عدل الحبيب فمن يجورُ

عدل الحبيب فمن يجورُ

ودنا فأين بنا يسيرُ

ودنا فأين بنا يسيرُ

The beloved has been just—who, then, will be unjust?

The beloved did wrong, so who will do wrong?

He has drawn near—where, then, will he take us?

We came close, so where are we heading?

عوضت من عيس تدو

عوضت من عيس تدو

ر بي الفلا كأس تدور

ر بي الفلا كأس تدور

I received, instead of pale camels that carry

I replaced the grape wine with a cup that goes around,

me through the wilderness, a cup passed round.

And I drank as much as a little one can, and added what a big one can carry,

وشربت ما وسع الصغي

وشربت ما وسع الصغي

ر وزدت ما حمل الكبير

ر وزدت ما حمل الكبير

And I drank all the small cup held,

I awakened my remorse, and

and added all the large one carried.

We crossed the constellation.

نبهت ندماني وقد

نبهت ندماني وقد

عبرت بنا الشعرى العبور

عبرت بنا الشعرى العبور

I roused my drinking companions, when

The moon in the horizon is like a meadow with a pond,

Sirius, the Crossing Star, had passed over us.

Come on, the monitor fell asleep, and joy awoke.

والبدر في أفق السما

والبدر في أفق السما

ء كروضة فيها غدير

ء كروضة فيها غدير

And the full moon in heaven's expanse—

The devil gestured, so we all said: what a good advisor!

like a garden with a pool within it.

I was defeated in a battle that scares away the beasts and eagles.

هبوا فقد عيي الرقي

هبوا فقد عيي الرقي

ب ونام وانتبه السرور

ب ونام وانتبه السرور

Rise! The watcher has grown weary

The lamps of our meadow are bent over, and its branches are clustered,

and fallen asleep, while joy has awoken.

And living is better when curtains are not torn.

وأشار إبليس فقل

وأشار إبليس فقل

نا كلنا نعم المشير

نا كلنا نعم المشير

Iblis offered counsel, and we said—

Come drink wine, for the life is an illusion.

all of us—'What an excellent adviser!'

The cupbearers circled it as the falcon did to the hunted prey.

صرعى بمعركة تع

صرعى بمعركة تع

ف الوحش عنها والنسور

ف الوحش عنها والنسور

We lie fallen on a battlefield

A virgin whom the veil hides, as if she has a conscience in it,

that wild beasts and vultures shun.

And she thinks under her garment there is a cheek that mouths accept.

نوار روضتنا خدو

نوار روضتنا خدو

د والغصون بها خصور

د والغصون بها خصور

Our garden's blossoms are cheeks,

Until we bowed, and the Imam was in front of us without a minister,

and its branches are waists.

And when we woke up, the tongue is sweet and thought is plenty.

والعيش أستر ما يكو

والعيش أستر ما يكو

ن إذا تهتكت الستور

ن إذا تهتكت الستور

And life is at its most sheltered

We deduce a meaning or a parable is born between us,

when the veils are torn apart.

Or praise the glorious unmatched king,

هبوا الى شرب المدا

هبوا الى شرب المدا

م فإنما الدنيا غرور

م فإنما الدنيا غرور

Rise to the drinking of wine,

Nothing diminished his pride, so how can he lack a peer?

for this world is nothing but delusion.

And in the morning you delighted me with music and wine,

طاف السقاة بها كما

طاف السقاة بها كما

أهدت الصيد الصقور

أهدت الصيد الصقور

The cupbearers passed it round, as

When the rain of our cloud came, and the ground's dust is aroma,

falcons offer up their quarry.

The fingers tempt to pour the water, o king, and his fingers are seas,

عذراء يكتمها المزا

عذراء يكتمها المزا

ج كأنها فيه ضمير

ج كأنها فيه ضمير

A virgin whom the mixing-water hides,

And the sword says: like this, get excited when the throats rage,

as though she were a secret within it.

In vain do the mouths smile, and did not close with you the crevices.

وتظن تحت حبابها

وتظن تحت حبابها

خداً تقبله ثغور

خداً تقبله ثغور

And beneath her bubbles you fancy

The land of enemies surrendered, and the good news of victory came.

a cheek being kissed by mouths.

These are my wishes, o slave, and joy is my hire,

حتى سجدنا والإما

حتى سجدنا والإما

م أمامنا بم وزير

م أمامنا بم وزير

Until we bowed down, with our imam

I found it, so I winked when the shining moon appeared,

before us—the bass and treble strings.

And I dragged my tail in admiration, and said: who is more eloquent than me?

وإذا صحونا فاللسا

وإذا صحونا فاللسا

ن العذب والفكر الغزير

ن العذب والفكر الغزير

And when we sober, the tongue is

As if I lived a year in the shade of a short day.

sweet, and thought abundant.

نفتض معنى أو يولد

نفتض معنى أو يولد

بيننا مثل وزير

بيننا مثل وزير

We deflower an idea, or there is born

among us the equal of a vizier;

أو يمدح الملك الجلي

أو يمدح الملك الجلي

ل السيد الفرد الخطير

ل السيد الفرد الخطير

or the majestic king is praised,

the lord, peerless and exalted.

ما عزه شيء بغا

ما عزه شيء بغا

ه فكيف أعوزه النظير

ه فكيف أعوزه النظير

Nothing he sought ever defied him—

how, then, has an equal eluded him?

وغداة أنس بشرت

وغداة أنس بشرت

ك بها المعازف والخمور

ك بها المعازف والخمور

And a morning of delight, heralded

to you by musical instruments and wines,

إذ ماء ورد غيثنا

إذ ماء ورد غيثنا

والارض تربتها عبير

والارض تربتها عبير

when our rain was rosewater,

and the earth's soil was perfume.

تغري بصب الماء يا

تغري بصب الماء يا

ملكاً أنامله بحور

ملكاً أنامله بحور

You urge the pouring of water, O

king whose fingertips are seas.

ويقول سيبك هكذا

ويقول سيبك هكذا

صبت على العافى البدور

صبت على العافى البدور

And your bounty says, 'Thus

were full moons showered upon the suppliant.'

ويقول سيفك هكذا

ويقول سيفك هكذا

تحرى إذا غضب النحور

تحرى إذا غضب النحور

And your sword says, 'Thus

are throats sought out when he grows angry.'

هيهات تبتسم الثغو

هيهات تبتسم الثغو

ر ولم تسد بك الثغور

ر ولم تسد بك الثغور

Far be it that mouths should smile

before you have secured the frontiers.

قد أذعنت أرض العد

قد أذعنت أرض العد

و وجاء بالنصر البشير

و وجاء بالنصر البشير

The enemy's land has yielded,

and the herald has brought news of victory.

هذي الأماني لي عبي

هذي الأماني لي عبي

د والسرور معي اجير

د والسرور معي اجير

These wishes are my slaves,

and joy is a hireling in my service.

لاقيته فغضضت طر

لاقيته فغضضت طر

فى إذ بدا القمر المنير

فى إذ بدا القمر المنير

I met him and lowered my gaze

when the radiant moon appeared.

وجررت اذيالي بمج

وجررت اذيالي بمج

له وقلت فمن جرير

له وقلت فمن جرير

And I trailed my robes in his glory [reading uncertain],

and said, 'Who, then, is Jarir?'

وكأن عاماً عشته

وكأن عاماً عشته

في ظلة يوم قصير

في ظلة يوم قصير

And it was as though a year I lived

in the shade were but a short day.