سَقى اللَهُ دَيراً فيهِ نادَمتُ قِسّيسا

سَقى اللَهُ دَيراً فيهِ نادَمتُ قِسّيسا

فَكانَ شَريفاً ظاهِرَ البِشرِ قِدّيسا

فَكانَ شَريفاً ظاهِرَ البِشرِ قِدّيسا

May God water a monastery where I shared wine with a priest.

God watered a monastery where I visited a priest

And he was noble, visibly cheerful—a saint.

Who was noble, of clear complexion, saintly

لَهُ خُلُقٌ يُرضي النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّداً

لَهُ خُلُقٌ يُرضي النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّداً

وَيَأتي بِما أَوصى بِهِ قَومَهُ عيسى

وَيَأتي بِما أَوصى بِهِ قَومَهُ عيسى

He has a character that pleases the Prophet Muhammad,

Of manners pleasing to Prophet Muhammad

And he does what Jesus enjoined upon his people.

And adhering to what Jesus enjoined his people

وَيَطرَبُ إِن غَنَّيتُهُ فَكَأَنَّني

وَيَطرَبُ إِن غَنَّيتُهُ فَكَأَنَّني

ضَرَبتُ لَهُ في الديرِ بِالصُبحِ ناقوسا

ضَرَبتُ لَهُ في الديرِ بِالصُبحِ ناقوسا

And he is enraptured if I sing to him, as though I

I gladden him when I sing to him, as though

Had rung a bell for him in the monastery at dawn.

I rang for him at dawn in the monastery a bell

سَقاني مُداماً قَرقَفاً ذَهَبِيَّةً

سَقاني مُداماً قَرقَفاً ذَهَبِيَّةً

كَأَنَّ عَلى حافاتِها الدُرَّ مَغروسا

كَأَنَّ عَلى حافاتِها الدُرَّ مَغروسا

He gave me golden, shiver-inducing wine to drink,

He served me a goblet, gold plated

As though pearls were planted along its edges.

As if pearls were implanted on its rims

مُعَتَّقَةً مِن صَيدِنايا سَبَأتُها

مُعَتَّقَةً مِن صَيدِنايا سَبَأتُها

يَهُزُّ بِها الرّاووقُ أَعطافَ إِبليسا

يَهُزُّ بِها الرّاووقُ أَعطافَ إِبليسا

Aged wine from Saydnaya, which I had bought;

Freed from Sheba, I deemed it

With it the wine-strainer makes Iblis’s flanks sway.

The basilisk sways with it the skirts of Satan

فَمن وَجهِها في الكَأسِ يُبدي طَلاقَةً

فَمن وَجهِها في الكَأسِ يُبدي طَلاقَةً

إِلَيَّ وَمِن وَجهي يُقابِلُ تَعبيسا

إِلَيَّ وَمِن وَجهي يُقابِلُ تَعبيسا

So, from its face in the cup, he shows good cheer

So from its face in the cup he shows sprightliness

Toward me, but from my face he encounters a scowl.

Toward me and from my face he retorts with a frown

كُمَيتاً بِها يَسعى عَلى الشَّربِ شادِنٌ

كُمَيتاً بِها يَسعى عَلى الشَّربِ شادِنٌ

مِنَ التُركِ تَكسوهُ المَهابَةُ ناموسا

مِنَ التُركِ تَكسوهُ المَهابَةُ ناموسا

A young gazelle moves among the drinkers with this dark-red wine,

Withdrawn with it he hastens to drinking

One of the Turks, whom awe clothes in dignity.

Clad by the Turks with awe, a turban

يُخالُ إِذا ما اِختالَ في بُردِ حُسنِهِ

يُخالُ إِذا ما اِختالَ في بُردِ حُسنِهِ

وَقَد ماسَ مِن سُكرِ المُدامَةِ طاوُوسا

وَقَد ماسَ مِن سُكرِ المُدامَةِ طاوُوسا

When he struts in the mantle of his beauty, he seems—

He fancies, when he preens in the chill of his beauty

Swaying in wine’s intoxication—a peacock.

Having tasted the inebriation of wine, a peacock

ذُؤابَتُهُ الثُعبانُ إِذ راعَ شَكلُها

ذُؤابَتُهُ الثُعبانُ إِذ راعَ شَكلُها

إِلى قَلبِهِ فِرعَونَ يَومَ عَصا موسى

إِلى قَلبِهِ فِرعَونَ يَومَ عَصا موسى

His forelock is the serpent whose shape struck terror

Its hooded snake, when it saw its shape

Into Pharaoh’s heart on the day of Moses’ staff.

Carried to its heart Pharaoh, the day of Moses' staff

يُسَرُّ الَّذي تَلقاهُ يَوماً بِقُربِهِ

يُسَرُّ الَّذي تَلقاهُ يَوماً بِقُربِهِ

سُرورَ سُلَيمانٍ عَلى عَرشِ بَلقيسا

سُرورَ سُلَيمانٍ عَلى عَرشِ بَلقيسا

Whoever you find one day in his company rejoices

He rejoices, who met him once in his proximity

With Solomon’s joy over the throne of Bilqis.

With Solomon's bliss on Bilquis' throne

فَأَنشَدَني شِعراً أَنيقاً مُهَذَّباً

فَأَنشَدَني شِعراً أَنيقاً مُهَذَّباً

بِهِ وافَقَ وَالتَطبيقُ في الحُسنِ تَجنيسا

بِهِ وافَقَ وَالتَطبيقُ في الحُسنِ تَجنيسا

Then he recited to me elegant, polished verse,

So he recited to me refined, elegant verse

In which antithesis and wordplay matched in beauty.

In which adaptation and rhyme in beauty harmonized

وَيَنبُضُ سَهماً طَرفُهُ كُلَّما رَنا

وَيَنبُضُ سَهماً طَرفُهُ كُلَّما رَنا

وَقَوَّسَ مِنهُ الحاجِبَ السّحبُ تَقويسا

وَقَوَّسَ مِنهُ الحاجِبَ السّحبُ تَقويسا

And his glance looses an arrow whenever he gazes,

And his eyelash throbs an arrow whenever it hums

And the clouds have arched his eyebrow into a bow.

And the brow arches it like a bow's curving

عَلى خَصرِهِ تَنضَمُّ عَشرُ أَنامِلٍ

عَلى خَصرِهِ تَنضَمُّ عَشرُ أَنامِلٍ

وَفي سَرجِهِ النُعمى مِنَ الرِدفِ وَالبوسى

وَفي سَرجِهِ النُعمى مِنَ الرِدفِ وَالبوسى

Ten fingertips meet around his waist,

On his waist gather ten fingers

And in his saddle, from his rump come bliss and misery.

And in his saddlebag the soft and the busa cloth