عَجِبتُ لِلمَرءِ إِذ يَسقي حَليلَتَهُ

عَجِبتُ لِلمَرءِ إِذ يَسقي حَليلَتَهُ

سُلافَةً وَهوَ مِنها تائِبٌ صاحِ

سُلافَةً وَهوَ مِنها تائِبٌ صاحِ

I marveled at the man as he gave his wife

I'm amazed at a man who quenches his lover's thirst

Choice wine, though he had renounced it and was sober.

With sweet wine though he has repented from her

كَأَنَّها إِذ تَحَسَّت ثُمَّ أَربَعَةً

كَأَنَّها إِذ تَحَسَّت ثُمَّ أَربَعَةً

أَو خَمسَةً شَرِدَت عَنهُ بِصَحصاحِ

أَو خَمسَةً شَرِدَت عَنهُ بِصَحصاحِ

As though, when she then sipped four cups

As if when she counted four or five cups

Or five, she had fled from him across an open plain.

She strayed from him with clamor

كانَت ضَعيفَةَ عَقلٍ فَاِستَزادَ لَها

كانَت ضَعيفَةَ عَقلٍ فَاِستَزادَ لَها

في ضَعفِهِ ضِدَّ عُذّالٍ وَنُصّاحِ

في ضَعفِهِ ضِدَّ عُذّالٍ وَنُصّاحِ

She was weak of mind, so he sought for her an increase

She was weak of mind so he brought more for her

In its weakness, in defiance of reprovers and advisers.

In his weakness, against a blamer and advisor

وَكانَ في لَفظِها عَيٌّ فَأَيَّدَهُ

وَكانَ في لَفظِها عَيٌّ فَأَيَّدَهُ

فَلَم تُخَبِّرهُ عَن شَيٍّ بِإِفصاحِ

فَلَم تُخَبِّرهُ عَن شَيٍّ بِإِفصاحِ

And her speech was halting, so he made it more so;

There was fault in her utterance, so he supported it

Thus she told him nothing clearly.

She did not tell him of a thing with eloquence