إِنَّindeed الكُؤوسَthe cups بِهاthrough them يَطيبُbecomes pleasant المَجلِسُthe gathering
إِنَّ الكُؤوسَ بِها يَطيبُ المَجلِسُ
فَعَلامَso why تُحبَسُare withheld أَمor لِماذاwhy تَحبِسُdo you withhold
فَعَلامَ تُحبَسُ أَم لِماذا تَحبِسُ
Indeed, through the cups the gathering becomes delightful.
The cups make the gathering pleasant,
So why are they withheld, or why do you withhold them?
Why then are they withheld, or why withhold them?
قَدindeed طابَhas grown pleasant مُغتَبَقُevening drinking-time الزَمانِof the season وَنُشِّرَتand were unfurled
قَد طابَ مُغتَبَقُ الزَمانِ وَنُشِّرَت
حُلَلُrobes الرَبيعِof spring كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were السُندُسُfine silk
حُلَلُ الرَبيعِ كَأَنَّهُنَّ السُندُسُ
The season’s hour of evening wine has grown pleasant, and unfurled are
The season is now favorable and joy abounds,
The robes of spring, as though they were fine silk.
Like brocade are the robes of spring.
وَتَوَقَّدَand blazed النُوّارُthe blossoms حَتّىto the point أَنَّهُthat it
وَتَوَقَّدَ النُوّارُ حَتّى أَنَّهُ
لَيُخالُit is surely imagined أَنَّthat النارَfire مِنهُfrom it تُقبَسُis kindled
لَيُخالُ أَنَّ النارَ مِنهُ تُقبَسُ
And the blossoms blazed so brightly that
The lamps are lit as if
One might well think fire was kindled from them.
Their flames are taken from it.
وَمُفاكِهٍand a witty companion عَبِقُfragrant الكَلامِin speech كَأَنَّماas though
وَمُفاكِهٍ عَبِقُ الكَلامِ كَأَنَّما
يُفضيconfides إِلَيكَto you بِلَفظِin the words of فيهِhis mouth النَرجِسُthe narcissus
يُفضي إِلَيكَ بِلَفظِ فيهِ النَرجِسُ
And a witty companion, fragrant in speech, as though
Fruits with eloquent perfume as though
The narcissus were speaking to you through his mouth.
Uttering to you words of narcissus.
رَكِبَتrode إِلَيكَtoward you بَنانَهُhis fingertips ذَهَبِيَّةٌa golden wine
رَكِبَت إِلَيكَ بَنانَهُ ذَهَبِيَّةٌ
صَفراءُyellow تُمزَجُis mingled بِالظَلامِwith darkness فَتَنبِسُso it speaks
صَفراءُ تُمزَجُ بِالظَلامِ فَتَنبِسُ
A golden wine rode his fingertips toward you,
Their golden fingers ride to you
Yellow, mingled with darkness, and so it speaks.
Yellow, blending with the gloom and gleaming.
بِكرٌvirgin wine تَقَدَّمَتِpreceded الزَمانَtime بِغَرسِهاin its planting
بِكرٌ تَقَدَّمَتِ الزَمانَ بِغَرسِها
إِنif كانَthere was قَبلَbefore الدَهرِeternity شَيءٌanything يُغرَسُbeing planted
إِن كانَ قَبلَ الدَهرِ شَيءٌ يُغرَسُ
Virgin wine, whose planting preceded time—
Juveniles who preceded time with their planting
If anything was planted before eternity.
If before time was, aught planted.
وَمُنادِمينَand drinking companions كَأَنَّهُمas though they were سُرُجُlamps الدُجىof the darkness
وَمُنادِمينَ كَأَنَّهُم سُرُجُ الدُجى
أَيمانُهُمtheir right hands بِنَوالِهِمwith their bounty تَتَبَجَّسُgush forth
أَيمانُهُم بِنَوالِهِم تَتَبَجَّسُ
And drinking companions, as though they were lamps in the darkness,
Boon companions like the gloom's torches
Their right hands gush with their bounty.
Their right hands grasp their goblets.
أَقمارُmoons لَيلٍof night رُكِّبَتwere fitted مِنfrom تَحتِهاbeneath them
أَقمارُ لَيلٍ رُكِّبَت مِن تَحتِها
أَبدانُbodies حورٍof houris أُسكِنَتهاwere lodged in them الأَنفُسُthe souls
أَبدانُ حورٍ أُسكِنَتها الأَنفُسُ
Moons of night, beneath which were fitted
Moons of night mounted beneath them
Bodies of houris, in which souls were made to dwell.
Bodies of houris inhabited by souls.