نُزَوِّجُ الخَمرَ مِنَ الماءِ في
طاساتِ تِبرٍ خَمرُها يَفهَقُ
We mix wine with water in
We marry the wine to the water in
Earthenware cups, its bubbles frothing
Cups of pure gold, their vintage brimming over,
مُنَطَّقاتٍ بِتَصاويرَ لا
تَسمَعُ لِلداعي وَلا تَنطِقُ
With figures that cannot hear
Encircled by engraved figures that do not
The caller nor speak
Listen to the caller, nor do they speak.
عَلى تَماثيلِ بَني بابِكٍ
مُحتَفَرٌ ما بَينَهُم خَندَقُ
On statues of the Banu Babak
Upon them are images of the sons of Babak,
There is a moat between them
With a trench dug out between them;
كَأَنَّهُم وَالخَمرُ مِن فَوقِهِم
كَتائِبٌ في لُجَّةٍ تَغرَقُ
As though they and the wine above them
It is as if they, with the wine rising above them,
Are regiments drowning in a swamp
Are battalions drowning in the deep abyss.
فَالنَعتُ ذا لا نَعتُ دارٍ خَلَت
يَهيمُ في أَطلالِها أَحمَقُ
This description is of no described abode
This is the description—not the description of a desolate abode
A fool wanders among its ruins
In whose ruins a fool wanders blindly.
وَشادِنٍ حَيَّنَ لي زَورَةً
غُرَّتُهُ وَالعَمَلُ الأَرفَقُ
And Shadin who swore to me a false oath
And [I recall] a fawn who finally granted me a visit,
His perfidy and work were most wretched
Aided by his radiant brow and gentle manner.
أَدَرتُهُ شَهراً عَلى مَوعِدٍ
يَكذِبُني فيهِ وَلا يَصدُقُ
I waited for him a month at the appointed time
I pursued him for a month regarding a promise
He would lie to me there and not tell the truth
About which he lied to me and spoke no truth,
حَتّى إِذا أَفنَيتُ عِلّاتِهِ
بِالصَبرِ مِنّي قالَ لي أَفرَقُ
Until when I had exhausted his excuses
Until, when I had exhausted his excuses
With patience he said to me, “let's part”
Through my patience, he said to me: "I am afraid."
فَقُلتُ لا تَفرَقُ يا سَيِّدي
مِثلي بِأَمثالِكَ لا يَخرُقُ
So I said “Do not part, my lord
So I said, "Do not fear, O my master;
The likes of me do not split from the likes of you”
One like me does not act roughly with one like you."
