أَرسَلَتshe sent forth فيin الكُؤوسِthe cups بِالمُعجِزاتِwith miracles
أَرسَلَت في الكُؤوسِ بِالمُعجِزاتِ
فَأَرَتناso she showed us الآياتِthe signs وَالبَيَّناتِand the clear proofs
فَأَرَتنا الآياتِ وَالبَيَّناتِ
She sent forth miracles in the cups,
and showed us signs and clear proofs.
وَتَجَلَّتand she revealed herself مِنfrom خِدرِهاher curtained chamber فَنَهَضناso we rose
وَتَجَلَّت مِن خِدرِها فَنَهَضنا
وَمَشَيناand we walked لِفَضلِهاin honor of her excellence خُطُواتِsteps
وَمَشَينا لِفَضلِها خُطُواتِ
She revealed herself from her curtained chamber, so we rose,
and took steps in honor of her excellence.
كَيفَhow لاnot تَخضَعُbow العُقولُthe minds لَديهاbefore her
كَيفَ لا تَخضَعُ العُقولُ لَديها
وَهيَand she is سُلطانُsovereign سائِرِall المُسكِراتِthe intoxicants
وَهيَ سُلطانُ سائِرِ المُسكِراتِ
How could minds not bow before her,
when she is sovereign over all intoxicants?
قَهوَةٌa wine بَردُهاher coolness يَنوبُsubstitutes عَنِfor الماthe water (continued next line)
قَهوَةٌ بَردُها يَنوبُ عَنِ الما
ءِ(completes “water”) وَتُغنيand she suffices طَوراًat times عَنِin place of الأَقواتِfood
ءِ وَتُغني طَوراً عَنِ الأَقواتِ
A wine whose coolness takes the place of water,
and at times she takes the place of food.
لَوif حَساsipped اِبنُa man aged التِسعينَninety مِنهاof her ثَلاثاًthree sips
لَو حَسا اِبنُ التِسعينَ مِنها ثَلاثاً
أَبدَلَتshe would replace قَوسَthe bow قَدِّهِof his frame بِقَناةِwith a lance
أَبدَلَت قَوسَ قَدِّهِ بِقَناةِ
Were a man of ninety to take three sips of her,
she would exchange the bow of his frame for a lance.
قَتَلَتهاkilled her السُقاةُthe cupbearers عَمداًdeliberately لِتَحياso she might live
قَتَلَتها السُقاةُ عَمداً لِتَحيا
بِشَباwith the sharp points of الماءِwater لاnot حُدودِthe edges of الظُباتِthe blades
بِشَبا الماءِ لا حُدودِ الظُباتِ
The cupbearers killed her deliberately so she might live,
with water's sharp points, not the edges of blades.
أَلَّفواthey united فيin الكُؤوسِthe cups إِذwhen مَزَجوهاthey blended her
أَلَّفوا في الكُؤوسِ إِذ مَزَجوها
بَينَbetween ماءِthe water of الحَياrain وَماءِand the water of الحَياةِlife
بَينَ ماءِ الحَيا وَماءِ الحَياةِ
When they blended her in the cups, they united
rainwater with the water of life,
بِاِحمِرارٍwith a redness يَدُبُّcreeps فيthrough يَقَقِthe pure whiteness of الماthe water (continued next line)
بِاِحمِرارٍ يَدُبُّ في يَقَقِ الما
ءِ(completes “water”) دَبيبَlike the creeping of التَضريجِa rosy flush فيover الوَجَناتِthe cheeks
ءِ دَبيبَ التَضريجِ في الوَجَناتِ
with a redness creeping through the water's pure whiteness,
as a rosy flush creeps over cheeks.
سَبَكَsmelted الدَهرُtime تِبرَهاher raw gold فَتَراءَتso she appeared
سَبَكَ الدَهرُ تِبرَها فَتَراءَت
كَسَناlike the radiance of الشَمسِthe sun فيin الصَفاclarity وَالصِفاتِand qualities
كَسَنا الشَمسِ في الصَفا وَالصِفاتِ
Time smelted her gold, and she appeared
like the sun's radiance in clarity and character.
جاءَcame نَصُّthe text of الكِتابِthe Book بِالنَفعِwith benefit فيهاin her
جاءَ نَصُّ الكِتابِ بِالنَفعِ فيها
لَوif خَلَتshe were free مِنof مَآثِمِthe sins of الشُبُهاتِdoubtful practices
لَو خَلَت مِن مَآثِمِ الشُبُهاتِ
The Book's text speaks of benefit in her,
were she free of the sins of doubtful practices.
نَهَكَviolated المُفرِطونَthe excessive drinkers فيهاin drinking her حِمىthe sanctuary of الإِسIslam (continued next line)
نَهَكَ المُفرِطونَ فيها حِمى الإِس
لامِ(completes “Islam”) مِنfrom غَيرِother than عِدَّةِpreparation وَثَباتِand steadfastness
لامِ مِن غَيرِ عِدَّةِ وَثَباتِ
Those who drink her to excess have violated Islam's sanctuary,
without preparation or steadfastness.
لَوif حَسَوهاthey sipped her بِماin accordance with what لَهاshe has مِنof شُروطٍconditions
لَو حَسَوها بِما لَها مِن شُروطٍ
بَدَّلَتshe would turn سَيِّئاتِهِمtheir evil deeds حَسَناتِgood deeds
بَدَّلَت سَيِّئاتِهِم حَسَناتِ
Had they sipped her according to her conditions,
she would have turned their evil deeds into good.
قُلتُI said لَمّاwhen شَرِبتُهاI drank her مَعَwith كِرامٍnoble companions
قُلتُ لَمّا شَرِبتُها مَعَ كِرامٍ
عَرَفواthey knew ماwhat لَهاshe has مِنَof الآياتِthe signs
عَرَفوا ما لَها مِنَ الآياتِ
I said, when I drank her with noble companions
who knew the signs she bears,
وَلَدَيناand with us السُرورُjoy دانَsubmitted وَعَنّاand away from us
وَلَدَينا السُرورُ دانَ وَعَنّا
الضِدُّthe adversary قَدalready غابَvanished وَالزَمانُand time مُواتِfavorable
الضِدُّ قَد غابَ وَالزَمانُ مُواتِ
and joy was at our command, while from us
the adversary had vanished, and time was favorable:
كَمhow much يَفوتُescapes المُعَربِدينَthe drunken brawlers عَلىin السُكdrunkenness (continued next line)
كَم يَفوتُ المُعَربِدينَ عَلى السُك
رِ(completes “drunkenness”) لَديناwith us مِنof طَيِّبِsweet اللَذّاتِthe delights
رِ لَدينا مِن طَيِّبِ اللَذّاتِ
“How much the drunken brawlers miss
of the sweet delights we have here!”
Sol 6.1