سَقِّنيgive me to drink ياO بَدرُfull moon شَمساًa sun
سَقِّني يا بَدرُ شَمساً
كَلَّلوهاthey crowned it بِالثُرَيّاwith the Pleiades
كَلَّلوها بِالثُرَيّا
Give me a sun to drink, O full moon,
which they have crowned with the Pleiades.
وَاِجعَلِand make الظَلماءَthe dark night شَمساًa sun
وَاِجعَلِ الظَلماءَ شَمساً
كُلَّماwhenever دارَتit went round وَضِيّاand radiance
كُلَّما دارَت وَضِيّا
And make the dark night a sun,
and radiance, whenever it goes round.
إِنَّماnothing but الكاساتُthe cups تيجاcrowns (first part)
إِنَّما الكاساتُ تيجا
نٌ(completes “crowns”) لَهاfor them العَيشُlife مُحَيّاa countenance
نٌ لَها العَيشُ مُحَيّا
The cups are nothing but crowns,
whose countenance is life.
وَهيَand it نارٌa fire جَعَلوهاthey made it
وَهيَ نارٌ جَعَلوها
حينَwhen يُعييwearies الهَمُّsorrow كَيّاa cautery
حينَ يُعيي الهَمُّ كَيّا
And it is a fire they have made
a cautery when sorrow wears one out.
قَدindeed طَوَيناwe folded up إِذwhen أُديرَتit was passed around
قَد طَوَينا إِذ أُديرَت
بُردَةَthe cloak الظَلماءِof darkness طَيّاa folding (emphatic)
بُردَةَ الظَلماءِ طَيّا
When it was passed around, we folded
the cloak of darkness away,
كَاِنطِواءِlike the folding away الخَوفِof fear عَنّاfrom us
كَاِنطِواءِ الخَوفِ عَنّا
حينَwhen وَلَّىappointed اللَهُGod طَيّاTayy
حينَ وَلَّى اللَهُ طَيّا
as fear was folded away from us
when God appointed Tayy.