لناwe have أبَرمِيسabarmīs (a fish) كنَيْلِlike the fulfillment of المُنَىwishes
لنا أبَرمِيس كنَيْلِ المُنَى
حَبِيبٌbeloved إليناto us نأىwent far away أَمor دَنَاdrew near
حَبِيبٌ إلينا نأى أَم دَنَا
We have abarmīs, like wishes fulfilled,
We have apricots like the wish of desires
dear to us, whether far away or near.
A beloved near or far to us
يُحِبُّlove إدامَتهprolonging it الآكلونthe eaters
يُحِبُّ إدامَته الآكلون
ويُصبيand beguiles بلَذَّتِهِwith its deliciousness الأَلْسُناthe tongues
ويُصبي بلَذَّتِهِ الأَلْسُنا
Those who eat it love to keep eating it,
Those who taste it love its sweetness
and it beguiles tongues with its deliciousness.
And tongues sing its pleasures
تَدَرَّجُcurl up منهof it مُتونthe ridges of الظهورِthe backs
تَدَرَّجُ منه مُتون الظهورِ
كماjust as دَرَّجَتْrolled up راحةٌa palm جَوْشَنَاa coat of mail
كما دَرَّجَتْ راحةٌ جَوْشَنَا
The ridges of its backs curl up,
Its flesh ripens gradually
as a palm has rolled up a coat of mail.
Like the slow blossoming of a bud
وضَرَّجَهand dyed it القَلْىُfrying مِنْthrough حَرِّهِits heat
وضَرَّجَه القَلْىُ مِنْ حَرِّهِ
بوَرْدٍwith roses وقَلَّدَهand garlanded it سَوْسَناirises
بوَرْدٍ وقَلَّدَه سَوْسَنا
And frying, with its heat, has dyed it
Roasted in its own heat
with roses, and garlanded it with irises.
Adorned with rose and lily
كأنّas though الأحبّةthe beloveds مِنthrough طَعْمِهits taste
كأنّ الأحبّة مِن طَعْمِه
يُقَبّلْنَناthey kiss us فيزُلْنand so they dispel الضَّنَىlovesickness
يُقَبّلْنَنا فيزُلْن الضَّنَى
As though, through its taste, our beloveds
As if when we taste it
were kissing us and banishing lovesickness.
The beloved kiss away our sorrows
أكلْناهwe ate it والماءُand the water يَحكيmimics لناfor us
أكلْناه والماءُ يَحكي لنا
حريرُthe silk of جَداوِلهits streams أرْغُناan organ
حريرُ جَداوِله أرْغُنا
We ate it while the water mimicked for us,
We ate it while the water told us
through the silk of its streams, an organ.
The murmur of its streams intoxicated us
وليسand there is no لناfor us ياO شقيقَbrother of الفؤادِthe heart
وليس لنا يا شقيقَ الفؤادِ
نبيذٌwine نُتِمُّwe complete بهwith it أمرَناour affair
نبيذٌ نُتِمُّ به أمرَنا
And we have no, O brother of my heart,
And we have no wine, my heart’s companion
wine with which to complete our affair.
To perfect our joy with it
فرأْيكso your opinion فيabout السَّمَكthe fish المستطابِdelectable
فرأْيك في السَّمَك المستطابِ
إذاwhen غابتhas disappeared الراحthe wine أنthat يَحسُناit be good
إذا غابت الراح أن يَحسُنا
So what is your view of the delectable fish—
So what do you think of fine fish
can it be good when wine is absent?
If the apricot wind passes without us?
وقدand already طالعْتناhave risen before us نجومُthe stars of المجُونِwantonness
وقد طالعْتنا نجومُ المجُونِ
ولاand there is no بُدّescape واللهِby God أنthat نَمْجُناwe behave wantonly
ولا بُدّ واللهِ أن نَمْجُنا
And the stars of wantonness have already risen before us,
We saw the stars of the loved ones
and, by God, we must be wanton.
And by God, we must be drunk!
Sol 6.1