بِحُمْرةِby the redness of وجْهٍa face لِذاكَbelonging to that الهِلالِthe crescent moon
بِحُمْرةِ وجْهٍ لِذاكَ الهِلالِ
وفَتْرَةِand the languor of مُقْلَةِthe eye of ذاكَthat الغَزالِthe gazelle
وفَتْرَةِ مُقْلَةِ ذاكَ الغَزالِ
By the blush upon that crescent's face,
With the redness of that crescent's face
and the languor of that gazelle's eye,
And the weakness of that gazelle's eyelashes
صِلِjoin اليَوْمَtoday بِالأَمْسِto yesterday إِنّيindeed I أَرىsee
صِلِ اليَوْمَ بِالأَمْسِ إِنّي أَرى
لَهُfor it بِالسَّعودِwith the auspicious stars وجوهَaspects of اتِّصالِconjunction
لَهُ بِالسَّعودِ وجوهَ اتِّصالِ
join today to yesterday, for I see
Unite today with yesterday, for I see
its ties with the auspicious stars.
For it, with good fortune, aspects of connection
هَواءٌair صَفاgrew clear وهَوىand love مِثْلُهُlike it
هَواءٌ صَفا وهَوى مِثْلُهُ
كَخَمْرِlike the wine of دَلالٍcoquetry وماءٍand water زُلالِlimpid
كَخَمْرِ دَلالٍ وماءٍ زُلالِ
Clear air, and love as clear,
An air, clear, and a love like it
like the wine of coquetry and limpid water.
Like the wine of grapes and water of streams
وغَيْمٍand clouds تَوَهُّمُهُthe thought of them كَالنَّوىlike parting
وغَيْمٍ تَوَهُّمُهُ كَالنَّوى
وصَحْوٍand clear weather حَقيقتُهُits reality كَالمُحالِlike the impossible
وصَحْوٍ حَقيقتُهُ كَالمُحالِ
And clouds, the thought of which is like parting,
And clouds whose fancy is like spearmint
and clear skies whose reality seems impossible.
And wakefulness whose reality is impossible
ومِثْلَand like اليَواقيتِrubies زَهْرُthe blossoms of الرُّبىthe hills
ومِثْلَ اليَواقيتِ زَهْرُ الرُّبى
وقَطْرُand drops of النَّدىdew بَيْنَهاamong them كاللآلِlike pearls
وقَطْرُ النَّدى بَيْنَها كاللآلِ
And the blossoms on the hills are like rubies,
And like gems, the blossoms of sweet basil
and dewdrops among them are like pearls.
And drops of dew between them like pearls
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle دَنَتْdraws near شَمْسُهُits sun للذُّبوto fading (continued next line)
إِذا ما دَنَتْ شَمْسُهُ للذُّبو
لcompletion of 'fading' أَشْرَقَshone نُوّارُهُits blossoms كالذُّبالِlike lamp-wicks
ل أَشْرَقَ نُوّارُهُ كالذُّبالِ
When its sun draws near to fading,
When its sun approaches to shine
its blossoms shine like lamp-wicks.
Its lights radiate like wolfsbane
وذاand this الدَّيْرُthe monastery تَسْعىgo forth بِغُزْلانِهِwith its gazelles
وذا الدَّيْرُ تَسْعى بِغُزْلانِهِ
شَعانينُهُits Palm Sunday festivities فيin صُنوفِforms of الجَمالِbeauty
شَعانينُهُ في صُنوفِ الجَمالِ
And this monastery—forth with its gazelles go
And this monastery strives with its gazelles
its Palm Sunday festivities, in every form of beauty.
Its tree branches in types of beauty
وصَفْراءُand golden wine بائِعُهاits seller خاسِرٌa loser
وصَفْراءُ بائِعُها خاسِرٌ
ولوand even if حازَgained عَنin exchange for قَدَحٍa cup بَيْتَa house of مالِwealth
ولو حازَ عَن قَدَحٍ بَيْتَ مالِ
And golden wine, whose seller loses,
And its blonde seller is at a loss
even if he gains a treasury for a cup.
Even if he obtained from a goblet a public treasury
أياO بامخايالَBamkhayal أَفْديI ransom ثَراكَyour soil
أيا بامخايالَ أَفْدي ثَراكَ
بِنَفْسيwith my life وماليand my wealth وعَمّيand my paternal uncle وخاليand my maternal uncle
بِنَفْسي ومالي وعَمّي وخالي
O Bamkhayal, I would ransom your soil
Oh he who is proud of his imagination ransom me
with my life, my wealth, my paternal uncle and my maternal uncle.
With my soul, wealth, uncle and aunt
فَكَمْand how many سَكْرَةٍa drunken spell ليَfor me قَبْلَbefore الأَذاthe call to prayer (continued next line)
فَكَمْ سَكْرَةٍ ليَ قَبْلَ الأَذا
نِcompletion of 'call to prayer' بَيْنَamong دَواليبِهِits waterwheels والدَّواليand the grapevines
نِ بَيْنَ دَواليبِهِ والدَّوالي
And how many drunken spells were mine before the call
For how much intoxication I had before calling
to prayer, among its waterwheels and grapevines!
Between its rotations and the rotations
تَجولُcircle round خُيولُthe horses of دَواليبِهاits waterwheels
تَجولُ خُيولُ دَواليبِها
فَتَمْلأُand so fill ماwater (apparently shortened ماء) وَرْدَthe roses of ذاكَthat المَجالِthe field
فَتَمْلأُ ما وَرْدَ ذاكَ المَجالِ
The horses of its waterwheels circle round,
Its steeds roam the rotations
and fill the roses of that field with water.
So they fill what rose in that arena