وَصَهباءَand a tawny wine كَرخِيَّةٍfrom Karkh عُتِّقَتwas aged
وَصَهباءَ كَرخِيَّةٍ عُتِّقَت
فَطالَتso grew long بِهاover it فيin الدِّنانِthe wine jars الطِّيلْlong spans of time
فَطالَت بِها في الدِّنانِ الطِّيلْ
And a tawny wine from Karkh was aged,
Like an untamed she-camel released,
and long ages passed over it in the wine jars.
It lingered long in the pots, aged.
فَلَمso not يَبقَremained مِنهاof it سِوىexcept لَونِهاits color
فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها سِوى لَونِها
وَنَكهَةِand the scent ريحٍof an aroma بِهاin it لَمnot تَزَلْcease
وَنَكهَةِ ريحٍ بِها لَم تَزَلْ
Nothing remained of it but its color
Nothing remains of it but its color,
and a fragrant scent that never left it.
And the lingering fragrance it never lost.
كَأَنَّas though خَيالاًa phantom لَدىbeside كَأسِهاits cup
كَأَنَّ خَيالاً لَدى كَأسِها
يَدُقُّis too subtle عَنِfor الطَّرفِthe eye ماas long as لَمnot يَجُلْit moves
يَدُقُّ عَنِ الطَّرفِ ما لَم يَجُلْ
As though a phantom beside its cup
As if a phantom near its cup
is too subtle for the eye until it moves.
Beats gently if gazed at not.
فَإِنand if جالَit moves قُلتَyou say سَرابٌa mirage جَرىflowed
فَإِن جالَ قُلتَ سَرابٌ جَرى
عَلىalong جانِبِthe side of الكَأسَthe cup لاno بَلrather أَقَلْless
عَلى جانِبِ الكَأسَ لا بَل أَقَلْ
And if it moves, you say, 'A mirage flowed
If it moves, you'd say a mirage slipped
along the side of the cup—no, less than that.'
Along the side of the cup, or less.
تُسَمَّىit is named وَلَيسَand there is not لَهاfor it فيin اليَقيcertainty (word continues)
تُسَمَّى وَلَيسَ لَها في اليَقي
نِcompletes 'certainty' مَعنىa sign وُجودٍof existence عَلَيهاto it يَدُلْpoints
نِ مَعنى وُجودٍ عَلَيها يَدُلْ
It has a name, yet in reality it has no
Named, yet in reality it has no existence
sign of existence that points to it.
That points to it in certainty.
فَلَولاso, were it not for الدَّلالَةُthe evidence عَنfrom ريحِهاits scent
فَلَولا الدَّلالَةُ عَن ريحِها
لَضَلَّتit would have been lost وَلكِنand yet أَبَتit refused أَنto تَضِلْbe lost
لَضَلَّت وَلكِن أَبَت أَن تَضِلْ
But for the evidence of its scent,
If not for its smell that indicates it,
it would have been lost—but it refused to be lost.
It would be lost, but it refused to be lost.
تَرىyou see بِالتَّوَهُّمِthrough imagination لاnot بِالعَياby direct sight (word continues)
تَرى بِالتَّوَهُّمِ لا بِالعَيا
نِcompletes 'direct sight' وَتُشرَبُand it is drunk بِالقَولِin words لاnot بِالعَمَلْin action
نِ وَتُشرَبُ بِالقَولِ لا بِالعَمَلْ
You see it through imagination, not by direct sight,
You behold it in imagination, not with the eye,
and it is drunk in words, not in deeds.
And drink it through words, not through action.
كَفانيsufficed for me مِنinstead of ذَوقِهاtasting it شَمُّهاsmelling it
كَفاني مِن ذَوقِها شَمُّها
فَرحتُso I went off أجرُّI drag ثِيابَthe robes النَّمِلْof the restless one
فَرحتُ أجرُّ ثِيابَ النَّمِلْ
Smelling it sufficed me instead of tasting it;
Smelling it was enough to intoxicate me,
so I went off, dragging the restless one's robes.
And I was happy shedding the garments of ants.
Sol 6.1