قُمrise هاتِهاbring it حَمراءَred قَبلَbefore المَزاجthe mixing
قُم هاتِها حَمراءَ قَبلَ المَزاج
تَسطَعُit shines نوراًlight فيin كؤوسcups الزُجاجglass
تَسطَعُ نوراً في كؤوس الزُجاج
Rise, bring it red, before it is mixed;
Rise, bring me this red wine before I lose my cheer,
it shines with light in cups of glass.
It shines brightly in the drinking-cups of glass,
كأَنَّهاas though it were فيin كأَسِهاits cup لمحةٌa flash
كأَنَّها في كأَسِها لمحةٌ
منfrom بارقٍlightning أَوor لَمعَةٌa gleam منfrom سِراجa lamp
من بارقٍ أَو لَمعَةٌ من سِراج
As though, within its cup, it were a flash
As if in its goblet a flash of lightning,
of lightning, or a gleam from a lamp.
Or a flicker from a lamp.
عَذراءُa virgin قدalready أَلبَسهاclothed her إذwhen بدتshe appeared
عَذراءُ قد أَلبَسها إذ بدت
حَبابُهاher bubbles الدُرّيُّpearl-like عِقداًa necklace وَتاجand a crown
حَبابُها الدُرّيُّ عِقداً وَتاج
A virgin, clothed as she appeared
A maiden whom, when she appeared,
by her pearly bubbles in a necklace and crown.
Her pearls and necklace made seem chaste.
يُديرهاhe passes it round أَغيدُa supple youth ساجيlanguid الرَناthe gaze
يُديرها أَغيدُ ساجي الرَنا
أَحوىdark-hued رَشيقُslender القَدِّthe build حلوُsweet المِزاجthe temperament
أَحوى رَشيقُ القَدِّ حلوُ المِزاج
A supple youth with a languid gaze passes it round,
It circulates as the tender vine is bowed,
dark-hued, slender of build, and sweet-tempered.
Swaying gently from the motion of his graceful gait.
يَهتَزُّhe sways كالغُصنlike a branch إذاwhen ماever (emphasis) مَشىhe walks
يَهتَزُّ كالغُصن إذا ما مَشى
ورِدفُهand his buttocks منfrom مَشيهhis walking فيin اِرتجاجquivering
ورِدفُه من مَشيه في اِرتجاج
He sways like a branch whenever he walks,
When the lover sees him in the morning,
and his buttocks quiver with his steps.
He checks his words and ceases to contend.
إِذاwhen رآهhe sees him عاذليmy reproacher مُسفِراًwith his face unveiled
إِذا رآه عاذلي مُسفِراً
لجلجَhe falters فيin القَولspeech وكفَّand ceases اللجاجthe wrangling
لجلجَ في القَول وكفَّ اللجاج
When my reproacher sees him with his face unveiled,
Hasten to pleasures in their time,
he falters in speech and abandons his wrangling.
And unlock for the voice of companionship a musical sound.
بادرhasten إِلىto اللَّذّاتpleasures فيin وَقتِهاtheir time
بادر إِلى اللَّذّات في وَقتِها
واِفتحand open لِداعيfor the caller to الأُنسِmerriment عنهاaway from them رِتاجa gate
واِفتح لِداعي الأُنسِ عنها رِتاج
Hasten to pleasures in their time,
Wake in the morning, for dawn has broken
and open their gate to the summons of merriment.
And the morn bursts forth in splendor.
واِصطَبحand drink at dawn الراحَwine فقدfor indeed أَشرَقَتit has shone
واِصطَبح الراحَ فقد أَشرَقَت
وَالصبحُand the dawn إِشراقهits radiance فيin اِنبِلاجbreaking into light
وَالصبحُ إِشراقه في اِنبِلاج
And drink wine at dawn, for it has grown radiant,
Do you not see, my boon companion, the flowers,
while dawn's radiance is breaking forth.
Swaying tipsily in the playful breeze?
أَماdo you not ترىsee ياO صاحِfriend زَهرَblossoms الرُبىthe hills
أَما ترى يا صاحِ زَهرَ الرُبى
ماجتsurged بهthrough it الريحُthe wind سُحيراًjust before dawn فَماجso it swayed
ماجت به الريحُ سُحيراً فَماج
Do you not see, my friend, the blossoms on the hills?
The air is fragrant all around,
The wind surged through them just before dawn, so they swayed.
The meadows exultant from the dripping dew.
وَالجوُّand the air قدalready أَرَّجَperfumed أَرجاءَهits reaches
وَالجوُّ قد أَرَّجَ أَرجاءَه
وَالروضُand the meadow منfrom قَطرdrops of النَدىdew فيin اِبتهاجdelight
وَالروضُ من قَطر النَدى في اِبتهاج
And the air has perfumed its reaches,
The winds blow gently, their breath
and the meadow rejoices in drops of dew.
Filling the meadows with perfume.
وَالريحُand the wind هَبَّتblew موهِناًlate at night نشرُهاits fragrance
وَالريحُ هَبَّت موهِناً نشرُها
يَملأfills بالطيبwith perfume الرُبىthe hills والفِجاجand the mountain passes
يَملأ بالطيب الرُبى والفِجاج
And the wind has blown late at night; its fragrance
I am one whose only medicine for his malady
fills the hills and mountain passes with perfume.
Is that which I have composed as a remedy.
إنّيindeed I اِمرؤٌa man لَيسَthere is not لدائيfor my ailment سِوىother than
إنّي اِمرؤٌ لَيسَ لدائي سِوى
هذيthis الَّتيwhich أَنعَتُهاI describe it منof عِلاجa remedy
هذي الَّتي أَنعَتُها من عِلاج
I am a man; for my ailment, nothing but
So relax with it your cares,
this wine that I describe is a cure.
A breast burdened with the toil of separation.
فاِشرَحso gladden بهاwith it لاmay not روَّعتكfrighten you النَوىseparation
فاِشرَح بها لا روَّعتك النَوى
صَدراًa heart لهمِّfor the grief of البَينِparting فيهاwithin it اِعتِلاجchurning turmoil
صَدراً لهمِّ البَينِ فيها اِعتِلاج
So gladden with it—may separation never frighten you—
By Allah, an apparition of a loved one departed,
a heart in which the grief of parting churns.
Who traversed the dark night, and the night was pitch black.
لِلَّهto God (in admiration) طَيفٌa phantom منfrom حَبيبٍa beloved نأىwent far away
لِلَّه طَيفٌ من حَبيبٍ نأى
سَرىtraveled by night يَخوضُwading through اللَيلَthe night وَاللَيلُand the night داجdark
سَرى يَخوضُ اللَيلَ وَاللَيلُ داج
God, what a phantom from a beloved far away!
He passed by us but was not rude,
It traveled by night, wading through the night, while the night was dark.
He would not have been harmed had he tarried.
مرَّit passed بناby us لكنَّهbut it لمdid not يَعُجturn aside
مرَّ بنا لكنَّه لم يَعُج
ماwhat ضَرَّهharmed it إذwhen مَرَّit passed لوif كانَit had عاجturned aside
ما ضَرَّه إذ مَرَّ لو كانَ عاج
It passed us by, but did not turn aside;
Alas for an era in which I attained wishes
what harm would it have suffered had it turned aside as it passed?
With a longing fulfilled only after much yearning.
آهٍAh! لعصرٍfor a time نلتُI attained فيهin it المُنىthe wishes
آهٍ لعصرٍ نلتُ فيه المُنى
بحاجَةٍwith a need قضَّيتهاI fulfilled it بعدafter حاجneeds
بحاجَةٍ قضَّيتها بعد حاج
Ah, for a time when I attained my wishes,
Would that one day he might return, for he had
fulfilling one need after another.
Returned like the flowing waters, tumultuous.
ياO لَيتَهُif only it لوif عادَreturned يَوماًone day فَقَدfor indeed
يا لَيتَهُ لو عادَ يَوماً فَقَد
عادَhas become فُراتُsweet الماءِwater عِنديto me أجاجbitterly salty
عادَ فُراتُ الماءِ عِندي أجاج
Oh, if only it would return one day, for
By Allah, the memory of the encampment did not stir me,
sweet water has turned briny to me.
Nor did that lively lad provoke my passion, save strongly!
وَاللَهby God ماnot هَيَّجstirred up ذكرُremembrance of الحِمىthe protected grounds
وَاللَه ما هَيَّج ذكرُ الحِمى
وَجديmy longing بِذاكَfor that الحيِّthe encampment إلّاexcept that وَهاجand it surged
وَجدي بِذاكَ الحيِّ إلّا وَهاج
By God, remembrance of the protected grounds never stirred
my longing for that encampment without making it surge.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1