ياO لَيلَةًa night بِالكَرخِin al-Karkh كَمhow many لَذَّةٍa delight
يا لَيلَةً بِالكَرخِ كَم لَذَّةٍ
سيقَتwas brought إِلَيناto us لَيلَةَon the night of الكَرخِal-Karkh
سيقَت إِلَينا لَيلَةَ الكَرخِ
O night in al-Karkh, how many a delight
O night in Karakh, how much pleasure
Oh, that night in al-Karkh! How many delights
was brought to us that night in al-Karkh!
Was brought to us by the night of Karakh
Were driven our way on the night of al-Karkh,
سُقيتُهاI was given it to drink صَهباءَtawny wine مَشمولَةًcooled by the north wind
سُقيتُها صَهباءَ مَشمولَةً
كَريمَةَnoble الجَدَّينِthe two grandfathers وَالسِنخِand stock
كَريمَةَ الجَدَّينِ وَالسِنخِ
I was given it to drink—a tawny wine cooled by the north wind,
I was served it, unmixed, pure
When I was served a ruddy wine, chilled by the north wind,
noble in its two grandsires and its stock,
Noble in origin and ancestry
Noble in both its ancestry and its root,
سُلافَةًchoice, pure wine تَضحَكُlaughing فيin كَأسِهاits cup
سُلافَةً تَضحَكُ في كَأسِها
عَذراءَa virgin صانوهاthey protected it عَنِfrom الطَبخِcooking; boiling
عَذراءَ صانوها عَنِ الطَبخِ
choice, pure wine laughing in its cup,
A clear wine that smiles in its cup
The choicest press, laughing within its cup,
a virgin they had kept from being boiled.
A maiden whom they have protected from cooking
A virgin vintage, kept safe from the boiling flame.