أَينwhere كؤوسِيmy goblets وأَينand where أَكوَابيmy cups
أَين كؤوسِي وأَين أَكوَابي
فَهِيfor they are وحقِّand by the right of المجونِrevelry أَوْلَىmore fitting بيfor me
فَهِي وحقِّ المجونِ أَوْلَى بي
Where are my goblets, and where are my cups?
Where are my cups and where are my goblets,
For, by the right of revelry, they are best suited to me.
For they are worthier of me than revelry.
حيواgreet بهاwith them المُدامِthe wine متئِمَةًserved in pairs
حيوا بها المُدامِ متئِمَةً
فكُلُّfor every كأْسٍcup كَكَفِّlike the palm of وَهَّابِa generous giver
فكُلُّ كأْسٍ كَكَفِّ وَهَّابِ
Greet the wine with them, served in pairs,
Bring them alive with lingering wine,
For every cup is like a generous giver’s palm.
For each cup is like the palm of a Giver.
تلكَthat التيwhich لاnot تزالُceases جامعةًgathering
تلكَ التي لا تزالُ جامعةً
شملَthe company of حَبابٍbubbles وشَمْلَand the company of أَحْبَابِbeloved friends
شملَ حَبابٍ وشَمْلَ أَحْبَابِ
That wine which never ceases to gather
That which still brings people together,
Bubbles together and beloved friends together.
Including friends and loved ones.
يَبْدُوappears عليهاupon it الحَبابُthe bubbles إِنif مُزِجَتْit is mixed
يَبْدُو عليها الحَبابُ إِن مُزِجَتْ
مِثْلَlike عُيونٍeyes بغيرِwithout أَهْدَابeyelashes
مِثْلَ عُيونٍ بغيرِ أَهْدَاب
Bubbles appear upon it if it is mixed,
Friends appear in them when filled,
Like eyes without eyelashes.
Like eyes without kohl.
مُعتادةٌaccustomed to شُرْبَdrinking همِّthe cares of شَارِبهاits drinker
مُعتادةٌ شُرْبَ همِّ شَارِبها
فهيso it is شرابٌa drink وأَيُّand what إِشْرَابِgiving drink
فهي شرابٌ وأَيُّ إِشْرَابِ
Accustomed to drinking its drinker’s cares,
They are accustomed to drinking their drinker’s worries,
It is a drink—and what a draught it gives!
So they are drink, and what a drink!
تأْتِيit comes ويأْتِيand comes السرورُjoy يَتْبَعُهاfollowing it
تأْتِي ويأْتِي السرورُ يَتْبَعُها
كأَنَّهُas though it were واقِفٌstanding عَلىat البَابِthe door
كأَنَّهُ واقِفٌ عَلى البَابِ
It comes, and joy comes following it,
They come and joy comes after them,
As though joy were standing at the door.
As if standing at the door.
تموجُit ripples فيin الكأْسِthe cup وَهْيَwhile it is فاتِنةٌalluring
تموجُ في الكأْسِ وَهْيَ فاتِنةٌ
كأَنماas though الكأْسُthe cup طَرْفُthe eye of مُرْتَابِone in doubt
كأَنما الكأْسُ طَرْفُ مُرْتَابِ
It ripples in the cup, alluring,
They surge in the cup, charming,
As though the cup were a doubter’s eye.
As if the cup is a fluttering eyelid.
أَسجُدُI prostrate myself شُكْراًin gratitude لهاto it إِذاwhen طَلَعَتْit appears
أَسجُدُ شُكْراً لها إِذا طَلَعَتْ
كأَنَّas though كأْسِيmy cup لَدَيَّbefore me محْرابيmy prayer niche
كأَنَّ كأْسِي لَدَيَّ محْرابي
I prostrate myself in thanks to it when it appears,
I bow down in thanks when they appear,
As though my cup before me were my prayer niche.
As if my cup before me is my prayer niche.
يُديرهاhe passes it round شادنٌa young gazelle يَطُولُgrows longer بهthrough him
يُديرها شادنٌ يَطُولُ به
عُمْرُthe life of سرورِيmy joy وعُمْرُand the life of إِطْرابِيmy rapture
عُمْرُ سرورِي وعُمْرُ إِطْرابِي
A young gazelle passes it round; through him are prolonged
A cupbearer passes them around, thereby prolonging
The life of my joy and the life of my rapture.
The life of my joy and the life of my rapture.
تسترِقُsteals الرّاحُthe wine منfrom خصائِلهhis qualities
تسترِقُ الرّاحُ من خصائِله
تَرْكَleaving جُسومٍbodies بِغَيْرٍwithout أَلْبَابِminds
تَرْكَ جُسومٍ بِغَيْرٍ أَلْبَابِ
Wine steals from his qualities
The breeze steals from his qualities
The power to leave bodies bereft of reason.
Leaving a beauty without defect.
تلتفُّtwines عندduring العناقِthe embrace قامتُهhis form
تلتفُّ عند العناقِ قامتُه
منbecause of لِينِهاits suppleness كالْتفَافِlike the twining of لَبْلاَبِivy
من لِينِها كالْتفَافِ لَبْلاَبِ
His form twines in an embrace,
His waist wraps during embraces
From its suppleness, like the twining of ivy.
From its softness like a twisting creeping plant.
Sol 6.1