خَلّنيspare me منfrom حَديثٍtalk of زيدٍZayd وعمروand Amr
خَلّني من حَديثٍ زيدٍ وعمرو
واسعَand hasten بيwith me ياO نديمُdrinking companion نحوَtoward الغُمرِthe small drinking cup
واسعَ بي يا نديمُ نحوَ الغُمرِ
Spare me talk of Zayd and Amr,
Leave me be from the talk of Zayd and Amr,
and hasten with me, drinking companion, toward the wine cup.
And take me, my friend, to the wine.
واسقِنيand give me to drink قهوةًwine إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تبدَّتit appears
واسقِني قهوةً إِذا ما تبدَّت
فيin الدُّجىthe darkness خِلتَهاyou would think it عَمُودَa pillar الفَجرِof dawn
في الدُّجى خِلتَها عَمُودَ الفَجرِ
And give me wine which, when it appears
And serve me coffee when the darkness
in darkness, you would take for a pillar of dawn.
Reveals the pillars of dawn.
بنتُdaughter كَرمٍa grapevine ماليI have no إِذاif بِتُّI spend the night مِنهاfrom it
بنتُ كَرمٍ مالي إِذا بِتُّ مِنها
صَاحياًsober فَردَa single ليلةٍnight مِنany عُذرِexcuse
صَاحياً فَردَ ليلةٍ مِن عُذرِ
Daughter of the vine—I have no excuse if I spend
I am the son of a generous man. When I stay the night with her,
even a single night sober, without it.
I keep vigil until dawn, repenting my sin.
فَأَدِرso pass round ليfor me فيin جَامدِsolid الفِضَّةٍsilver البيwhite (first part)
فَأَدِر لي في جَامدِ الفِضَّةٍ البي
ضاءِwhite (completion) منfrom كأَسِهاits cup مُذابَmolten التِّبرِunworked gold
ضاءِ من كأَسِها مُذابَ التِّبرِ
So pass round for me, in solid white silver,
So pour for me in the silver cup
the molten gold from its cup.
The whiteness from its melted pearls.
ثمَّthen قُلsay للذيto the one who يلومُblames عليهاfor it
ثمَّ قُل للذي يلومُ عليها
خَلّنيleave me أَيُّهاO you العذولُreproacher ووِزريand my sin
خَلّني أَيُّها العذولُ ووِزري
Then tell the one who blames me for it:
Then say to him who blames her:
Leave me, reproacher, with my sin.
Leave me be, O moralist, and blame yourself!
أَإِذاif (interrogative) كُنتُI am ذاpossessed of ضَلالٍerror وإِثمِand sin
أَإِذا كُنتُ ذا ضَلالٍ وإِثمِ
تغتديwill you become أَنتَyou نائِماًasleep فيin قَبريmy grave
تغتدي أَنتَ نائِماً في قَبري
If I am guilty of error and sin,
When I am lost in sin and vice
will you be the one sleeping in my grave?
Will you attack me while asleep in my grave?
قسماًI swear لاثَنيتُI will not turn عنهاaway from it إِلىuntil الموdeath (first part)
قسماً لاثَنيتُ عنها إِلى المو
تِdeath (completion) عِنانيmy reins فَدَعso leave off مَلاميblaming me وَزَجريand rebuking me
تِ عِناني فَدَع مَلامي وَزَجري
I swear: never, until death, shall I turn from it
I swear I will pull my reins away from her to death
my reins; so cease blaming and rebuking me.
So leave my faults and cease your rebukes!
أناI راضٍcontent أنto أَلتقيmeet اللهGod فرداًalone
أنا راضٍ أن أَلتقي الله فرداً
والحُمياand strong wine ماin the space بينbetween سَحريmy chest ونَحريand my throat
والحُميا ما بين سَحري ونَحري
I am content to meet God alone,
I am content to meet God alone
with strong wine between my chest and throat.
With the zeal between my dawn and sunset.
فأدِرهاso pass it round فيin كأسِهاits cup واسقِنيهاand let me drink it
فأدِرها في كأسِها واسقِنيها
ليلةَthe night القدرِof Decree أوor لياليthe nights العَشرِof the ten
ليلةَ القدرِ أو ليالي العَشرِ
So pass it round in its cup, and let me drink it
So pour it in her cup and serve it to me
on the Night of Decree, or the ten nights,
On Laylat Al-Qadr or the ten nights.
منfrom يدَيthe two hands of فاترِlanguid اللَّواحظِglances معسُوhoney-sweet (first part)
من يدَي فاترِ اللَّواحظِ معسُو
لِhoney-sweet (completion) الثَّناياfront teeth أحوىdark-lipped دقيقِslender الخَصرِthe waist
لِ الثَّنايا أحوى دقيقِ الخَصرِ
from the hands of one with languid glances, honey-sweet
From the hands of the languid and delicate waisted one
teeth, dark lips, and a slender waist.
With the supple waist and heavy hips.
تَحسَبُyou think الكأسَthe cup وهيwhile it فيin يدهhis hand تُشshines (first part)
تَحسَبُ الكأسَ وهي في يده تُش
رِقُshines (completion) شمساًa sun تلوحُgleams فيin كفِّthe palm of بدرِa full moon
رِقُ شمساً تلوحُ في كفِّ بدرِ
You would think the cup, as it shines in his hand,
You would think the cup in her hand
a sun gleaming in the palm of a full moon.
Was a sun rising in the disc of the moon.
لاno حياةٌlife لغيرِfor anyone other than منone who لمhas not يبتspent the night يُحenlivening (first part)
لا حياةٌ لغيرِ من لم يبت يُح
يحيenlivening (continuation) الدَّياجيthe dark nights ماin the space بينَbetween عُودٍa lute وزَمرand piping
يحي الدَّياجي ما بينَ عُودٍ وزَمر
There is no life except for one who has not spent the night
There is no life but to stay the night intoxicated
enlivening the darkness amid lute and piping,
Between lute and flute and singing voices.
فيin رياضٍgardens خضرٍgreen يطوفُmoves about بهاthrough them البِيthe fair-skinned (first part)
في رياضٍ خضرٍ يطوفُ بها البِي
ضُfair-skinned (completion) معwith معَwith السُّمرِthe dusky بالكُؤسِwith the cups الحُمرِred
ضُ مع معَ السُّمرِ بالكُؤسِ الحُمرِ
in green gardens, where the fair-skinned move about
In green gardens where the white wine flows
together with the dusky, bearing red cups,
With sweet fruits in red cups.
بينَamong دَوحسgreat trees (apparent typo) تُميلُsways منهfrom it غُصوناًbranches
بينَ دَوحس تُميلُ منه غُصوناً
مُورقاتٍleafy رِيحُwind الصبَّاthe east wind حينَwhen تَسريit passes by night
مُورقاتٍ رِيحُ الصبَّا حينَ تَسري
among great trees, whose branches are swayed—
Between orchards where branches are swaying
leafy—by the east wind as it passes.
With tender leaves when the morning breeze blows.
كلَّماwhenever حرَّكتset in motion أناملُfingertips شادٍa singer
كلَّما حرَّكت أناملُ شادٍ
وَتراًa string جاوبَتهُanswer it أَلحانُthe melodies of قُمرِيa turtledove
وَتراً جاوبَتهُ أَلحانُ قُمرِي
Whenever a singer's fingertips pluck
Whenever Shad plucks the strings,
a string, a turtledove's melodies answer it.
His tunes are answered by my singing.
Sol 6.1