باتَhe spent the night يسقينيgiving me drink ويشربand drinking
باتَ يسقيني ويشرب
ذَهَباًgold للهَمِّfor sorrow مُذهِبbanishing
ذَهَباً للهَمِّ مُذهِب
All night he served me drink and drank
He gives me drink and drinks
gold that banishes sorrow.
Gold dispelling cares
شادنٌa young gazelle يحملcarrying ماءًwater
شادنٌ يحمل ماءً
فيهin it نارٌfire تتلَهَّبblazes
فيه نارٌ تتلَهَّب
A young gazelle carrying water
A branch above a dune
in which a fire blazes.
And a day under arches
وردةa rose ضاحكةsmiling عنrevealing
وردة ضاحكة عن
أقحُوانdaisies حينwhen يقطبhe frowns
أقحُوان حين يقطب
A rose smiling to reveal
For you from it a pleasing one if you wish and a retreat
daisies when he frowns.
A paradise I was tortured in
لوif أدرناهاwe passed it round علىto مَيa dead person (word begins)
لو أدرناها على مَي
تٍcompletion of 'dead person' لكانthen would be الميتُthe dead person يطربrejoicing
تٍ لكان الميتُ يطرب
If we passed it round to a dead
With abstinence and avoidance
man, the dead man would rejoice.
Have you seen anyone before me
ليتwould that شعريmy knowing أسُروراًwas it joy?
ليت شعري أسُروراً
أمor مُداماًwine بتُّI spent the night أشربdrinking
أم مُداماً بتُّ أشرب
Would that I knew: was it joy
Tortured in paradise?
or wine I spent the night drinking?
By my father you are and my mother
صبَّhe poured فيinto الكاساتthe cups منهاsome of it
صبَّ في الكاسات منها
كالشهابlike a meteor المتصوِّبplunging downward
كالشهاب المتصوِّب
He poured some of it into the cups,
From afar when you come close
like a meteor plunging down.
I have a heart however much
فرأيتُthen I saw الراحَthe wine شرقاًsunrise
فرأيتُ الراحَ شرقاً
ورأيتُand I saw الهمَّsorrow مَغرِبsunset
ورأيتُ الهمَّ مَغرِب
Then I saw the wine as sunrise,
God tossed it about
and saw sorrow as sunset.
And eyelids that sadness covers
غُصُنٌa bough فوقَabove كثيبٍa sand dune
غُصُنٌ فوقَ كثيبٍ
ونهارٌand daylight تحتَbeneath غيهبdeep darkness
ونهارٌ تحتَ غيهب
A bough above a sand dune,
Over them anger angers
and daylight beneath deep darkness.
How many a night my abstinence
لكfor you منهfrom him مَطربa source of delight يُرضpleases (word begins)
لك منه مَطرب يُرض
يكyou (completes 'pleases you') إِنif شئتyou wish ومضربand a place to strike
يك إِن شئت ومضرب
From him you have delight that pleases
Like one staying does not leave
you, if you wish, and a place to strike.
We cut it with resolve
جنّةa paradise عُذِّبتI was tormented فيهاin it
جنّة عُذِّبت فيها
بتجنٍّby unjust reproach وتجنبand avoidance
بتجنٍّ وتجنب
A paradise in which I was tormented
Like a blazing fire
by unjust reproach and avoidance.
And as if the lightning when
هلquestion marker رأيتمyou have seen أحَداًanyone قبbefore (word begins)
هل رأيتم أحَداً قب
ليَme (completes 'before me') بالجنةin paradise عُذِّبwas tormented
ليَ بالجنة عُذِّب
Have you seen anyone before
It shone in it erects itself
me tormented in paradise?
A writer above the cloud branch
بأبيwith my father as ransom أنتyou وأُمّيand my mother
بأبي أنت وأُمّي
منfrom بعيدafar حينwhen تقبunclear verb as written
من بعيد حين تقب
May my father and mother be your ransom,
With the pens writes
from afar, when you [unclear verb].
And as if the thunder argumentative
ليَI have قلبٌa heart كيفhow ماever (generalizing particle) قَلَّبَHe turned (word continues)
ليَ قلبٌ كيف ما قَلَّبَ
هُit (attached object) اللَهGod يُقَلَّبis turned
هُ اللَه يُقَلَّب
I have a heart: however God turns
Or a caller or a rewarder
it, so it is turned.
And the night stars a standstill
وجفونand eyelids يَغشبunclear verb as written الغمضُslumber
وجفون يَغشب الغمضُ
عليهاupon them حسنbeauty يغضبstirs anger
عليها حسن يغضب
And eyelids—slumber [unclear verb]
As if pearls not pierced
upon them; a beauty that stirs anger.
And the Pleiades like an oscillating pennant
رُبَّmany a ليلٍnight كتجنِّيlike the cruelty (word continues)
رُبَّ ليلٍ كتجنِّي
كyour (completes preceding word) مُقيمٍlingering ليسnot يَذهَبpassing away
ك مُقيمٍ ليس يَذهَب
Many a night, like the cruelty
Above a high abode
you show, lingered and would not pass.
And the moon appeared like a sword
قدindeed قطعناهwe traversed it بعزمwith resolve
قد قطعناه بعزم
كالحريقlike a fire المتلهبblazing
كالحريق المتلهب
We traversed it with resolve
In the hand of Gemini gilded
like a blazing fire.
وكأنّand as though البرقَthe lightning لمّاwhen
وكأنّ البرقَ لمّا
لاحَflashed فيهin it يتنصبstands upright
لاحَ فيه يتنصب
And it was as though the lightning, when
it flashed there, standing upright,
كاتبٌa scribe منfrom فوقabove فرعa bough الthe (attached article)
كاتبٌ من فوق فرع ال
غيمِcloud (completes 'the cloud') بالعقيانِwith pure gold يكتبwrites
غيمِ بالعقيانِ يكتب
were a scribe above the bough of the
cloud, writing in pure gold.
وكأنّand as though الرعدَthe thunder حادٍa singing camel-driver
وكأنّ الرعدَ حادٍ
أوor مُنادٍa herald أوor مُثَوِّبone repeating a summons
أو مُنادٍ أو مُثَوِّب
And the thunder seemed a singing camel-driver,
or a herald, or one repeating a summons.
ونجومand stars الليلof the night وَقفٌmotionless
ونجوم الليل وَقفٌ
كلآلٍlike pearls لمnot تثقبpierced
كلآلٍ لم تثقب
And the stars of night stood still,
like pearls that had not been pierced.
والثرياand the Pleiades كلواءٍlike a banner
والثريا كلواءٍ
خافقfluttering منfrom فوقabove مرقبa lookout
خافق من فوق مرقب
And the Pleiades were like a banner,
fluttering above a lookout.
وبداand appeared البدرُthe full moon كسَيفٍlike a sword
وبدا البدرُ كسَيفٍ
فيin يدthe hand of الجوزاءOrion (al-Jawza) مُذهَبgilded
في يد الجوزاء مُذهَب
And the full moon appeared like a sword,
gilded in Orion’s hand.
Partial English translation: 31 of 44 Arabic lines translated.