قُمrise بِناwith us فيin صَباحِthe morning of يَومِthe day of الخَميسِThursday
قُم بِنا في صَباحِ يَومِ الخَميسِ
نَتَلَقّىlet us welcome الصِيامَthe fast بِالتَنهيسِwith feasting; literally, gnawing
نَتَلَقّى الصِيامَ بِالتَنهيسِ
Rise with us on Thursday morning;
let us welcome the fast with feasting.
ثُمَّthen قَدِّمset before لَناus التَأَهُّبَpreparation لِلصَوfor fasting (continued)
ثُمَّ قَدِّم لَنا التَأَهُّبَ لِلصَو
مِcompletion of “fasting” وَداعَa farewell to السَلافَةِthe choicest wine الخَندَريسِthe aged wine
مِ وَداعَ السَلافَةِ الخَندَريسِ
Then set before us our preparation for fasting:
a farewell to the choice, aged wine.
لاdo not تَقُلsay إِنَّهاindeed they are لَيالٍnights شِرافٌnoble
لا تَقُل إِنَّها لَيالٍ شِرافٌ
لَستُI do not أَلقىmeet سُعودَهاtheir good fortune بِنُحوسِwith ill omens
لَستُ أَلقى سُعودَها بِنُحوسِ
Do not say, “These are noble nights;
I will not greet their good fortune with ill omens.”
إِنَّindeed يَوماًa day مُبارَكاًblessed لِاِجتِلاءِfor beholding الthe (article continued)
إِنَّ يَوماً مُبارَكاً لِاِجتِلاءِ ال
راحِwine خَيرٌbetter مِنthan هَولِthe terror of يَومٍa day عَبوسِgrim
راحِ خَيرٌ مِن هَولِ يَومٍ عَبوسِ
Indeed, a blessed day for beholding
wine is better than the terror of a grim day.
فَغَداًfor tomorrow يَقرَأُwill recite الصِيامُthe fast بِفَحواby the purport (continued)
فَغَداً يَقرَأُ الصِيامُ بِفَحوا
هُits (possessive suffix) عَلىto الناسِthe people آيَةَthe verse of الدَبّوسِthe mace
هُ عَلى الناسِ آيَةَ الدَبّوسِ
For tomorrow fasting will, by its purport, recite
to the people the verse of the mace.
وَتَرىand you will see بَينَناbetween us وَبَينَand between المَلاهيmerrymaking
وَتَرى بَينَنا وَبَينَ المَلاهي
وَكُؤوسِand cups of المُدامِwine حَربَthe war of البَسوسِal-Basus
وَكُؤوسِ المُدامِ حَربَ البَسوسِ
You will see between us and merrymaking
and cups of wine the War of al-Basus.
فَاِلقَso greet صَدرَthe beginning of الخَميسِThursday مِنكَof yours بِصَدرٍwith a breast
فَاِلقَ صَدرَ الخَميسِ مِنكَ بِصَدرٍ
لَمnot يَزَلceased to be فيin الهِياجِbattle صَدرَthe vanguard of الخَميسِthe army
لَم يَزَل في الهِياجِ صَدرَ الخَميسِ
So greet Thursday’s dawn with that breast of yours
that has always been the army’s vanguard in battle.
فَلَديناfor we have مُدامَةٌwine وَنَدامىand drinking companions
فَلَدينا مُدامَةٌ وَنَدامى
كَبُدورٍlike full moons قَدalready أَحدَقَتgathered in a ring بِشُموسِaround suns
كَبُدورٍ قَد أَحدَقَت بِشُموسِ
For we have wine and drinking companions,
like full moons that have encircled suns.
كُلُّeach شَهمٍgallant man أَجراbolder جَناناًof heart مِنَthan الصَقthe falcon (continued)
كُلُّ شَهمٍ أَجرا جَناناً مِنَ الصَق
رِcompletion of “falcon” وَأَبهىand more splendid حُسناًin beauty مِنَthan الطاووسِthe peacock
رِ وَأَبهى حُسناً مِنَ الطاووسِ
Each a gallant man, bolder of heart than a falcon,
and more splendid in beauty than the peacock.
مَجلِسٌa gathering شارَفَhas approached الكَمالَperfection وَلاand not يَكbe complete (continued)
مَجلِسٌ شارَفَ الكَمالَ وَلا يَك
مُلُcompletion of “be complete” إِلّاexcept بِوَجهِكَwith your face المَحروسِwell-guarded
مُلُ إِلّا بِوَجهِكَ المَحروسِ
A gathering that has neared perfection, yet is not complete
except with your well-guarded face.