شمْسُsun العشيّةِthe evening آذَنتْannounced بغُروبِهاof her setting
شمْسُ العشيّةِ آذَنتْ بغُروبِها
كالكأسِlike the cup راقَshone pleasingly بهاwithin it سَناradiance مَشْروبِهاits drink
كالكأسِ راقَ بها سَنا مَشْروبِها
The evening sun announced her setting,
The evening sun foretold its setting
like a cup in which its drink's radiance gleams.
Like a cup with which old age was inebriated
مُصْفَرّةyellowed تُبْديshe reveals النّحولَwasting عَليلةًailing
مُصْفَرّة تُبْدي النّحولَ عَليلةً
فكأنّهاso it is as though she تشكُوlaments فِراقَseparation from حَبيبِهاher beloved
فكأنّها تشكُو فِراقَ حَبيبِها
Yellow and ailing, she shows her wasting,
Yellowish displaying emaciation, infirm
as though lamenting separation from her beloved.
As if lamenting the loss of its beloved
فكأنّماso it is as though هيَshe فيin العشيِّthe evening مُسافرٌa traveler
فكأنّما هيَ في العشيِّ مُسافرٌ
أبْقَتْshe left علىupon مرْآهُhis appearance بعضَsome شُحوبِهاher pallor
أبْقَتْ على مرْآهُ بعضَ شُحوبِها
As though, at evening, she were a traveler
As if traveling in the evening
on whose face she has left some of her pallor.
Leaving some of its pallor on the mirror
وكأنهاand as though she عذراءُa maiden رِيعَتwas startled فانثنَتْand so turned away
وكأنها عذراءُ رِيعَت فانثنَتْ
وتستّرَتْand hid herself فيin الحيّthe camp خوْفَfor fear of رقيبِهاher watcher
وتستّرَتْ في الحيّ خوْفَ رقيبِها
And as though she were a startled maiden who turned away
Like a maiden who inclines and covers herself
and hid in the camp for fear of her watcher.
In the neighborhood, fearing a watcher
ألْقَتْshe cast علىupon هَذيthese البِطاحِbroad plains شُعاعَهاher rays
ألْقَتْ على هَذي البِطاحِ شُعاعَها
فطِرازُso the embroidery of خُصْرَتهنّtheir greenery (probable reading) منfrom تذْهيبِهاher gilding
فطِرازُ خُصْرَتهنّ من تذْهيبِها
She cast her rays across these broad plains;
It cast its rays upon these sands
thus the embroidery of their greenery comes from her gilding.
So their waist-belts gleamed from its gilding
قابِلْmeet مُحيّاهاher face بنورِwith the radiance of مُدامةٍwine
قابِلْ مُحيّاها بنورِ مُدامةٍ
حمراءَred تُبْديit reveals النّارَthe fire منthrough تشبيبِهاits kindling
حمراءَ تُبْدي النّارَ من تشبيبِها
Meet her face with the radiance of wine,
Meet its smile with lasting light
red, revealing fire through its kindling.
Red, displaying the fire of its kindling
ماnot اعْتلّتِfell ill الأجْسامُbodies إلاexcept قبْلَbefore أنْthat
ما اعْتلّتِ الأجْسامُ إلا قبْلَ أنْ
مصحَتْstroked (probable reading) علىover الأرْواحِthe souls كفُّthe hand طَبيبِهاtheir physician
مصحَتْ على الأرْواحِ كفُّ طَبيبِها
Bodies fell ill only before
Bodies only weaken before
their physician's hand stroked their souls.
The palms of the healer touch their spirits
إنْif غابَتvanished الشمْسُthe sun المُنيرةُradiant أطْلعَتْshe brought forth
إنْ غابَت الشمْسُ المُنيرةُ أطْلعَتْ
بَدْراًa full moon ينوبُstands in سناهُits radiance عنfor محْجوبِهاher veiled light
بَدْراً ينوبُ سناهُ عن محْجوبِها
If the radiant sun vanishes, she brings forth
If the shining sun disappears
a full moon whose glow replaces her veiled light.
The moon emerges, its brilliance substituting the veiled one
خُذْهاtake it معتّقةًaged علىin الرّوضِthe garden الذيwhich
خُذْها معتّقةً على الرّوضِ الذي
تُهديoffer أزاهِرُهُits blossoms نواسِمَgentle breezes طيبِهاtheir fragrance
تُهدي أزاهِرُهُ نواسِمَ طيبِها
Take it aged, in the garden whose
Take it emancipated in the garden
blossoms offer breezes of their fragrance,
Whose flowers give off fragrances of perfume
منْfrom كفّthe hand of ميّادِswaying المَعاطِفِlimbs ساحِرٍa charmer
منْ كفّ ميّادِ المَعاطِفِ ساحِرٍ
هوَhe للنّواظِرِfor the eyes منتَهىthe utmost مَطْلوبِهاtheir desire
هوَ للنّواظِرِ منتَهى مَطْلوبِها
from the hand of a charmer with a swaying frame:
From the palm of the sorcerer's overflowing rainment
he is the utmost that eyes desire.
It is for the onlookers the ultimate sought
يَشْفيhe heals نُفوسَsouls العاشقينَthe lovers منof الجَوىburning love-grief
يَشْفي نُفوسَ العاشقينَ من الجَوى
فيُزيلُso he removes ماwhat تَلْقاهُthey encounter it منْof تعْذيبِهاtheir torment
فيُزيلُ ما تَلْقاهُ منْ تعْذيبِها
He heals lovers' souls of love's burning pain,
It heals the souls of lovers from ardor
and dispels the torment they endure.
Thus removing what tribulation they encounter
والعودُand the lute يُسْمِعُmakes audible صوتُهُits voice فيin كفِّهhis hand
والعودُ يُسْمِعُ صوتُهُ في كفِّه
ماwhatever شاءَتِwished for العُشّاقُthe lovers منof مرغوبِهاwhat they desire
ما شاءَتِ العُشّاقُ من مرغوبِها
And in his hand the lute's voice makes heard
And the lute makes its voice heard in his palm
whatever lovers wish for and desire.
However the lovers desire from the coveted
باحَتْdivulged بمَكْنونِof the hidden secrets of الهَوىlove أوْتارُهُits strings
باحَتْ بمَكْنونِ الهَوى أوْتارُهُ
فشَفَتْand so healed فُؤادَthe heart غَريمِهاtheir captive lover بغَريبِهاwith their wondrous strains
فشَفَتْ فُؤادَ غَريمِها بغَريبِها
Its strings revealed love's hidden secrets,
Its strings disclosed the secret of passion
and their wondrous strains healed their captive's heart,
And so consoled the heart of her estranged lover
بأنامِلٍwith fingers لمdid not ترْقَascend مِنبَرَthe pulpit عودِهاtheir lute
بأنامِلٍ لم ترْقَ مِنبَرَ عودِها
إلاexcept أباحpermitted الشُرْبَdrinking وعْظُthe sermon خَطيبِهاtheir preacher
إلا أباح الشُرْبَ وعْظُ خَطيبِها
with fingers that never mounted their lute's pulpit
With fingers that never graced the lute’s neck
without their preacher's sermon sanctioning drink.
Except the drink permitted the sermon of her preacher
وكأنّand as though يُمناهُhis right hand تخطُّwrites لكلِّto every مَنْone who
وكأنّ يُمناهُ تخطُّ لكلِّ مَنْ
ترَكَabandoned الخَلاعةَrevelry آنhas arrived وقْتُthe time وُوجوبِهاand its obligation
ترَكَ الخَلاعةَ آن وقْتُ وُوجوبِها
And it is as though his right hand writes to everyone who
As if his right hand pens each one
has forsaken revelry: 'Its time has come, and it is a duty.'
Who has put aside decency at the time of its obligation
فاعْجَبْso marvel لآياتِat the verses of السّرورِjoy وجُدّand be diligent فيin
فاعْجَبْ لآياتِ السّرورِ وجُدّ في
ترْتيلِهاtheir measured recitation وانظُرْand look إلىat ترْتيبِهاtheir arrangement
ترْتيلِها وانظُرْ إلى ترْتيبِها
So marvel at the verses of joy, and be diligent in
So behold the signs of bliss and delight in
reciting them; behold their arrangement.
Its chanting, and look upon its arrangement
نطقَتْthey spoke فأهْلاًso welcome بالذيto that which أبدَتْهُthey revealed it منof
نطقَتْ فأهْلاً بالذي أبدَتْهُ من
مكْتومِهاtheir hidden secrets المشْروحِexpounded أوor مكتوبِهاtheir writing
مكْتومِها المشْروحِ أو مكتوبِها
They spoke—so welcome what they disclosed of
It spoke, so greetings to the one who expressed
their hidden secrets, expounded, or their writing.
From its concealed that which is divulged or recorded
لاdo not تَنسَهاforget it فبِواجِبٍfor it is obligatory أنْthat يُقْتَدىa model be followed
لا تَنسَها فبِواجِبٍ أنْ يُقْتَدى
بأبيafter Abu نُواسٍNuwas فيin محلِّthe abode of خَصيبِهاits Khasib
بأبي نُواسٍ في محلِّ خَصيبِها
Do not forget it, for one must take as a model
Do not forget it, for it is obligatory to emulate
Abu Nuwas in the abode of its Khasib.
Abu Nuwas in the fertile place of his residence
لاdo not تصْحُgrow sober عنْهاfrom it إنّindeed ربَّكyour Lord قدhas indeed قَضىdecreed
لا تصْحُ عنْها إنّ ربَّك قد قَضى
كرَماًout of generosity وإنْعاماًand grace بمحْوِfor the erasure of ذنوبِهاits sins
كرَماً وإنْعاماً بمحْوِ ذنوبِها
Do not sober up from it: your Lord has decreed,
Do not refrain, for your Lord has decreed
in generosity and grace, that its sins be erased.
Benevolence and grace in pardoning her sins
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.