لَمdid not يَنَمsleep هَمّيmy sorrow وَلَمand did not أَنَمِI sleep
لَم يَنَم هَمّي وَلَم أَنَمِ
نَهبُprey كَفَّthe hand الوَجدِlonging وَالسَقَمِand sickness
نَهبُ كَفَّ الوَجدِ وَالسَقَمِ
My sorrow did not sleep, nor did I,
My anxiety did not sleep, nor did I sleep
Prey to the hand of longing and sickness.
Prey to the grip of passion and sickness
فيin سَبيلِthe path العاشِقينَthe lovers هَوىًa passion
في سَبيلِ العاشِقينَ هَوىً
لَمdid not أَنَلI obtain مِنهُfrom it سِوىexcept التُهَمِaccusations
لَم أَنَل مِنهُ سِوى التُهَمِ
A passion along the lovers' path,
Along the path of lovers, infatuated
From which I gained nothing but accusations.
I gained from it nothing but accusations
وَلَقَدand indeed أَغدواI go forth at dawn عَلىupon أَثَرٍa trace
وَلَقَد أَغدوا عَلى أَثَرٍ
لِلحَياof rain راضٍcontent عَنِwith الدَيمِgentle, steady rains
لِلحَيا راضٍ عَنِ الدَيمِ
And indeed I go forth at dawn, following a trace
They went early in the morning
Of rain, content with gentle, steady showers,
Content with life, pleased with their fate
حينَwhen دَبَّcrept الفَجرُdawn مُنبَلِجاًbreaking into light
حينَ دَبَّ الفَجرُ مُنبَلِجاً
كَدَبيبِlike the creeping of النارِfire فيthrough الفَحَمِcharcoal
كَدَبيبِ النارِ في الفَحَمِ
When dawn creeps forth, breaking into light,
When dawn emerged, scintillating
Like fire creeping through charcoal.
Like embers glowing under ash
وَغُصونُand the branches الرَوضِthe garden يُرقِصُهاmakes them dance
وَغُصونُ الرَوضِ يُرقِصُها
نَشرُfragrance ريحِa breeze ظِلِّهِits shade الوَهَمِillusory
نَشرُ ريحِ ظِلِّهِ الوَهَمِ
And the garden's branches are made to dance
And the garden branches dancing
By the fragrant breeze of its phantom shade.
Stirred by the fancy of its shade
فَاِسقِنيso give me to drink لِلراحِof wine صافِيَةًclear
فَاِسقِني لِلراحِ صافِيَةً
تَنشُرُspreads الإِصباحَmorning light فيthrough الظُلَمِdarkness
تَنشُرُ الإِصباحَ في الظُلَمِ
So give me clear wine to drink,
Give me, for relief, drink pure
That spreads morning light through darkness.
That will spread morning through the gloom
فَإِذاso when ماemphatic particle الماءُwater خالَطَهاmingled with her
فَإِذا ما الماءُ خالَطَها
راضَtamed مِنهاfrom her سَهلَةَgentle الشَيَّمِcharacter traits
راضَ مِنها سَهلَةَ الشَيَّمِ
So when water mingles with her,
When water mixes into it
It tames her into gentleness of temper,
It pleases, smooth and refined
وَنَفىand dispelled مَكروهَthe unpleasantness سورَتِهاof her fierceness
وَنَفى مَكروهَ سورَتِها
ثُمَّthen هَدّاهاguided her إِلىtoward الكَرَمِgenerosity
ثُمَّ هَدّاها إِلى الكَرَمِ
And dispels her unwelcome fierceness,
Dispels the bitterness of its face
Then guides her toward generosity.
Then calms it into generosity
وَاِكتَسِبand acquire مِنfrom شَكلِهِits form حَبَباًbubbles
وَاِكتَسِب مِن شَكلِهِ حَبَباً
بَينَbetween مَنثورٍscattered وَمُنتَظِمِand strung together
بَينَ مَنثورٍ وَمُنتَظِمِ
And gain bubbles from its form,
And gains from its shape a beloved
Some scattered, others strung together.
Scattered, yet composed
رَحلُهاher saddle كَفٌّa hand تَسيرُshe travels بِهِupon it
رَحلُها كَفٌّ تَسيرُ بِهِ
مِنfrom فَمِthe mouth الإِبريقِthe ewer نَحوَtoward فَميmy mouth
مِن فَمِ الإِبريقِ نَحوَ فَمي
Her saddle is a hand, upon which she journeys
Its journey is a palm that moves
From the ewer's mouth toward my mouth.
From jug spout to my mouth
وَكَساهاand clothed her قِخرَunclear; possibly 'shell' لُؤلُؤَةٍa pearl
وَكَساها قِخرَ لُؤلُؤَةٍ
لَيسَthere is no فيهاwithin it سِرُّsecret مُكتَتِمِconcealed
لَيسَ فيها سِرُّ مُكتَتِمِ
And she was clothed in a pearl's [shell?],
Cloaked in the foam of pearl
Within which no secret is concealed,
With no secret left concealed
رَشَأٌa young gazelle قَدalready زانَadorned طُرَّتَهُhis forelock
رَشَأٌ قَد زانَ طُرَّتَهُ
مَشقُa sweeping stroke نونٍa nūn (Arabic letter) لَيسَnot بِالقَلَمِwith a pen
مَشقُ نونٍ لَيسَ بِالقَلَمِ
By a young gazelle whose forelock has been adorned
Fine wine that has adorned its gear
With the sweep of a nūn, not drawn with a pen.
Not written but poured from the fountain
لاdo not تَلُمblame عَقليmy mind وَلُمand blame نَظَريmy gaze
لا تَلُم عَقلي وَلُم نَظَري
إِنَّindeed عَقليmy mind غَيرُnot مُتَّهَمِaccused
إِنَّ عَقلي غَيرُ مُتَّهَمِ
Do not blame my mind; blame my gaze.
Do not blame my mind, but blame my vision
My mind is surely beyond reproach
My mind is not to be blamed
ليfor me وَتَركيand my abandonment فيin المُدامِwine فَياso, O
لي وَتَركي في المُدامِ فَيا
لائِميmy reproacher أَقصِرdesist وَلاand do not تَلُمِblame
لائِمي أَقصِر وَلا تَلُمِ
For me and my surrender to wine—so, O
For me and my abandoning revelry, so
My reproacher, desist, and do not blame.
My critic, be brief and do not blame
Sol 6.1