أَماdo you not تَرىsee الصُبحَthe dawn قدalready لاحَتhave appeared بشائرُهُits glad tidings
أَما تَرى الصُبحَ قد لاحَت بشائرُهُ
وَصبَّحتكَand greeted you this morning منfrom الساقيthe cupbearer أَشائرُهُhis gestures
وَصبَّحتكَ من الساقي أَشائرُهُ
Do you not see the dawn, whose heralds have appeared,
Do you not see the dawn has shown its tokens,
and the cupbearer's gestures have greeted you this morning?
And greeted you with wine from the cupbearer?
وَاللَيلُand the night قدalready جنحتhave inclined لِلغَربِtoward the west أَنجمُهُits stars
وَاللَيلُ قد جنحت لِلغَربِ أَنجمُهُ
كَماjust as تَساقطَfell away منfrom رَوضٍa garden أَزاهِرُهُits blossoms
كَما تَساقطَ من رَوضٍ أَزاهِرُهُ
And the night's stars have inclined toward the west,
The night has folded its stars to the west,
as blossoms fall away from a garden.
As blossoms fall from a garden bed.
وَالطيرُand the bird قامrose خَطيباًas a preacher فيin حدائِقهits gardens
وَالطيرُ قام خَطيباً في حدائِقه
فَهَزَّso it shook عِطفيهits two flanks واِهتزَّتand swayed منابرُهُits pulpits
فَهَزَّ عِطفيه واِهتزَّت منابرُهُ
And the bird rose as a preacher in its gardens,
The birds rise to preach in their gardens,
then shook its two flanks, and its pulpits swayed.
Shaking their wings - their pulpits tremble.
وَالوردُand the rose عطَّرperfumed أَذيالَthe trailing skirts of الصباthe east wind سَحَراًbefore dawn
وَالوردُ عطَّر أَذيالَ الصبا سَحَراً
لَمّاwhen تأَرَّجspread fragrance فيwithin الأَكمامthe buds عاطِرهُits fragrant bloom
لَمّا تأَرَّج في الأَكمام عاطِرهُ
And the rose perfumed the east wind's skirts before dawn,
The roses scent the hems of dawn with magic,
when its fragrant bloom breathed perfume within the buds.
When they bloom in sleeves, their perfumes mingle.
فاِنهَضso rise إلىto شَمسِa sun of راحٍwine منfrom يَديthe two hands of قَمرٍa moon
فاِنهَض إلى شَمسِ راحٍ من يَدي قَمرٍ
يُديرهاhe passes it round وَهوwhile he is ساجيlanguid of الطَرفgaze ساحرهُbewitching in it
يُديرها وَهو ساجي الطَرف ساحرهُ
So rise to a sun of wine from a moon's two hands,
Rise to a cheek whose sun shames the moon,
who passes it round, his gaze languid and bewitching.
As he turns it, his glances are sorcery.
تُغنيكsuffices you عنin place of فَلَقِthe breaking of الإِصباحdawn غُرَّتُهhis radiant brow
تُغنيك عن فَلَقِ الإِصباح غُرَّتُه
وَعنand in place of دُجىthe darkness of اللَيلةthe night الليلاpitch-dark غدائِرُهُhis tresses
وَعن دُجى اللَيلة الليلا غدائِرُهُ
His radiant brow suffices you in place of breaking dawn,
His coyness outshines the light of dawn,
and his tresses, in place of the pitch-dark night's gloom.
And the darkness of night when it falls.
كأَنَّهas though he حينwhen يَثنيbends غصنَthe branch of قامَتِهhis stature
كأَنَّه حين يَثني غصنَ قامَتِه
شُدَّتwere bound علىaround نَقوىtwo dunes of رَملٍsand مآزِرُهُhis waistcloths
شُدَّت على نَقوى رَملٍ مآزِرُهُ
It is as though, when he bends the branch of his stature,
When he sways a branch of his stature,
his waistcloths were bound around twin dunes of sand.
It seems his wrists are bound by bracelets of sand.
لَوif باهَتvied in splendor with الشَمسُthe sun منهof him الوَجهَthe face لاِنبهرَتit would surely be dazzled
لَو باهَت الشَمسُ منه الوَجهَ لاِنبهرَت
مِنby نورهhis light وهوwhile he is باهيresplendent in الحُسنِbeauty باهرُهُdazzling in it
مِن نوره وهو باهي الحُسنِ باهرُهُ
Were the sun to vie in splendor with his face, it would be dazzled
If the sun were to fade before his face it would dazzle
by his light, radiant and dazzling in beauty as he is.
At his beauty, so radiant and fair.
يَجلوhe displays الكؤوسَthe goblets فَلاso not يُدرىis known أَخمرتُهُwhether his wine
يَجلو الكؤوسَ فَلا يُدرى أَخمرتُهُ
تَسبيcaptivates عقولَthe minds of النَدامىthe drinking companions أَمor محاجرهُhis eye sockets
تَسبي عقولَ النَدامى أَم محاجرهُ
He displays the goblets; none can tell whether his wine
He serves wine in cups - who knows if it is wine
captivates the drinking companions' minds, or his eyes.
That steals the minds of penitents, or his cheeks?
منfrom كأسِهhis cup وَثَناياهand his front teeth لناfor us حَبَبٌbubbles
من كأسِه وَثَناياه لنا حَبَبٌ
تَطفوfloat علىupon رائقيtwo limpid kinds of خمرٍwine جواهرُهُits jewels
تَطفو على رائقي خمرٍ جواهرُهُ
From his cup and his teeth come bubbles for us,
From his cup and his gatherings we have a love
whose jewels float on two limpid wines.
That floats pearls of wine upon pleasure.
لاdo not تنظرَنever look لجنونِat the madness of العاشقينَthose in love بهwith him
لا تنظرَن لجنونِ العاشقينَ به
واِنظرand look لماat what قدalready جَنتhave inflicted فيهمupon them نواظرهُhis eyes
واِنظر لما قد جَنت فيهم نواظرهُ
Do not look at the madness of those in love with him,
Do not look on lovers' madness with blame -
but look at what his eyes have inflicted upon them.
Rather look at what their eyes have reaped.
ماnot هَمَّconcerned عاشِقَهhis lover عذرٌexcuse وَلاnor عَذَلٌreproach
ما هَمَّ عاشِقَه عذرٌ وَلا عَذَلٌ
سيّانequal عاذلهُhis reproacher فيهfor loving him وَعاذرُهُand his excuser
سيّان عاذلهُ فيه وَعاذرُهُ
Neither excuse nor reproach concerns his lover;
No excuse avails his lover, no reproach -
those who blame him for this love and those who excuse him are alike.
Blamer and blamed are equal in it.
ماnot سحرُthe magic of هاروتHarut إلّاexcept فِعلُthe work of ناظرهhis eye
ما سحرُ هاروت إلّا فِعلُ ناظره
وَلاnor سيوفُthe swords of الرَدىdeath إلّاexcept بواتِرُهُhis cleaving blades
وَلا سيوفُ الرَدى إلّا بواتِرُهُ
Harut's magic is nothing but the work of his eye,
The sorcery of Harut is but the work of his eyes,
and death's swords are nothing but his cleaving blades.
And the swords of calamity but his glances.
كَمhow many شَنَّhe unleashed مِنof فتنٍtrials للصبِّupon the lovesick فاتنةٍbewitching
كَم شَنَّ مِن فتنٍ للصبِّ فاتنةٍ
وَشبَّand kindled حرَّthe heat of جوىًlove's anguish فيin القلبthe heart فاترهُhis languid gaze
وَشبَّ حرَّ جوىً في القلب فاترهُ
How many bewitching trials he has unleashed upon the lovesick,
How much sedition has that seducer sown for hearts,
and his languid gaze has kindled love's burning anguish in the heart!
And kindled burning embers within!
وَكَمand how many حلاwas sweet مَورِدٌa drinking-place منهof his لعاشقِهto his lover
وَكَم حلا مَورِدٌ منه لعاشقِه
لكنَّهbut it ربَّماsometimes سُقَّتwere served to drink مَرائرُهُits bitter draughts
لكنَّه ربَّما سُقَّت مَرائرُهُ
And how many a drinking-place of his has been sweet to his lover,
How often has his love brought bliss to his lover,
yet sometimes its bitter draughts have been served.
Though sometimes its springs run bitter.
سَلask مُقلَتيmy eye إِنif تَسلyou ask عنabout ليلthe night of طُرَّتهhis forelock
سَل مُقلَتي إِن تَسل عن ليل طُرَّته
فَلَيسَfor he is not يجهلُignorant of طيبَthe sweetness of اللَيلthe night سامرُهُits night companion
فَلَيسَ يجهلُ طيبَ اللَيل سامرُهُ
Ask my eye, if you ask about the night of his forelock,
Ask my eyes, if you would ask about the night of his coyness -
for night's companion is not ignorant of its sweetness.
For the wakeful know well the night's secret.
مهفهفٌslender-waisted ماnever ثَنىbent عِطفاًa flank علىover كَفَلٍhaunches
مهفهفٌ ما ثَنى عِطفاً على كَفَلٍ
إِلّاexcept that ثَنىturned aside السوءَharm عَنfrom عِطفيهhis two flanks ناظرُهُhis beholder
إِلّا ثَنى السوءَ عَن عِطفيه ناظرُهُ
Slim-waisted, he never bends his flank over his haunches
Whenever he bent a shoulder towards a cheek,
without his beholder turning harm away from both his flanks.
His glance averted evil from his shoulder.
منwhoever زارَهhe visited him فيin ظلامthe darkness of اللَيلِthe night مُستَتِراًconcealed
من زارَه في ظلام اللَيلِ مُستَتِراً
ماnot شَكَّdoubted فيabout أَنَّthat بدرَthe full moon of التمِّfullness زائرُهُhis visitor
ما شَكَّ في أَنَّ بدرَ التمِّ زائرُهُ
Anyone he secretly visited in the darkness of night
Who visited him cloaked by the night's darkness
never doubted that the full moon was his visitor.
Would never doubt the full moon was his visitor.
لاdo not تأمننَّever trust اِنكساراًdowncast meekness منfrom لَواحظِهhis glances
لا تأمننَّ اِنكساراً من لَواحظِه
فَكَمfor how many a قَتيلٍslain victim لهاof theirs ماnot ثارَrose ثائرُهُhis avenger
فَكَم قَتيلٍ لها ما ثارَ ثائرُهُ
Never trust the downcast meekness of his glances,
Do not feel safe from his irresistible glances -
for many a victim of theirs has had no avenger rise.
For how many slain has that killer revived!
وإِنeven if أَراكَshows you اِعتدالاًuprightness رمحُthe spear of قامتِهhis stature
وإِن أَراكَ اِعتدالاً رمحُ قامتِه
فَطالَماyet so often جارwronged فيamong العُشّاقthe lovers جائرهُhis tyrannous side
فَطالَما جار في العُشّاق جائرهُ
Though the spear of his stature shows you uprightness,
Though his upright spear shows moderation,
yet his tyrannous side has so often wronged lovers.
Often among lovers has it dealt tyranny.
كَمhow many a مُغرمٍlovesick soul منهbecause of him قدalready أَضحىhas become علىin خطرٍdanger
كَم مُغرمٍ منه قد أَضحى على خطرٍ
لَمّاwhen ترنَّحswayed يَحكيimitating الغصنَthe branch خاطرُهُhis strutting figure
لَمّا ترنَّح يَحكي الغصنَ خاطرُهُ
How many a lover has come to be in peril because of him,
How many enamored has he brought to danger
when his strutting figure swayed in imitation of a branch.
When he sways a branch, telling of his wish!
لَمnot أَنسَI have forgotten لَيلةَa night of أنسٍdelight بتُّI spent the night مغتبقاًdrinking at evening
لَم أَنسَ لَيلةَ أنسٍ بتُّ مغتبقاً
منfrom ثغرهhis mouth صِرفَunmixed راحٍwine جلَّexalted is عاصرُهُits presser
من ثغره صِرفَ راحٍ جلَّ عاصرُهُ
I have not forgotten a night of delight I spent taking an evening draught,
Never have I spent a night of intimacy with him
of pure wine from his mouth—exalted be its presser!
Without morning's breath stealing from his mouth.
وَرحتُand I went on مُصطَبحاًdrinking in the morning أخرىanother wine مشَعشَعةًmixed with water
وَرحتُ مُصطَبحاً أخرى مشَعشَعةً
لوif ذاقهاtasted it الدهرُTime ماnot دارَتturned دوائرُهُits cycles of misfortune
لو ذاقها الدهرُ ما دارَت دوائرُهُ
And I went on to a morning draught of another wine, mixed with water;
Another morn I rose refreshed and joyful -
had Time tasted it, its cycles of misfortune would never have turned.
If time but tasted it, its rounds would cease!
يُديرهاhe passes it round ببنانٍwith fingertips كادَalmost مِعصمُهاtheir wrist
يُديرها ببنانٍ كادَ مِعصمُها
يَسيلُflow منfrom تَرفٍsoftness لَولاwere it not for أساورُهُhis bracelets
يَسيلُ من تَرفٍ لَولا أساورُهُ
He passes it round with fingers whose wrist would almost
He turns it with a mouth whose wrist
flow from sheer softness, were it not for his bracelets.
Would spill pearls were it not for his bracelets.
باكرتُهاI sought it early لهنيِّfor the sweetness of العيشliving مُبتَكِراًrising early
باكرتُها لهنيِّ العيش مُبتَكِراً
وَفقاًin accordance لماwith what قيلwas said أَهنىthe sweetest of العيشliving باكرُهُits early enjoyment
وَفقاً لما قيل أَهنى العيش باكرُهُ
I sought it at daybreak for life's sweetness, rising early,
I came to it early, seeking the sweetness of life,
in keeping with the saying: 'Life's sweetest pleasure is its earliest.'
In accord with the saying: mornings bring life's joy.
Sol 6.1