قامرَ بِالنَّفْسِ في هَوى قَمَرٍ

قامرَ بِالنَّفْسِ في هَوى قَمَرٍ

ونالَ وَصْلَ البُدُورِ بِالبِدْرِ

ونالَ وَصْلَ البُدُورِ بِالبِدْرِ

He gambled his soul in love for a moon,

He gambled with his soul desiring a moon,

And won union with full moons through purses of money.

And obtained the union of full moons.

وافْتَضَّ أَبْكارَ لَهْوِهِ طَرَباً

وافْتَضَّ أَبْكارَ لَهْوِهِ طَرَباً

إِلى عَشايا المُدام والبُكُرِ

إِلى عَشايا المُدام والبُكُرِ

And deflowered his revelry's virgins, yearning

He plucked the fruits of his amusements as pleasures,

For evenings of wine and early mornings.

To the evenings of wine and first draughts.

لا يَوْمَ كَاليَوْمِ أَبْرَزَتْهُ لَنا

لا يَوْمَ كَاليَوْمِ أَبْرَزَتْهُ لَنا

رِياضُه في مُشْهَرِ الحِبَرِ

رِياضُه في مُشْهَرِ الحِبَرِ

No day is like this day, brought forth for us

No day like this day has displayed for us

By its gardens in bright, patterned brocades.

Its meadows in the month of loves.

يَوْمَ بَهيمُ الزَّمانُ يَخْطُرُ مِنْ

يَوْمَ بَهيمُ الزَّمانُ يَخْطُرُ مِنْ

جَمالِهِ في الحُجولِ والغُرَرِ

جَمالِهِ في الحُجولِ والغُرَرِ

A day when time's dark steed prances, thanks to

A day when the elegant time emerges from

Its beauty, with white stockings and forehead blazes.

Its beauty among the gazelles and fawns.

مَسَرَّةٌ كَيْلُها بِلا حَشَفٍ

مَسَرَّةٌ كَيْلُها بِلا حَشَفٍ

ولَذَّةٌ صَفْوُها بِلا كَدَرِ

ولَذَّةٌ صَفْوُها بِلا كَدَرِ

A joy whose measure contains no shriveled dates,

A joy whose measure is without restraint,

And pleasure whose clarity is free of murk.

And a pleasure whose purity is without turbidity.

قَدْ ضُرِبَتْ خَيْمَةُ الغَمامِ لَنا

قَدْ ضُرِبَتْ خَيْمَةُ الغَمامِ لَنا

ورُشَّ جَيْشُ النَّسيمِ بِالمَطَرِ

ورُشَّ جَيْشُ النَّسيمِ بِالمَطَرِ

The tent of clouds has been pitched for us,

The tent of clouds has been pitched for us,

And the breeze's army sprinkled with rain.

And the army of the breeze has been perfumed with rain.

وعِنْدَنا عاتِقانِ حَمْراءَ كَالشَّمْ

وعِنْدَنا عاتِقانِ حَمْراءَ كَالشَّمْ

سِ وأُخْرى صَفْراءَ كَالقَمَرِ

سِ وأُخْرى صَفْراءَ كَالقَمَرِ

And we have two maidens: one red as the sun,

With us are two red-cheeked ones like the sun,

And another yellow as the moon.

And another yellowish like the moon.

بِكْرانِ هَذي تُعابُ بِالْكِبَرِ الْ

بِكْرانِ هَذي تُعابُ بِالْكِبَرِ الْ

بادي وهَذي تُعابُ بِالصِّغَرِ

بادي وهَذي تُعابُ بِالصِّغَرِ

Both virgins: this one is faulted for her old age,

The elder is blamed for obvious maturity,

Plain to see, and this one is faulted for her youth.

And the younger is blamed for obvious youth.

مُدامَةٌ كَأَنَّ مِنْ تَقادُمِها

مُدامَةٌ كَأَنَّ مِنْ تَقادُمِها

عاصِرَها آَدَمُ أَبو البَشَرِ

عاصِرَها آَدَمُ أَبو البَشَرِ

A wine so ancient that it is as though

An aged wine whose antiquity,

Its presser were Adam, father of humankind.

Its coeval witnessed Adam, father of mankind.

وبِنْتُ خِدْرٍ تُريكَ صُورَتُها

وبِنْتُ خِدْرٍ تُريكَ صُورَتُها

بَدْرَ الدُّجى في رِدائِها العَطِرِ

بَدْرَ الدُّجى في رِدائِها العَطِرِ

And a secluded maiden whose form shows you

And a girl of Khidr who shows you her image,

The full moon of night in her fragrant robe.

Like the full moon in her perfumed gown.

حَنَّتْ على عودِها وقد بَزَلَتْ

حَنَّتْ على عودِها وقد بَزَلَتْ

مُدامَنا جَمْرَةً بِلا شَرَرِ

مُدامَنا جَمْرَةً بِلا شَرَرِ

She sang plaintively over her lute, having drawn

She bent over her lute and let loose for us,

Our wine, an ember without sparks.

Ambers without sparks.

يَسْعى عَلَيْنا بِها الوَصَائِفُ قُلْ

يَسْعى عَلَيْنا بِها الوَصَائِفُ قُلْ

لدْنَ مجوناً قَلائِدَ الزَّهَرِ

لدْنَ مجوناً قَلائِدَ الزَّهَرِ

Serving-maids bring it round to us, garlanded

The cupbearers hasten to us with her,

In wanton play with necklaces of flowers.

The necklaces of pearls from her soft mouth.

قُرّطْنَ قِرْطَيْنِ إِذْ جَلَبْنَ لَنا

قُرّطْنَ قِرْطَيْنِ إِذْ جَلَبْنَ لَنا

مُعَقْرِباتِ الأَصْداغِ والطُّرَرِ

مُعَقْرِباتِ الأَصْداغِ والطُّرَرِ

They were adorned with two earrings as they brought it to us,

They adorned two ear-rings when they brought to us,

With scorpion-curled temple-locks and forelocks.

The temples' knobs and fresh pearls.

يا تارِكاً طيبَ يَوْمِهِ لِغَدٍ

يا تارِكاً طيبَ يَوْمِهِ لِغَدٍ

تَبيعُ عَيْنَ السُّرورِ بِالأَثَرِ

تَبيعُ عَيْنَ السُّرورِ بِالأَثَرِ

O you who forsake your day's delight for tomorrow,

O you who forsake the scent of his day for tomorrow,

You sell joy itself for its trace.

Selling the eye of happiness for a trace!

إِنْ وَتَرَتْ قَلْبَكَ الهُمومُ فَما

إِنْ وَتَرَتْ قَلْبَكَ الهُمومُ فَما

مِثْلَ انْتِصارٍ بِالنّايِ والوَتَرِ

مِثْلَ انْتِصارٍ بِالنّايِ والوَتَرِ

If worries have wronged your heart, there is nothing

If worries have corrupted your heart,

Like avenging yourself with flute and string.

There is no gain like winning through the flute and strings,

وشادِنٍ حَيَّرَتْ لَواحِظُهُ

وشادِنٍ حَيَّرَتْ لَواحِظُهُ

أَلحاظَ عَيْنِ الغَزَالِ بِالحَوَرِ

أَلحاظَ عَيْنِ الغَزَالِ بِالحَوَرِ

And a fawn whose glances bewildered

And loving companions who confuse their admirers,

The gazelle's gaze with their brilliant whites and dark pupils.

With the glances of the gazelle's eyes.

أُجْبِرْتُ في حُبِّهِ لأَعْذُرَهُ

أُجْبِرْتُ في حُبِّهِ لأَعْذُرَهُ

فَإِنْ جَفاني احْتَجَجْتُ بِالقَدَرِ

فَإِنْ جَفاني احْتَجَجْتُ بِالقَدَرِ

I was compelled to love him, so I might excuse him;

I am compelled in his love to forgive him,

So if he shuns me, I plead predestination.

So if he is unfaithful to me, I will argue destiny.

سَأَلْتُهُ زَوْرَةً فَجادَ بِها

سَأَلْتُهُ زَوْرَةً فَجادَ بِها

وكُلُّ هَذا بِأَلسُنِ النَّظَرِ

وكُلُّ هَذا بِأَلسُنِ النَّظَرِ

I asked him for a visit, and he generously granted it,

I asked him for a false gift, and he gave generously,

And all this through the tongues of glances.

And all this with tongues of glance.

فَنِلْتُ سُؤلِيَ مِنْ رَشْفِ ريقِتهِ

فَنِلْتُ سُؤلِيَ مِنْ رَشْفِ ريقِتهِ

ومُنْيَتي مِنْ مَآَرِبٍ أُخَرِ

ومُنْيَتي مِنْ مَآَرِبٍ أُخَرِ

So I attained my desire in sipping his saliva,

So I attained my request from the wine of his saliva,

And my wish in other pleasures.

And my pleasure from other sources.