نُزَوِّجُ الخَمرَ مِنَ الماءِ في

نُزَوِّجُ الخَمرَ مِنَ الماءِ في

طاساتِ تِبرٍ خَمرُها يَفهَقُ

طاساتِ تِبرٍ خَمرُها يَفهَقُ

We wed the wine to water in

We mix wine with water in

We marry the wine to the water in

bowls of gold whose wine brims over,

Earthenware cups, its bubbles frothing

Cups of pure gold, their vintage brimming over,

مُنَطَّقاتٍ بِتَصاويرَ لا

مُنَطَّقاتٍ بِتَصاويرَ لا

تَسمَعُ لِلداعي وَلا تَنطِقُ

تَسمَعُ لِلداعي وَلا تَنطِقُ

girdled with pictures that do not

With figures that cannot hear

Encircled by engraved figures that do not

listen to the caller or speak,

The caller nor speak

Listen to the caller, nor do they speak.

عَلى تَماثيلِ بَني بابِكٍ

عَلى تَماثيلِ بَني بابِكٍ

مُحتَفَرٌ ما بَينَهُم خَندَقُ

مُحتَفَرٌ ما بَينَهُم خَندَقُ

in the likeness of the sons of Babak;

On statues of the Banu Babak

Upon them are images of the sons of Babak,

a trench is hollowed out between them.

There is a moat between them

With a trench dug out between them;

كَأَنَّهُم وَالخَمرُ مِن فَوقِهِم

كَأَنَّهُم وَالخَمرُ مِن فَوقِهِم

كَتائِبٌ في لُجَّةٍ تَغرَقُ

كَتائِبٌ في لُجَّةٍ تَغرَقُ

As though they, with the wine above them,

As though they and the wine above them

It is as if they, with the wine rising above them,

were battalions drowning in deep waters.

Are regiments drowning in a swamp

Are battalions drowning in the deep abyss.

فَالنَعتُ ذا لا نَعتُ دارٍ خَلَت

فَالنَعتُ ذا لا نَعتُ دارٍ خَلَت

يَهيمُ في أَطلالِها أَحمَقُ

يَهيمُ في أَطلالِها أَحمَقُ

This, then, is description—not that of a deserted dwelling

This description is of no described abode

This is the description—not the description of a desolate abode

among whose ruins a fool wanders lovesick.

A fool wanders among its ruins

In whose ruins a fool wanders blindly.

وَشادِنٍ حَيَّنَ لي زَورَةً

وَشادِنٍ حَيَّنَ لي زَورَةً

غُرَّتُهُ وَالعَمَلُ الأَرفَقُ

غُرَّتُهُ وَالعَمَلُ الأَرفَقُ

And a young gazelle—a visit from him was arranged for me

And Shadin who swore to me a false oath

And [I recall] a fawn who finally granted me a visit,

by his unwariness and the gentlest approach.

His perfidy and work were most wretched

Aided by his radiant brow and gentle manner.

أَدَرتُهُ شَهراً عَلى مَوعِدٍ

أَدَرتُهُ شَهراً عَلى مَوعِدٍ

يَكذِبُني فيهِ وَلا يَصدُقُ

يَكذِبُني فيهِ وَلا يَصدُقُ

For a month I pressed him for a rendezvous,

I waited for him a month at the appointed time

I pursued him for a month regarding a promise

about which he lied to me and spoke no truth,

He would lie to me there and not tell the truth

About which he lied to me and spoke no truth,

حَتّى إِذا أَفنَيتُ عِلّاتِهِ

حَتّى إِذا أَفنَيتُ عِلّاتِهِ

بِالصَبرِ مِنّي قالَ لي أَفرَقُ

بِالصَبرِ مِنّي قالَ لي أَفرَقُ

until, when I had exhausted his excuses

Until when I had exhausted his excuses

Until, when I had exhausted his excuses

with my patience, he said to me, 'I am afraid.'

With patience he said to me, “let's part”

Through my patience, he said to me: "I am afraid."

فَقُلتُ لا تَفرَقُ يا سَيِّدي

فَقُلتُ لا تَفرَقُ يا سَيِّدي

مِثلي بِأَمثالِكَ لا يَخرُقُ

مِثلي بِأَمثالِكَ لا يَخرُقُ

So I said, 'Do not be afraid, my master;

So I said “Do not part, my lord

So I said, "Do not fear, O my master;

one like me is not rough with the likes of you.'

The likes of me do not split from the likes of you”

One like me does not act roughly with one like you."