لاعَبَplayed with السُّكْرُintoxication قَدَّهُhis figure فَتَثَنَّىso he swayed
لاعَبَ السُّكْرُ قَدَّهُ فَتَثَنَّى
وَدَعَاهُand beckoned him فَرْطُexcess of السُّرُورِjoy فَغَنَّىso he sang
وَدَعَاهُ فَرْطُ السُّرُورِ فَغَنَّى
Intoxication toyed with his graceful form, and he swayed;
Intoxication played with his figure, so he swayed.
excess of joy called to him, and he sang.
And overflowing joy beckoned him, so he sang.
رَشَأٌa young gazelle تَعْبُدُworship النَّوَاظِرُgazing eyes مِنْهُin him
رَشَأٌ تَعْبُدُ النَّوَاظِرُ مِنْهُ
وَاحِداًa unique one فِيin الْجَمَالِbeauty لَيْسَis not يُثَنَّىmatched by a second
وَاحِداً فِي الْجَمَالِ لَيْسَ يُثَنَّى
A gazelle-fawn—in him every gaze worships
A young gazelle, in whom gazing eyes worship
one peerless beauty, with no second.
One unique in beauty, who has no second.
أَنْبَتَmade grow الْحُسْنُbeauty فَوْقَupon خَدَّيْهِhis two cheeks وَرْدَاًroses
أَنْبَتَ الْحُسْنُ فَوْقَ خَدَّيْهِ وَرْدَاً
لَيْسَnot إِلَّاexcept بِغَمْزَةِby a wink of اللَّحْظِthe gaze يُجْنَىis plucked
لَيْسَ إِلَّا بِغَمْزَةِ اللَّحْظِ يُجْنَى
Beauty made roses grow upon his cheeks,
Beauty made roses grow upon his cheeks,
to be plucked only by a darting glance.
To be plucked only by a winking glance.
لَمْdid not يَزَلْcease يَرْضَعُsuckling السُّلافَةَthe finest wine حَتَّىuntil
لَمْ يَزَلْ يَرْضَعُ السُّلافَةَ حَتَّى
غَابَbecame absent عَنَّاfrom us كَأَنَّهُas though he لَيْسَwas not مِنَّاone of us
غَابَ عَنَّا كَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنَّا
He went on suckling the choicest wine until
He kept suckling the finest wine until
he was lost to us, as though no longer one of us.
He was lost to us, as though he were not one of us.
فَأَنَمْنَاهُso we put him to sleep فَوْقَupon مَهْدٍa cradle وَثِيرٍsoft
فَأَنَمْنَاهُ فَوْقَ مَهْدٍ وَثِيرٍ
بُرْهَةًfor a while كَيْso that يُفِيقَhe might regain his senses ثُمَّthen انْصَرَفنَاwe departed
بُرْهَةً كَيْ يُفِيقَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفنَا
So we laid him to sleep upon a soft cradle
So we laid him to sleep upon a soft cradle,
for a while, that he might recover; then we withdrew.
For a while, so he might regain his senses; then we departed.
فَلَبِثْنَاso we stayed هُنَيْهَةًa little while ثُمَّthen لَمَّاwhen
فَلَبِثْنَا هُنَيْهَةً ثُمَّ لَمَّا
خَفَّrecovered somewhat مِنْfrom سُكْرِهِhis drunkenness وَأَقْبَلَand approached قُمْنَاwe rose
خَفَّ مِنْ سُكْرِهِ وَأَقْبَلَ قُمْنَا
We lingered a little; then, when
So we stayed a little while; then, when
his drunkenness eased and he came forward, we rose.
He recovered somewhat from his drunkenness and approached, we rose.
وَأَدَرْنَاand we passed around الْكُؤُوسَthe cups حَتَّىuntil تَوَلَّتْwithdrew
وَأَدَرْنَا الْكُؤُوسَ حَتَّى تَوَلَّتْ
أَنْجُمُthe stars اللَّيْلِof night مِنْin أُحَادَones وَمَثْنَىand twos
أَنْجُمُ اللَّيْلِ مِنْ أُحَادَ وَمَثْنَى
And we sent the cups circling until there departed
And we passed the cups around until they withdrew—
the stars of night, singly and in pairs.
The stars of night, one by one and two by two.
يَاoh لَهَاhow wondrous it was لَيْلَةًa night أَبَحْنَاwe made lawful بِهَاduring it اللَّهْrevelry (continued next line)
يَا لَهَا لَيْلَةً أَبَحْنَا بِهَا اللَّهْ
وَcompletes the word “revelry” إِلَىuntil وَرْدَةِthe rose of الْغَدَاةِdawn وَتُبْنَاand we repented
وَ إِلَى وَرْدَةِ الْغَدَاةِ وَتُبْنَا
What a night it was! We gave revelry free rein—
Oh, what a night! We made revelry lawful in it
until the rose of morning; then we repented.
Until the rose of dawn, and then repented.
