دَعِleave off الوُقوفَstanding عَلىover رَسمٍa dwelling's traces وَأَطلالِand ruins
دَعِ الوُقوفَ عَلى رَسمٍ وَأَطلالِ
وَدِمنَةٍand a blackened campsite كَسَحيقِlike the threadbare remnants of اليَمنَةِa Yemeni cloak الباليworn-out
وَدِمنَةٍ كَسَحيقِ اليَمنَةِ البالي
Give up standing over a dwelling's traces and ruins,
Leave off standing at a ruin and remnants,
Leave off your standing over sketches and ruins, over traces faded like a worn Yemeni mantle,
And a blackened campsite, like worn shreds of a Yemeni cloak.
And ashes like the scattered dust of Yemen,
And turn with us to a morning draught of burning gold, intense as fire's glow or the mirage's shimmer.
وَعُجand turn aside بِناwith us نَصطَبِحlet us drink at dawn صَفراءَyellow wine واقِدَةًblazing
وَعُج بِنا نَصطَبِح صَفراءَ واقِدَةً
فيin حُمرَةِthe redness of النارِfire أَوor فيin رِقَّةِthe delicacy of الآلِa mirage
في حُمرَةِ النارِ أَو في رِقَّةِ الآلِ
And turn aside with us to drink at dawn a blazing yellow wine,
And come with us, let us spend the night chatting
Time has not dulled the keen edge of its power, nor has corruption touched it through the empty ages.
With fire's redness or a mirage's delicacy.
In the red glow of fire or in the soft light of lamps,
The cupbearer rose at night to temper it, radiant as a full moon dispelling the dark,
لَمnot يُذهِبِtake away الدَهرُtime عَنهاfrom it حَدَّthe edge of سَورَتَهاits intoxicating force
لَم يُذهِبِ الدَهرُ عَنها حَدَّ سَورَتَها
وَلَمand not يَنَلهاtouch it الأَذىharm فيin دَهرِهاits lifetime الخاليbygone
وَلَم يَنَلها الأَذى في دَهرِها الخالي
Time has not blunted the edge of its potency,
Time has not erased its exquisite form,
It nearly snatches away the sight when mixed with water, revealed in the glory of its lucid hue.
Nor has harm touched it in its bygone years.
Nor did it suffer harm in its empty days,
It beams with laughter in the faces of boon companions, like pearls cascading from a jeweler's hand.
قامَstood الغُلامُthe boy بِهاwith it فيin اللَيلِthe night يَمزُجُهاmixing it
قامَ الغُلامُ بِها في اللَيلِ يَمزُجُها
كَالبَدرِlike the full moon ضَوءُthe light of سَناهُhis radiance لِلدُجىfor the darkness حالِadorning
كَالبَدرِ ضَوءُ سَناهُ لِلدُجى حالِ
The boy stood with it at night, mixing it,
The youth stood by it at night mixing it
You see the noble man deny it to the base; he hoards the wine, yet spares no cost of gold,
Like the full moon, his radiant light adorning the dark.
Like the moon, his brilliant teeth lighting up the darkness,
In the house of a gray-haired tavern-mistress, a shrewd infidel emboldened by the governor's grace.
تَكادُit almost تَخطِفُsnatches away أَبصاراًsight إِذاwhen مُزِجَتit is mixed
تَكادُ تَخطِفُ أَبصاراً إِذا مُزِجَت
بِالماءِwith water وَاجتُلِيَتand is beheld فيin لَونِهاits color الجاليradiant
بِالماءِ وَاجتُلِيَت في لَونِها الجالي
It almost snatches away sight when it is mixed
It could snatch eyes when mixed
With water and beheld in its radiant hue.
With water and clarified into its transparent color,
تَفتَرُّit smiles فيin أَوجُهِthe faces of النُدمانِthe drinking companions ضاحِكَةًlaughing
تَفتَرُّ في أَوجُهِ النُدمانِ ضاحِكَةً
كَمِثلِjust like دُرٍّpearls وَهيَwhile it is مِنfrom كَفِّthe palm of لَأآلِa pearl-dealer
كَمِثلِ دُرٍّ وَهيَ مِن كَفِّ لَأآلِ
It smiles, laughing, in the drinking companions' faces,
It sparkles in the faces of boon companions laughing
Like pearls, as it comes from a pearl-dealer's palm.
Like a pearl in the palm of an entertainer,
تَرىyou see الكَريمَthe noble man عَنِfrom الأَنذالِthe ignoble يَصرِفُهاhe keeps it away
تَرى الكَريمَ عَنِ الأَنذالِ يَصرِفُها
يُبقيhe is sparing عَلَيهاwith it وَلاand not يُبقيhe is sparing عَلىwith مالِmoney
يُبقي عَلَيها وَلا يُبقي عَلى مالِ
You see the noble man keep it from the ignoble;
You see the noble turn away the ignoble from it
He is sparing with it, but not with money,
He preserves it and does not preserve his money,
فيin بَيتِthe house of كافِرَةٍan unbelieving woman بِالخَمرِin wine تاجِرَةٍa female merchant
في بَيتِ كافِرَةٍ بِالخَمرِ تاجِرَةٍ
شَمطاءَgray-haired شاطِرَةٍwily تَعتَزُّshe draws strength بِالواليfrom the governor
شَمطاءَ شاطِرَةٍ تَعتَزُّ بِالوالي
In the house of an unbelieving woman who trades in wine,
In the house of an infidel woman selling wine,
Gray-haired and wily, she draws strength from the governor.
A saucy clever one proud of her clientele.
Partial English translation: 8 of 16 Arabic lines translated.