ربَّmany a صفراءa fair-skinned woman علَّلتنيregaled me بصفراwith golden wine (continued)
ربَّ صفراء علَّلتني بصفرا
ءcompletion of 'golden wine' وجِنْحand the wing of الظلامthe darkness جَوْنblack الإزارthe robe
ء وجِنْح الظلام جَوْن الإزار
Many a fair-skinned woman regaled me with golden wine,
A blonde has made me lovesick with yellowness, and the wing of darkness the color of my robe,
While the wing of darkness wore a black robe,
Between water and garden and vineyards,
بينamong ماءٍwater وروضةٍand a garden وكُرومٍand vineyards
بين ماءٍ وروضةٍ وكُرومٍ
وقِبابٍand domed pavilions مِنيفةٍlofty وصحارىand deserts
وقِبابٍ مِنيفةٍ وصحارى
Among water, a garden, and vineyards,
And graceful domes and deserts,
And lofty domed pavilions and deserts.
Where the branches bend over us,
تتثنىsway بهاin it الغصونُthe branches عليناover us
تتثنى بها الغصونُ علينا
وتجِيبand answer القِيانَthe singing slave-girls فيهاin it القمارىthe turtledoves
وتجِيب القِيانَ فيها القمارى
The branches swayed there over us,
And the gamblers are awakened there by the singing girls.
And the turtledoves there answered the singing girls.
It is as if the darkness were the tresses of her hair,
وكأنand as though الدجىthe darkness غدائرtresses شَعْرٍhair
وكأن الدجى غدائر شَعْرٍ
وكأنand as though النجومthe stars فيهin it مَدارِىcombs
وكأن النجوم فيه مَدارِى
As though the darkness were tresses of hair,
And the stars shining in it were her jewelry.
And the stars within it were combs.
The clouds uncovered a crescent moon which appeared
وأنجلىand lifted الغيمُthe clouds عنfrom هلالٍa crescent moon تبدّىappeared
وأنجلى الغيمُ عن هلالٍ تبدّى
فيin يدthe hand of الأُفْقthe horizon مثلَlike نصفhalf of سِوارِa bracelet
في يد الأُفْق مثلَ نصف سِوارِ
And the clouds lifted from a crescent that appeared
In the hand of the horizon like half a bracelet,
In the horizon's hand, like half a bracelet.
So give me to drink, for I seek vengeance with drinking, and for events, vengeance.
فاسقِيانِيso pour for me, you two فإننيfor indeed I أطلبI seek المجglory (continued)
فاسقِيانِي فإنني أطلب المج
دcompletion of 'glory' بثارٍwith vengeance والحادثاتِand fate's vicissitudes بثارِwith vengeance
د بثارٍ والحادثاتِ بثارِ
So pour for me, you two, for I seek glory
If they were not human, they would suit nothing but the moons.
Through vengeance, and vengeance against the blows of fate.
I give them to drink while they give me the comfort, to the tune of the well-strung strings,
وندامىand drinking companions لوif لمnot يكونواthey were منof الإنhumankind (continued)
وندامى لو لم يكونوا من الإن
سcompletion of 'humankind' لماwould not ناسبواthey were akin to سوىexcept الأقمارthe moons
س لما ناسبوا سوى الأقمار
And drinking companions—were they not of humankind,
On a carpet the talk came into view,
They would be kin to none but moons.
Like clover plants among the blossoms.
بتُّI spent the night أسقِيهمI poured for them ويسقوننيand they poured for me الراthe wine (continued)
بتُّ أسقِيهم ويسقونني الرا
حcompletion of 'wine' علىto the accompaniment of طِيبsweetness صحَّةcorrect tuning الأوتارthe strings
ح على طِيب صحَّة الأوتار
I spent the night pouring wine for them, and they for me,
We did not cease to sip the goblets until the night was buried in the heart of the day.
To the sweetness of well-tuned strings,
وبساطٍand a carpet منof الحديثconversation تبدّىappeared
وبساطٍ من الحديث تبدّى
كنباتِlike the growth of النِسْرينwild roses (eglantine) بينamong البَهَارthe yellow oxeye flowers
كنباتِ النِسْرين بين البَهَار
And a carpet of conversation that unfolded
Like wild roses growing among yellow oxeye flowers.
لمdid not نزلcease (we) نلثمwe kiss الكؤوسthe cups إلىuntil أنthat
لم نزل نلثم الكؤوس إلى أن
دُفِنwas buried الليلthe night فيin فؤادthe heart of النهارthe day
دُفِن الليل في فؤاد النهار
We kept kissing the cups until
The night was buried in the heart of day.
Partial English translation: 15 of 20 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1