وَلَيلةand a night بتُّI spent the night بهاin it مُنادماًas a drinking companion
وَلَيلة بتُّ بها مُنادماً
أَهيفَa slender-waisted man ماnot الَبدرُthe full moon سوَىother than طَلعتهِhis face
أَهيفَ ما الَبدرُ سوَى طَلعتهِ
And a night I spent carousing
And a night in which I sat companioned,
with a slender-waisted one—the full moon is but his face.
Is the full moon naught but its rising?
يُديرُهاhe passes it around صفراءَyellow عَسجديَّةًgolden
يُديرُها صفراءَ عَسجديَّةً
أَغنىthe richest الوَرىhumankind منthe one who هيَit فيin قَبضتهِhis grasp
أَغنى الوَرى من هيَ في قَبضتهِ
He passes it round, yellow and golden;
She whirls it yellow like an old brocade,
the richest of mortals is he who holds it in his grasp.
None in the world richer than she in her grasp,
كأَنَّهاas though it were سَبيكةٌan ingot منof ذَهبٍgold
كأَنَّها سَبيكةٌ من ذَهبٍ
أضافَهاadded it الكأسthe cup إلىto فضَّتهِits silver
أضافَها الكأس إلى فضَّتهِ
As though it were an ingot of gold
As if it were an ingot of gold
the cup had added to its silver.
Added by the goblet to its silver,
جاءَhe came بهاwith it يَكسرُhalf-closing جَفناan eyelid مُودِعاًplacing
جاءَ بها يَكسرُ جَفنا مُودِعاً
نِشاطَهُhis vigor الزَّائدَextra فيin فَترتهits languor
نِشاطَهُ الزَّائدَ في فَترته
He brought it, half-closing an eyelid, placing
She brought it to break my eyelid bidding farewell,
his surplus vigor in its languor.
Its surplus liveliness in its slackening,
قَدindeed كَفلَتguaranteed منهُfrom it لهُfor him كَسرتُهُits droop
قَد كَفلَت منهُ لهُ كَسرتُهُ
بِكُلِّfor all ماthat يطلُبُhe seeks منof نُصرتهِits aid
بِكُلِّ ما يطلُبُ من نُصرتهِ
Its droop had guaranteed him
She shouldered for him his tipsiness
all the aid he sought from it.
With all he seeks of her help,
فَبتُّso I spent the night حتَّىuntil ذَبُلتwithered سَوسنةُlily الthe
فَبتُّ حتَّى ذَبُلت سَوسنةُ ال
لَّيلِnight وَوَلَّىand turned away الفجرُthe dawn عنfrom وَردتهِits rose
لَّيلِ وَوَلَّى الفجرُ عن وَردتهِ
So I stayed until there withered the lily of the
So I sat till the lily of night wilted
night, and dawn turned away from its rose,
And dawn turned away from its rose,
أَشربُI drink صَهباوَينtwo amber wines مَخمورُهُماone intoxicated by them both
أَشربُ صَهباوَين مَخمورُهُما
ليسَdoes not يُفيقُsober up الدَّهرَfor all time منfrom سَكرَتهِhis drunkenness
ليسَ يُفيقُ الدَّهرَ من سَكرَتهِ
drinking two amber wines—whoever is drunk on them
I drink two intoxicated goblets
never, through all time, sobers from his drunkenness—
The ages never awaken from their drunkenness,
منfrom نَرجسينِtwo narcissi نَرجِسٍa narcissus فيin يَدهِhis hand
من نَرجسينِ نَرجِسٍ في يَدهِ
وَنَرجسٍand a narcissus آخرَanother فيin مُقلَتهِhis eye
وَنَرجسٍ آخرَ في مُقلَتهِ
from two narcissi: a narcissus in his hand,
Of two narcissus flowers in his hand
and another narcissus in his eye.
And another narcissus in his eyelid,
فيالَهاand oh, what a ... it was! منof لَيلَةٍa night ماnot شانَهاmarred it
فيالَها من لَيلَةٍ ما شانَها
إلاَّexcept انقضاءُthe passing الوَقتِtime فيin سُرعَتهِits swiftness
إلاَّ انقضاءُ الوَقتِ في سُرعَتهِ
And oh, what a night! Nothing marred it
What a night it was, its affair being
but the swift passing of time.
Only the passing of time in its fleetness,
أَسفرَshone forth منfrom قَبلِbefore غُروبِthe setting الشَّمسِthe sun ليfor me
أَسفرَ من قَبلِ غُروبِ الشَّمسِ لي
فيهاin it ضِياءُthe radiance الصُّبحِof dawn عنfrom غُرّتهِhis radiant brow
فيها ضِياءُ الصُّبحِ عن غُرّتهِ
Before the sun had set, there shone for me
It dawned before sunset
that night, the light of dawn from his radiant brow.
Its morning lightness relieving its darkness for me.
Sol 6.1