وَعودُ كَرمَةِ كَرخٍ

زَوَّجتُها ماءَ وادِ

The promise of a generous palm tree

And a branch of a vine from Karkh,

I wedded it to the valley's water

I wedded to the water of the valley,

فَلَم يَزَل يَعتَليها

بِمُسقِياتِ الغَوادي

Thence he did not cease to mount it

Which ceased not to rise over it,

With the watering places of the valleys

With the outpourings of morning clouds,

حَتّى اِستَهَلَّت بِسودٍ

مُسَهَّداتٍ جِعادِ

Until it was clad in black,

Until it broke forth with black clusters,

With spreading plumage

Wakeful, wrinkled, and tightly curled,

فَمُهِّدَت في دِنانٍ

سَقياً لَها مِن مِهادِ

Then it was prepared on the hillocks

Then it was cradled in clay casks,

Watered for it from the meadows

May it be blessed within such a cradle!

حَتّى إِذا مَرَّ دَهرٌ

لَها أَتاها عِبادي

Until when a time had passed

Until, when a long age had passed over it,

My servants came to it

My servant came to tend to it,

وَقَد تَناهَت وَصارَت

كَمِثلِ قَبسِ الزِنادِ

And it was finished and became

And it had reached perfection, becoming

Like an ember of tinder

Like the glowing spark of a fire-striker.

فَجائَها مُستَعِدّاً

كَالحارِثِ اِبنِ عِبادِ

So he came to it prepared

He approached it, fully prepared,

Like Al-Harith son of 'Ibad

Like the warrior Al-Harith ibn 'Abbad,

قَد لَفَّفَ الكُمَّ مِنهُ

كَنازِعٍ لِلقَتادِ

Having rolled up his sleeve

With his sleeve rolled up high,

Disputing for the kindling

Like one plucking out sharp tragacanth thorns,

فَسَلَّ مِنها بَزالاً

فَسالَ مِثلُ الفَصادِ

So he drew from it a spadix

He drew from it the strainer's spout,

Flowing like molten lead

And it flowed out like blood from a vein,

إِلى قَنانٍ تِلالاً

مُدَملَجاتِ القِلادِ

To the flasks, the hillocked place

Into carafes, shimmering and bright,

Adorned with necklaces

With smooth, rounded necks like jeweled collars,

فَأَذهَلَتني عَقلي

وَاِستَأثَرَت بِفُؤادي

So it confounded my reason

It swept away my reason,

And engrossed my heart

And claimed exclusive possession of my heart,

وَاِختَرتُ إِخوَةَ صِدقٍ

مِن خَيرِ هاذي العِبادِ

And I chose brothers of sincerity

And I chose sincere companions,

Among the best of mankind

From the very best of God's servants,

شَريفٌ اِبنُ شَريفٍ

جَوادٌ اِبنُ جَوادِ

Noble son of a noble man

A noble son of a noble father,

Generous son of a generous man

A generous heir to generosity,

فَقُلتُ لَذّوا بِنَفسي

أَفديكُمُ وَفُؤادي

So I said, "Take my soul with delight,

I said, "Take pleasure! May I be your ransom,"

I ransom you with my heart,

"I offer you my life and my heart."

وَاِلهوا نَهاراً وَلَيلاً

إِلى نِداءِ المُنادي

And by day and night

"Revel through the day and the night,"

Respond to the caller's call,

"Until the dawn caller cries out,"

وَنَفِّروا اللَيلَ عَنكُم

بِلَذَّةٍ وَسُهادِ

And frighten the night away from you

"And drive the night away from you,"

With pleasure and ease,

"With delight and sleepless joy."

وَناقِلوا الكَأسَ ظَبياً

ما يَرتَعي في البَوادي

And pass the wine-cup round secure

Pass the cup through the hands of a gazelle,

While it wanders in the valleys."

Who never grazes in the wild deserts,

لَكِن بِديوانِ يَحيى

بِفيهِ لَطخُ مِدادِ

But lo, in the scroll of Yahya,

But dwells in the court of Yahya,

Therein is splattered ink

With a smudge of ink upon his lips;

تَخالُهُ ذا رُقادٍ

وَما بِهِ مِن رُقادِ

You fancy it sleeping

You would deem him drowsy,

Yet no sleep is there

Yet there is no slumber in him.

ما زالَ يَسقي وَيُسقى

حَتّى اِنثَنى لِلمُرادِ

Not ceasing to water and be watered

He continued to pour and be poured for,

Until he attained his goal

Until he yielded to our desire,

وَاِنسابَ نَحوي يُغَنّي

مُطَرِّباً وَيُنادي

And there flowed to me my boon-companion

And he glided toward me, singing,

Singing to me and calling:

Trilling beautifully as he called out:

سُقيتَ صَوبَ الغَوادي

يا مَنزِلاً لِسُعادِ

"You were watered from the valleys,

"May you be watered by the morning rains,"

O abode of happiness!"

"O deserted dwelling place of Su'ad!"