قَبَسٌa flame بكفّin the palm of مديرهاits cupbearer أمor كوكبُa star
قَبَسٌ بكفّ مديرها أم كوكبُ
يَنْشَقّsplits open منهfrom it عنto reveal الصّباحthe dawn الغيهبُthe deep darkness
يَنْشَقّ منه عن الصّباح الغيهبُ
Is it a flame in its cupbearer's palm, or a star?
A torch in her graceful hand, or a planet
From it, deep darkness parts to reveal the dawn.
Whose dawn splits away the darkness
وأريجُand a fragrance مسكٍof musk فاحَwafted عنfrom نفَحاتهاits fragrant breaths
وأريجُ مسكٍ فاحَ عن نفَحاتها
فذوائبُso the tresses الظلماءِof darkness منهfrom it تَطَيّبُgrow fragrant
فذوائبُ الظلماءِ منه تَطَيّبُ
And musk's fragrance wafted from its breaths,
The scent of musk has wafted from her breaths
So the tresses of darkness grow fragrant from it.
Sweetening the dissolving gloom
قالواthey said الصبوحُthe morning draught فقلتُso I said قَرِّبْbring near كأسَهُits cup
قالوا الصبوحُ فقلتُ قَرِّبْ كأسَهُ
إنّيindeed I لِمُهديهاto its giver بهاwith it أتَقَرّبُI draw close
إنّي لِمُهديها بها أتَقَرّبُ
They said, 'The morning draught!' I said, 'Bring its cup near;
They said it was morning, and I replied "Come near with the cup!"
Indeed, through it I draw close to its giver.'
For through it, I draw nearer to her
لاdo not تسقنيgive me to drink اللبنَthe milk الحليبَfreshly milked فإنّfor indeed ليfor me
لا تسقني اللبنَ الحليبَ فإنّ لي
فيin كلّevery داليَةٍvine ضروعاًudders تحلبُare milked
في كلّ داليَةٍ ضروعاً تحلبُ
Do not serve me freshly milked milk, for I have
Give me not milk, for I have
In every vine, udders to be milked.
In every valley, teats that can be milked
وذخيرَةٍand many a treasure للعيشِfor living مَرّhas passed لعمرهاover its lifetime
وذخيرَةٍ للعيشِ مَرّ لعمرها
عَدَدٌa number يشقّis hard علىon يَدَيْthe two hands of منwhoever يحسبُcounts
عَدَدٌ يشقّ على يَدَيْ من يحسبُ
And many a treasure for living, whose lifetime has seen
Provisions for life, though bitter for its length
A tally of years that taxes the reckoner's two hands.
Are counted by hands that find the tallying troublesome
دَبّابَةٌa creeping thing فيin الرّأسِthe head يَصْعَدُrises سُكْرُهاits intoxication
دَبّابَةٌ في الرّأسِ يَصْعَدُ سُكْرُها
فتجدّso it acts in earnest مناof us بالعقولِwith the minds وتلعبُand it plays
فتجدّ منا بالعقولِ وتلعبُ
A creeping draught, its intoxication rising in the head,
In my head, a vertigo climbs intoxicated
So it deals with our minds in earnest and in play.
Playing havoc with reason, wantonly
دارَتْwhirled بعقليwith my mind سَورةٌa surge منfrom كأسهاits cup
دارَتْ بعقلي سَورةٌ من كأسها
حتىuntil كأنّas though الأرضَthe earth تحتيbeneath me لولبُa screw
حتى كأنّ الأرضَ تحتي لولبُ
A surge from its cup sent my mind spinning,
A surah from her cup turned round my mind
Until the earth beneath me seemed a spinning screw.
Until the earth beneath me spun about
باكرتُهاI came to it early والليلُwhile the night فيهin it حُشاشَةٌa last remnant of life
باكرتُها والليلُ فيه حُشاشَةٌ
يستلّهاdraws it out بالرّفقِwith gentleness منهfrom it المغربُthe west
يستلّها بالرّفقِ منه المغربُ
I sought it early, while night still held a last breath,
I came to her while night still blanketed all
Which the west gently drew out of it.
Gently peeled away by the retiring dusk
والجوّand the sky أقبَلَcame forward فيamid تراكبِthe piling up of مُزْنهِits rain clouds
والجوّ أقبَلَ في تراكبِ مُزْنهِ
قُزَحٌQuzah بعطفةِwith the curve of قَوْسِهِhis bow يَتَنَكّبُhe carries on his shoulder
قُزَحٌ بعطفةِ قَوْسِهِ يَتَنَكّبُ
And in the sky, amid its piled-up rain clouds, came
The air arrived layered in its finery
Quzah, shouldering the curve of his bow.
A rainbow bent over its shoulder, leaning askew
صابتْit poured down فأضْحَكَتِso it made laugh النديمَthe drinking companion بأكْؤُسٍwith cups
صابتْ فأضْحَكَتِ النديمَ بأكْؤُسٍ
عَهديmy recollection بهof him منbecause of نقطهنَّtheir drops يُقَطبُhe frowns
عَهدي به من نقطهنَّ يُقَطبُ
Rain poured down, making the drinking companion laugh with cups
It struck, amusing my boon companion with cups
Whose drops, I recall, once made him frown.
Whose drops from it would freeze if spilt
والبشرُand cheerfulness فيin شربِdrinking المدامةِwine فارتقبْso await
والبشرُ في شربِ المدامةِ فارتقبْ
منهاfrom it سرورَthe joy of النفسِthe soul ساعةَwhen تَعْذُبُit grows sweet
منها سرورَ النفسِ ساعةَ تَعْذُبُ
And cheer lies in drinking wine, so await
And mankind in drinking wine, so wait
From it the soul's delight when it grows sweet.
For the joy of spirit, the exquisite hour
Sol 6.1