للَّهto God (in praise) دَرُّexcellence عصابَةٍa company نَزَلواthey settled
للَّه دَرُّ عصابَةٍ نَزَلوا
بَينَamid الرّياضِthe gardens مَجالساًgathering places خُضْراgreen
بَينَ الرّياضِ مَجالساً خُضْرا
How splendid the company who settled
Praise be to a group who descended
amid the gardens, in verdant gathering places!
Between gardens, seated on green rugs
شَرِبواthey drank بِكَاساتٍfrom goblets مُعَتَّقَةًaged wine
شَرِبوا بِكَاساتٍ مُعَتَّقَةً
شَرِبَتdrank عُقولُهُمُtheir minds بِهاthrough it سَكراintoxication
شَرِبَت عُقولُهُمُ بِها سَكرا
They drank aged wine from goblets;
They drank from aged cups
their minds drank in intoxication through it.
Their minds intoxicated by its wine
وكأنّماand as though الأقمارُthe moons تلثمُkiss منfrom
وكأنّما الأقمارُ تلثمُ من
أيديthe hands السقاةِof the cupbearers كواكباًstars زُهْراradiant
أيدي السقاةِ كواكباً زُهْرا
And it was as though the moons were kissing, from
As if the moons were kissing
the cupbearers’ hands, radiant stars.
Stars from the cupbearers' hands
وكأنّماand as though صُوَرُthe shapes القِنانِof the bottles وقدand already
وكأنّما صُوَرُ القِنانِ وقد
مُلِئتwere filled إلىto لَهواتِهاtheir throats خَمراwine
مُلِئت إلى لَهواتِها خَمرا
And it was as though the shapes of the bottles, already
As if the images on the jugs
filled to their throats with wine,
Were filled to their brims with wine
بيضُfair-skinned ones الحسانthe beautiful women وَقَفْنَthey stood فيat عُرُسٍa wedding
بيضُ الحسان وَقَفْنَ في عُرُسٍ
لمَّاwhen لَبِسْنَthey donned غَلائِلاًthin robes حُمراred
لمَّا لَبِسْنَ غَلائِلاً حُمرا
were fair-skinned beauties standing at a wedding,
The beautiful women stood at a wedding
when they had donned thin red robes.
When they wore red veils