الكأسُthe cup قُطْبُthe pivot of السُّرورِjoy والطَّرَبِand rapture
الكأسُ قُطْبُ السُّرورِ والطَّرَبِ
فاحْظَso take delight بهاin it قبلَbefore حادثِthe onset of النُّوَبِmisfortunes
فاحْظَ بها قبلَ حادثِ النُّوَبِ
The cup is the axis of joy and rapture;
The cup is the pivot of joy and rapture.
so delight in it before calamities descend.
So delight in it before calamities strike.
وانظُرْand look إلىat الليلِthe night كيفَhow تَصدَعُهُcleaves it
وانظُرْ إلى الليلِ كيفَ تَصدَعُهُ
رايةُa banner of صُبحٍdawn مُبيضَّةُwhite العَذَبِthe streamers
رايةُ صُبحٍ مُبيضَّةُ العَذَبِ
And behold the night—how it is rent apart
And look at the night—how it is cleft
by dawn’s banner, its streamers gleaming white,
By a banner of dawn with white streamers,
كراهبٍlike a monk حنَّyearned للهوىfor love طَرَباًin rapture
كراهبٍ حنَّ للهوى طَرَباً
فشقَّand so he tore جِلبابَهhis robe منfrom الطَّرَبِrapture
فشقَّ جِلبابَه من الطَّرَبِ
like a monk who yearned for God in ecstasy
Like a monk who yearned for love in rapture,
and rent his outer robe in his rapture.
And so tore his robe in ecstasy.
فاليومَfor today يومٌa day صفَتْbecame serene شَمائلُهits qualities
فاليومَ يومٌ صفَتْ شَمائلُه
بصَفْوwith the serenity of عيشٍliving ومنظَرٍand a sight عَجَبِwondrous
بصَفْو عيشٍ ومنظَرٍ عَجَبِ
For today is a day whose every aspect has grown clear,
For today is a day whose nature is serene,
with life’s pure ease and a wondrous prospect
With tranquil living and a wondrous view:
فمنand among صقيلِburnished in المُدُودِthe stretches of water مُطَّردٍsteadily flowing
فمن صقيلِ المُدُودِ مُطَّردٍ
كأنهas though it were ماءُthe watery sheen of صفحةِthe flat surface of القُضُبِswords
كأنه ماءُ صفحةِ القُضُبِ
of a burnished sweep, stretching on unbroken,
A steadily flowing stream with burnished reaches,
as though it were the sheen upon the faces of sword blades.
As though it were the watery sheen of sword-blades.
تَرْعُدُtremble أحشاؤهits entrails لديَّbefore me كماjust as
تَرْعُدُ أحشاؤه لديَّ كما
تَرْعُدُtremble أحشاءُthe entrails of هائمٍa lover وَصِبِailing
تَرْعُدُ أحشاءُ هائمٍ وَصِبِ
Its depths tremble before me, just as
Its entrails tremble before me, just as
the vitals of a lovesick, ailing wanderer tremble.
The entrails of an ailing lover tremble.
ومنand of قصورٍpalaces عليهover it مُشرفَةٍoverlooking
ومن قصورٍ عليه مُشرفَةٍ
تُضيءُshine والليلُwhile the night أسودُblack الحُجُبِthe veils
تُضيءُ والليلُ أسودُ الحُجُبِ
And palaces overlook it,
And palaces overlooking it,
shining while night wears veils of black—
Shining while night wears black veils,
بيضٍwhite إذاwhen الشمسُthe sun حانَhas arrived مَغرِبُهاits setting
بيضٍ إذا الشمسُ حانَ مَغرِبُها
حَسِبْتَyou would think أطرافَهُنَّtheir edges منof ذَهَبِgold
حَسِبْتَ أطرافَهُنَّ من ذَهَبِ
white palaces that, when the sun draws near its setting,
White—when the sun's setting hour arrives,
you would think had edges fashioned from gold.
You would think their edges were made of gold.
