وَصَهباءَ كَرخِيَّةٍ عُتِّقَت

وَصَهباءَ كَرخِيَّةٍ عُتِّقَت

فَطالَت بِها في الدِّنانِ الطِّيلْ

فَطالَت بِها في الدِّنانِ الطِّيلْ

And a tawny wine from Karkh was aged,

Like an untamed she-camel released,

and long ages passed over it in the wine jars.

It lingered long in the pots, aged.

فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها سِوى لَونِها

فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها سِوى لَونِها

وَنَكهَةِ ريحٍ بِها لَم تَزَلْ

وَنَكهَةِ ريحٍ بِها لَم تَزَلْ

Nothing remained of it but its color

Nothing remains of it but its color,

and a fragrant scent that never left it.

And the lingering fragrance it never lost.

كَأَنَّ خَيالاً لَدى كَأسِها

كَأَنَّ خَيالاً لَدى كَأسِها

يَدُقُّ عَنِ الطَّرفِ ما لَم يَجُلْ

يَدُقُّ عَنِ الطَّرفِ ما لَم يَجُلْ

As though a phantom beside its cup

As if a phantom near its cup

is too subtle for the eye until it moves.

Beats gently if gazed at not.

فَإِن جالَ قُلتَ سَرابٌ جَرى

فَإِن جالَ قُلتَ سَرابٌ جَرى

عَلى جانِبِ الكَأسَ لا بَل أَقَلْ

عَلى جانِبِ الكَأسَ لا بَل أَقَلْ

And if it moves, you say, 'A mirage flowed

If it moves, you'd say a mirage slipped

along the side of the cup—no, less than that.'

Along the side of the cup, or less.

تُسَمَّى وَلَيسَ لَها في اليَقي

تُسَمَّى وَلَيسَ لَها في اليَقي

نِ مَعنى وُجودٍ عَلَيها يَدُلْ

نِ مَعنى وُجودٍ عَلَيها يَدُلْ

It has a name, yet in reality it has no

Named, yet in reality it has no existence

sign of existence that points to it.

That points to it in certainty.

فَلَولا الدَّلالَةُ عَن ريحِها

فَلَولا الدَّلالَةُ عَن ريحِها

لَضَلَّت وَلكِن أَبَت أَن تَضِلْ

لَضَلَّت وَلكِن أَبَت أَن تَضِلْ

But for the evidence of its scent,

If not for its smell that indicates it,

it would have been lost—but it refused to be lost.

It would be lost, but it refused to be lost.

تَرى بِالتَّوَهُّمِ لا بِالعَيا

تَرى بِالتَّوَهُّمِ لا بِالعَيا

نِ وَتُشرَبُ بِالقَولِ لا بِالعَمَلْ

نِ وَتُشرَبُ بِالقَولِ لا بِالعَمَلْ

You see it through imagination, not by direct sight,

You behold it in imagination, not with the eye,

and it is drunk in words, not in deeds.

And drink it through words, not through action.

كَفاني مِن ذَوقِها شَمُّها

كَفاني مِن ذَوقِها شَمُّها

فَرحتُ أجرُّ ثِيابَ النَّمِلْ

فَرحتُ أجرُّ ثِيابَ النَّمِلْ

Smelling it sufficed me instead of tasting it;

Smelling it was enough to intoxicate me,

so I went off, dragging the restless one's robes.

And I was happy shedding the garments of ants.