أَلثامٌ شفَّ عَن وردٍ ندِ

أَلثامٌ شفَّ عَن وردٍ ندِ

أَم غمامٌ ضحكت عَن بَرَدِ

أَم غمامٌ ضحكت عَن بَرَدِ

Is it a veil revealing a dewy rose,

Lips that unveiled a rosebud's blush,

Is this a veil revealing a dewy rose,

or a cloud smiling to reveal hail?

Or clouds that smiled to reveal a flush,

Or a cloud that smiled to uncover hailstones?

أَم عَلى الأَزرارِ مِن حُلَّتها

أَم عَلى الأَزرارِ مِن حُلَّتها

بَدرُ تمٍّ في قَضيبٍ أَملَدِ

بَدرُ تمٍّ في قَضيبٍ أَملَدِ

Or, above the buttons of her robe,

On her dress's buttons, moonlight's glow

Or is there, rising above the buttons of her robe,

a full moon set in a supple bough?

Shone on a slender, swaying rush.

A full moon atop a supple, swaying bough?

بِأَبي لِينٌ لَهُ لَو أَنَّهُ

بِأَبي لِينٌ لَهُ لَو أَنَّهُ

نُقلت عِطفَتُه للخَلَدِ

نُقلت عِطفَتُه للخَلَدِ

My father be ransom for its softness—if only

By her softness, if it were but moved

May my father be ransomed for a softness that,

its pliancy were transferred to the heart!

To show pity, it would conquer death.

If its curve were transferred to the heart...

لا وَأَلحاظٍ لَها ساحِرَة

لا وَأَلحاظٍ لَها ساحِرَة

نَفَثَت في القَلبِ لا في العُقدِ

نَفَثَت في القَلبِ لا في العُقدِ

No—by her enchanting glances,

Not mere glances of a sorceress

No, by those bewitching glances of hers,

which breathed spells into the heart, not into knots—

Who breathed enchantment, not on gems, but souls.

Which cast spells upon the heart, not upon knots,

لا طَلَبتُ الثَأرَ مِنها ظالِماً

لا طَلَبتُ الثَأرَ مِنها ظالِماً

وَأَنا القاتلُ نَفسي بِيَدي

وَأَنا القاتلُ نَفسي بِيَدي

I have not unjustly sought revenge on her,

Nor would I, wronged, seek vengeance on her,

I did not unjustly seek revenge against her,

when I am my own killer, by my own hand.

When I'm the killer of myself by my own hand.

When I am the one slaying my own soul with my hand.

نَظَرت عَيني لِحَيني نَظرةً

نَظَرت عَيني لِحَيني نَظرةً

أَخَذت روحي وَخلَّت جسدي

أَخَذت روحي وَخلَّت جسدي

My eye cast a glance that brought my doom;

My eyes looked at her in a moment's glance,

My eye cast a single glance to my own doom;

it took my soul and left my body.

That took my soul and left my body bare.

It seized my spirit and left behind my body.

هاتها بِاللَه في مَرضاتِها

هاتها بِاللَه في مَرضاتِها

قَهوةً فيها شفاءُ الكمدِ

قَهوةً فيها شفاءُ الكمدِ

Bring it, by God, to please her:

Give it here, by God, in its sweetness,

Pass it round, by God, for the sake of her pleasure,

wine that holds a cure for grief.

Coffee wherein lies cure for all cares.

A vintage wine wherein lies the cure for deep anguish;

عُصِرت بِاللُطفِ في عَصرِ الصِبا

عُصِرت بِاللُطفِ في عَصرِ الصِبا

فَرمت بِالمسكِ لا بِالزبدِ

فَرمت بِالمسكِ لا بِالزبدِ

It was gently pressed in the season of youth,

It was pressed gently in youth's season,

Pressed with gentleness in the era of youth,

and gave off musk, not foam.

And it casts musk, not mere dregs.

So it frothed with musk, not with foam.

ما دَرى مديرُها في كَأسِها

ما دَرى مديرُها في كَأسِها

وَهيَ مثلُ البارِقِ المتّقدِ

وَهيَ مثلُ البارِقِ المتّقدِ

Its cupbearer could not tell, within its cup,

Its waitress knows not, in her cup,

The one pouring it knew not, regarding the cup,

as it flashed like blazing lightning,

That it's like lightning set ablaze.

As it shone like a blazing flash of lightning:

دُرّةٌ ضمَّت عَلى ياقوتةٍ

دُرّةٌ ضمَّت عَلى ياقوتةٍ

أَم لجينٌ فيهِ ثَوبٌ عسجدي

أَم لجينٌ فيهِ ثَوبٌ عسجدي

whether a pearl enclosed a ruby,

A pearl held fast to a ruby,

Is it a pearl embracing a ruby,

or silver held a golden robe.

Or pure wine in a crystal case.

Or is it silver containing a golden gown?

سقّني غَيرَ مُليمٍ إِنّني

سقّني غَيرَ مُليمٍ إِنّني

حَنفيُّ الرَأي وَالمعتقدِ

حَنفيُّ الرَأي وَالمعتقدِ

Give me drink without incurring blame, for I

Serve it unsweetened, for I profess

Pour for me without blame, for truly I am

am Hanafi in opinion and belief.

Reason and faith free of heresy.

Of the Hanafi school in judgment and belief;

لا أَرى بالسُكرِ إِلّا من هوى

لا أَرى بالسُكرِ إِلّا من هوى

أو هِبات الملك المُؤيَّدِ

أو هِبات الملك المُؤيَّدِ

I acknowledge no intoxication save that of love

In sugar I see nothing but passion,

I deem no intoxication valid save from love,

or the gifts of King al-Muʾayyad.

Or gifts from the lauded king to me.

Or from the gifts of the divinely aided King.

مَلِكُ العَليا وَلَو أَنصفتُهُ

مَلِكُ العَليا وَلَو أَنصفتُهُ

فَفَتحتُ اللام لَم أُفنَّدِ

فَفَتحتُ اللام لَم أُفنَّدِ

King of the heights—yet, were I to do him justice,

King of the Highest, though I sing his praises,

King of the heights—and were I to do him justice,

and give the lām an a-vowel—'angel'—I would not be faulted.

If I pronounced the L, I would not lie.

And change the vowel to call him Angel, I would not be rebuked.