وَلَيْلَةِand a night of أُنْسٍconvivial joy بَاحَspoke openly مِنَّاfrom us بهَاin it الهَوَىpassion
وَلَيْلَةِ أُنْسٍ بَاحَ مِنَّا بهَا الهَوَى
فَهُزَّتْso were swayed لِتَرْجِيعِto the repeating strains of الثَّقِيلِthe heavy rhythm المَنَاكبُthe shoulders
فَهُزَّتْ لِتَرْجِيعِ الثَّقِيلِ المَنَاكبُ
And a night of convivial joy, when passion spoke openly through us—
And a night of intimacy, from us desire woke
so shoulders swayed to the repeating strains of the heavy rhythm,
So it shook, yearning, the heavy shoulders
بِعُودٍwith a lute تَرَىyou see وَقْعَthe striking of الأَنَامِلِthe fingertips فَوْقَهُupon it
بِعُودٍ تَرَى وَقْعَ الأَنَامِلِ فَوْقَهُ
كَمَاas اجْتَهَدْتَlabored (vocalized 'you labored') فِيin نَسْجِهِنْtheir weaving العَنَاكِبُthe spiders
كَمَا اجْتَهَدْتَ فِي نَسْجِهِنْ العَنَاكِبُ
from a lute, upon which you see the fingertips strike
With a branch you see the fall of fingers above
as spiders labored at their weaving.
As diligently you wove them, o spiders
حَشَدْنَاwe marshaled جُمُوعَthe hosts of اللَّحْنِmelody مِنْهُfrom it فَأَقْبَلَتْand so they advanced
حَشَدْنَا جُمُوعَ اللَّحْنِ مِنْهُ فَأَقْبَلَتْ
كَتَائِبَas battalions تَقْفُوْfollow إِثْرَهُنَّin their wake كَتَائِبُbattalions
كَتَائِبَ تَقْفُوْ إِثْرَهُنَّ كَتَائِبُ
We marshaled its hosts of melody, and they advanced
We amassed the multitudes of melody from it, so they came
in battalions, with battalions following in their wake.
Like regiments following their footsteps, regiments
وَدَارَتْand circulated بِنَاamong us الأَقْدَاحُthe cups حَتَّىuntil كَأَنَّنَاas though we were
وَدَارَتْ بِنَا الأَقْدَاحُ حَتَّى كَأَنَّنَا
بُدُورٌfull moons وَكَاسَاتُand the cups of المُدَامِwine كَوَاكِبُstars
بُدُورٌ وَكَاسَاتُ المُدَامِ كَوَاكِبُ
And cups passed round among us, until we seemed
And the cups turned with us, until it was as if we
full moons, and the wine cups were stars.
Were tanks and the cups of wine were planets
يُظَلِّلُنَاshade us بِالْغَيْمِwith clouds نَدٌّfragrant incense وَعَنْبَرٌand ambergris
يُظَلِّلُنَا بِالْغَيْمِ نَدٌّ وَعَنْبَرٌ
وَتنْضَحُنَاand sprinkle us بِالطِّيْبِwith perfume سُحْتٌill-gotten gain (likely a typo for 'clouds') سَوَاكِبُpouring
وَتنْضَحُنَا بِالطِّيْبِ سُحْتٌ سَوَاكِبُ
Incense and ambergris shade us with clouds,
Shading us with mist, a fire and amber
and pouring [clouds] sprinkle us with perfume.
And sprinkling us with perfume, meteors shooting stars
إلَىtoward مِثْلِthe like of هَذَاthis الأُنْسِconvivial joy يَرْكَبُmounts جَالِسٌone seated
إلَى مِثْلِ هَذَا الأُنْسِ يَرْكَبُ جَالِسٌ
جَنيباًa led horse لِلُقْيَاهُto meet it وَيَجْلِسُand sits down رَاكِبُa rider
جَنيباً لِلُقْيَاهُ وَيَجْلِسُ رَاكِبُ
For such convivial joy, a seated man mounts
To the likes of this intimacy mounts one sitting
a led horse to reach it, while a rider sits down.
Astride, to meet it, and sits, riding
Sol 6.1