حُثَّurge onward الكُؤوسَthe cups وَلاand do not تُطِعobey مَنwhoever لاماreproached
حُثَّ الكُؤوسَ وَلا تُطِع مَن لاما
فَالمُزنُfor the rain-clouds قَدalready سَقَتِwatered الرِياضَthe gardens رِهاماgentle showers
فَالمُزنُ قَد سَقَتِ الرِياضَ رِهاما
Pass the cups around, and obey no one who blames.
Hasten the cups, and heed no one who reproaches;
The rainclouds have watered the gardens with gentle showers.
for the rain-clouds have watered the gardens with gentle showers.
رَقَّfelt pity الغَمامُthe clouds لِماfor what بِهاwas in them إِذwhen أَمحَلَتgrew drought-stricken
رَقَّ الغَمامُ لِما بِها إِذ أَمحَلَت
فَغَداso they began يُريقُpouring out لَهاfor them الدُموعَtears سِجاماin streams
فَغَدا يُريقُ لَها الدُموعَ سِجاما
The clouds grew tender toward them when drought had left them barren,
The clouds felt pity for their plight when they grew parched,
and came to pour down tears upon them in streams.
so they began pouring tears for them in streams.
وَالبَرقُand the lightning سَيفٌa sword وَالسَحابُand the clouds كَتائِبٌbattalions
وَالبَرقُ سَيفٌ وَالسَحابُ كَتائِبٌ
تُبديshow لِوَقعِat the stroke غِرارِهِof its cutting edge إِحجاماrecoil
تُبدي لِوَقعِ غِرارِهِ إِحجاما
Lightning is a sword, and the clouds are battalions
And lightning is a sword, and the clouds are battalions
that recoil before the stroke of its keen edge.
that shrink back at the stroke of its edge.
وَالدَوحُand the great trees مَيّادُswaying الغُصونِthe boughs كَأَنَّماas though
وَالدَوحُ مَيّادُ الغُصونِ كَأَنَّما
شَرِبَhad drunk النَباتُthe plants مِنَfrom الغَمامِthe clouds مُداماwine
شَرِبَ النَباتُ مِنَ الغَمامِ مُداما
The great trees sway their branches, as though
And the great trees' boughs sway, as though
the plants had drunk a vintage from the clouds.
the plants had drunk wine from the clouds.
وَالزَهرُand the flowers يَرنوgaze عَنfrom نَواظِرَeyes سَدَّدَتhave aimed
وَالزَهرُ يَرنو عَن نَواظِرَ سَدَّدَت
لَحَظاتُهُنَّtheir glances إِلىtoward الشُجونِthe tangled boughs سِهاماarrows
لَحَظاتُهُنَّ إِلى الشُجونِ سِهاما
The blossoms gaze from eyes whose glances
And the flowers gaze through eyes that have aimed
are arrows aimed straight at tangled sorrows.
their glances as arrows at tangled boughs.
هُنَّthey الكَواكِبُthe stars غَيرَexcept أَنthat لَمdid not تَستَطِعhave the power
هُنَّ الكَواكِبُ غَيرَ أَن لَم تَستَطِع
شَمسُthe sun النَهارِof day لِضَوئِهاto their light إِبهاماobscuring
شَمسُ النَهارِ لِضَوئِها إِبهاما
They are stars—except that
They are stars, yet never can
the daylight sun cannot obscure their brilliance.
the sun of day obscure their light.
تُثنيpraise عَلىfor كَرَمِthe generosity الوَلِيِّof the rain following earlier rain بِنَفحَةٍwith a fragrant waft
تُثني عَلى كَرَمِ الوَلِيِّ بِنَفحَةٍ
عَنfrom مِسكِthe musk دارينٍof Darin تَفُضُّbreaks open خِتاماa seal
عَن مِسكِ دارينٍ تَفُضُّ خِتاما
They praise the generosity of the rain that follows rain with a fragrant breath
They praise the later rain's bounty with a fragrant waft,
that breaks the seals upon the musk of Darin.
breaking the seal upon the musk of Darin.
فَكَأَنَّماso, as though غَضَّlowered الحَياءُmodesty جُفونَهاtheir eyelids
فَكَأَنَّما غَضَّ الحَياءُ جُفونَها
إِذsince لاnot تَقومُadequately repay بِشُكرِهاwith their thanks إِنعاماa benefaction
إِذ لا تَقومُ بِشُكرِها إِنعاما
It is as though modesty has lowered their eyelids,
So it is as though modesty had lowered their eyelids,
for they cannot duly thank its beneficence.
since their thanks cannot repay such bounty.
خَيرَيَّهاtheir gillyflower يُخفيhides شَميمَthe fragrance نَسيمِهِof its breeze
خَيرَيَّها يُخفي شَميمَ نَسيمِهِ
لِنَهارِهِduring its day وَيُبيحُهُand grants it الإِظلاماthe darkness
لِنَهارِهِ وَيُبيحُهُ الإِظلاما
A gillyflower hides the perfume of its breeze
Their gillyflower hides the fragrance of its breeze
from daylight, while darkness releases it.
by day, and grants it to the darkness.
فَكَأَنَّماso, as though ظَنَّthought الدُجُنَّةَthe darkness نَفحَةًa fragrant breath
فَكَأَنَّما ظَنَّ الدُجُنَّةَ نَفحَةً
فَبَداso it appeared يُعارِضُrivals عَرفَهاits scent البَسّاماsmiling brightly
فَبَدا يُعارِضُ عَرفَها البَسّاما
As though it took the gloom for a fragrant breath,
As though it had taken the darkness for a fragrant breath,
it came forth smiling, to rival its sweet scent.
it came forth to rival the night's smiling scent.
أَوor كَالكَعابِlike a full-breasted maiden تَبَرَّجَتdisplayed her charms لِخَليلِهاfor her lover
أَو كَالكَعابِ تَبَرَّجَت لِخَليلِها
فيin اللَيلِthe night وَاِرتَقَبَتand awaited لَهُfor him الإِلماماa visit
في اللَيلِ وَاِرتَقَبَت لَهُ الإِلماما
Or like a young maiden, adorned and unveiled for her lover
Or like a full-breasted maiden who displayed her charms for her lover
at night, awaiting his visit.
by night, and awaited his visit.
فَإِذاthen when رَأَتshe saw وَجهَthe face الصَباحِof morning تَسَتَّرَتveiled herself
فَإِذا رَأَت وَجهَ الصَباحِ تَسَتَّرَت
خَوفاًout of fear وَصَيَّرَتِand turned الجُفونَthe eyelids كَماماsheaths
خَوفاً وَصَيَّرَتِ الجُفونَ كَماما
But when she sees the face of morning, she veils herself
Then, when she saw the face of morning, she veiled herself
in fear, making her eyelids into coverings.
in fear, and turned her eyelids into sheaths.
تُهديbrings as a gift الصَباthe east breeze مِنهاfrom her أَريجاًa fragrance مِثلَماjust as
تُهدي الصَبا مِنها أَريجاً مِثلَما
يُهديsends as a gift المُحِبُّthe lover إِلىto الحَبيبِthe beloved سَلاماa greeting
يُهدي المُحِبُّ إِلى الحَبيبِ سَلاما
The east wind carries fragrance from her, just as
The east breeze brings fragrance from her, just as
a lover sends a greeting to the beloved.
the lover sends a greeting to the beloved.
فَكَأَنَّهاso it is like نَفَسُthe breath الحَبيبِof the beloved تَضَوُّعاًin wafting fragrance
فَكَأَنَّها نَفَسُ الحَبيبِ تَضَوُّعاً
وَكَأَنَّهاand it is like نَفسُthe soul المُحِبِّof the lover سَقاماin sickness
وَكَأَنَّها نَفسُ المُحِبِّ سَقاما
Thus she is the beloved’s breath, exhaling perfume,
So in fragrance it is like the beloved's breath,
and the lover’s breath—sickness itself.
and in sickness like the lover's soul.
