ياO عَلِيُّAli يَومُناour day أَوfirst (opening fragment)
يا عَلِيُّ يَومُنا أَو
وَلُfirst (closing fragment) يَومٍday مِنof شُباطِShubat (February)
وَلُ يَومٍ مِن شُباطِ
O Ali, our day is the first
O Ali, either today or
day of Shubat.
Some day in February
فَاِعكِفِso devote yourself اليَومَtoday عَلىto الراthe wine (opening fragment)
فَاِعكِفِ اليَومَ عَلى الرا
حِwine (closing fragment) تُعاطىyou are served وَتُعاطيand you serve
حِ تُعاطى وَتُعاطي
So devote yourself today to wine,
Spend today in joy
receiving it and passing it around.
Engaged in merriment
لاdo not تَرُعَناalarm us بِتَوانٍby delaying
لا تَرُعَنا بِتَوانٍ
فيهِduring it عَنّاfrom us وَتَباطِand dawdling
فيهِ عَنّا وَتَباطِ
Do not dismay us by holding back
Do not neglect us today
from us today, or by dawdling.
Forget about us and be happy
أَناI فيin مَجلِسِa gathering of لَهوٍamusement
أَنا في مَجلِسِ لَهوٍ
وَسُرورٍand joy وَاِنبِساطِand merriment
وَسُرورٍ وَاِنبِساطِ
I am at a gathering of amusement,
I am in a gathering of pleasure
joy and merriment,
And happiness and cheer
نازِلٌstaying مِنfrom نَهرِthe river of عيسىIsa
نازِلٌ مِن نَهرِ عيسى
بَينَbetween دولابٍDulab وَراطِand Rat
بَينَ دولابٍ وَراطِ
staying by the River Isa,
Coming down from the Euphrates River
between Dulab and Rat.
Between a water wheel and canal
قُبَّتيmy canopy الغَيمُthe clouds وَأَزهاand flowers (opening fragment)
قُبَّتي الغَيمُ وَأَزها
رُflowers (closing fragment) الرِياحينِfragrant herbs بَساطيmy carpet
رُ الرِياحينِ بَساطي
The clouds are my canopy, and the flowers
My dome is the cloud and its
of fragrant herbs are my carpet.
Flowers are the fragrant breeze, my carpet
حَلِيَتare adorned أَوراقُهاtheir leaves بَينَbetween
حَلِيَت أَوراقُها بَينَ
جِعادِcurled وَسِباطِand smooth
جِعادِ وَسِباطِ
Their leaves are adorned, both
Its leaves are arranged between
curled and smooth,
Curls and braids
بِشُنوفٍwith ear-jewels نَظَمَstrung الطَلُّthe dew
بِشُنوفٍ نَظَمَ الطَلُّ
عَليهاupon them وَقِراطِand earrings
عَليها وَقِراطِ
with ear-jewels the dew has strung
Adorned with earrings, the dew
upon them, and with earrings.
Arranged them and tiny bells
وَقُدودِand the forms of السَروِthe cypresses فيin
وَقُدودِ السَروِ في
خَصرِthe waist مُلاءٍmantles وَرِياطِand wraps
خَصرِ مُلاءٍ وَرِياطِ
And the cypresses' forms, in
And cypress trees at the waist of
mantles and wraps about their waists,
A hill filled with gardens and ribbons
كَجَوارٍlike maidservants قُمنَthey stood فيin الthe
كَجَوارٍ قُمنَ في ال
خِدمَةِservice مِنfrom حَولِaround السِماطِthe banquet spread
خِدمَةِ مِن حَولِ السِماطِ
are like maidservants standing in
Like neighbors who got up
attendance around the banquet spread.
For service around the carpets
وَالهَواand the air وَالماءُand the water فيin وَصtwo qualities (opening fragment)
وَالهَوا وَالماءُ في وَص
فَيtwo qualities (closing fragment) فُتورٍlanguor وَنَشاطِand liveliness
فَي فُتورٍ وَنَشاطِ
And the air and water show the two qualities
And the air and water in a description of
of languor and liveliness.
Laziness and vigor
وَنَديمٍand a drinking companion مِنfrom شُيوخِthe elders of الthe
وَنَديمٍ مِن شُيوخِ ال
كَرخِKarkh مَحلولِloosened الرِباطِthe tether
كَرخِ مَحلولِ الرِباطِ
And a boon companion, one of the elders of
And a boon companion from the elders of
al-Karkh, with his tether loosened,
Al-Karkh loosened from restrictions
لاnot يُرىis seen وَهُوَand he is صَحيحُsound الthe
لا يُرى وَهُوَ صَحيحُ ال
رَأيِjudgment مَكسورَbroken النَشاطِvigor
رَأيِ مَكسورَ النَشاطِ
is never seen—though sound in
Not seen yet sound of
judgment—with flagging spirits.
Opinion, broken in vigor
حَنَّكَتهُshe rubbed his palate أُمُّهُhis mother بِالwith the
حَنَّكَتهُ أُمُّهُ بِال
خَمرِwine طِفلاًas an infant فيin القِماطِswaddling bands
خَمرِ طِفلاً في القِماطِ
His mother rubbed his palate with
His mother weaned him with
wine, as an infant in swaddling clothes.
Wine as a child at the trash heap
فَهوَso he is شَيخٌan old man يَتَعاطىindulges
فَهوَ شَيخٌ يَتَعاطى
شُربَهاdrinking it أَيَّwhat an تَعاطيindulgence
شُربَها أَيَّ تَعاطي
So he is an old man who indulges
So he is an old man who partakes
in drinking it—and how he indulges!
In drinking it, what a partaking!
ماnone عَليهاagainst it أَيُّهاO you الناصِحُthe adviser
ما عَليها أَيُّها الناصِحُ
خَمرِwine إِلّاexcept كُلُّevery خاطيone who errs
خَمرِ إِلّا كُلُّ خاطي
None is against it, O adviser on
What is on it, O advisor
wine, save those who err.
Except every sinner’s wine
وغُلامٍand a youth مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of الأَصal-Asfar (opening fragment)
وغُلامٍ مِن بَني الأَص
فَرِal-Asfar (closing fragment) كَالثَوبِlike the cloth القُباطيCoptic
فَرِ كَالثَوبِ القُباطي
And a youth of the Banu al-Asfar,
And a youth from the blond
like a Coptic linen cloth:
Tribe like the Coptic garment
رِدفُهُhis rump عالٍhigh وَلَكِنand yet
رِدفُهُ عالٍ وَلَكِن
خَصرُهُhis waist الناحِلُslender لاطيdrawn in
خَصرُهُ الناحِلُ لاطي
His rump is high, and yet
His companion is tall but
his slender waist is drawn in.
His slender waist is not tied
حُبُّهُlove for him قَدindeed نيطَwas suspended مِنfrom
حُبُّهُ قَد نيطَ مِن
حَبَّةِthe kernel of قَلبيmy heart بِالنِياطِby the heartstring
حَبَّةِ قَلبي بِالنِياطِ
Love for him has been hung from
His love has been tied from
my heart's kernel by its heartstring.
The seed of my heart with strings
قابِلٍaccepting حُكميmy rule عَلىdespite كَثabundance (opening fragment)
قابِلٍ حُكمي عَلى كَث
رَةِabundance (closing fragment) سوميmy demands وَاِشتِطاطيand my excesses
رَةِ سومي وَاِشتِطاطي
He accepts my rule, despite the abundance
Respond to my judgment on the
of my demands and my excesses.
Abundance of my worries and discontentment
فَهُوَso he is مَخلوقٌfashioned عَلىin وَفaccordance (opening fragment)
فَهُوَ مَخلوقٌ عَلى وَف
قِaccordance (closing fragment) اِقتِراحيmy wishes وَاِشتِراطيand my conditions
قِ اِقتِراحي وَاِشتِراطي
So he is fashioned in accordance
So he is a creature made to
with my wishes and conditions.
My proposal and stipulation
بَينَamong طاساتٍdrinking bowls كِبارِlarge
بَينَ طاساتٍ كِبارِ
مُترَعاتٍbrimful وَبَواطيand wine-basins
مُترَعاتٍ وَبَواطي
Amid large drinking bowls,
Among large cups
brimming full, and wine-basins,
Full ponds and open spaces
وَأَباريقٍand ewers كَأَجيادِlike the necks of
وَأَباريقٍ كَأَجيادِ
مَهاoryx السِربِthe herd العَواطيstretching upward
مَها السِربِ العَواطي
and ewers like the necks
And jugs like the excellent
of the herd's upward-reaching oryx,
Horses of the flock running loose
وَضَجيجٍand a clamor كَهَديرِlike the cooing of الthe
وَضَجيجٍ كَهَديرِ ال
طَيرِbirds حَوليaround me وَاِختِلاطِand commotion
طَيرِ حَولي وَاِختِلاطِ
and a clamor like the cooing of
And clamor like the twitter
birds around me, and commotion,
Of birds around me and mingling
وَرَذاذٍand drizzle نَحنُwe مِنهُfrom it
وَرَذاذٍ نَحنُ مِنهُ
فيamid نَثارِscattering وَلِقاطِand gathering
في نَثارِ وَلِقاطِ
and drizzle, from which we receive
And spray, we are amidst
scattered drops to gather.
Its scattering and collecting
فَمَتىso whenever وافَيتَنيyou come to me
فَمَتى وافَيتَني
تَمَّis complete سُروريmy joy وَاِغتِباطيand my delight
تَمَّ سُروري وَاِغتِباطي
So, whenever you come to me,
So when will you join me
my joy and delight will be complete.
My happiness will be complete
وَاِنخَرَطناand we shall be strung بِكَwith you فيinto سِلthread (opening fragment)
وَاِنخَرَطنا بِكَ في سِل
كِthread (closing fragment) الهَوىlove أَيَّwhat a اِنخِراطِbeing strung together
كِ الهَوى أَيَّ اِنخِراطِ
And with you we shall be threaded onto
And we will be absorbed with you in the
love's string—how completely strung!
Path of love, what an absorption!
Sol 6.1