وَأَروَعَ أَمجَدَ قَرَّظَتهُ

وَأَروَعَ أَمجَدَ قَرَّظَتهُ

وَبيضُ اللَآلي لِبيضِ النُحورِ

وَبيضُ اللَآلي لِبيضِ النُحورِ

And a splendid, most noble man I extolled;

His eloquence's brilliance outshone

and white pearls are for white necks.

the full moons' radiant light.

وَشَعشَعَتِ الخَمرُ أَخلاقَهُ

وَشَعشَعَتِ الخَمرُ أَخلاقَهُ

فَأَطلَعَها غُرَراً لِلبُدورِ

فَأَطلَعَها غُرَراً لِلبُدورِ

And wine mellowed his manners,

Wine illuminated his character -

so he brought them forth as radiant brows for the full moons.

pearls flashing forth from shells.

وَهاتيكَ آدابُهُ لُجَّةٌ

وَهاتيكَ آدابُهُ لُجَّةٌ

فَمَن لي زَخَرَت بِالعُبورِ

فَمَن لي زَخَرَت بِالعُبورِ

And those literary accomplishments of his are a deep sea;

His manners cut like sharpened swords.

so who will help me cross it, now that it surges?

Who can pass through this dense thicket?

وَما أَرغَتِ الكَأسُ في كَفِّهِ

وَما أَرغَتِ الكَأسُ في كَفِّهِ

وَلَكِنَّها ضَحِكَت عَن سُرورِ

وَلَكِنَّها ضَحِكَت عَن سُرورِ

And the cup did not foam in his palm,

His cup was never noisy in his hand,

but it laughed for joy.

but laughing with delight.

إِذا ماجَرى فَوقَ قُرطاسِهِ

إِذا ماجَرى فَوقَ قُرطاسِهِ

يَراعٌ جَرى حِبرُهُ بِالحُبورِ

يَراعٌ جَرى حِبرُهُ بِالحُبورِ

Whenever over his paper runs

When inspiration flowed across his page

a reed pen, his ink flows with joy.

wild deer racing with ink of gold.

فَنَلثُمُ أَوضاعَ تِلكَ الرِقاعِ

فَنَلثُمُ أَوضاعَ تِلكَ الرِقاعِ

وَلُعسَ مَراشِفِ تِلكَ السُطورِ

وَلُعسَ مَراشِفِ تِلكَ السُطورِ

So we kiss the compositions on those sheets,

We kiss the form of those leaves

and the dusky lips of those lines.

and cuddle the lines of that prose.

فَهَل نِقسُهُ مِن سَوادِ اللَمى

فَهَل نِقسُهُ مِن سَوادِ اللَمى

وَمُهرَقَهُ مِن بَياضِ الثُغورِ

وَمُهرَقَهُ مِن بَياضِ الثُغورِ

So is his ink from the blackness of dusky lips,

Can we save him from dark blame

and his paper from the whiteness of teeth?

or rescue his whiteness from ruin?