وَداعٍand a caller دَعانيinvited me وَالنُجومُwhile the stars كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَداعٍ دَعاني وَالنُجومُ كَأَنَّها
قَلائِصُyoung she-camels قَدalready أَعنَقنَtrotted swiftly خَلفَbehind فَنيقِa prized bull camel
قَلائِصُ قَد أَعنَقنَ خَلفَ فَنيقِ
And a caller invited me, while the stars seemed
A friend bid me farewell, and the stars were like
young she-camels that had trotted swiftly behind a prized bull camel.
Necklaces hanging behind the Phoenix constellation.
وَقالَand he said اِغتَنِمseize مِنfrom دَهرِناour time غَفَلاتِهِits unguarded moments
وَقالَ اِغتَنِم مِن دَهرِنا غَفَلاتِهِ
فَعَقدُfor the bond ذِمامِpledge الدَهرِtime غَيرُnot وَثيقِsecure
فَعَقدُ ذِمامِ الدَهرِ غَيرُ وَثيقِ
And he said, 'Seize our time's unguarded moments,
And he said, “Seize the heedlessness of our days,
for the bond of time's pledge is not secure.'
For the bridle of fate is not firmly tied.”
وَناوَلَنيand he handed me كَأساًa cup كأنas though بنانهhis fingertips
وَناوَلَني كَأساً كأن بنانه
مُخَضَّبةstained منfrom لَوfirst fragment of 'its color' نِهاsecond fragment of 'its color' بِخَلُقwith saffron perfume (reading بخلوق)
مُخَضَّبة من لَو نِها بِخَلُق
And he handed me a cup, as though his fingertips
He handed me a cup that seemed as though
were stained by its color as with saffron perfume.
Its crystals were dyed by its red wine.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle طَغاsurges فيهاwithin it المِزاجُthe mixing water حَسَبتَهاyou would think it
إِذا ما طَغا فيها المِزاجُ حَسَبتَها
كَواكِبَstars دُرٍّpearl فيin سَماءِa sky عَقيقِcarnelian
كَواكِبَ دُرٍّ في سَماءِ عَقيقِ
When the mixing water surges within it, you would think it
When the wine mixed in it surged, I thought it
stars of pearl in a sky of carnelian.
Like twinkling ruby stars in a sapphire sky.
تَدِبُّit creeps دَبيبَthe creeping البُرءِhealing فيthrough كُلِّevery مفصلٍjoint
تَدِبُّ دَبيبَ البُرءِ في كُلِّ مفصلٍ
وَتَكسوand it clothes وُجوهَfaces الشربِthe drinkers ثَوبَa robe شَقيقِred anemone
وَتَكسو وُجوهَ الشربِ ثَوبَ شَقيقِ
It creeps like healing through every joint,
It creeps with the creeping of lightning in every joint
and clothes the drinkers' faces in an anemone-red robe.
And clothes the faces of sipping with the veil of dawn.
وَإِنّيand indeed I مِنamong لَذّاتِpleasures دَهريmy lifetime لَقانِعٌsurely content
وَإِنّي مِن لَذّاتِ دَهري لَقانِعٌ
بِحُلوِwith the sweetness of حَديثٍconversation إِوor (reading أو) بِمُرِّwith the bitterness of عَتيقِaged wine
بِحُلوِ حَديثٍ إِو بِمُرِّ عَتيقِ
And among the pleasures of my life, I am indeed content
Of the pleasures of my days, I’m content
with sweet conversation or bitter aged wine.
With sweet conversation or aged wine.
هُماthose two ماwhat (exclamatory) هُماthey both لَمnot يَبقَremain شَيءٌanything سِواهُماbesides the two of them
هُما ما هُما لَم يَبقَ شَيءٌ سِواهُما
حَديثُconversation صَديقٍof a friend أَوor عَتيقُaged رَحيقِpure wine
حَديثُ صَديقٍ أَو عَتيقُ رَحيقِ
Those two—what a pair they are! Nothing remains but them:
Whatever they are, nothing remains but them—
a friend's conversation, or aged, pure wine.
The talk of a friend or the fragrance of aged wine.
Sol 6.1