تعلَّقتُه مُسهِراً مُسكِراً

تعلَّقتُه مُسهِراً مُسكِراً

شَديد الخمار وما خُمِّرا

شَديد الخمار وما خُمِّرا

I fell for him—he banishes sleep and intoxicates,

I was captivated by him intoxicated and drunk

bringing a fierce hangover, though never fermented.

Heavily inebriated though not yet covered

تقلَّبَ في صورةٍ صورةٍ

تقلَّبَ في صورةٍ صورةٍ

كما تَفعلُ الجِنُّ أو أكثَرا

كما تَفعلُ الجِنُّ أو أكثَرا

He shifted from form to form,

He changed into image after image

as the jinn do—or even more.

As jinn are wont to do, or more

فَفيما أرى غُصناً إذ أَرى

فَفيما أرى غُصناً إذ أَرى

هِلالاً إلى أن أَرى جُؤذَرا

هِلالاً إلى أن أَرى جُؤذَرا

For just as I see a bough, suddenly I see

So I see a branch, and lo, I see

a crescent moon, until I see a wild-ox calf.

A crescent, until I see a full moon

وقد صارَ تخطر في حبِّه

وقد صارَ تخطر في حبِّه

وساوِسُ ما خِلتُ أن تَخطُرا

وساوِسُ ما خِلتُ أن تَخطُرا

And now, in my love for him, there arise

And it occurred to me, in my love for him

obsessive thoughts I never imagined would arise.

Thoughts I had never thought before

فقوموا سَلوا عن سلوٍ يُبا

فقوموا سَلوا عن سلوٍ يُبا

عُ أو استَخبروا عن كرىً يُكتَرى

عُ أو استَخبروا عن كرىً يُكتَرى

Rise, then, and ask about solace for sale,

So rise and ask about a wadi that sells

or inquire about sleep for hire.

Love, or seek out a ruin that grants union

هل الناسُ مِثلي وإلا فما

هل الناسُ مِثلي وإلا فما

أشدَّ القُلوب وما أصبَرا

أشدَّ القُلوب وما أصبَرا

Are people like me? If not, how

Are people like me, or am I

strong hearts are, and how patient!

Of firmer heart and greater patience?

وصفراء تنفذُ من كأسِها

وصفراء تنفذُ من كأسِها

فتُبصِرُ من حولها أصفَرا

فتُبصِرُ من حولها أصفَرا

And golden wine shines through its cup,

My yellow one pours from her cup

so you see those around it yellow.

And all around her then looks yellow

تمدُّ إذا شُعشِعَت كالهَبا

تمدُّ إذا شُعشِعَت كالهَبا

ءِ إذا كان قُدَّامها أو وَرا

ءِ إذا كان قُدَّامها أو وَرا

When diluted, it spreads like dust

She straightens, when made tipsy, like a flame

when it lies before it or behind.

In front or behind as she sways

وفي القَومِ من لم يكن عنده

وفي القَومِ من لم يكن عنده

إذا أسكرَ القومُ أن يسكَرا

إذا أسكرَ القومُ أن يسكَرا

Among the company was one not inclined,

And among the people is one who, lacking

when the company grew drunk, to grow drunk himself.

Drink when the people drink, cannot get drunk

سَقاني وشدَّ معي شربَهُ

سَقاني وشدَّ معي شربَهُ

فما شَدَّ من بَعدِها مِئزَرا

فما شَدَّ من بَعدِها مِئزَرا

He gave me drink and drank hard with me,

He gave me to drink, and drank with me,

and afterward he did not fasten a waistcloth.

Then bound not his loins afterward

وبتُّ أدافعُ عنه الهوى

وبتُّ أدافعُ عنه الهوى

وأمنعُ إبليسَ أن يَحضُرا

وأمنعُ إبليسَ أن يَحضُرا

I spent the night warding desire away from him,

I stay up to defend him from passion

and keeping Iblis from coming.

And prevent the devil his urge to be present

وأذكرُ أهل الوفا والعَفا

وأذكرُ أهل الوفا والعَفا

فِ فَأحسِبُ أوَّلَهم جَعفَرا

فِ فَأحسِبُ أوَّلَهم جَعفَرا

And I recall the people of fidelity and chastity,

And I mention the true and noble souls

and reckon Ja'far foremost among them.

Counting Ja'far as the first of them

وكم يَستذِمُّ به مالُه

وكم يَستذِمُّ به مالُه

فلا يَتَمالكُ أن يَغدرا

فلا يَتَمالكُ أن يَغدرا

How often his wealth seeks his protection,

How often his wealth almost

yet he cannot keep himself from betraying it.

Seduces him, but he resists betrayal

وذلك أعدلُ حُكم النَّدى

وذلك أعدلُ حُكم النَّدى

وإن كان أعدلُهُ أجوَرا

وإن كان أعدلُهُ أجوَرا

That is generosity's fairest judgment,

That is the most just judgment of chivalry

even though its fairest is most unjust.

Though its most open-handed judgment are gifts

وحقُّ الندى أن يُنادي عَلَي

وحقُّ الندى أن يُنادي عَلَي

هِ من يَشتَري جارَنا بالبَرى

هِ من يَشتَري جارَنا بالبَرى

Generosity ought to offer him at auction:

The duty of chivalry is to call out

'Who will buy our neighbor for dust,

"Who will buy our neighbor with kindness?"

على أن يُضيِّعَ ما عِندَه

على أن يُضيِّعَ ما عِندَه

ويمنَحهُ كلَّ من أبصَرا

ويمنَحهُ كلَّ من أبصَرا

on condition that he squander what he has

On condition he squander what he owns

and grant it to everyone he sees?'

And grant freely all who see him

ولكن يَنالُكَ من فِعلهِ

ولكن يَنالُكَ من فِعلهِ

إذا نَسيَ الناسُ أن يُذكَرا

إذا نَسيَ الناسُ أن يُذكَرا

Yet what reaches you from his deeds,

But you earn from his action, when

when people forget, is remembrance of him.

People forget you, only blame

فتىً مدَّ بالجودِ كِلتا يَدي

فتىً مدَّ بالجودِ كِلتا يَدي

هِ فَمدُّهُما أيمناً أيسَرا

هِ فَمدُّهُما أيمناً أيسَرا

A youth who stretched out both his hands in generosity—

A young man who stretched out both hands with generosity

extending them made him more blessed and more prosperous.

Extending his right and his left

ولاحَ على فعلِه بشرهُ

ولاحَ على فعلِه بشرهُ

فألفَيتَهُ مُزهِراً مُثمِرا

فألفَيتَهُ مُزهِراً مُثمِرا

His cheerfulness shone through his deeds,

The sheen of his deed shone on his face

so you found him blooming and fruitful.

So I found him blooming and fruitful

وكم فاضَ بالأدبِ المُستَفا

وكم فاضَ بالأدبِ المُستَفا

ضِ فأَجرى بهذا وذا أبحُرا

ضِ فأَجرى بهذا وذا أبحُرا

How often he overflowed with widely shared learning,

How he overflowed with most excellent grace

and with this and that set seas flowing.

And thereby gave life to this and that sea

فزُرهُ إذا شئتَ مُستَرفِداً

فزُرهُ إذا شئتَ مُستَرفِداً

لتَغنى وإن شئتَ مستنصِرا

لتَغنى وإن شئتَ مستنصِرا

Visit him, then, seeking largesse if you wish

Then visit him, if you wish, to gain wealth

to grow rich—or, if you wish, seeking aid.

Or, if you wish, seeking his aid