وَليلَةٍand a night خَرَّقتُI tore open عَنfrom over صُبحِهاits dawn
وَليلَةٍ خَرَّقتُ عَن صُبحِها
جَيباًa collar مِنَof الظُلَماءِthe darkness مَزروراbuttoned shut
جَيباً مِنَ الظُلَماءِ مَزرورا
And one night, to reveal its dawn, I tore open
a buttoned collar of darkness.
شاهَدتُI saw بَدرَthe full moon التَمِّfullness فيهاin it وَقَدand already
شاهَدتُ بَدرَ التَمِّ فيها وَقَد
كَوَّرَrolled up شَمسَthe sun الراحِof wine تَكويراa thorough rolling-up
كَوَّرَ شَمسَ الراحِ تَكويرا
I saw the full moon there, and it had
rolled up the sun of wine completely.
بِتناwe spent the night بِهاin it نَشرَبُwe drink مِنof قَهوَةٍwine
بِتنا بِها نَشرَبُ مِن قَهوَةٍ
قَدَّرَهاmeasured it out الساقونَthe cupbearers تَقديراwith precision
قَدَّرَها الساقونَ تَقديرا
We spent the night there drinking wine
that the cupbearers had measured out precisely.
إِنif لَمnot تَكُنwere أَكوابُناour cups فِضَّةًsilver
إِن لَم تَكُن أَكوابُنا فِضَّةً
كانَتthey were قَواريرَglass vessels قَواريراglass vessels
كانَت قَواريرَ قَواريرا
If our cups were not of silver,
they were glass vessels—glass vessels.