بينamid آسmyrtle وأقاحand daisies
بين آس وأقاح
وصبوحand a morning draught فيin صباحthe morning
وصبوح في صباح
Amid myrtle and daisies,
Between nectar and wild rue
And a morning draught in the morning,
And dawn in the morning
روّحrefresh الروحthe soul براحwith wine
روّح الروح براح
واغتنمand seize صفوthe serenity الزمانof time
واغتنم صفو الزمان
Refresh the soul with wine,
Refresh the soul with ease
And seize time's serenity.
And seize the cream of time
خندريسaged wine منfrom رحيقpure nectar
خندريس من رحيق
قرقفاًheady wine تدعىis called بريقas saliva
قرقفاً تدعى بريق
A vintage wine of pure nectar,
Lovely cups with ruby sheen
A heady wine called saliva,
Filled with pure wine
فيin كؤوسgoblets منof عقيقagate
في كؤوس من عقيق
عصرتwas pressed منfrom أقحوانdaisies
عصرت من أقحوان
In goblets of agate,
Pressed from vine
Pressed from daisies.
In the garden of the vintner
فيin رياضgardens الجلنارof pomegranate blossom
في رياض الجلنار
بينamong وردroses وبهارand narcissi
بين ورد وبهار
In gardens of pomegranate blossom,
Among roses and Spring
Among roses and narcissi,
The scent of wine delights me
لذّwas sweet ليto me لثمkissing العقارthe wine
لذّ لي لثم العقار
منfrom ثنياتthe front teeth الحسانof the beauties
من ثنيات الحسان
Sweet to me was kissing the wine
From the bending boughs
From the beauties' front teeth.
So pardon me, you who pardon
فاعذرونيso pardon me ياO عذوليmy reproacher
فاعذروني يا عذولي
ودعواand abandon قولspeech الفضولof idle meddling
ودعوا قول الفضول
So pardon me, O my reproacher,
And hush the gossipy words
And abandon meddlesome talk.
If my illness and leanness
إنindeed سقميmy sickness ونحوليand my wasting
إن سقمي ونحولي
فيin الهوىlove كلall الأَمانيwishes
في الهوى كل الأَماني
Indeed, my sickness and wasting
In love, all wishes
In love are all I wish for.
Leave me to my tears
ودعونيand leave me وبكائيand my weeping
ودعوني وبكائي
منover بخيلone miserly بالوفاءwith faithfulness
من بخيل بالوفاء
And leave me to my weeping
Of one who's miserly with loyalty
Over one miserly with faithfulness.
It's God's decree, my misery
قدرdecreed اللهGod شقائيmy misery
قدر الله شقائي
فيin هواهlove for him وهوانيand my humiliation
في هواه وهواني
God decreed my misery
In his love and my disgrace
In loving him, and my humiliation.
He owns my soul and being
ملكpossessed الروحthe soul وماليand my wealth
ملك الروح ومالي
طرفهhis glance لماwhen وماليbeckoned to me
طرفه لما ومالي
My soul and my wealth were seized
His glance beckons me
By his glance, when it beckoned to me.
And calls my heart insistently
ودعاand called قلبيmy heart وماليand why should I
ودعا قلبي ومالي
لاnot ألبيI answer منthe one who دعانيcalled me
لا ألبي من دعاني
It called my heart—and why should I
I do not resist when called
Not answer the one who called me?
The day we parted was hard
لسعتيmy sting يومthe day الفراقof parting
لسعتي يوم الفراق
صعبتproved too difficult عنfor الفa thousand راقa healer using incantations
صعبت عن الف راق
The sting I suffered on the day of parting
It was hard to leave
Proved beyond a thousand healers.
So remind me of reunions
فأدرso pass around ذكرthe remembrance التلاقيof reunion
فأدر ذكر التلاقي
واسقنيand give me to drink راحthe wine الأغانيof songs
واسقني راح الأغاني
So pass round the remembrance of reunion,
And pour me the wine of song
And give me the wine of songs to drink.
Oh nights of intimacy, return
ياO لياليnights الأنسof companionship عوديreturn
يا ليالي الأنس عودي
بمليحwith a fair one وبعودand with an oud
بمليح وبعود
O nights of companionship, return
With a fair and slim beloved
With a fair one and an oud.
Defeat the army of rejecters
واهزميand rout جندthe army الصدودof rejection
واهزمي جند الصدود
وانظميand string عقدthe necklace التهانيof felicitations
وانظمي عقد التهاني
And rout the army of rejection,
And string the pearls of affection
And string the necklace of felicitations.
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.