لاdo not تَبكِweep لِلظاعِنينَfor the departing travelers وَالعيسِand the pale camels
لا تَبكِ لِلظاعِنينَ وَالعيسِ
وَمَنزِلٍand a dwelling ظَلَّremained غَيرَnot مَأنوسِinhabited
وَمَنزِلٍ ظَلَّ غَيرَ مَأنوسِ
Do not weep for the departing travelers and the pale camels,
Do not weep for the blameworthy and wretched,
nor for a dwelling that has remained deserted.
Nor a home that remained unfamiliar.
وَاِشرَبand drink عُقاراًwine قَدalready عُتِّقَتhas been aged حِقَباًfor ages
وَاِشرَب عُقاراً قَد عُتِّقَت حِقَباً
مِنfrom عَهدِthe time of عادٍʿĀd بِالوَعدِby the promise مَحروسِguarded
مِن عَهدِ عادٍ بِالوَعدِ مَحروسِ
And drink wine aged for ages,
Drink a liquor aged for eons,
since the time of ʿĀd, guarded by the promise.
Protected since the days of ancient Ad.
تَخرُجُemerges مِنfrom دَنِّهاits wine jar وَقَدand already حَدِبَتhas curved
تَخرُجُ مِن دَنِّها وَقَد حَدِبَت
مِثلَlike هِلالٍa crescent بَداappeared بِتَقويسِwith curvature
مِثلَ هِلالٍ بَدا بِتَقويسِ
It flows from its wine jar, already curved,
It emerges turbid from its vat
like a crescent appearing in an arc.
Like a crescent moon with its curve.
زُفَّتwas brought as a bride إِلَيناto us مِنfrom بَيتِa house دَسكَرَةٍa village
زُفَّت إِلَينا مِن بَيتِ دَسكَرَةٍ
وَشَيَّعَتهاand escorted it جُنودُthe hosts of إِبليسِIblis
وَشَيَّعَتها جُنودُ إِبليسِ
It was brought to us as a bride from a village house,
It was brought to us from Daskara’s abode
and the hosts of Iblis escorted it.
And escorted by Iblis’s troops.
فَلَمand did not يَزَلcease يَنزُفُdraw off المُدامَةَthe wine مِنfrom
فَلَم يَزَل يَنزُفُ المُدامَةَ مِن
مُنتَبِذٍstanding apart بِالبِزالِby the tap مَنخوسِpierced
مُنتَبِذٍ بِالبِزالِ مَنخوسِ
And he kept drawing off the wine from
The wine continues to bleed
a jar standing apart, pierced by the tap,
From a wineskin patched with rags.
كَالنَجمِlike the star قَدalready لَجَّpersisted stubbornly فيin الغُروبِsetting وَقَدand already
كَالنَجمِ قَد لَجَّ في الغُروبِ وَقَد
أَنذَرَheralded بِالصُبحِof dawn قَرعُthe tolling of ناقوسِa bell
أَنذَرَ بِالصُبحِ قَرعُ ناقوسِ
like a star intent on setting, while
Like a star drowned in the sunset
the tolling of a bell had heralded dawn.
Whose fall is warned by a bell’s tolls,
وَضَجَّand cried out فيin الدَيرِthe monastery كُلُّevery مُبتَهِجٍjoyful person
وَضَجَّ في الدَيرِ كُلُّ مُبتَهِجٍ
مُشَفَّعٍpaired لَيلَهُhis night بِتَقديسِwith holy praise
مُشَفَّعٍ لَيلَهُ بِتَقديسِ
And every joyful man in the monastery cried out,
Every reveler in the monastery rejoiced,
his night accompanied by holy praise.
Blessing his night with prayers.
يَقولُhe says ياO مَنone who يَبغيseeks الكُنوزَtreasures إِلىto
يَقولُ يا مَن يَبغي الكُنوزَ إِلى
رَزينِweighty تِبرٍuncoined gold فيin الدَنِّthe wine jar مَرموسِburied
رَزينِ تِبرٍ في الدَنِّ مَرموسِ
He says: O you who seek treasures, come to
He says, oh you who seek treasures
weighty raw gold buried in the wine jar.
In a guarded cellar full of dung—
تُصبِحyou become by morning غَنِيّاًrich مِنَin السُرورِjoy وَمِنand in
تُصبِح غَنِيّاً مِنَ السُرورِ وَمِن
عَقلِكَyour reason تُمسيyou become by evening مِنَamong المَفاليسِthe bankrupt
عَقلِكَ تُمسي مِنَ المَفاليسِ
By morning you are rich in joy, yet in
You may wake up rich with joy
your reason, by evening you are among the bankrupt.
But sleep poor, bankrupted of reason.
مَنwhoever رامَseeks فيconcerning تَركِيَmy giving up المُدامَwine كَمَنlike one who
مَن رامَ في تَركِيَ المُدامَ كَمَن
يَكتُبُwrites بِالماءِwith water فيon القَراطيسِthe sheets of paper
يَكتُبُ بِالماءِ في القَراطيسِ
Whoever tries to make me give up wine is like one
He who tries to leave wine
who writes with water on sheets of paper.
Is like one who writes on water with a reed.
Sol 6.1