دَعاcalled داعيthe herald الصَباحِof morning إِلىto الصَبوحِmorning wine
دَعا داعي الصَباحِ إِلى الصَبوحِ
فَلَبّواso answer, all of you دَعوَةَthe summons الدَيكِof the cock الصَدوحِloudly crowing
فَلَبّوا دَعوَةَ الدَيكِ الصَدوحِ
The herald of morning called for morning wine;
The caller of dawn invited to dawn's early light
so answer the summons of the loudly crowing cock.
So they responded to the rooster's insistent call
أَياO ديكَcock الصَباحِof morning لَسَوفَsurely will تَجنيreap
أَيا ديكَ الصَباحِ لَسَوفَ تَجني
أَياديكَyour favors الصباحُradiant جنىthe fruit مَديحيof my praise
أَياديكَ الصباحُ جنى مَديحي
O cock of morning, surely they shall reap—
Oh rooster of dawn, soon you will reap
your radiant favors—the fruit of my praise.
The dawn's harvest is the reward of my praise
بِحَيّwith 'Come!' عَلىto الصَبوحِmorning wine هَتَفتَyou called out صُبحاًat dawn
بِحَيّ عَلى الصَبوحِ هَتَفتَ صُبحاً
لِتوقِظَناto awaken us فَياso, O لَكَfor you مِنof (exclamatory) نَصيحِa sincere adviser
لِتوقِظَنا فَيا لَكَ مِن نَصيحِ
At dawn you cried, 'Come to the morning wine!'
With vigor you hailed the dawn
to awaken us—what a sincere adviser you are!
To awaken us, what wise advice from you
فَبادِرso hasten ياO نَديميmy drinking companion شُربَdrinking راحٍwine
فَبادِر يا نَديمي شُربَ راحٍ
كَعَينِlike the eye of الديكِthe cock وَالمِسكِand musk الذَبيحِslit open (of a musk pod)
كَعَينِ الديكِ وَالمِسكِ الذَبيحِ
So hasten, my drinking companion, to drink wine
So hurry my friend, drink refreshing wine
like the cock's eye and musk from a slit pod,
Like the rooster's eye and slaughtered musk deer
مُعَتَّقَةٍaged كُمَيتِdark red اللَونِin color صِرفٍunmixed
مُعَتَّقَةٍ كُمَيتِ اللَونِ صِرفٍ
تُلَعثِمُmakes stammer مِقوَلَthe tongue اللَقِنِof the quick-witted الفَصيحِeloquent
تُلَعثِمُ مِقوَلَ اللَقِنِ الفَصيحِ
aged, dark-red in color, unmixed,
Aged to perfection, the color of wheat in hue
that makes the tongue of the quick-witted, eloquent man stammer.
It wets the eloquent sipper's palate
وَدَعand leave عَنكَaside from you المِكاسَhaggling بِهاover it وَجانِبand avoid
وَدَع عَنكَ المِكاسَ بِها وَجانِب
عَلَيهاregarding it خَلَّةَthe disposition اللحِزِof the mean-spirited man الشَحيحِmiserly
عَلَيها خَلَّةَ اللحِزِ الشَحيحِ
And leave off haggling over it, and avoid
Leave aside those cups filled with it, and avoid
the grudging miser's disposition toward it.
The vinegar of meager, stingy old wine
فَلاfor no عَينٌfault وَلاand no غَبنٌloss إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
فَلا عَينٌ وَلا غَبنٌ إِذا ما
سَبَأتَyou purchased الخَمرَthe wine بِالثَمَنِat the price الرَبيحِhandsome
سَبَأتَ الخَمرَ بِالثَمَنِ الرَبيحِ
For there is no fault and no loss when
No loss or fraud if you pay exorbitant prices
you buy wine at a handsome price.
For wine worth its lofty sum
وَلاand do not تَجمَحbolt rebelliously إِلىtoward اللُّوامِthe reproachers فيهاregarding it
وَلا تَجمَح إِلى اللُّوامِ فيها
عَلىagainst الروّاضِthe trainers كَالطِرفِlike a noble steed الجَموحِheadstrong
عَلى الروّاضِ كَالطِرفِ الجَموحِ
And do not bolt toward those who reproach you for it,
Don't frown at the revelers amongst it
defying the trainers like a headstrong steed.
Like a jealous eye, wild and wandering
أَلَستَdo you not تَرىsee الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades وَهيَwhile they are دونَbefore الthe
أَلَستَ تَرى الثُرَيّا وَهيَ دونَ ال
صَباحِdawn تَنوءُsinks heavily كَالمُعييlike one worn out الطَليحِutterly exhausted
صَباحِ تَنوءُ كَالمُعيي الطَليحِ
Do you not see the Pleiades, just before
Don't you see Venus below the
dawn, sinking like a weary, exhausted man;
Horizon, bent over like an exhausted camel
وَذَودُand the camel herd اللَيلِof night مُندَفِعاًrushing away هَزيماًrouted
وَذَودُ اللَيلِ مُندَفِعاً هَزيماً
وَعَودُand the old bull-camel الصُّبحِof dawn كَالبَطَلِlike a warrior المُشيحِbattle-ready
وَعَودُ الصُّبحِ كَالبَطَلِ المُشيحِ
and night's camel herd rushing away in defeat,
The darkness of night flees defeated
and dawn's old bull-camel like a battle-ready warrior?
And dawn returns victorious like an armed horseman
فَقُمthen rise ياO صاحِfriend وَاِجلُand unveil عَلَيَّbefore me كَأسَthe cup of الthe
فَقُم يا صاحِ وَاِجلُ عَلَيَّ كَأسَ ال
صَبوحِmorning wine عَلىin سَناthe radiance الوَجهِof the face المَلِيحِlovely
صَبوحِ عَلى سَنا الوَجهِ المَلِيحِ
Then rise, my friend, and unveil before me the cup of
Rise up, my friend, and bring me a cup of
morning wine in the radiance of that lovely face.
Dawn's wine to grace my handsome cheek
وَهاتِand bring it here وَهاكَهاand take it حَتّىuntil تَرانيyou see me
وَهاتِ وَهاكَها حَتّى تَراني
أَرىI deem حَسَناًbeautiful مُباشَرَةَintimacy with القَبيحِthe ugly
أَرى حَسَناً مُباشَرَةَ القَبيحِ
And pass it here, and take it, until you see me
Offer it to me, so I can see
deeming intimacy with the ugly beautiful.
Ugliness as beautiful through it
بِهاthrough it مَيتُone dead الهُمومِfrom cares يَعودُreturns حَيّاًalive
بِها مَيتُ الهُمومِ يَعودُ حَيّاً
فَفيهِfor in him فِعلُهاits action فِعلُthe action المَسيحِof the Messiah
فَفيهِ فِعلُها فِعلُ المَسيحِ
Through it, one dead from cares returns to life;
The worries of the dead come alive through it
for in him its work is the work of the Messiah.
In that it acts like Jesus Christ
تَقَدَّمَpreceded عَصرُهاits pressing طوفانَthe Flood نوحٍof Noah
تَقَدَّمَ عَصرُها طوفانَ نوحٍ
بِمِثلِby as much as تَأَخُّريmy coming later عَنthan عَصرِthe age نوحِof Noah
بِمِثلِ تَأَخُّري عَن عَصرِ نوحِ
Its pressing preceded Noah's Flood
Its late harvest came before Noah's flood
by as much as I came after Noah's time.
As I lag behind Noah's time
قبضتُI seized بِفَيّwith my mouth روحَthe soul الدَنِّof the wine jar مِنهاfrom it
قبضتُ بِفَيّ روحَ الدَنِّ مِنها
فَليso I have روحانِtwo souls وَهوَand it بِغَيرِwithout روحِa soul
فَلي روحانِ وَهوَ بِغَيرِ روحِ
With my mouth I drew from it the wine-jar's soul;
I grasped the soul of life from it
so I have two souls, and it has none,
So I have two spirits while it has none
إِلىuntil أَنthat صِرتُI became مُنجَدِلاًsprawled لَدَيهِbeside it
إِلى أَن صِرتُ مُنجَدِلاً لَدَيهِ
طَريحَcast down الجِسمِin body كالدَنِّlike the wine jar الطَريحِcast down
طَريحَ الجِسمِ كالدَنِّ الطَريحِ
until I lay sprawled beside it,
Until I became limp before it
my body prostrate like the toppled wine-jar.
My body strewn like discarded clothes
سَأَجمَعُI shall gather بِالشَمولِwith wine شَتَيتَthe scattered fragments شَمليof my unity
سَأَجمَعُ بِالشَمولِ شَتَيتَ شَملي
لِكَيso that آسوI heal أَسىthe sorrow قَلبيof my heart الجَريحِwounded
لِكَي آسو أَسى قَلبي الجَريحِ
With wine I shall gather my scattered self,
I will gather my scattered self
to heal the sorrow of my wounded heart.
To console my wounded heart
كَأَنّيas though I بيmyself وَقَدand already قَرُبَتhas drawn near قَريباًsoon
كَأَنّي بي وَقَد قَرُبَت قَريباً
مَسافَةُthe separation بَينَbetween جثمانيmy body وروحيand my soul
مَسافَةُ بَينَ جثماني وروحي
I seem to see myself, with it soon drawing near—
It's as if I and my soul have drawn near,
the separation between my body and my soul.
Closing the gap between my body and spirit
فَياso, O للناسto the people للداعيfor the caller بِلَفظٍwith words
فَيا للناس للداعي بِلَفظٍ
فَصيحٍeloquent جاءَhe came بِالمَعنىwith the meaning الصَحيحِtrue
فَصيحٍ جاءَ بِالمَعنى الصَحيحِ
So, O people, aid the caller who, with words
Oh people! The caller in clear
eloquent, has brought the true meaning!
Speech brought meaning that rings true
وَجَدتُI found أَلَذَّmost delightful عارِيَةِa loan اللَياليof the nights
وَجَدتُ أَلَذَّ عارِيَةِ اللَيالي
قِراعَsparring with الناسِpeople بِالوَترِwith the string الفَصيحِeloquent
قِراعَ الناسِ بِالوَترِ الفَصيحِ
I have found the sweetest gift the nights lend
I found the sweetest nights' delight
to be sparring with people on the eloquent string.
To be people's songs in melodious verse