مُسفِرٌa radiant one جاءَcame بِكَأسِwith a cup مُزِجَتwas mingled
مُسفِرٌ جاءَ بِكَأسِ مُزِجَت
فيin هَناthe bliss of السُّكرِintoxication
في هَنا السُّكرِ
A radiant youth came with a cup of mingled wine
The cupbearer came with a cup mixed
amid the bliss of intoxication.
With sugar in this calm
قَالَتِsaid النَّدمانُthe drinking companions شَمسٌa sun أُبرِزَتwas unveiled
قَالَتِ النَّدمانُ شَمسٌ أُبرِزَت
مَعwith أَخِthe brother of البَدرِthe full moon
مَع أَخِ البَدرِ
The drinking companions said, “A sun has been unveiled
The bright sun rose, said the moons
beside the full moon's brother.”
Along with the full moon
أَيُّwhat a ريمٍgazelle ذيendowed with مَعانٍcharms أَعجَزَتhave baffled
أَيُّ ريمٍ ذي مَعانٍ أَعجَزَت
دِقَّةَthe subtlety of الفِكرِthought
دِقَّةَ الفِكرِ
What a gazelle, endowed with charms that have baffled
What words with meanings made wisdom
the subtlety of thought!
Lack thought
جاءَcame بالكَأسِwith the cup قُبَيلَjust before السَّحَرِdawn
جاءَ بالكَأسِ قُبَيلَ السَّحَرِ
قالَتِsaid الأَكياسthe discerning
قالَتِ الأَكياس
He came with the cup just before dawn;
He came with the cup near dawn
the discerning said:
Said the pouches
طافَmade the rounds بالشَّمسِwith the sun شَقيقُthe full brother of القَمَرِthe moon
طافَ بالشَّمسِ شَقيقُ القَمَرِ
فيin دُجىthe gloom of العَسعاسِdeep night
في دُجى العَسعاسِ
“The moon's brother made the rounds with the sun
The moon revolved around the sun
in the gloom of deep night.”
In the gloom of darkness
خَضَّبَdyed الرَّاحاتِthe palms راحٌwine صِبغُهُits dye
خَضَّبَ الرَّاحاتِ راحٌ صِبغُهُ
وَجنَةُthe cheek of السَّاقيthe cupbearer
وَجنَةُ السَّاقي
Wine dyed the palms; its dye is
The palm trees were painted red by a breeze
the cupbearer's cheek.
And cheek of the cupbearer
وَحَمىand guarded الوَردَthe rose بِآسٍwith myrtle صدُغُهُhis sidelock
وَحَمى الوَردَ بِآسٍ صدُغُهُ
ياO لَهُfor it واقٍa guardian
يا لَهُ واقٍ
And his sidelock guarded the rose with myrtle—
And protected the roses with a staff whose strike
what a guardian it is!
Oh, how watchful it is
أَرقَمٌa speckled serpent فيin كُلِّevery قَلبٍheart لَدغُهُits bite
أَرقَمٌ في كُلِّ قَلبٍ لَدغُهُ
ماno لَهُfor it راقِa spell-healer
ما لَهُ راقِ
A speckled serpent, its bite in every heart,
A number stung every heart
with no healer to charm it away.
With no shepherd
أَلبَسَclothed الكَأسَthe cup ثِيابَthe robes of الزَّهَرِblossoms
أَلبَسَ الكَأسَ ثِيابَ الزَّهَرِ
خَدُّthe cheek of ساقيthe bearer of الكَاسthe cup
خَدُّ ساقي الكَاس
The cup was clothed in robes of blossoms
The cup dressed in flowers’ clothes
by the cupbearer's cheek;
Cheek of the cupbearer
وحَمَىand guarded الوَردَthe rose وآسَand the myrtle of الخَفَرِmodesty
وحَمَى الوَردَ وآسَ الخَفَرِ
بِسنانِwith the spearpoint of الباسmight
بِسنانِ الباس
and the rose and modesty's myrtle were guarded
And protected the roses and the sentry’s staff
with the spearpoint of might.
With the snakes’ fangs
وَجهُهُhis face قَدindeed أَطلَعَتhas brought forth بَهجَتُهُits splendor
وَجهُهُ قَد أَطلَعَت بَهجَتُهُ
طَلعَةَthe visage of البَدرِthe full moon
طَلعَةَ البَدرِ
His face—its splendor has brought forth
His face shone with splendor
the full moon's visage.
Like the rising moon
خَدُّهُhis cheek قَدindeed أَنبَتَتhas put forth وَجنَتُهُhis cheekbone
خَدُّهُ قَد أَنبَتَت وَجنَتُهُ
جَبَّةَa robe of الزَّهرِblossoms
جَبَّةَ الزَّهرِ
His cheek—his cheekbone has put forth
His cheek grew roses
a robe of blossoms.
Like a flowered coat
رِيقُهُhis saliva قَدindeed أَبدَعَتhas created خَمرَتُهُits wine
رِيقُهُ قَد أَبدَعَت خَمرَتُهُ
حُمرَةَthe redness of الدُّرِpearls
حُمرَةَ الدُّرِ
His saliva—its wine has created
His saliva created its wine
the redness of pearls.
With a ruby’s redness
ثَغرُهُhis mouth يَسقيgives to drink مُدامَthe wine of الدُّررِpearls
ثَغرُهُ يَسقي مُدامَ الدُّررِ
رُوحهُhis soul الحَسَّاسsensitive
رُوحهُ الحَسَّاس
His mouth gives the wine of pearls
His lips serve eternal pearls
to his sensitive soul.
His sensitive soul
وَيُريكَand shows you البَانَthe bān (moringa) tree تحتَbeneath الأُزُرِthe waist-wraps
وَيُريكَ البَانَ تحتَ الأُزُرِ
عِطفُهُhis flank المَيَّاسgracefully swaying
عِطفُهُ المَيَّاس
And the bān-tree beneath the waist-wraps is shown to you
And shows you lightning under the breasts
by his gracefully swaying flank.
With his flexible passion
خالُهُhis mole الزِّنجِيُّZanjian (black African) فيon وَجنَتِهِhis cheek
خالُهُ الزِّنجِيُّ في وَجنَتِهِ
خازِنُthe keeper of الخُلدِParadise
خازِنُ الخُلدِ
His Zanjian mole upon his cheek
His black mole in his cheek
is the keeper of Paradise.
Storing eternity
قَدindeed كَساهُhas clothed it الوَردُthe rose منfrom حُمرَتِهِits redness
قَد كَساهُ الوَردُ من حُمرَتِهِ
حُلَّةَa robe of الوَردِroses
حُلَّةَ الوَردِ
The rose has clothed it, from its own redness,
The roses dressed it in their redness
in a robe of roses.
In their floral robe
إِنَّماonly يَحميهguards it منfrom مُقلَتِهِhis eye
إِنَّما يَحميه من مُقلَتِهِ
صارِمٌa keen sword هِنديIndian
صارِمٌ هِندي
It is guarded only by what comes from his eye:
It only protects it from withering
a keen Indian sword.
A severe Indian
حُسنُهُhis beauty يُحمَىis guarded بِسِحرِby the spell of الحَوَرِthe eyes' black-and-white contrast
حُسنُهُ يُحمَى بِسِحرِ الحَوَرِ
منfrom عُيونِthe eyes of النَّاسpeople
من عُيونِ النَّاس
His beauty is shielded by the spell of his dark-pupiled eyes
His beauty protected by ladies’ magic
from the eyes of people.
From people’s eyes
يَحجُبُveils الأَبصارَvision عِندَupon النَّظَرِlooking
يَحجُبُ الأَبصارَ عِندَ النَّظَرِ
ياO لَهاfor them حُراسguardians
يا لَها حُراس
It veils their vision as they look—
Shielding sights when looking
what guardians they are!
Oh, what guards
أَيُّهاO الرَّاهِبُmonk مِمَّنof whom تَرهَبُare you afraid
أَيُّها الرَّاهِبُ مِمَّن تَرهَبُ
زَالَتِhave vanished الأَوهامthe illusions
زَالَتِ الأَوهام
O monk, of whom are you afraid?
O monk who renounces
The illusions have vanished.
Visions are gone
انتَبِهawake فالدَّيرُfor the monastery فيهِin it طَرَبُrevelry
انتَبِه فالدَّيرُ فيهِ طَرَبُ
أَيقَظَhas awakened النُّوَّامthe sleepers
أَيقَظَ النُّوَّام
Awake! For there is revelry in the monastery
Wake, the monastery is disturbed
that has awakened the sleepers.
Awakening the sleepy
هاتِbring ليto me الكَأٍَthe cup فعِنديfor in my view يجبُis obligatory
هاتِ لي الكَأٍَ فعِندي يجبُ
شُربُهاdrinking it بالجامfrom the goblet
شُربُها بالجام
Bring me the cup, for I hold it a duty
Give me the cup, I must
to drink it from the goblet.
Drink it in the goblet
أَيُّهاO القِسِّيسُpriest نَقرُthe plucking of الوَتَرِthe string
أَيُّها القِسِّيسُ نَقرُ الوَتَرِ
أَيقَظَhas awakened الشَّمِّاسthe deacon
أَيقَظَ الشَّمِّاس
O priest, the plucking of the string
O priest, we pluck the strings
has awakened the deacon.
Awakening the deacon
فاجلُso unveil بالإِنجيلِwith the Gospel شَمسَthe sun of السُّوَرِthe chapters
فاجلُ بالإِنجيلِ شَمسَ السُّوَرِ
واسقنِيand give me drink بالطَّاسfrom the bowl
واسقنِي بالطَّاس
So, with the Gospel, unveil the sun of the chapters,
So start the Gospel, sun of the wall
and give me a drink from the bowl.
And serve me in the cup