نعسَgrew drowsy النجمُthe star ولمand did not أنمْI sleep
نعسَ النجمُ ولم أنمْ
فصفواso describe, all of you ليto me لذةَpleasure الحلمِdreaming
فصفوا لي لذةَ الحلمِ
The star grew drowsy, yet I did not sleep.
The star fell asleep, but I did not.
So describe to me the pleasure of dreaming.
Describe to me the bliss of dreaming,
ليتَif only شعريmy knowing هلwhether أناI ملكٌa king
ليتَ شعري هل أنا ملكٌ
حاكمٌruling فيin النورِthe light والظلمِand darkness
حاكمٌ في النورِ والظلمِ
Would that I knew: am I a king,
I wonder, am I a king?
Ruling in light and darkness?
Ruling in the light and darkness.
ماwhat ترانيyou consider me إنif قعدتُI sat down لهاfor her
ما تراني إن قعدتُ لها
وقفَstood الليلُthe night علىupon قدمِa foot
وقفَ الليلُ على قدمِ
What do you think I am? If I sit with her,
You wouldn't see me if I sat next to her,
The night stands upon one foot.
The night stood still at my feet.
ياO نديميmy drinking companion عدreturn لتذكرناto remind us
يا نديمي عد لتذكرنا
عودةَthe return الأرواحِthe souls للرممِto the decayed remains
عودةَ الأرواحِ للرممِ
O my drinking companion, return to remind us
My friend, come back to remind us
Of souls' return to mouldering bones.
Of the return of souls to repair.
لمْdid not يدعِleave فيَّin me الغرامُpassionate love دماًblood
لمْ يدعِ فيَّ الغرامُ دماً
وأرىand I see فيin الكاسِthe cup مثلthe like of دميmy blood
وأرى في الكاسِ مثل دمي
Passion has left no blood in me,
Love left no blood in me
And I see in the cup something like my blood.
Yet in the cup I see my blood.
راحةٌcomfort فيin دنّهاher wine-jar انعدمتْdid not exist
راحةٌ في دنّها انعدمتْ
وكذاand likewise الأشياءُthings منfrom عدمِnothingness
وكذا الأشياءُ من عدمِ
Comfort did not exist in her wine-jar;
Peace in the lowly world has vanished
And so, too, things arise from nothing.
As have all things into nonexistence.
وإذاand when رقرقتهاI made her ripple سطعتْflared
وإذا رقرقتها سطعتْ
نفخةُa puff of breath الوقَّادِthe fire-stoker فيin الضرمِthe blaze
نفخةُ الوقَّادِ في الضرمِ
And when I make her ripple, there flares
When I shake the cup it shines
The fire-stoker's breath within the blaze.
Like the puff of air in ashes.
وكأنَّand as though المزجَthe mixture يفرعهاrises above her
وكأنَّ المزجَ يفرعها
شيبةٌgray hair فيon عارضيthe two cheeks of هَرِمِan old man
شيبةٌ في عارضي هَرِمِ
And the mixture crowning her seems
As if blending has branched it out
Like gray hair on an old man's cheeks.
A gray hair on my weathered temple.
وهيand she والكاسُand the cup علىupon شفتيmy lips
وهي والكاسُ على شفتي
قبلاتُkisses منfrom فمٍa mouth لفمِto a mouth
قبلاتُ من فمٍ لفمِ
And she and the cup upon my lips
It and the cup are on my lips
Are kisses from mouth to mouth.
Kisses from a mouth to a mouth.
حاربتْshe fought آلامَpains عصبتهاher companions
حاربتْ آلامَ عصبتها
ولكمand how often يشكونَthey complain منof ألمِpain
ولكم يشكونَ من ألمِ
She fought the pains of her companions,
It battled the pains of its grapes
And how often they complain of pain!
Yet how they complain of pain!
فلهمso for them فيat كلِّevery آونةٍmoment
فلهم في كلِّ آونةٍ
ضجةٌa clamor منfrom خلفِbehind منهزمِone in retreat
ضجةٌ من خلفِ منهزمِ
So, at every moment, theirs is
For them in every moment
A clamor from behind one in retreat.
An uproar from a defeated crowd.
ياO رجالَmen الشعرِpoetry لستُI am not فتىًa gallant young man
يا رجالَ الشعرِ لستُ فتىً
إنif أناI لمdoes not يطوكمoutstrip you all علميmy knowledge
إن أنا لم يطوكم علمي
O men of poetry, I am no gallant youth,
O men of poetry, I'm no lad
If my knowledge does not outstrip you all.
If my science has not instructed you,
كيفَhow لاnot تعييexhaust مناظرتيdebating with me
كيفَ لا تعيي مناظرتي
وهيand she حبريmy ink والهوىand passion قلميmy pen
وهي حبري والهوى قلمي
How could debating me not exhaust you,
How can you not weary of contending with me
When she is my ink and passion my pen?
When my love is my pen and desire my ink?
وأناand I فيin وصفهاdescribing her غَرِدٌsinging joyfully
وأنا في وصفها غَرِدٌ
ترقصُdances الدنياthe world علىto نغميmy melody
ترقصُ الدنيا على نغمي
And in describing her, I sing for joy;
When I describe her I sing joyfully,
The world dances to my melody.
The world dances to my tune.
Sol 6.1