1. I thought yearning would lessen my anguish a little, but it only increased what I feel
O comfort of the soul, he who is parted from you, what comfort can he find?

2. What can I do about a love that enchains me? Is there any escape when my heart is fettered?
If I disobey His commands one day, my repentance to Him is guaranteed tomorrow

3. O cupbearer, pass around the cups amongst the companions, let them sparkle
And o companions, drink your pleasures in uncountable draughts

4. For I relish your enjoyment, my thirstiest organ being my liver
I have returned to Him who holds my soul, though I will not taste it, for loyalty is what I promise

5. And I promised I would yearn to see a group suffering from thirst like me, if they ever come to water
They said the madness of the epileptics lies in their desires, but it is reason for those who yearn and keep away

6. That is reason, but it is ignorance when the body weakens and the skin stretches thin
O my friends, life is all regret over what is missed, and all misery

7. So drown your preoccupations in the night, for its darkness will not save them from dissipation
Oh, how excellent is the setback of worries when the cup foams with a wave that expels them

8. It is a cup, the sea overflowing with joy, while the cupbearers of sorrow walk in chains
With what words can I explain my darkness which startles me amidst the groves?

9. I seek eloquence for what troubles me, but I have no skill in making it clear
I have a youthful folly and ingratitude is its nature. Woe to the hearts from the evil they beget!

10. If my heart intended to destroy it in anger, it advised me that life does not last