أدِرهاpass it round منfrom بناتِdaughters of الكرمthe vine صِرفاunmixed
أدِرها من بناتِ الكرم صِرفا
معتَّقةًaged تريُكَmakes you see النكُّرَthe objectionable عُرفاacceptable
معتَّقةً تريُكَ النكُّرَ عُرفا
Pass round pure wine, one of the vine’s daughters,
Pass it round, unmixed, from the daughters of the vine,
well-aged, making the unfamiliar seem familiar.
Aged, making the objectionable seem acceptable to you.
فجيشُfor the army of الليلِthe night قدalready ولّىretreated هزيماrouted
فجيشُ الليلِ قد ولّى هزيما
وجيشُand the army of الفجرthe dawn قدalready لاقاهmet it زَحفاadvancing
وجيشُ الفجر قد لاقاه زَحفا
For night’s army has turned and fled, defeated,
For the army of night has fled in defeat,
while dawn’s army has met it, advancing in force.
And the army of dawn has met it, advancing.
وعبّاand marshaled الشّرقُthe east للإصباحfor daybreak صفّاa rank
وعبّا الشّرقُ للإصباح صفّا
وعبّاand marshaled الغربُthe west للظلماءِfor darkness صفاa rank
وعبّا الغربُ للظلماءِ صفا
The East arrayed a rank for daybreak,
And the east has marshaled a rank for daybreak,
and the West arrayed a rank for darkness.
And the west has marshaled a rank for darkness.
وطارَand flew النّسرُthe Eagle منحدِراًdescending فقصّتand then clipped
وطارَ النّسرُ منحدِراً فقصّت
قوادمهits primary feathers الدّجىdarkness فانقضَّand so it plunged ضعفاin weakness
قوادمه الدّجى فانقضَّ ضعفا
The Eagle flew downward; then darkness clipped
And the Eagle flew downward; then were clipped
its foremost pinions, and it plunged down weakly.
Its flight feathers by darkness, and it plunged in weakness.
وشدَّand fastened الليلُthe night منfrom دُرَرpearls of الثريّاthe Pleiades
وشدَّ الليلُ من دُرَر الثريّا
علىupon لِيتِthe side of the neck of السّهاal-Suha فيin الغربthe west شَنفاan earring
على لِيتِ السّها في الغرب شَنفا
Night fastened, from the Pleiades’ pearly beads,
And night fastened, from the pearls of the Pleiades,
an earring upon Suha’s neck in the west.
An earring upon the side of al-Suha's neck in the west.
كأنّas though الجوَّthe sky صَرحٌa palace أوor غديرٌa pool
كأنّ الجوَّ صَرحٌ أو غديرٌ
صفاءًin clarity حينwhen تنظرهyou gaze at it ولُطفاand delicacy
صفاءً حين تنظره ولُطفا
The sky seemed a palace or a pool,
The sky seems a palace or a pool,
so clear and delicate whenever you gazed upon it.
In clarity and delicacy, when you gaze upon it.
كأنّas though ذراعَهits Arm فيهwithin it ذراعٌan arm
كأنّ ذراعَه فيه ذراعٌ
تمدُّextends إلىtoward صِفاحِthe surfaces of البدرِthe full moon كفّاa palm
تمدُّ إلى صِفاحِ البدرِ كفّا
As though its celestial Arm were truly an arm,
As though its Arm within it were an arm
extending a palm toward the full moon’s broad face.
Extending a palm toward the full moon's face.
وقدand already رقَّgrew delicate النسيمُthe breeze وذابand melted لمّاwhen
وقد رقَّ النسيمُ وذاب لمّا
تهلهلgrew threadbare بردُthe mantle of ليلتهits night وشَفّاand grew sheer
تهلهل بردُ ليلته وشَفّا
The breeze grew gentle and melted away as
And the breeze grew delicate and melted away, when
that night’s mantle frayed and turned sheer.
The mantle of its night grew threadbare and sheer.
وقدand already أكلdevoured المُحاقُthe dark of the moon البدرَthe full moon حتىuntil
وقد أكل المُحاقُ البدرَ حتى
غداbecame فيon مِعصَمِthe wrist of الجوزاءِal-Jawza وقَفاan ivory bracelet
غدا في مِعصَمِ الجوزاءِ وقَفا
The moon’s dark phase devoured the full moon until
And the dark of the moon devoured the full moon, until
it became an ivory bangle on Gemini’s wrist.
It became an ivory bracelet on al-Jawza's wrist.
وقدand already راقَgrew clear الُمدامُthe wine ورقَّand grew delicate حتىuntil
وقد راقَ الُمدامُ ورقَّ حتى
غداbecame منthan دمعةِthe tear of المهجورthe forsaken one أصفىclearer
غدا من دمعةِ المهجور أصفى
The wine grew limpid and delicate, until
And the wine grew clear and delicate, until
it became purer than a forsaken lover’s tear.
It became clearer than the tear of one forsaken.
