اسقياني وصرفا

اسقياني وصرفا

بنت حولين قرقفا

بنت حولين قرقفا

Give me wine, you two, and serve it unmixed:

Give me drink and turn aside,

a two-year-old daughter—a wine that makes one shiver.

Daughter of two sand hills bent.

واسقيا المرهفَ الغري

واسقيا المرهفَ الغري

رَ سقى الله مرهفا

رَ سقى الله مرهفا

And give drink to the slender, guileless

Give drink to the slender and young―

one—may God give the slender one drink!

May God water a slender one.

لا تقولا نراه أكلفَ

لا تقولا نراه أكلفَ

نضواً مخففا

نضواً مخففا

Do not say, 'We see him freckled,

Say not, "We see him too precious;"

a wasted, lightly built creature.'

Made delicate, thinned of weight.

نعم ريحانةُ النديمِ

نعم ريحانةُ النديمِ

وإن كان مُخطَفا

وإن كان مُخطَفا

What a fine basil sprig for a drinking companion,

Yes, the garden's basil plant,

even if he is slender-waisted.

Though plucked immature its state.

إن يكن أكلفاً فإني

إن يكن أكلفاً فإني

أرى البدرَ أكلفا

أرى البدرَ أكلفا

If he is freckled, then I

If I'm precious, I do espy

see the full moon freckled too.

The moon itself as precious.

بأبي ماجِنُ السريرةِ

بأبي ماجِنُ السريرةِ

يُبدي تعفُّفا

يُبدي تعفُّفا

My father be his ransom—wanton at heart,

By my father diagramming maxims,

he makes a show of chastity.

He suppresses his veilings great.

حفَّ أصداغَه وعقربَها

حفَّ أصداغَه وعقربَها

ثم صفَّفا

ثم صفَّفا

He trimmed his sidelocks and curled them like scorpions,

He lined his cheeks and pencil,

then combed them into order.

Then lined adorning his plate.

وحشا مدرج القُصا

وحشا مدرج القُصا

صِ بمسكٍ ورصَّفا

صِ بمسكٍ ورصَّفا

And he filled the sweep of his

He perfumed the mares' race-course

hairline with musk and arranged it neatly.

With musk carefully laid in place.

فإذا رُمتُ منه ذا

فإذا رُمتُ منه ذا

ك تأبى وعنفا

ك تأبى وعنفا

But when I sought that from him,

If I'm chased away from it

he refused and rebuked me.

You refuse and protest this case.

ليس إلا بأن يُرنِّحَهُ

ليس إلا بأن يُرنِّحَهُ

السكرُ مسعفا

السكرُ مسعفا

There is no way but to have him made to reel

Only drunkenness tilts its palm trees,

by drunkenness, and become obliging.

Bringing ripe yield in its pace.

باكراً لا تسوفا

باكراً لا تسوفا

ني عدمت المُسوِّفا

ني عدمت المُسوِّفا

Early—do not put

Early, no slowness displayed,

me off; may I be rid of the procrastinator!

As I blame the causing-delay.

أعجلاه وبالفضا

أعجلاه وبالفضا

ضةِ في السقيِ فاعنفا

ضةِ في السقيِ فاعنفا

Hurry him, and with harshness [reading uncertain]

Hasten it! By the silvern,

be forceful in serving the wine.

Pour the water and tap the pace!

واحملا شغبه وإن

واحملا شغبه وإن

هُوَ زنّضى وأفَّ فا

هُوَ زنّضى وأفَّ فا

And bear his unruliness, even if

Bear his rages; though he be

he [unclear word] and says 'Ugh!'

Biting, submit and debase.

فإذا همَّ للمنا

فإذا همَّ للمنا

مِ فقُوما وخفِّفا

مِ فقُوما وخفِّفا

And when he inclines toward

When he yearns for sleep at last,

sleep, rise, you two, and ease off.

Rise and slow your pace.