ألاAh ربَّmany a يومٍday لناfor us صالحٍfine
ألا ربَّ يومٍ لنا صالحٍ
مَحاerased خطأَthe wrong الزمنِtime المُفسِدِruinous
مَحا خطأَ الزمنِ المُفسِدِ
Ah, many a fine day of ours
Oh Lord, grant us a propitious day
erased the wrong of ruinous time.
To erase the sins of the corrupting age
أدرتُI passed around بهduring it الخمرَthe wine ناريّةًfiery
أدرتُ به الخمرَ ناريّةً
تخيفُfrightens المديرَthe pourer التهابَburning اليدِthe hand
تخيفُ المديرَ التهابَ اليدِ
That day I passed round fiery wine,
I turned the fiery wine that day
making the pourer fear his hand would burn.
Frightening the boss, inflaming his hand
وأمسيتُand I spent the evening أفقأI burst عينeye الحَبابِthe bubbles
وأمسيتُ أفقأ عين الحَبابِ
وأعتدُّهاand I reckon it أعينَeyes الحُسّدِthe envious
وأعتدُّها أعينَ الحُسّدِ
And at evening I burst the bubbles' eye,
And I blinded the eyes of the spies
reckoning it the eyes of the envious.
Making them envy's eyes, in truth
وقلتُand I said اسقِنيgive me to drink الكأسَthe cup ورديّةًrose-colored
وقلتُ اسقِني الكأسَ ورديّةً
كماas خجِلَتْblushed وجنةُcheek الأمْرَدِthe beardless youth
كما خجِلَتْ وجنةُ الأمْرَدِ
And I said, “Pour me the cup, rose-colored,
I said, "Serve me the rosy cup"
like the blushing cheek of the beardless youth.”
As the cheek of emerald reddened with shame
فقامso he rose وقدand already كادwas nearly طرفُeye الصباحِthe morning
فقام وقد كاد طرفُ الصباحِ
منfrom الليلthe night يُكحَلُis lined with kohl بالإثْمِدِwith antimony
من الليل يُكحَلُ بالإثْمِدِ
So he rose, while morning's eye was nearly
So he stood up when dawn's edge
lined by night with antimony kohl.
Began to blacken with the dark of night
وللنيلand for the Nile تحتbeneath ثيابِrobes الأصيلthe late afternoon
وللنيل تحت ثيابِ الأصيل
لُجينٌsilver توشّحgirded itself بالعسْجَدِwith gold
لُجينٌ توشّح بالعسْجَدِ
And the Nile, beneath the robes of late afternoon,
And the Nile beneath the clothes of night
had silver girdled with gold.
Had wrappings of silver and sable
كأنّas though الشُعاعَthe sunlight علىupon متنِهits back
كأنّ الشُعاعَ على متنِه
فرنْدٌwatered-steel pattern بصفحةِon the face of سيفٍa sword صَديrusty
فرنْدٌ بصفحةِ سيفٍ صَدي
As though the sunlight upon its back
As if the beams on its surface
were the watered pattern on a rusty sword's blade;
Were an Indian sword with polished blade
وأشبهَand it resembled إنif درجتْهُruffled it الصَباthe east wind
وأشبهَ إن درجتْهُ الصَبا
بُرادةَfilings تبرٍraw gold علىupon مِبرَدِa file
بُرادةَ تبرٍ على مِبرَدِ
and if the east wind ruffled it, it resembled
And if its ripples in the breeze
filings of raw gold upon a file.
Resembled cooled broth in a silver bowl