by Abu Nuwas, translated from the Arabic by Alex Rowell
To the abandoned remains of a
Drinking house they set out at dark
Traces of wine pouches dragged along its soil
And bouquets of basil, some moist, some parched
I shut my friends inside, that they’d reunite
And I was among them from the start
And it was like I’d never known them
Back in east Sabat’s remotest parts[1]A Persian city
We spent a day, then another, then a third
And not till the fifth did we depart
Wine circulated in gilded cups
Adorned with colourful Persian art
On the base a Khosrau[2]A Persian king, and on the sides
An oryx speared by horsemen’s darts
Wine was poured up to their pockets
Followed by water to their hats’ marks
ودارِ نَدامى عَطَّلوها وأدلَجوا
بِها أثَرٌ مِنهم جديدٌ وَدَارِسُ
مَساحِب مِن جَرِّ الزقاقِ على الثَرى
وأضغاثُ ريحانٍ جَنِيٌّ ويابِسُ
حَبَستُ بِها صَحبي فجدّدتُ عَهدَهم
وإنّي على أمثالِ تِلكَ لَحابِسُ
ولمْ أدرِ مَن هم غَيرَ ما شَهِدَت بِهِ
بِشَرقيِّ ساباطَ الديارُ البسابِسُ
أقَمنا بِها يوماً ويوماً وثالثاً
ويوماً له يومُ الترحُّلِ خامسِ
تُدارُ علينا الراحُ في عسجديّةٍ
حَبَتها بألوانِ التصاويرِ فارِسُ
قَرارتُها كِسرى وفي جنباتِها
مَهاً تَدّريها بِالقِسِيِّ الفَوارِسُ
فَلِلخَمرِ ما زُرّتْ عليهِ جُيوبُها
وَلِلماءِ ما دارتْ عليهِ القلانِسُ
Alex Rowell
Alex Rowell is a Beirut-based reporter on political and cultural affairs for NOW Lebanon. His writing has also been published in outlets including BBC, the Economist, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Left Foot Forward, and the UK National Secular Society. He has spoken on HuffPost Live TV and BBC World Service and Monocle 24 radio. He is completing a book-length rhyming translation of the khamriyyat, or wine poetry, of Abu Nuwas. He tweets at @disgraceofgod.
