أَدِرْهَاpass it around كماjust as مَجَّspat out النَّدَىthe dew وَرَقُpetals الوَرْدِthe rose
أَدِرْهَا كما مَجَّ النَّدَى وَرَقُ الوَرْدِ
وأَشْرَقَand shone جِيدُthe neck الجُودgenerosity فيin لُؤلُؤِpearls العِقْدِthe necklace
وأَشْرَقَ جِيدُ الجُود في لُؤلُؤِ العِقْدِ
Pass it around as rose petals spit out the dew,
Her cheek is as soft as the morning dew on rose petals,
and generosity's neck shines amid the necklace's pearls.
And the radiance of generosity beams from her pearl necklace,
حبابٌbubbles علىon صهباءِtawny راحٍwine كأنَّهُas though it were
حبابٌ على صهباءِ راحٍ كأنَّهُ
فُتاتٌcrumbs منof الكافورcamphor فيin العَنْبرambergris الوَرْدrose-hued
فُتاتٌ من الكافور في العَنْبر الوَرْد
Bubbles on tawny wine, as though they were
Foam on the pale chest of the gazelle, as if it were
crumbs of camphor in rose-hued ambergris.
Fragments of camphor amidst sweet smelling ambergris.
تَخَيَّلْتُهاI imagined it مصروعةًstricken by a fit فيin مِزَاجهاits blending
تَخَيَّلْتُها مصروعةً في مِزَاجها
بماbecause of what مَلأَتْit filled فاهاits mouth منwith الزَّبَدِthe foam الجَعْدcurling
بما مَلأَتْ فاها من الزَّبَدِ الجَعْد
I imagined it stricken with a fit as it was mixed,
I imagined her lying intoxicated, with
from the curling foam with which it filled its mouth.
The froth from the wine filling her mouth.
كَواهاseared it سِنانُthe spearpoint الماءwater طعناًwith a thrust فَدُرِّعَتْso it was armored
كَواها سِنانُ الماء طعناً فَدُرِّعَتْ
مخافةَfor fear of عَوْدِa return الطَّعْنthrusting بالْحَبَبِwith bubbles السَّرْدclosely linked
مخافةَ عَوْدِ الطَّعْن بالْحَبَبِ السَّرْد
Water's spearpoint seared it with a thrust, so it was armored
The flash of her teeth wounded me, so I was arrayed
for fear of another thrust, with closely linked bubbles.
In armor to ward off the blow of those white pearls.
نَجِيعيّةٌblood-red حمراءُcrimson ضُمَّwas drawn close زجاجُهاits glass
نَجِيعيّةٌ حمراءُ ضُمَّ زجاجُها
عليهاaround it كمhow often ضُمَّwas drawn close النقابُthe veil علىover الخطِّthe line
عليها كم ضُمَّ النقابُ على الخطِّ
Blood-red and crimson, its glass was drawn
A red cut glass decanter whose stopper
around it—how often the veil is drawn over the outline!
Was pressed down upon it like a veil drawn over beauty.
إذاwhen قرعَstruck الإبريقُthe pitcher جاماًa cup تَطَايرَتْit splashed
إذا قرعَ الإبريقُ جاماً تَطَايرَتْ
كماjust as طارَflew بالقَدْحby striking fire الشَّرارُthe sparks منfrom الزَّنْدِthe fire-stick
كما طارَ بالقَدْح الشَّرارُ من الزَّنْدِ
When the pitcher strikes a cup, it splashes,
When the jug clinks against the wine glass, sparks fly
as sparks fly from the fire-stick when it is struck.
As fire leaps out when the flint stone is struck.
لهاit has لَمعانُthe gleam البَرْقِlightning والكأسُand the cup دونهاbeneath it
لها لَمعانُ البَرْقِ والكأسُ دونها
غمامٌa cloud وللإبريقand the pitcher has قَعْقَعَةُthe rattle الرَّعْدِthunder
غمامٌ وللإبريق قَعْقَعَةُ الرَّعْدِ
It has lightning's gleam; the cup beneath it
The decanter glows like lightning, and the wine beneath it
is a cloud, and the pitcher has thunder's rattle.
Is a cloud, and the jug rumbles like thunder,
وغِمْدِand a scabbard زُجاجٍglass منof بَنَانيmy fingers نجادُهُits baldric
وغِمْدِ زُجاجٍ من بَنَاني نجادُهُ
لسيفِfor a sword مدامٍwine لاneither يَمَانٍYemeni ولاnor هِنْدِيIndian
لسيفِ مدامٍ لا يَمَانٍ ولا هِنْدِي
And a glass scabbard, its baldric made of my fingers,
Sheathed in a glass scabbard worked by the hands
for a sword of wine, neither Yemeni nor Indian.
Of Benan, fit for a sharpened blade, faultless and Indian.
نُجَرِّدَwe unsheathe منهfrom it كلَّevery ماضٍkeen مُخَضَّبٍcrimson-stained
نُجَرِّدَ منه كلَّ ماضٍ مُخَضَّبٍ
وماand not سُفِحتْwas shed منهfrom it دماءٌblood علىout of حِقْدrancor
وما سُفِحتْ منه دماءٌ على حِقْد
We unsheathe from it each keen, crimson-stained blade,
We draw it out, cleansed of the blood of the past,
yet no blood is spilled from it out of rancor.
And vengeance no longer drips from it.
إِذاwhen جالَswirled فيهwithin it جوهرٌa jewel منfrom حَبَابهِits bubbles
إِذا جالَ فيه جوهرٌ من حَبَابهِ
وسُلَّand was unsheathed كماas سُلَّwas stripped away النِّجارُlineage منfrom الوَغْدthe churl
وسُلَّ كما سُلَّ النِّجارُ من الوَغْد
When a jewel from its bubbles swirled within it,
When pure wine flows in it and it flashes
and it was unsheathed as lineage is stripped from a churl,
Like the blade of the polished sword.
نقلناهwe transferred it للأَجسامِto the bodies منَّاof ours كأنماas though
نقلناه للأَجسامِ منَّا كأنما
تضايقَgrew cramped فيin غِمْدٍa scabbard فَرُدَّso it was returned إِلىto غمدa scabbard
تضايقَ في غِمْدٍ فَرُدَّ إِلى غمد
we passed it into our bodies, as though
We carry it to our companions as if
it grew cramped in one sheath and was returned to another.
It had outgrown its scabbard and longed for its sheath.
يشقtears open جيوبَthe neck-openings الليلnight عنَّاaway from us اتّقادُهُits blaze
يشق جيوبَ الليل عنَّا اتّقادُهُ
كماjust as شَقَّtore ذُوone afflicted with الثُّكْلِbereavement الحدادَmourning garb علىover الفَقْدِloss
كما شَقَّ ذُو الثُّكْلِ الحدادَ على الفَقْدِ
Its blaze tears night's collars away from us,
It slices open the dark night for us, blazing
as the bereaved tear their mourning garb over loss.
As the bereaved man rends his mourning clothes.
غزالٌa gazelle لوَرْدِfor the rose الكأسthe cup فيamong نُدَمائِهِhis drinking companions
غزالٌ لوَرْدِ الكأس في نُدَمائِهِ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle سقاهاhe served it بطشةُthe mighty grasp الأَسَدِthe lion الوَرْدtawny
إِذا ما سقاها بطشةُ الأَسَدِ الوَرْد
A gazelle among his boon companions, with the cup's rose,
A gazelle fleeing the clutches of the raging lion
when he serves it, his grasp is a tawny lion's.
When the wine is poured.
تثنتْswayed بهwith him راحُthe palm الصَّباthe east wind تحتَbeneath بُرْدهhis cloak
تثنتْ به راحُ الصَّبا تحتَ بُرْده
وَهُزَّand he was stirred فخلناso we imagined نشوةَthe intoxication الراحwine بالبَرْدin the chill
وَهُزَّ فخلنا نشوةَ الراح بالبَرْد
The east wind's palm swayed with him beneath his cloak,
The morning breeze slackened beneath its chill,
and he was stirred, so we fancied wine's intoxication in the chill.
And we shuddered intoxicated by the cool wind.
وأَبْدَىand he revealed منof الجَمْرembers المُضَرَّمِblazing وَجْنَةًa cheek
وأَبْدَى من الجَمْر المُضَرَّمِ وَجْنَةً
وقامand he stood منfrom الماءِwater الزُّلالlimpid علىon قَدِّa form
وقام من الماءِ الزُّلال على قَدِّ
And he revealed a cheek of blazing embers,
It brought forth sparks from the glowing embers
and stood in a form made of limpid water.
And dew drops rose from the limpid water,
وأبقىand preserved عبيرَthe perfume الخدِّthe cheek مسكُthe musk عِذارهِhis cheek-down
وأبقى عبيرَ الخدِّ مسكُ عِذارهِ
كماas احمرَّgrew red بُرْدٌa cloak شُقَّwas split open عنto reveal نَحْرِa throat مُسْوَدِّdarkened
كما احمرَّ بُرْدٌ شُقَّ عن نَحْرِ مُسْوَدِّ
And the musk of his cheek-down preserved his cheek's perfume,
While the perfume of the cheek lingered like the musk scent of the doe’s fur
as a cloak reddens, split open to reveal a dark throat.
When the necklace is pulled away from the black mole.
وحارand melted سوادُthe dark core القلبِthe heart فيin نارِthe fire حُبِّهlove for him
وحار سوادُ القلبِ في نارِ حُبِّه
فكانso it was الذيwhat أُخفيهI conceal it مثلَlike الذيwhat أُبْديI reveal
فكان الذي أُخفيه مثلَ الذي أُبْدي
And my heart's dark core melted in the fire of love for him,
My heart was inflamed with the fire of his love,
so what I conceal was like what I reveal.
So that which I revealed was like that which I concealed.
وظلَّand he continued يُسَقِّيserving drinks كلَّevery ذيone possessing صَفْوَةٍpure affection أخٍa brother
وظلَّ يُسَقِّي كلَّ ذي صَفْوَةٍ أخٍ
بأَصْفَىwith purer وأَحلىand sweeter منthan لَمَاهُhis lips' dark hue ومنand than وُدِّيmy affection
بأَصْفَى وأَحلى من لَمَاهُ ومن وُدِّي
And he kept pouring for every brother of pure affection,
He continued to give drink to every dear brother
with wine purer and sweeter than his dusky lips and my love.
With the finest and sweetest wine and affection.
ولاand not يمنعُhe withholds المعروفَkindness عنfrom مُسْتَحِقِّهِits rightful recipient
ولا يمنعُ المعروفَ عن مُسْتَحِقِّهِ
كمنlike one who يَحْجُبُbars الحَيْرَانَthe bewildered عنfrom طُرُقthe paths الرشدright guidance
كمن يَحْجُبُ الحَيْرَانَ عن طُرُق الرشد
And he does not withhold kindness from one who deserves it,
He who deserves favor is never denied it,
like one who bars the bewildered from the paths of guidance.
As the lost are never barred from the path of right guidance.
إذاwhen خانتِbetrayed الأَيديthe hands حبالٌropes تَمَسَّكُواthey held fast
إذا خانتِ الأَيدي حبالٌ تَمَسَّكُوا
بحبلٍto a rope إلىto السرِّthe mystery الإلهِيِّdivine مُمْتَدِّstretching
بحبلٍ إلى السرِّ الإلهِيِّ مُمْتَدِّ
When ropes betray the hands, they hold fast
When hands lose their grip, hold fast
to a rope stretching to the divine mystery.
To the rope that leads to the Divine.
عجبتُI marveled لطِرْسٍat a written page منكfrom you لمdid not يَغْدُbecome مُحْرِقاًscorching
عجبتُ لطِرْسٍ منك لم يَغْدُ مُحْرِقاً
وقدand already حُلَّwas unbound مماfrom what شَبَّkindled فِكْرُكَyour thought منof وَقْدِfire
وقد حُلَّ مما شَبَّ فِكْرُكَ من وَقْدِ
I marveled at a page from you that did not become scorching,
I wonder that you are not consumed by the spark
though it was unbound from the blaze your thought had kindled.
That blazed from the kindling of your thoughts.
ومنand at أَلْسُنٍtongues إنif قلتَyou spoke كلَّتْfaltered كأنماas though
ومن أَلْسُنٍ إن قلتَ كلَّتْ كأنما
جَمَدْنَthey froze بماbecause of what فيin نظمهنَّtheir verse منof البَرْدِcold
جَمَدْنَ بما في نظمهنَّ من البَرْدِ
and at tongues that faltered if you spoke, as though
And by tongues, if you spoke, they would freeze,
they had frozen from the cold within their verse.
Immobilized by the ice in your verse.
ونعمَand excellent is خليلُan intimate friend المرءِa man مثليone like me يَرَىhe considers الذيwhat
ونعمَ خليلُ المرءِ مثلي يَرَى الذي
صَفَاis pure منof ودادaffection الخلِّthe friend أَغْنىmore enriching منthan الرِّفْدِgifts
صَفَا من وداد الخلِّ أَغْنى من الرِّفْدِ
And a fine friend to a man is one like me, who deems what
Happy is the man who has a friend like me, who sees
is pure in a friend's affection richer than gifts.
That friendship’s affection is greater wealth than riches.
إذاif لمdid not أَجِدْI find عندin الصديقِthe friend تجلُّداًfortitude
إذا لم أَجِدْ عند الصديقِ تجلُّداً
علىfor حَمْلِbearing ثقْليmy burden كانَhe would be واجِدَهُone who finds it عنديin me
على حَمْلِ ثقْلي كانَ واجِدَهُ عندي
If I find no fortitude in a friend
When I do not find endurance in a friend
to bear my burden, he will find it in me.
To bear my burden, I find it in myself to bear him.
Sol 6.1