رَوِّmoisten عِظاميmy bones بِسُلاwith choice wine (first part)
رَوِّ عِظامي بِسُلا
فِcompletion of 'choice wine' العِنَبِthe grapes المُوَرَّقِleafy
فِ العِنَبِ المُوَرَّقِ
Moisten my bones with the choicest
Quench my bones with freshly pressed wine,
wine of the leafy grapevine.
In its clarified, filtered juice,
وَصَرِّفِand banish الهَمَّcare بِصَرwith unmixed wine (first part)
وَصَرِّفِ الهَمَّ بِصَر
فِcompletion of 'unmixed wine' مائِهاits liquid المُرَوَّقِclarified
فِ مائِها المُرَوَّقِ
And banish care with the unmixed
And dispel sorrow with cheerful song
draught of its clarified juice.
In its limpid, sparkling produce.
وَلاand do not تُدَنِّسهاsully it بِمَزby mixing (first part)
وَلا تُدَنِّسها بِمَز
جِcompletion of 'mixing' مائِكَyour water المُرَقرَقِshimmering
جِ مائِكَ المُرَقرَقِ
And do not sully it by mixing
Do not taint it with the dregs of abuse
in your shimmering water.
In your pure, pristine, pellucid cruse,
وَعَوِّذِand invoke protection for الكَأسَthe cup مِنَfrom الthe
وَعَوِّذِ الكَأسَ مِنَ ال
ماءِwater بِرَبِّby the Lord of الفَلَقِdaybreak
ماءِ بِرَبِّ الفَلَقِ
And invoke protection for the cup against
And protect the cup from the water’s pollution
water, by the Lord of daybreak.
By the Lord of daybreak and of light’s infusion.
وَعاطَنيهاand pass it to me قَهوَةًwine
وَعاطَنيها قَهوَةً
تَجلوdispels ظَلامَthe darkness of الغَسَقِdusk
تَجلو ظَلامَ الغَسَقِ
And pass it to me, a wine
Give me coffee to lift the gloom of dusk
that dispels dusk's darkness.
And keep pouring till I see the elephant’s bulk
وَساقِنيand give me drink حَتّىuntil أَرىI see الthe
وَساقِني حَتّى أَرى ال
فيلَelephant بِقَدرِthe size of البَيدَقِthe pawn
فيلَ بِقَدرِ البَيدَقِ
And ply me with drink until I see the
Amber in glass that makes it glow,
elephant the size of a pawn.
Like a firefly in glowing mercury’s flow.
صَفراءَgolden تَجلوهاdisplay it السُقاthe cupbearers (first part)
صَفراءَ تَجلوها السُقا
ةُcompletion of 'cupbearers' فيin زُجاجٍglass يَقَقِdazzlingly white
ةُ في زُجاجٍ يَقَقِ
Golden wine, displayed by the cupbearers
It shines in the palm of a cheerful lad
in glass of dazzling whiteness,
With skin so fair and clothes richly clad.
كَأَنَّهاas though it were فيin كَأسِهاits cup
كَأَنَّها في كَأسِها
كَهرَبَةٌa piece of amber فيin زَيبَقِquicksilver
كَهرَبَةٌ في زَيبَقِ
As though it were, within its cup,
His face’s light in its frame of curls
amber in quicksilver.
Is like the sun robed in sunset’s swirls.
تُجَلىis displayed بِكَفِّby the hand of شادِنٍa young gazelle
تُجَلى بِكَفِّ شادِنٍ
مُقَرَّطٍadorned with earrings مُقَرطَقِclad in a tunic
مُقَرَّطٍ مُقَرطَقِ
It is displayed by the hand of a young gazelle,
His glance and his cup leave us drunk
adorned with earrings and clad in a tunic.
Now from a goblet, now from his eyes that have sunk
يُشرِقُshines نورُthe light of وَجهِهِhis face
يُشرِقُ نورُ وَجهِهِ
فيin قُرطَقٍa tunic مُقَرطَقِtunic-clad
في قُرطَقٍ مُقَرطَقِ
The light of his face shines
Their gaze in ours. Do you not see the new cloud
within the tunic he wears.
Glowering at the horizon, surly and proud?
كَأَنَّهُas though he were شَمسُthe sun of النَهاthe day (first part)
كَأَنَّهُ شَمسُ النَها
رِcompletion of 'day' فيin رِداءِthe cloak of الشَفَقِtwilight
رِ في رِداءِ الشَفَقِ
As though he were the sun of day
Drink then to its freshness
in twilight's cloak.
From our wine aged to mellowness
يُسكِرُناhe intoxicates us مِنfrom كَأسِهِhis cup
يُسكِرُنا مِن كَأسِهِ
وَلَحظِهِand his glance المُستَرِقِfurtive
وَلَحظِهِ المُستَرِقِ
He intoxicates us with his cup
In my orchard decked out and verdant
and his furtive glance:
With basil and lote trees pleasant.
فَتارَةًso, at times مِنfrom قَدَحٍa goblet
فَتارَةً مِن قَدَحٍ
وَتارَةًand at times مِنfrom حَدَقِpupils of the eyes
وَتارَةً مِن حَدَقِ
At times from a goblet,
This is my heart’s desire, not the plain
and at times from eyes.
Of Sadir nor Khoran’s dusty terrain.
أَماdo you not تَرىsee الغَيمَthe cloud الجَديnew (first part)
أَما تَرى الغَيمَ الجَدي
دَcompletion of 'new' مُحدِقاًencircling بِالأُفُقِaround the horizon
دَ مُحدِقاً بِالأُفُقِ
Do you not see the new cloud
Look how the cups glitter through the leaves
encircling the horizon?
Like pearls hung on emerald that gleams and weaves.
فَاِشرَبthen drink عَلىto جَديدِهِits freshness
فَاِشرَب عَلى جَديدِهِ
مِنfrom خَمرِناour wine المُعَتَّقِaged
مِن خَمرِنا المُعَتَّقِ
Then drink to its freshness
The flowers have spread for us a carpet
from our aged wine,
Of red, yellow, green and shades blue that meet.
فيin جَنَّتيthe two gardens of مُحَوَّلٍMuhawwal
في جَنَّتي مُحَوَّلٍ
وَباسِقٍand Basiq وَالجَوسَقِand al-Jawsaq (the pavilion)
وَباسِقٍ وَالجَوسَقِ
In the two gardens of Muhawwal
The stream flows free and bound
and Basiq, and at al-Jawsaq;
And birds nesting and flying abound,
فَهِيَfor they are مُراديmy desire لاnot رُبىthe hills of الthe
فَهِيَ مُرادي لا رُبى ال
سَديرِSadir وَالخَوَرنَقِand al-Khawarnaq
سَديرِ وَالخَوَرنَقِ
For these are my desire, not the hills of
Bulbuls, sparrows and turtledoves croon.
al-Sadir and al-Khawarnaq.
Split the dawn with daybreak’s first tune
وَاِنظُرand look إِلىat القِدّاحِthe orange blossom يَبappears (first part)
وَاِنظُر إِلى القِدّاحِ يَب
دوcompletion of 'appears' مِنfrom خِلالِamid الوَرَقِthe leaves
دو مِن خِلالِ الوَرَقِ
And look at the orange blossom as it
Before the sun’s rays light up the sky
appears through the leaves,
To reveal the dark night’s dismal guise.
كَلُؤلُؤٍlike pearls بِالتِبرِwith raw gold فيin
كَلُؤلُؤٍ بِالتِبرِ في
زُمُرِّدٍemerald مُعَلَّقِsuspended
زُمُرِّدٍ مُعَلَّقِ
Like pearls with gold in
Fear no poverty or destitute day,
suspended emerald.
For generous souls will always make way
وَالزَهرُand the flowers قَدhave مَدَّspread لَناfor us
وَالزَهرُ قَد مَدَّ لَنا
بُسطاًcarpets مِنَof الإِستَبرَقِheavy silk brocade
بُسطاً مِنَ الإِستَبرَقِ
And the flowers have spread for us
To bestow their bounty upon me
carpets of silk brocade,
And grace my life most plentifully.
مَنof أَحمَرٍred وَأَصفَرٍand yellow
مَن أَحمَرٍ وَأَصفَرٍ
وَأَخضَرٍand green وَأَزرَقِand blue
وَأَخضَرٍ وَأَزرَقِ
Of red and yellow,
Their gifts have oft restored my weary soul
and green and blue.
And their favors have always made me whole.
وَالماءُand the water بَينَamid الرَوضِthe garden مِنsome of it
وَالماءُ بَينَ الرَوضِ مِن
مُقَيَّدٍconfined وَمُطلَقِand unconfined
مُقَيَّدٍ وَمُطلَقِ
And the water amid the garden—some
So I praise their names from east to west
confined, and some flowing free;
Though I could not wholly their merits attest,
وَالطَيرُand the birds مِنsome مُحَوِّمٍcircling
وَالطَيرُ مِن مُحَوِّمٍ
فيهاwithin it وَمِنand some مُحَلِّقِsoaring
فيها وَمِن مُحَلِّقِ
And the birds—some circling
For their generosity overflowing
within it, and some soaring—
Is beyond all limits of knowing.
وَنَغمَةُand the song of البُلبُلِthe nightingale وَالand the
وَنَغمَةُ البُلبُلِ وَال
شَحرورِblackbird وَالمُطَوَّقِand the collared dove
شَحرورِ وَالمُطَوَّقِ
And the song of the nightingale, the
blackbird, and the collared dove.
فالِقَcleave open الصَباحَthe morning بِالصَبوwith the morning draught (first part)
فالِقَ الصَباحَ بِالصَبو
حِcompletion of 'morning draught' قَبلَbefore ضَوءِthe light of الشَفَقِtwilight
حِ قَبلَ ضَوءِ الشَفَقِ
Break open the morning with the morning
draught, before twilight's glow,
وَاِجلُand dispel دُجىthe gloom of الظَلماءِdeep darkness مِنthrough
وَاِجلُ دُجى الظَلماءِ مِن
نورِthe light of سَناهاits radiance المُشرِقِshining
نورِ سَناها المُشرِقِ
And dispel the deep darkness's gloom with
the light of its radiant gleam,
حَتّىuntil يُريناit shows us أَدهَمَthe black steed of اللَيthe night (first part)
حَتّى يُرينا أَدهَمَ اللَي
لِcompletion of 'night' شَبيهَresembling الأَبلَقِthe piebald horse
لِ شَبيهَ الأَبلَقِ
Until it shows us night's black steed
resembling a piebald horse.
وَلاand do not تَخَفfear يَوماًever عَلىabout
وَلا تَخَف يَوماً عَلى
سَيِيءِwretched عَيشِthe livelihood of المُملِقِthe pauper
سَيِيءِ عَيشِ المُملِقِ
And never worry about
the pauper's wretched livelihood,
فَإِنَّfor indeed عِنديI have فَضلَةًsomething left over
فَإِنَّ عِندي فَضلَةً
مِنfrom جودِthe generosity of آلِthe house of أُرتُقِArtuq
مِن جودِ آلِ أُرتُقِ
For I have something left over
from the bounty of the house of Artuq:
قَومٌa people بِفَيضِthrough the overflow of جودِهِمtheir generosity
قَومٌ بِفَيضِ جودِهِم
رَدّواthey restored بَقاياthe remnants of رَمَقيmy remaining life
رَدّوا بَقايا رَمَقي
A people whose overflowing generosity
restored the last remnants of my life.
وَلَمand have not تَزَلceased أَنعامُهُمtheir favors
وَلَم تَزَل أَنعامُهُم
قَلائِداًnecklaces فيaround عُنُقيmy neck
قَلائِداً في عُنُقي
And their favors have never ceased to be
necklaces around my neck.
لِذاكَfor that أَجلوI make shine ذِكرَهُمtheir renown
لِذاكَ أَجلو ذِكرَهُم
فيin مَغرِبِthe west وَمَشرِقِand the east
في مَغرِبِ وَمَشرِقِ
For that I make their renown shine
in the west and in the east.
وَلَوand if أَرَدتُI wished حَصرَto encompass بَعa part (first part)
وَلَو أَرَدتُ حَصرَ بَع
ضِcompletion of 'part' وَصفِهِمtheir qualities لَمnot أُطِقِI could manage
ضِ وَصفِهِم لَم أُطِقِ
And if I wished to encompass a
part of their qualities, I could not.
Partial English translation: 46 of 66 Arabic lines translated.