أنابَrelented فأَعْدَانيso granted me redress علىagainst ظُلْمِهِits injustice الدَّهْرُTime
أنابَ فأَعْدَاني على ظُلْمِهِ الدَّهْرُ
وأَعْقَبَand succeeded ماwhat واصلْتُI kept up منof ذمهcensure of it الشُّكْرُgratitude
وأَعْقَبَ ما واصلْتُ من ذمه الشُّكْرُ
Time relented and granted me redress for its injustice,
And gratitude followed my unceasing censure of it.
ويومُand a day نعيمٍof bliss بالسُّرُورِwith joy قَصَرْتُهُI shortened it
ويومُ نعيمٍ بالسُّرُورِ قَصَرْتُهُ
يُقَصّرُfalls short عنهof it فيin لذاذَتِهِits sweetness العُمْرُa lifetime
يُقَصّرُ عنه في لذاذَتِهِ العُمْرُ
And a day of bliss I shortened with joy—
A lifetime falls short of it in sweetness.
بلغْتُI attained وأبلغتُand helped others attain المُنَىwishes فيهin it بالّتيthrough that which
بلغْتُ وأبلغتُ المُنَى فيه بالّتي
بهاthrough it تُفْرَجُis dispelled الغُمَّىdistress وينشرحand expands الصَّدْرُthe breast
بها تُفْرَجُ الغُمَّى وينشرح الصَّدْرُ
That day I attained my wishes and helped others attain theirs through the wine
By which distress is lifted and the breast expands:
مُشَعْشِعَةٌwater-mixed wine تهديoffers إلىto الرُّوحِthe soul رُوحَهَاits spirit
مُشَعْشِعَةٌ تهدي إلى الرُّوحِ رُوحَهَا
وَيَعْبَقُand wafts مِنْهاfrom it فيin زُجاجَتِهَاits bottle العِطْرُperfume
وَيَعْبَقُ مِنْها في زُجاجَتِهَا العِطْرُ
Mixed with water, it offers its spirit to the soul,
And perfume wafts from it within its bottle.
كأنَّas though عليهاupon it منfrom حَبَابِthe bubbles مزاجِهاits mixture
كأنَّ عليها من حَبَابِ مزاجِها
لألئَpearls نَظَّامٍof a pearl-stringer تضمَّنَهاheld them نحْرُa throat
لألئَ نَظَّامٍ تضمَّنَها نحْرُ
As though it bore, in the bubbles of its mixture,
A pearl-stringer’s pearls, cradled at a throat.
تَنَاوَلَهاtook it مِنيِّfrom me نَدَامَىdrinking companions كأنهُمْas though they
تَنَاوَلَها مِنيِّ نَدَامَى كأنهُمْ
كواكِبُstars أبراجٍof zodiacal constellations توسَّطَهَاwas in their midst بدْرُa full moon
كواكِبُ أبراجٍ توسَّطَهَا بدْرُ
Drinking companions took it from me, as though they
Were stars of the zodiac, with a full moon in their midst.
ومُسْمِعَةٌand a songstress تَحْنُوbends علىover مُتَرَنِّمٍone that sings
ومُسْمِعَةٌ تَحْنُو على مُتَرَنِّمٍ
لهit has زَجَلُa ringing voice عالٍloud وليْسَand there is not لَهُfor it سَحْرُlungs
له زَجَلُ عالٍ وليْسَ لَهُ سَحْرُ
And a songstress bends over a singer
Whose voice rings loud, though it has no lungs.
إذاif ماever تأمَّلْتَyou examined الحَشاthe belly منهof it خِلْتَهُyou would think it
إذا ما تأمَّلْتَ الحَشا منه خِلْتَهُ
تضمنcontained شِبْعاًa bellyful وهوthough it is منخرقٌpierced صِفْرُempty
تضمن شِبْعاً وهو منخرقٌ صِفْرُ
If ever you examined its belly, you would think it
Held a bellyful, though it is pierced and empty.
لهit has نَغَمٌmelodies يُفْضِيْنَthey reach منfrom كلِّevery سامِعٍlistener
له نَغَمٌ يُفْضِيْنَ من كلِّ سامِعٍ
إلىto حيثُwhere لاnot يُفْضيreaches إلىto مثلهits like الخمْرُwine
إلى حيثُ لا يُفْضي إلى مثله الخمْرُ
Its melodies find their way, within each listener,
To places wine cannot reach.
إذاwhen طرقَتْهُshe strikes it بالأنامِلِwith the fingertips والتَفَّنَand entwined
إذا طرقَتْهُ بالأنامِلِ والتَفَّنَ
علىaround جِسْمِهits body منfrom جِسْمِهَاher body الصَّدْرُthe breast والحِجْرُand the lap
على جِسْمِه من جِسْمِهَا الصَّدْرُ والحِجْرُ
When she strikes it with her fingertips, and entwines
Her breast and lap around its body,
بكىit wept طَرَباًin rapture فاستضحَكَso laughed اللَّهْوِmerriment نحوَهُtoward it
بكى طَرَباً فاستضحَكَ اللَّهْوِ نحوَهُ
وفُضَّتْand were undone عُرَىthe bonds الألبابِof reason واستُلِبَand was snatched away الصَّبْرُpatience
وفُضَّتْ عُرَى الألبابِ واستُلِبَ الصَّبْرُ
It weeps in rapture, and merriment laughs back at it;
And the bonds of reason are undone, and patience is stolen away.
وتمنحُهُand grants it اليُمْنَىthe right hand حِسَاباًa reckoning مُفَصّلاًdetailed
وتمنحُهُ اليُمْنَى حِسَاباً مُفَصّلاً
فَتُجْمَلُso are summed فيهin it الخَمْسُfive والسِّتُّand six والعَشْرُand ten
فَتُجْمَلُ فيه الخَمْسُ والسِّتُّ والعَشْرُ
Her right hand grants it a detailed reckoning,
In which five, six, and ten are summed.
فَبتُّso I spent the night صريعَfelled by الكأسthe cup أطْيَبَthe sweetest بَيْتَةٍnight’s stay
فَبتُّ صريعَ الكأس أطْيَبَ بَيْتَةٍ
وماand not الحلُمُgood sense إلاexcept أنthat تُسَفِّهَكَit makes you foolish الخَمْرُwine
وما الحلُمُ إلا أن تُسَفِّهَكَ الخَمْرُ
So, felled by the cup, I spent the sweetest night;
And wisdom is nothing but letting wine make a fool of you.
Translation model: Sol 6.1