وَخَمّارٍand a wine-seller دَخَلتُI entered عَلَيهِupon him لَيلاًby night
وَخَمّارٍ دَخَلتُ عَلَيهِ لَيلاً
وَجُنحُand the gloom اللَيلِof night مُسوَدُّblackened الجَناحِthe wing
وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ مُسوَدُّ الجَناحِ
And I called on a wine-seller by night,
I entered upon a wine-seller at night,
While night's gloom was black of wing,
And the wings of night were jet black,
عَلىon هَوجاءَa swift she-camel تَنشُرُshe scatters فيin الفَيافيthe desert wastes
عَلى هَوجاءَ تَنشُرُ في الفَيافي
لُغاماًfroth فيin الغُدُوِّthe morning وَفيand in الرَواحِthe evening
لُغاماً في الغُدُوِّ وَفي الرَواحِ
On a swift she-camel scattering through the wastes
Spreading clouds in the horizons,
Froth in the morning and the evening.
In the morning and in the evening.
إِذاwhen وَخَدَتshe strode swiftly تَخالُyou would think الريحَthe wind تَحتيbeneath me
إِذا وَخَدَت تَخالُ الريحَ تَحتي
وَإِنand though كانَتshe was تُخالُshe is thought مِنَamong الرِياحِthe winds
وَإِن كانَت تُخالُ مِنَ الرِياحِ
When she sped, you would think the wind beneath me,
When the winds blow beneath me,
Though she herself was reckoned among the winds.
Though they blow from the winds.
فَقالَthen he said مَنِwho الفَتىthe young man فَأَجَبتُso I answered ضَيفٌa guest
فَقالَ مَنِ الفَتى فَأَجَبتُ ضَيفٌ
تَسَربَلَclothed himself بِالمَكارِمِin noble virtues وَالسَماحِand generosity
تَسَربَلَ بِالمَكارِمِ وَالسَماحِ
He said, “Who is the young man?” I answered, “A guest
So he asked: “Who is this young man?” I replied “A guest,
Clothed in noble virtues and generosity.”
Dressed in virtues and generosity.”
فَقالَthen he said وَماand what تُريدُdo you want فَدَتكَmay it ransom you روحيmy soul
فَقالَ وَما تُريدُ فَدَتكَ روحي
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him أَرِحease روحيmy soul بَراحِwith wine
فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَرِح روحي بَراحِ
He said, “And what do you want? May my soul ransom you!”
He said: “What do you want, may I be ransomed for you?”
I told him, “Ease my soul with wine.”
I said: “Quench my soul’s thirst.”
فَقامَthen he rose إِلىtoward دِنانٍwine-jars مُترَعاتٍbrimming
فَقامَ إِلى دِنانٍ مُترَعاتٍ
مُعَمَّمَةًturbaned بِكافورٍwith camphor رَباحيRabahi
مُعَمَّمَةً بِكافورٍ رَباحي
He rose and went to brimming wine-jars,
He stood up towards ripe jugs,
Turbaned with Rabahi camphor.
Wrapped in camphor and perfume.
وَفَضَّand he broke خِتامَthe seal أَقدَمِهاthe oldest of them فَلاحَتand there shone
وَفَضَّ خِتامَ أَقدَمِها فَلاحَت
عَلىover الظَلماءِthe darkness أَنوارُthe lights الصَباحِof morning
عَلى الظَلماءِ أَنوارُ الصَباحِ
He broke the seal of the oldest of them, and there shone
He opened the seal of the oldest one, so it shone
Over the darkness the lights of morning.
Its lights upon the darkness.
وَأَبرَزَand he brought out مِنهُfrom it فيinto الإِبريقِthe ewer راحاًwine
وَأَبرَزَ مِنهُ في الإِبريقِ راحاً
أَلَذَّmost delicious وَردٍroses جَنِيٍّfreshly plucked فيamong أَقاحِdaisies
أَلَذَّ وَردٍ جَنِيٍّ في أَقاحِ
And from it he poured wine into the ewer,
And he brought out from it in a pitcher some wine,
The sweetest fresh-plucked rose amid daisies.
More delicious than first picked grapes in the valley.
وَجاءَand he came بِأَهيَفٍwith a slender youth عَذبِsweet الثَناياthe front teeth
وَجاءَ بِأَهيَفٍ عَذبِ الثَنايا
دَقيقِslender الخَصرِthe waist غَرثانِfamished الوِشاحِthe sash
دَقيقِ الخَصرِ غَرثانِ الوِشاحِ
And brought a slender youth, sweet of teeth,
And he came with a glass of sweet figure,
Slim of waist, his sash famished.
Slender waist, swishing dress.
تَراهُyou see him يَتيهُhe struts مِنbecause of أَدَبٍrefinement وَظَرفٍand wit
تَراهُ يَتيهُ مِن أَدَبٍ وَظَرفٍ
وَمِنand because of عَجَبٍself-admiration عَلىover الغيدِthe graceful maidens المِلاحِthe lovely ones
وَمِن عَجَبٍ عَلى الغيدِ المِلاحِ
You see him strutting with refinement and wit,
You’d see it swaying with manners and grace,
And with pride over the lovely, graceful maidens.
And wonder atop the smooth neck.
يَقولُhe says إِذاwhen رَآهُhe sees him كُلُّevery لاحٍfaultfinder
يَقولُ إِذا رَآهُ كُلُّ لاحٍ
مُحِبُّكَyour lover ماthere is no عَلَيهِupon him مِنany جُناحِblame
مُحِبُّكَ ما عَلَيهِ مِن جُناحِ
Every faultfinder, when he sees him, says:
Whenever a critic saw it, he’d say
“Your lover bears no blame.”
“Your lover has nothing to reproach you for.”
هِيَthey are الأَيّامُthe days تَندَرِجُroll onward اِندِراجاa rolling onward
هِيَ الأَيّامُ تَندَرِجُ اِندِراجا
وَصَرفُand the vicissitudes الدَهرِof time ذوhaving وَجهٍa face وَقاحِshameless
وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ ذو وَجهٍ وَقاحِ
Such are the days, rolling on and on,
These are the days that pass away,
And time's vicissitudes wear a shameless face.
And time’s nature is impudent.
فَصِلso join قَصفاًrevelry بِقَصفٍto revelry وَاِغتِباقاًand evening drinking
فَصِل قَصفاً بِقَصفٍ وَاِغتِباقاً
بِأَفراحٍto joys وَلَهواًand pleasure بِاِصطِباحِto morning drinking
بِأَفراحٍ وَلَهواً بِاِصطِباحِ
So join revelry to revelry, and evening drinking
So enjoy cups after cups,
To joys, and pleasure to morning wine.
With joys and play in the mornings.
Sol 6.1