُّوا فوقَهُ صَدَفَا

ذَوْباً مِنَ الدُّرِ رَصُّوا فوقَهُ صَدَفَا

Yellow—or scarcely yellow—so you see

Bright as barely yellowed by jaundice, yet you see

Molten pearl, with shells packed closely above it.

Scattered above it, shells of scattered pearl.

فلَمْ يَزَلْ في ثلاثٍ واثنتين وفي

فلَمْ يَزَلْ في ثلاثٍ واثنتين وفي

خَمْسٍ وعَشْرٍ وما اسْتَعْلَى وما لَطُفَا

خَمْسٍ وعَشْرٍ وما اسْتَعْلَى وما لَطُفَا

So he kept on with three and two, and with

Ceaselessly, for thirty-one days, and for

Five and ten, and what was greater and what was less.

Fifteen days more he persevered, not tiring or relenting,

وأَمْتَري وَدْقَ سِمْطَيْ لُؤلُؤٍ بَرِدٍ

وأَمْتَري وَدْقَ سِمْطَيْ لُؤلُؤٍ بَرِدٍ

عَذْبٍ وأَرْشُفُ ثَغْراً قَطُّ ما رُشِفا

عَذْبٍ وأَرْشُفُ ثَغْراً قَطُّ ما رُشِفا

And I coaxed rain from two strings of cool pearls,

I peer through the chink of two lustrous pearls, pure,

Sweet, and sipped a mouth never sipped before,

Sweet, taking a draught - never have I drunk so deeply.

حتى حَسِبْتُ أنو شروانَ مِنْ خَوَلي

حتى حَسِبْتُ أنو شروانَ مِنْ خَوَلي

وخِلْتُ أَنَّ نَديمي عاشِرُ الخُلفا

وخِلْتُ أَنَّ نَديمي عاشِرُ الخُلفا

Until I thought Anushirwan was one of my servants,

That I imagined him a cupbearer of Khawali,

And imagined my drinking companion the tenth caliph.

And my boon companion, the choicest of successors.