للأميرthe emir has الجليلthe illustrious لاmay not
للأمير الجليل لا
حطbe diminished منfrom نبلthe nobility of قدرهhis standing
حط من نبل قدره
The illustrious emir has—may no
diminution touch his noble standing—
قهوةٌwine أشبهتresembled سجاfirst fragment of 'his qualities'
قهوةٌ أشبهت سجا
ياهfinal fragment of 'his qualities' فيin كلevery أمرهhis affair
ياه في كل أمره
a wine resembling his quali-
ties in every regard,
ذاتpossessing صفوٍclarity كودهlike his affection
ذات صفوٍ كوده
ونسيمٍand fragrance كنشرهِlike his fragrance or renown
ونسيمٍ كنشرهِ
clear as his affection,
and fragrant as his renown.
فشربناso we drank بحمدهpraising him
فشربنا بحمده
وانتقلناand we ate sweetmeats بشكرهِthanking him
وانتقلنا بشكرهِ
So we drank, praising him,
and ate sweetmeats, thanking him,
وسمعناand we heard غرائباًmarvels
وسمعنا غرائباً
منfrom أفانينvaried forms of شعرهِhis poetry
من أفانين شعرهِ
and heard marvels
from the varied forms of his verse,
فكأناso it was as though we فيin الخلدParadise نرfirst fragment of 'we revel'
فكأنا في الخلد نر
تعfinal fragment of 'we revel' فيamid طيبthe fragrance of زهرهits blossoms
تع في طيب زهره
as though in Paradise we were revel-
ling amid the fragrance of its blossoms.