أتَسقي جُفونَكَ كأسَ الهَوى

أتَسقي جُفونَكَ كأسَ الهَوى

وتَمنعُ سكرانَها أَن يفيقا

وتَمنعُ سكرانَها أَن يفيقا

Do you let your eyelids drink the cup of love,

Do you give your eyelids the cup of passion

You make your eyelids drink love's wine,

yet keep its drunken one from awakening?

and keep their drunken one from sobering up?

And prevent their drunkenness from waking.

وكنتُ شَفيقاً عَلَى عَبرَتي

وكنتُ شَفيقاً عَلَى عَبرَتي

فلمَّا جرَت كنتُ مِنها شَفيقا

فلمَّا جرَت كنتُ مِنها شَفيقا

I was tenderly protective of my tear;

And I was tenderly concerned for my tear;

I was gentle with my tears,

when it flowed, I grew afraid of it.

but when it flowed, I grew fearful of it.

Yet when they flowed, I was gentle with them.

فَرأيك في مُهجَةٍ لَم تَدَع

فَرأيك في مُهجَةٍ لَم تَدَع

لِغَيرِ الحِمامِ إِلَيها طَريقا

لِغَيرِ الحِمامِ إِلَيها طَريقا

Then what say you of a soul to which you have left

Then give your judgment on a soul—you have left

Your opinion lies in an untrodden place

no path for anything but death?

no path to it for anything but death.

To which only the dove can find a path.

فإِن كانَ لا بُدَّ مِن قَتلَتي

فإِن كانَ لا بُدَّ مِن قَتلَتي

فَقُدني إِلى المَوتِ قَوداً رَفيقا

فَقُدني إِلى المَوتِ قَوداً رَفيقا

If my being slain is inevitable,

So if there is no escape from my being killed,

If my death is inevitable,

then lead me gently on to death.

then lead me gently to death.

Then guide me to it, a gentle companion.