أًدِرِالْكَأْسَpass the cup around ياO نَدِيمُdrinking companion وَهاتِand bring it
أًدِرِالْكَأْسَ يا نَدِيمُ وَهاتِ
واسْقِنِيهاand give it to me to drink عَلَىupon جَبِينِthe brow of الْغَدَاةِthe morning
واسْقِنِيها عَلَى جَبِينِ الْغَدَاةِ
Pass the cup around, companion, and bring it,
Pour me a cup, o boon companion, and bring it
and give it to me to drink upon morning's brow.
And quench my thirst in the morn’s first light
شَاقَstirred longing in سَمْعِيmy hearing الْغِنَاءُthe song فِيin رَوْنَقِthe splendor of الفَجْthe dawn (first part)
شَاقَ سَمْعِي الْغِنَاءُ فِي رَوْنَقِ الفَجْ
رِdawn (completion) وسَجْعُand the warbling of الطُّيُورِthe birds فِيin الْعَذَباتِthe bough-tips
رِ وسَجْعُ الطُّيُورِ فِي الْعَذَباتِ
Song has stirred my ear in dawn's splendor,
The birdsong in the flowering thickets wearies my hearing
and the birds' warbling on the bough-tips.
And the singing in the grove’s green bowers
أَيُّwhat شَيءٍthing أَشْهَىmore desirable إِلَىto النَّفْسِthe soul مِنْthan كَأْa cup (first part)
أَيُّ شَيءٍ أَشْهَى إِلَى النَّفْسِ مِنْ كَأْ
سٍcup (completion) مُدارٍpassed around عَلَىupon بِساطِa carpet of نَباتِgreenery
سٍ مُدارٍ عَلَى بِساطِ نَباتِ
What is sweeter to the soul than a cup
What is there sweeter to the soul than a flowing cup
passed round upon a carpet of greenery?
On the meadow’s carpet spread aright?
هُوَit يَوْمٌa day تَعَطَّرَتْbecame perfumed طَرَفَاهُits two ends
هُوَ يَوْمٌ تَعَطَّرَتْ طَرَفَاهُ
بِشَمالٍby a north wind مِسْكِيَّةِmusky النَّفَحَاتِthe wafts
بِشَمالٍ مِسْكِيَّةِ النَّفَحَاتِ
It is a day whose two ends are perfumed
This is a day whose edges are perfumed
by a north wind with musky wafts.
With the musky breaths of the morning’s first breaths
باسمُsmiling الزَّهْرِthe blossoms عاطِرُfragrant النَّشْرِthe diffused scent هَامِيshedding الthe
باسمُ الزَّهْرِ عاطِرُ النَّشْرِ هَامِي ال
قَطْرِrain وَانِيlanguid الصَّبَاthe east wind عَلِيلُfaint الْمَهَاةِthe sun
قَطْرِ وَانِي الصَّبَا عَلِيلُ الْمَهَاةِ
Smiling with blossoms, fragrant in scent, shedding
In the name of the scented blossoms, the wafting fragrances
rain, its east breeze languid, its sun wan.
The tender branch, the delicate bough that sways
مَسْرَحٌa vista لِلْعُيُونِfor the eyes يَمْتَدُّextends فِيهِthrough it
مَسْرَحٌ لِلْعُيُونِ يَمْتَدُّ فِيهِ
نَفَسُthe breath of الرِّيحِthe wind بَيْنَbetween مَاضٍdeparting وَآتِand arriving
نَفَسُ الرِّيحِ بَيْنَ مَاضٍ وَآتِ
A vista for the eyes, across which spreads
A stage for eyes that stretches far
the wind's breath, now departing, now arriving.
Where the wind’s breath flows twixt night and day
فامْتَثِلْso heed دَعْوَةَthe call to الصَّبُوحmorning wine وبادِرْand seize
فامْتَثِلْ دَعْوَةَ الصَّبُوح وبادِرْ
فُرْصَةَthe opportunity of الدَّهْرِtime قَبْلَbefore وَشْكِthe imminence of الْفَواتِbeing missed
فُرْصَةَ الدَّهْرِ قَبْلَ وَشْكِ الْفَواتِ
So heed the call to morning wine, and seize
So heed the summons of morn, my friend
the chance time offers before loss draws near.
And seize the moment before life slips away
وتَدَرَّجْand stroll مَعِيwith me إِلَىto رَوْضَةِthe garden of الْمَنْal-Manial (first part)
وتَدَرَّجْ مَعِي إِلَى رَوْضَةِ الْمَنْ
يَلal-Manial (completion) ذاتِpossessing النَّخِيلِthe date palms والثَّمَراتِand the fruits
يَل ذاتِ النَّخِيلِ والثَّمَراتِ
And stroll with me to al-Manial's garden,
And wander with me to the garden grove
with its date palms and fruits.
Of the swaying palms and the fruitful trees
فَهْيَfor it is مَرْعَىthe pasture of الْهَوَىlove وَمَغْنَىand the home of التَّصَابِيyouthful frolic
فَهْيَ مَرْعَى الْهَوَى وَمَغْنَى التَّصَابِي
ومَراحُand the playground of المُنىhopes ومَسْرَىand the pathway of الْحَيَاةِlife
ومَراحُ المُنى ومَسْرَى الْحَيَاةِ
For it is love's pasture and the home of youthful frolic,
For it is the meadow of desires, and the refuge of passions
and the playground of hopes and the pathway of life.
The place of wishes, the path of life
أَلِفَتْهَاhave grown fond of it النُّفُوسُsouls فَهْيَso they are إِلَيْهَاtoward it
أَلِفَتْهَا النُّفُوسُ فَهْيَ إِلَيْهَا
مِنْfrom أَلِيمِpainful الأَشْوَاقِthe longings فِيin حَسَرَاتِsorrows
مِنْ أَلِيمِ الأَشْوَاقِ فِي حَسَرَاتِ
Souls have grown fond of it, and for it they are
Souls are drawn there, called by yearning
in sorrow from their aching longings.
From the anguish of longing and days of sorrow
تَبْعَثُarouses اللَّهْوَmirth والسُّرُورَand joy وَتَمْحُوand erases
تَبْعَثُ اللَّهْوَ والسُّرُورَ وَتَمْحُو
مِنْfrom فُؤادِthe heart of الْحَزِينِthe sorrowful كُلَّevery شَكاةِcomplaint
مِنْ فُؤادِ الْحَزِينِ كُلَّ شَكاةِ
It awakens mirth and joy, and erases
It awakens joy and gladness, and wipes away
from the grieving heart every complaint.
From the heart of the sorrowful all complaints
بَيْنَamong نَدْمَانَdrinking companions كَالْكَواكِبِlike the stars حُسْناًin beauty
بَيْنَ نَدْمَانَ كَالْكَواكِبِ حُسْناً
ورَعَابِيبَand delicate beauties كالدُّمَىlike figurines خَفِراتِbashful
ورَعَابِيبَ كالدُّمَى خَفِراتِ
Among drinking companions, star-like in beauty,
With girls like stars in their beauty
and bashful, delicate beauties, like figurines,
And maidens like dolls, steps light and eyes bright
يَتَساقَوْنَthey give one another drink بِالْكُؤُوسِwith goblets مُداماًwine
يَتَساقَوْنَ بِالْكُؤُوسِ مُداماً
هِيit كَالشَّمْسِlike the sun فِيin قَمِيصِa tunic of إِيَاةِradiance
هِي كَالشَّمْسِ فِي قَمِيصِ إِيَاةِ
they give one another wine in goblets—
Sipping from cups flowing with wine
it is like the sun in a tunic of radiance—
That glows like the sun in its raiment of glass
فيin أَبارِيقَewers كَالطُّيُورِlike birds اشْرَأَبَّتْcraned their necks
في أَبارِيقَ كَالطُّيُورِ اشْرَأَبَّتْ
حَذَرَfor fear of الْفَتْكِdeadly attack مِنْfrom صِيَاحِthe cries of الْبُزَاةِthe hawks
حَذَرَ الْفَتْكِ مِنْ صِيَاحِ الْبُزَاةِ
in ewers like birds craning their necks,
In jugs like birds twittering in fright
fearing death at the cries of hawks,
Lest the raiders cry should bring doom and blight
حانِيَاتٍbending عَلَىover الْكُؤُوسِthe cups مِنَout of الرَّأْthe compassion (first part)
حانِيَاتٍ عَلَى الْكُؤُوسِ مِنَ الرَّأْ
فَةِcompassion (completion) يُرْضِعْنَهُنَّthey suckle them كَالأُمَّهاتِlike mothers
فَةِ يُرْضِعْنَهُنَّ كَالأُمَّهاتِ
bending over the cups out of compassion,
Singing girls tend the cups like mothers
suckling them like mothers.
Nursing their babes in the hush of night
لاnot تَرَىsees الْعَيْنُthe eye بَيْنَهُمْamong them غَيْرَother than صَبٍّone enamored
لا تَرَى الْعَيْنُ بَيْنَهُمْ غَيْرَ صَبٍّ
بِسَماعٍof music أَوْor هائِمٍinfatuated بِفَتاةِwith a girl
بِسَماعٍ أَوْ هائِمٍ بِفَتاةِ
The eye sees among them only someone enamored
You’ll see none but youths drunk with music
of music, or someone infatuated with a girl.
Or infatuated by a dark-eyed maiden’s sight
ومُغَنٍّand a singer إِذَاwhen شَدَاhe sings خِلْتَyou would think أَنَّthat الْthe
ومُغَنٍّ إِذَا شَدَا خِلْتَ أَنَّ الْ
أَرْضَearth ظَلَّتْkept تَدُورُturning بِالْفَلَواتِwith the wildernesses
أَرْضَ ظَلَّتْ تَدُورُ بِالْفَلَواتِ
And a singer: when he sings, you imagine
And singers whose tones when they start to croon
the earth keeps whirling with its wildernesses.
Make the earth itself spin before your eyes
مَلَكَcaptured السَّمْعَhearing والفُؤَادَand the heart بِلَحْنٍwith a melody
مَلَكَ السَّمْعَ والفُؤَادَ بِلَحْنٍ
يَفْتِنُenchants الْغِيدَthe graceful women دَاخِلَinside الْحُجُرَاتِthe chambers
يَفْتِنُ الْغِيدَ دَاخِلَ الْحُجُرَاتِ
He has captured the ear and the heart with a melody
They captivate heart and soul with their melodies
that enchants graceful women within their chambers.
That seep through the walls of the houses at night
يَبْعَثُsends forth الصَّوْتَthe voice مُرْسَلاًfreely فَإِذاthen when مَاemphatic particle
يَبْعَثُ الصَّوْتَ مُرْسَلاً فَإِذا مَا
غَضَّlowered مِنْهُfrom it اسْتَدَارَit revolved بَينَbetween اللَّهَاةِthe uvula
غَضَّ مِنْهُ اسْتَدَارَ بَينَ اللَّهَاةِ
He sends his voice forth freely; then, whenever
Voices unleashed that echo and swirl
he lowers it, it rolls about the uvula.
Among the ecstatic crowd in delight
غَرِدٍmelodious يُبْطِلُsilences الْحَدِيثَconversation ويُنْسِيand makes forget
غَرِدٍ يُبْطِلُ الْحَدِيثَ ويُنْسِي
رَبَّةَthe mistress of الْحُزْنِsorrow لَوْعَةَthe anguish of الذُّكُرَاتِmemories
رَبَّةَ الْحُزْنِ لَوْعَةَ الذُّكُرَاتِ
Melodious, he silences conversation and makes
Songs that silence all speech and make one forget
the grieving woman forget the anguish of memories.
The anguished beloved in remembrance contrite
تِلْكَthat واللهِby God لَذَّةُthe delight of الْعَيْشِliving لاnot سَوْpursuit (first part)
تِلْكَ واللهِ لَذَّةُ الْعَيْشِ لا سَوْ
مُpursuit (completion) الأَمَانِيwishes فِيin عالَمِthe realm of الْخَطَرَاتِpassing fancies
مُ الأَمَانِي فِي عالَمِ الْخَطَرَاتِ
That, by God, is life's delight—not the pursuit
By God this is the joy of life, not to be compared
of wishes in the realm of passing fancies.
To vain hopes in this world of woe and plight
Sol 6.1