سَقانيgave me to drink شَبيهَةَone resembling أَخلاقِهhis character
سَقاني شَبيهَةَ أَخلاقِه
أَديبٌa man of letters تَحاياهُhis greetings أَشعارُهُhis poems
أَديبٌ تَحاياهُ أَشعارُهُ
He gave me a drink resembling his character—
His morals have made me resemble him,
a man of letters whose greetings are his poems.
An intellectual, his poems flatter him.
عَلىover جَمرِembers وَردٍroses كَوانينُهُhis braziers
عَلى جَمرِ وَردٍ كَوانينُهُ
إِذاwhen شَبَّهَkindles it الطَلُّthe dew أَشجارُهُhis trees
إِذا شَبَّهَ الطَلُّ أَشجارُهُ
Over embers of roses, his braziers—
His cups are like roses on hot coals,
when the dew kindles those embers—are his trees.
When the dew resembles his trees.
فَأَحسِنso how fine بِمَجلِسِناour gathering-place مَجلِساًas a gathering-place
فَأَحسِن بِمَجلِسِنا مَجلِساً
قِيانُsongstresses نَداماهُhis drinking companions أَطيارُهُhis birds
قِيانُ نَداماهُ أَطيارُهُ
So how fine a gathering-place is ours!
So grace our gathering with goodness,
His birds are the songstresses of his drinking companions.
The place his regrets and birds frequent.
Sol 6.1