اسقنيgive me drink ياO ضَرَّةrival co-wife of القمرِthe moon
اسقني يا ضَرَّة القمرِ
واسلبand seize اللذّاتِthe delights وابتدرِand hasten
واسلب اللذّاتِ وابتدرِ
Give me drink, O rival of the moon,
Give me to drink, O bright moon,
And seize delights; hasten to serve
And snatch away the pleasures, hasten!
قهوةًwine حمراءَred صافيةًclear
قهوةً حمراءَ صافيةً
تخضِبُit dyes النَّدمانَthe drinking companion بالشررِwith sparks
تخضِبُ النَّدمانَ بالشررِ
A clear, red wine
Coffee, pure and red,
That dyes the drinking companion with sparks.
That stains remorse with sparks.
سبقتit preceded نُوحاًNoah فلوso if نطقتit spoke
سبقت نُوحاً فلو نطقت
لروَتit would recount ماwhat مرّpassed فيin السِيَرِthe chronicles
لروَت ما مرّ في السِيَرِ
It preceded Noah; were it to speak,
You surpassed Noah, so if you but speak
It would recount what passed in the chronicles.
You would tell what passed in history's accounts.
فجيوشُso the armies الليلِof night هاربةٌfleeing
فجيوشُ الليلِ هاربةٌ
وجنودُand the troops الصبحِof dawn فيon الأثَرِthe trail
وجنودُ الصبحِ في الأثَرِ
So the armies of night are fleeing,
The armies of night are fleeing
And dawn’s troops are on their trail.
And dawn's troops are in hot pursuit.
ونجومُand the stars الجوِّof the sky حائرةٌbewildered
ونجومُ الجوِّ حائرةٌ
والدجىand the darkness يبكيweeps علىover القمرِthe moon
والدجى يبكي على القمرِ
And the stars of the sky are bewildered,
The stars of space are lost
And darkness weeps over the moon.
And darkness weeps for the moon.
وغصونُand the boughs البانِof the bān tree مائلةٌleaning
وغصونُ البانِ مائلةٌ
طَرباًin rapture منfrom شدّةِthe intensity of السكرِintoxication
طَرباً من شدّةِ السكرِ
And the bān tree’s boughs lean,
The branches of the acacia sway
In rapture from intense intoxication.
Drunk from the wine's intensity.
ولحونُand the melodies الطيرِof the birds عاليةٌhigh
ولحونُ الطيرِ عاليةٌ
والصبَّاand the east breeze تختالُstruts بالشجرِamong the trees
والصبَّا تختالُ بالشجرِ
And the birds’ melodies rise high,
The birds' throats trill on high
And the east breeze struts among the trees.
As the morning breeze struts through the trees.
ليلتيmy night لاno عيبَfault فيكِin you ولاnor
ليلتي لا عيبَ فيكِ ولا
خِلتُI thought أنthat تَشنيbe marred سوىexcept by القِصَرِbrevity
خِلتُ أن تَشني سوى القِصَرِ
My night, there is no fault in you, nor
My night, you are flawless, and I have found
Did I think you could be marred, save by brevity.
No bosom friend save seclusion's embrace.
ليتَهاwould that it طالتlasted longer عليَّfor me ولوand even if
ليتَها طالت عليَّ ولو
كانwere ذاكَthat الطولُlength منfrom عُمُريmy lifespan
كان ذاكَ الطولُ من عُمُري
Would that it had lasted longer for me, even if
Would that it were prolonged for me, even if
That length were drawn from my own life.
That lengthening were from my life's span.
ليI have حبيبٌa beloved ليسdoes not يُنصفُنيtreat me fairly
لي حبيبٌ ليس يُنصفُني
مهجتيmy lifeblood منهbecause of him علىin خطَرdanger
مهجتي منه على خطَر
I have a beloved who does not treat me fairly;
I have a lover who is unjust to me,
My life is in peril because of him.
My love for him places me in peril.
مالكٌowner of رِقّيmy bondage يعذبُنيhe torments me
مالكٌ رِقّي يعذبُني
كمhow many a مليكٍking سيئِcruel in الظفَرِvictory
كم مليكٍ سيئِ الظفَرِ
He owns me as a slave and torments me—
He rules me harshly, tormenting me -
How many a king is cruel in victory!
How many wretched kings hold power!
Sol 6.1