وَمُشتَعِلِ الخَدَّينِ يَسحَرُ طَرفُهُ

وَمُشتَعِلِ الخَدَّينِ يَسحَرُ طَرفُهُ

لَهُ سِمَةٌ يَحكي بِها سِمَةَ البَدرِ

لَهُ سِمَةٌ يَحكي بِها سِمَةَ البَدرِ

And one with flaming cheeks, whose glance enchants,

With blushing cheeks his glance is charming,

One of glowing cheeks, whose glance casts a spell,

He has a mark that mirrors the full moon's mark.

It tells of features like the full moon.

Possessing a trait by which he mimics the mark of the full moon.

إِذا ما مَشى يَهتَزُّ مِن دونِ نَحرِهِ

إِذا ما مَشى يَهتَزُّ مِن دونِ نَحرِهِ

وَأَعطافِهِ مِنهُ إِلى مُنتَهى الخَصرِ

وَأَعطافِهِ مِنهُ إِلى مُنتَهى الخَصرِ

When he walks, he sways beneath his upper chest,

When he walks his chest sways,

When he walks, he quivers from below his throat,

And along his flanks, down to the end of his waist.

And from it to the waist's end.

And through his flanks, down to the very end of his waist.

وَلَيسَت خُطاهُ حينَ يُزهى بِرِدفِهِ

وَلَيسَت خُطاهُ حينَ يُزهى بِرِدفِهِ

إِذا ما مَشى في الأَرضِ أَكثَرَ مِن فِترِ

إِذا ما مَشى في الأَرضِ أَكثَرَ مِن فِترِ

And his steps, as he struts proudly with his rump,

His steps when he struts with his buttocks

His strides are not, when he struts proud of his haunches,

When he walks the earth, are no longer than a thumb-to-forefinger span.

On earth no more than a span.

When he treads upon the earth, longer than a mere span.

دَعَوتُ لَهُ بِاللَيلِ صاحِبَ حانَةٍ

دَعَوتُ لَهُ بِاللَيلِ صاحِبَ حانَةٍ

بِمُنتَقَصِ الأَطرافِ مُنخَسِفِ الظَهرِ

بِمُنتَقَصِ الأَطرافِ مُنخَسِفِ الظَهرِ

For him, at night, I summoned a tavern keeper,

I called a tavern keeper by night for him,

I summoned for his sake, in the night, the master of a tavern,

For a wineskin with shortened limbs and a sunken back.

With docked limbs and hunched back.

Bearing a vessel with shortened limbs and a caved-in back,

فَجاءَ بِهِ في اللَيلِ سَحباً كَأَنَّما

فَجاءَ بِهِ في اللَيلِ سَحباً كَأَنَّما

يَجُرُّ قَتيلاً أَو نَشيراً مِنَ القَبرِ

يَجُرُّ قَتيلاً أَو نَشيراً مِنَ القَبرِ

Then he brought it by night, dragging it as though

He came with him at night dragging

Who brought it in the night, dragging it as though

He were dragging a slain man or one raised from the grave.

As if a corpse or a dug-up bone.

He were dragging a slain man, or one exhumed from the grave.

فَقَرَّبَ مِن نَحوِ الأَباريقِ خَدَّهُ

فَقَرَّبَ مِن نَحوِ الأَباريقِ خَدَّهُ

وَقَهقَهَ مَسروراً مِنَ القَرقَفِ الخَمرِ

وَقَهقَهَ مَسروراً مِنَ القَرقَفِ الخَمرِ

Then he drew its cheek close to the ewers,

He brought his cheek near the jugs

Then he brought its cheek close toward the ewers,

And it laughed aloud, delighted with the wine.

And guffawed, delighted by the potsherd's clink.

And the strong wine chuckled aloud in its joy.

فَصَبَّ فَأَبدَت ثُمَّ شُجَّت فَكُتِّبَت

فَصَبَّ فَأَبدَت ثُمَّ شُجَّت فَكُتِّبَت

ثَمانٍ مِنَ الواواتِ يَضحَكنَ في سَطرِ

ثَمانٍ مِنَ الواواتِ يَضحَكنَ في سَطرِ

Then he poured; she showed herself, then was cut with water, and there were inscribed

He poured and she showed herself, then wrinkled,

He poured and it appeared; then it was mixed, and there were inscribed

Eight wāw letters, laughing in a row.

Eight waws laughed in a line.

Eight of the letter 'Waw', laughing in a line.

فَقُلتُ لَها يا خَمرُ كَم لَكِ حِجَّةً

فَقُلتُ لَها يا خَمرُ كَم لَكِ حِجَّةً

فَقالَت سَكَنتُ الدُنَّ رَدحاً مِنَ الدَهرِ

فَقالَت سَكَنتُ الدُنَّ رَدحاً مِنَ الدَهرِ

Then I said to her, 'O wine, how many years old are you?'

I said, “Wine, what's your excuse?”

So I said to her, "O Wine, how many years do you claim?"

She said, 'I dwelt in the wine jar for a long stretch of time.'

She said, “I’ve settled the world for ages.”

She replied, "I dwelt within the earthen jar for an epoch of time."

فَقُلتُ لَها كِسرى حَواكِ فَعَبَّسَت

فَقُلتُ لَها كِسرى حَواكِ فَعَبَّسَت

وَقالَت لَقَد قَصَّرتَ في قِلَّةِ الصَبرِ

وَقالَت لَقَد قَصَّرتَ في قِلَّةِ الصَبرِ

Then I said to her, 'Kisra kept you,' and she frowned,

I said, “Circe's pigsty!” She frowned

I said to her, "Did Chosroes possess you?" and she frowned,

And said, 'Indeed, you have fallen short through lack of patience.

And said, “You've fallen short in patience.”

And said, "You have truly fallen short in your hasty reckoning."

سَمِعتُ بِذي القَرنَينِ قَبلَ خُروجِهِ

سَمِعتُ بِذي القَرنَينِ قَبلَ خُروجِهِ

وَأَدرَكتُ موسى قَبلَ صاحِبِهِ الخِضرِ

وَأَدرَكتُ موسى قَبلَ صاحِبِهِ الخِضرِ

I heard of Dhu al-Qarnayn before he set forth,

I heard of Dhu l-Qarnayn before his raid,

"I heard of the Two-Horned One before his emergence,"

And I knew Moses before his companion al-Khidr.

And met Moses before his mate al-Khidr.

"And I reached the time of Moses before his companion, al-Khidr."

وَلَو أَنَّني خُلِّدتُ فيهِ سَكَنتُهُ

وَلَو أَنَّني خُلِّدتُ فيهِ سَكَنتُهُ

إِلى أَن يُنادي هاتِفُ اللَهِ بِالحَشرِ

إِلى أَن يُنادي هاتِفُ اللَهِ بِالحَشرِ

And were I made immortal within it, I would dwell there

Had I been made immortal in it, I'd have settled him

"And had I been left eternal therein, I would have remained,"

Until God's herald calls for the Last Gathering.'

Till the Caller of God calls to the Muster.

"Until the herald of God cries out for the Resurrection."

فَبِتنا عَلى خَيرِ العُقارِ عَوابِساً

فَبِتنا عَلى خَيرِ العُقارِ عَوابِساً

وَإِبليسُ يَحدونا بِأَلوِيَةِ السِكرِ

وَإِبليسُ يَحدونا بِأَلوِيَةِ السِكرِ

So we passed the night over the finest wine, grim-faced,

We spent the night in the best beds frowning

So we passed the night with the finest vintage, stern-faced,

And Iblis urged us on with the banners of drunkenness.

While Iblis cheers us with tipsiness' banners.

While Iblis drove us on with the banners of intoxication.