بَديعُ الخَلقِ مَوفورُ الخُطوطِ

بَديعُ الخَلقِ مَوفورُ الخُطوطِ

لَطيفُ الخَصرِ كَالفَرَسِ الرَبيطِ

لَطيفُ الخَصرِ كَالفَرَسِ الرَبيطِ

Exquisite in form, with ample contours,

Of perfect creation and abundant in grace,

A marvel of creation, with contours rich and fine,

Slender-waisted, like a tethered steed.

Slender of waist like a finely bred mare,

With slender waist, like a tethered steed in line.

أَبوهُ مِن أَكابِرِ قِبطِ مِصرٍ

أَبوهُ مِن أَكابِرِ قِبطِ مِصرٍ

تَسامى عَن مُناسَبَةِ النَبيطِ

تَسامى عَن مُناسَبَةِ النَبيطِ

His father is among the foremost Copts of Egypt;

His father among the grandees of Egyptian Copts,

His father is of Egypt's Coptic noble brand,

He held himself above kinship with the Nabataeans.

Too noble for base company,

Far risen above the lineage of the common band.

سَقاني صَفوَ ماءِ النيلِ وَهناً

سَقاني صَفوَ ماءِ النيلِ وَهناً

بِراحٍ مِن كُرومِ قُرى سُيوطِ

بِراحٍ مِن كُرومِ قُرى سُيوطِ

He gave me the Nile’s clear water to drink late at night,

She gave me to drink the pure water of the Nile, delicately,

He served me pure Nile water in the quiet night,

With wine from the vineyards of Suyut’s villages.

With a breeze from the vineyards of Suyut's villages,

Infused with wine from Asyut's vines so bright.

لَها حالانِ مِن طَعمٍ وَريحٍ

لَها حالانِ مِن طَعمٍ وَريحٍ

وَلَونٌ في الزُجاجَةِ كَالسَليطِ

وَلَونٌ في الزُجاجَةِ كَالسَليطِ

It has two qualities: taste and scent,

It had two states in taste and fragrance,

Two qualities it holds: of flavor and of scent,

And, in the glass, a color like oil.

And a color in the bottle like chicory,

Its color in the glass like golden oil is pent.

خَلَوتُ بِهِ أُنازِعُهُ شَمولاً

خَلَوتُ بِهِ أُنازِعُهُ شَمولاً

وَأَنشِدُهُ مِنَ البَحرِ البَسيطِ

وَأَنشِدُهُ مِنَ البَحرِ البَسيطِ

I was alone with him, sharing wine with him,

I conversed with it intimately, sipping slowly,

Alone with him, sharing the chilled vintage sweet,

And recited verses to him in the basīṭ meter.

And recited to it from the Simple meter.

I sang him verses from the Basit's rhythmic beat.