أترعيfill to the brim الأقداحthe goblets ياO حوّاHawwa
أترعي الأقداح يا حوّا
فإنfor indeed الليلthe night عسعسhas fallen
فإن الليل عسعس
Fill the goblets to the brim, O Hawwa,
Pour the wine, O Houri,
for night has fallen.
For the night has darkened,
وينمand let it tell tales الوردthe roses إنif شاءit wishes
وينم الورد إن شاء
إذاwhen الصبحthe dawn تنفّسdraws breath
إذا الصبح تنفّس
And let the roses tell tales, if they wish,
And the roses sleep if they wish,
when dawn draws breath.
When the dawn takes breath,
وأديريand pass around الكاسthe cup باللَهby God
وأديري الكاس باللَه
فماfor how أعطشthirsty قلبيmy heart
فما أعطش قلبي
And pass the cup, by God,
And pass the cup, by Allah,
for how thirsty my heart is!
For my heart is not thirsty,
فابنةُfor the daughter العنقودof the grape cluster تحييrevives
فابنةُ العنقود تحيي
كلّevery ميتٍdead one إيyes وربّيand by my Lord
كلّ ميتٍ إي وربّي
For the grape-cluster’s daughter revives
The daughter of the vine revives
all the dead—yes, by my Lord!
Every dead one, aye by my Lord!
لاdo not تخافيfear غفلbecame heedless الواشيthe informer
لا تخافي غفل الواشي
ونامand fell asleep الرقباءthe watchers
ونام الرقباء
Do not fear: the informer is off guard,
Fear not the inattentive watcher,
and the watchers have fallen asleep.
And the sleep of the spy,
فاسفريso unveil yourself ياO ربّةmistress
فاسفري يا ربّة
الحسنof beauty وعنوانand emblem الوفاءof fidelity
الحسن وعنوان الوفاء
So unveil yourself, O mistress
Dawn, O mistress of beauty,
of beauty and emblem of fidelity,
Of perfection and emblem of loyalty,
لأرىso I may see الطّرفthe eyes الذيwhich كمhow often
لأرى الطّرف الذي كم
صرعfelled الصبّthe lovesick lover أحورارهtheir dark pupils against white
صرع الصبّ أحوراره
that I may see the eyes—how often
That I may see the eyelash that has
their dark-eyed beauty has felled the lovesick lover;
Felled the intoxicated youths,
وأرىand I see الخدّthe cheek الذيwhich كمhow often
وأرى الخدّ الذي كم
أخجلput to shame الوردthe rose أحمرارُهits redness
أخجل الورد أحمرارُه
and see the cheek—how often
And see the cheek that has
its redness has put the rose to shame;
Shamed the rose with its redness,
وأرىand I see الثغرthe mouth الذيwhose أحsweeter (first part)
وأرى الثغر الذي أح
لىsweeter (completion) منthan الخمرwine رضابهits saliva
لى من الخمر رضابه
and see the mouth whose saliva
And see the mouth that has
is sweeter than wine;
Made the wine pleasant to me,
وأرىand I see الجفنthe eyelid الذيwhich كمhow often
وأرى الجفن الذي كم
مزّقتtore apart قلبيmy heart حرابهits lances
مزّقت قلبي حرابه
and see the eyelid—how often
And see the eyelid that has
its lances have torn my heart;
Torn my heart with its glances,
وأرىand I see الجيدthe neck الذيwhich كمhow often
وأرى الجيد الذي كم
تيّمenthralled with love الريمthe gazelle جمالهits beauty
تيّم الريم جماله
and see the neck—how often
And see the braids that have
its beauty has enthralled the gazelle;
Captured the gazelle with their beauty,
وأرىand I see القدّthe figure الذيwhich كمhow often
وأرى القدّ الذي كم
أدهشastonished الغصنthe bough اعتدالهits graceful straightness
أدهش الغصن اعتداله
and see the figure—how often
And see the figure that has
its upright grace has astonished the bough.
Amazed the branch with its straightness,
عانقينيembrace me صدقspoke truly اللَهGod
عانقيني صدق اللَه
فبعدfor after العسرhardship يسراease
فبعد العسر يسرا
Embrace me—God has spoken truly:
Embrace me, truly, by Allah,
for after hardship comes ease.
For after hardship comes ease,
سكرتbecame drunk روحيmy soul فهلso, is
سكرت روحي فهل
روحكyour soul ياO حوّاءHawwa سكرىdrunk
روحك يا حوّاء سكرى
My soul is drunk; is
My soul is drunk, so is
your soul, O Hawwa, drunk?
Your soul, O Eve, also drunk?
لمdid not يرقbe pleasing ليto me العيشlife لوif (word fragment)
لم يرق لي العيش لو
لاكnot for you (word fragment) فياso, O حوّاHawwa أفيقيawaken
لاك فيا حوّا أفيقي
Life would hold no delight for me were it
Life was not pleasant unless
not for you; O Hawwa, awaken.
You were in it, so O Houri awaken,
أنتyou أمّيmy mother وأبيand my father
أنت أمّي وأبي
أنتyou خليليmy intimate friend وشقيقيand my full brother
أنت خليلي وشقيقي
You are my mother and my father,
You are my mother and father,
you are my dearest friend and my brother.
You are my intimate and brother,
وارقصيand dance فالقلبfor the heart ماin (part of ‘in between’)
وارقصي فالقلب ما
بينbetween الحناياthe curved ribs قدhas indeed رقصdanced
بين الحنايا قد رقص
And dance, for the heart
And dance, for the heart between
within the curved ribs has danced.
The wrists has danced,
ودعيناand let us ننتهزseize ياO
ودعينا ننتهز يا
ربّةmistress الحسنof beauty الفرصthe opportunities
ربّة الحسن الفرص
And let us seize, O
And let us seize, O mistress
mistress of beauty, our chances.
Of beauty, the opportunity,
وضعيand lay رأسكyour head فيin أحضarms (first part)
وضعي رأسك في أحض
انarms (completion) منone who يخشىfears عليكfor you
ان من يخشى عليك
And lay your head in the arms
Lay your head in my armpits,
of one who fears for you.
Of the one who fears for you,
وأنعميand be at ease بالاin mind وناميand sleep
وأنعمي بالا ونامي
فأناfor I am طوعobedient to يديكyour two hands
فأنا طوع يديك
And be at ease, and sleep,
And sleep comfortably, and I am
for I am at the bidding of your hands.
Obedient to your hands,
وهزارand the nightingale الدوحof the great trees غنّىsang
وهزار الدوح غنّى
فإذاso when لاحappears الصباحthe morning
فإذا لاح الصباح
And the grove’s nightingale has sung;
The birds of the thicket sang,
so when morning appears,
So when the morning appears,
فلننمthen let us sleep نوماa sleep هنيئاblissful
فلننم نوما هنيئا
وحمامand the doves الأيكof the thicket ناحcooed mournfully
وحمام الأيك ناح
let us sleep a blissful sleep.
We will sleep a pleasant sleep,
And the doves of the thicket have cooed their lament;
And the dove of the nest will moan,
فلنفقthen let us awaken كيso that نحتسيwe sip ياO
فلنفق كي نحتسي يا
سلوةsolace الروحof the soul الصبوحthe morning wine
سلوة الروح الصبوح
then let us wake to sip, O
So let us enjoy, that we may drink, O
solace of the soul, the morning wine.
Solace of the brisk soul,
ودعيand let الأزهارthe flowers والأطيارand the birds
ودعي الأزهار والأطيار
إنif شاءتthey wish تبوحdivulge secrets
إن شاءت تبوح
And let the flowers and the birds,
And let the flowers and birds,
if they wish, reveal our secret.
If they wish, warble,
منwhoever رآناsaw us ياO حياةlife
من رآنا يا حياة
الروحof the soul فيin هذيthis الجنينهthe little garden
الروح في هذي الجنينه
Whoever saw us, O life
Whoever saw us, O life
of the soul, in this little garden,
Of the soul, in this garden,
خالناthought us to be قيساًQays وليلىand Layla
خالنا قيساً وليلى
أوor جميلاJamil وبشينهand Bushayna (apparently Buthayna)
أو جميلا وبشينه
would take us for Qays and Layla,
Thought us Qays and Layla,
or Jamil and Buthayna.
Or Jameel and Buthayna.
إنif نمتthey tell tales ايتهاO العذراءthe virgin
إن نمت ايتها العذراء
إنindeed الحبlove خالدimmortal
إن الحب خالد
If they tell tales, O virgin,
If you sleep, O maiden,
love is indeed immortal.
Then love is eternal,
ياO ملاكangel الموتof death خذهاtake it
يا ملاك الموت خذها
روحthe soul معبودof the worshipped one وعابدand the worshipper
روح معبود وعابد
O angel of death, take it—
O angel of death, take her
the soul of the worshipped and the worshipper.
Soul with the soul of the worshipped and worshipper.
أناI قيسQays فيin هواهاlove for her
أنا قيس في هواها
وهيand she فيin حبيlove for me ليلىLayla
وهي في حبي ليلى
I am Qays in my love for her,
I am Qays in his love of her,
and she is Layla in her love for me:
And she in her love is Layla,
عاشقانtwo lovers امتزجاmerged together
عاشقان امتزجا
والتقياand the two met سرّاsecretly لكيلاso as not to
والتقيا سرّا لكيلا
two lovers who have merged
Two lovers blended,
and met in secret, so as not to...
And met secretly so the two should be concealed.
Sol 6.1