شَربِناهاwe drank it عَلىto سِرِّthe mystery of القَوافيthe rhymes
شَربِناها عَلى سِرِّ القَوافي
وَسِرِّand the mystery of الشاعِرِthe poet السَمحِthe generous الأَبَرِّthe most virtuous
وَسِرِّ الشاعِرِ السَمحِ الأَبَرِّ
We drank it to the mystery of rhymes,
We quaffed it for the secret sake of rhyme,
and the mystery of the generous, most virtuous poet.
And for the secret of the poet, kind and pious.
سَقاناhe gave us to drink قَهوَتَينِtwo coffees بِغَيرِwithout مَنِّboasting of favors
سَقانا قَهوَتَينِ بِغَيرِ مَنِّ
عَصيرِjuice of شُجَيرَةa little shrub وَعَصيرِand juice of فِكرِthought
عَصيرِ شُجَيرَة وَعَصيرِ فِكرِ
He served us two coffees, without vaunting his favor:
He served us two intoxicants, freely bestowed:
the juice of a little shrub, and the juice of thought.
The essence of a shrub, and the essence of thought.
فَنَحنُso we اِثنانِtwo سَكرانٌone drunk لِحينٍfor a time
فَنَحنُ اِثنانِ سَكرانٌ لِحينٍ
عَلىin أَمنsafety وَسَكرانٌand one drunk لِدَهرِfor all time
عَلى أَمن وَسَكرانٌ لِدَهرِ
So we are two: one drunk for a time,
So we are a pair: one intoxicated for the moment,
in safety, and one drunk for all time.
Safe in peace, while the other is drunk for an age.
فَمَنso whoever أَمسىhas become يَهيمُis enamored بِبِنتِof a daughter of قَصرٍa palace
فَمَن أَمسى يَهيمُ بِبِنتِ قَصرٍ
فَإِنّاthen indeed we هائِمونَare enamored بِبِنتِof a daughter of قَفرِthe wilderness
فَإِنّا هائِمونَ بِبِنتِ قَفرِ
So if someone has become enamored of a palace's daughter,
Let him who wanders lovesick for a palace dame
then we are enamored of a daughter of the wilderness.
Know that we are captives of the daughter of the wild.
إِذاwhen حَضَرَتshe is present فَذَلِكَthen that is يَومُa day of سَعدٍgood fortune
إِذا حَضَرَت فَذَلِكَ يَومُ سَعدٍ
وَإِنand if غابَتshe is absent فَذَلِكَthen that is يَومُa day of قَهرِanguish
وَإِن غابَت فَذَلِكَ يَومُ قَهرِ
When she is present, that is a day of good fortune;
When she is present, it is a day of jubilance,
and if she is absent, that is a day of anguish.
And should she vanish, it is a day of deep despair.
لَهاshe has مِنfrom ذاتِهاher own substance سِترٌa veil رَقيقٌdelicate
لَها مِن ذاتِها سِترٌ رَقيقٌ
كَماas صَبَغَcolored الحَياءُmodesty جَبينَthe brow of بَكرِa virgin
كَما صَبَغَ الحَياءُ جَبينَ بَكرِ
She has a delicate veil of her own substance,
She wears a delicate veil of her own essence,
as modesty colors a virgin's brow.
As shyness stains a virgin maiden’s brow.
إِذاwhen دارَتshe goes around عَلىamong الجُلّاسِthe seated company هَشّواthey beam
إِذا دارَت عَلى الجُلّاسِ هَشّوا
كَأَنَّas though كُؤوسَهاher cups أَخبارُtidings of نَصرِvictory
كَأَنَّ كُؤوسَها أَخبارُ نَصرِ
When she goes round among the seated company, they beam,
When she circles round the guests, they brighten with delight,
as though her cups were tidings of victory.
As though her cups conveyed the tidings of a victory.
وَنَرشُفُهاand we sip her فَنَرشُفُthen we sip ريقَsaliva of خَودٍa lovely maiden
وَنَرشُفُها فَنَرشُفُ ريقَ خَودٍ
وَنَنشُقُهاand we inhale her فَنَنشُقُthen we inhale ريحَthe scent of عِطرِperfume
وَنَنشُقُها فَنَنشُقُ ريحَ عِطرِ
And we sip her, and so sip a lovely maiden's saliva;
We sip her, and so taste a maiden’s sweet saliva,
and we inhale her, and so inhale the scent of perfume.
We breathe her in, and inhale the scent of rare perfume.
وَلاand not نَخشىwe fear مِنَfrom الحُكّامِthe rulers حَداًa prescribed penalty
وَلا نَخشى مِنَ الحُكّامِ حَداً
وَعِندَand before اللَهِGod لَمnot نوصَمwe are branded بِوِزرِwith sin
وَعِندَ اللَهِ لَم نوصَم بِوِزرِ
And we fear no prescribed penalty from the rulers,
We fear no legal punishment from any judge,
and before God we are not branded with sin.
Nor, before God, are we branded with a sin.
فَماfor there is no فيin شُربِهاdrinking her إِثمsin وَنُكرٌand wrongdoing
فَما في شُربِها إِثم وَنُكرٌ
وَشِربُand drinking الخَمرِwine نُكرٌan abomination أَيَّwhat نُكرِan abomination
وَشِربُ الخَمرِ نُكرٌ أَيَّ نُكرِ
For in drinking her there is neither sin nor wrongdoing,
There is no vice nor evil in her drinking,
and drinking wine is an abomination—what an abomination!
While drinking wine is indeed a foul offense.
وَلَيسَتand she does not تَستَخِفُّmake frivolous أَخاa man of وَقارٍdignity
وَلَيسَت تَستَخِفُّ أَخا وَقارٍ
وَبِنتُand the daughter of الدَنِّthe wine-jar بِالأَحلامِat sound judgment تَزريscoffs
وَبِنتُ الدَنِّ بِالأَحلامِ تَزري
Nor does she make a dignified man frivolous,
She does not rob a dignified man of his gravity,
while the wine-jar's daughter scoffs at sound judgment.
While the cask’s daughter mocks the wisdom of the mind.
وَتَحفَظُand she keeps سِرَّthe secret of صاحِبَهاher companion مَصوناًsafeguarded
وَتَحفَظُ سِرَّ صاحِبَها مَصوناً
وَبِنتُand the daughter of الكَرَمِthe grapevine تَفضَحُexposes كُلَّevery سِرِّsecret
وَبِنتُ الكَرَمِ تَفضَحُ كُلَّ سِرِّ
And she keeps her companion's secret safeguarded,
She guards her companion’s secret, keeping it secure,
while the vine's daughter exposes every secret.
While the vine’s daughter exposes every hidden truth.
وَلِلصَهباءِand for tawny wine أَوقاتtimes وَهَذيand this one
وَلِلصَهباءِ أَوقات وَهَذي
شَرابُthe drink of الناسِpeople فيin حَرheat وَقَرِّand cold
شَرابُ الناسِ في حَر وَقَرِّ
And tawny wine has its times, while this
Wine has its seasons, but this brew remains
is people's drink in heat and cold.
The drink of the people in heat and in the cold.
وَتَصلُحُand she is suitable أَنto يُطافَbe carried around بِهاwith her مَساءًin the evening
وَتَصلُحُ أَن يُطافَ بِها مَساءً
وَتَحسُنُand she is fitting أَنto تَكونَbe شَرابَa drink of طُهرِpurity
وَتَحسُنُ أَن تَكونَ شَرابَ طُهرِ
And she is fit to be passed around in the evening,
She is fit to be passed around when evening falls,
and is fitting as a drink of purity.
And worthy to be a draught of purity.
فَلَوso if عَرَفَتknew مَزاياهاher virtues الغَوانيbeautiful women
فَلَو عَرَفَت مَزاياها الغَواني
لَعَلَّقَwould be hung حُبُّهاher beans فيat كُلِّevery نَحرِthroat
لَعَلَّقَ حُبُّها في كُلِّ نَحرِ
So if beautiful women knew her virtues,
If the beauties knew the merits she possesses,
her beans would be hung at every throat.
They would hang her beans like gems on every throat.
كَأَنَّas though حُبوبُهاher beans خُضراgreen وَصُفراًand yellow
كَأَنَّ حُبوبُها خُضرا وَصُفراً
فُصوصَgemstones of زُمُرُّدemerald وَشُذورَand fragments of تِبرِraw gold
فُصوصَ زُمُرُّد وَشُذورَ تِبرِ
Her beans, green and yellow, are like
As though her beans, in green and yellow hues,
emerald gems and fragments of raw gold.
Were emerald stones and beads of pure gold dust.
كَأَنَّas though الجِنَّthe jinn قَدhad نَفَثَتbreathed out رُؤاهاtheir visions
كَأَنَّ الجِنَّ قَد نَفَثَت رُؤاها
عَلىupon أَوراقِهاher leaves فيin ضَوءِthe light of فَجرِdawn
عَلى أَوراقِها في ضَوءِ فَجرِ
It is as though the jinn had breathed their visions
As though the Jinn had breathed their mystic visions
upon her leaves in the light of dawn.
Upon her leaves within the light of dawn.
أَلَستَare you not تَرىlooking إِلَيهاat her كَيفَhow تَغىshe boils (uncertain reading)
أَلَستَ تَرى إِلَيها كَيفَ تَغى
وَكَيفَand how تَثورُshe seethes إِنif مُسَّتshe is touched بِجَمرِby embers
وَكَيفَ تَثورُ إِن مُسَّت بِجَمرِ
Do you not watch her—how she boils,
Do you not see her, how she seethes and bubbles,
and how she seethes when touched by embers?
And how she rages when touched by the ember?
كَأَنَّas though نَخيلَthe palms of مِصرِEgypt قَدhad حَساهاsipped her
كَأَنَّ نَخيلَ مِصرِ قَد حَساها
وَإِلّاand otherwise ماwhat is اِهتِزازُthe swaying of نَخيلُthe palms of مِصرِEgypt
وَإِلّا ما اِهتِزازُ نَخيلُ مِصرِ
It is as though Egypt's palms had sipped her;
It is as if the palm trees of Egypt sipped her,
otherwise, why do Egypt's palms sway?
Or else, what causes Egypt’s palms to sway?
جَلَوتُI cleared بِهاwith her مِنَof الأَكدارِtroubles ذِهنيmy mind
جَلَوتُ بِها مِنَ الأَكدارِ ذِهني
كَماjust as أَنّيthat I غَسَلتُwashed away هُمومَthe cares of صَدريmy breast
كَما أَنّي غَسَلتُ هُمومَ صَدري
With her I cleared my mind of troubles,
Through her, I polished all dullness from my mind,
just as I washed the cares from my breast.
Just as I washed the sorrows from my breast.
وَماand not هِيَshe قَهوَةٌcoffee تُطهىis brewed وَتُحسىand is sipped
وَما هِيَ قَهوَةٌ تُطهى وَتُحسى
وَلَكِنbut نَفحَةٌa breath مِنfrom روحِthe soul of حُرِّa free man
وَلَكِن نَفحَةٌ مِن روحِ حُرِّ
And she is not merely coffee brewed and sipped,
She is no mere coffee, brewed and sipped,
but a breath from a free man's soul.
But a breath taken from a spirit, free and wild.
حَوىhe encompassed فيin شِعرِهِhis poetry عَبَثُthe playfulness of اِبنِIbn (son of) هانيHani
حَوى في شِعرِهِ عَبَثُ اِبنِ هاني
وَزادَand added عَلَيهِto it فَلسَفَةَthe philosophy of المَعَرّيal-Ma'arri
وَزادَ عَلَيهِ فَلسَفَةَ المَعَرّي
He held in his poetry the playfulness of Ibn Hani,
His verse contains the playfulness of Ibn Hani,
and added to it the philosophy of al-Ma'arri.
Enriched by the philosophy of Al-Ma’arri.
فَياso, O لَكَfor you شاعِراًa poet لَبِقاًdeft لَعوباًplayful
فَيا لَكَ شاعِراً لَبِقاً لَعوباً
كَأَنَّas though يَراعَهُhis reed pen أُنبوبُa tube of سِحرِmagic
كَأَنَّ يَراعَهُ أُنبوبُ سِحرِ
Oh, what a deft, playful poet you are!
Oh, what a poet! So eloquent and playful,
His reed pen is like a tube of magic,
As though his reed pen were a wand of magic.
يَفيضُit overflows سَلاسَةًwith fluency فيin كُلِّevery لَفظٍword
يَفيضُ سَلاسَةً في كُلِّ لَفظٍ
وَيَجريand it flows رِقَّةًwith tenderness فيin كُلِّevery سَطرِline
وَيَجري رِقَّةً في كُلِّ سَطرِ
overflowing with fluency in every word,
Overflowing with fluency in every phrase,
and flowing with tenderness in every line.
And flowing with delicacy in every line.
حَوَتheld دارُthe house of السَميرِal-Samir هَدِيَّتَيهِhis two gifts
حَوَت دارُ السَميرِ هَدِيَّتَيهِ
وَتَحويand hold هَذِهِthese الأَوراقُpages شُكريmy thanks
وَتَحوي هَذِهِ الأَوراقُ شُكري
The house of al-Samir held his two gifts,
The Companion’s house embraced his two-fold gift,
and these pages hold my thanks.
And these pages here contain my gratitude.
Gemini 3.5 Flash is a user-supplied attribution. The original record does not identify its model.