وَسَيّارَةٍ ضَلَّت عَنِ القَصدِ بَعدَما

وَسَيّارَةٍ ضَلَّت عَنِ القَصدِ بَعدَما

تَرادَفَهُم أُفقٌ مِنَ اللَيلِ مُظلِمُ

تَرادَفَهُم أُفقٌ مِنَ اللَيلِ مُظلِمُ

And a caravan strayed from its course after

A car went astray after

And many a caravan strayed from its intended course

a dark expanse of night had overtaken them.

A dark night overwhelmed them.

After a dark horizon of night had overwhelmed them.

فَأَصغَوا إِلى صَوتٍ وَنَحنُ عِصابَةٌ

فَأَصغَوا إِلى صَوتٍ وَنَحنُ عِصابَةٌ

وَفينا فَتىً مِن سُكرِهِ يَتَرَنَّمُ

وَفينا فَتىً مِن سُكرِهِ يَتَرَنَّمُ

So they listened intently to a voice, while we were a group,

They listened to a sound while we were a gang,

They strained their ears toward a voice—while we were a gathered band,

and among us was a youth singing in his drunkenness.

With a lad singing drunkenly among us.

And among us was a youth, chanting softly in his intoxication.

فَلاحَت لَهُم مِنّا عَلى النَأيِ قَهوَةٌ

فَلاحَت لَهُم مِنّا عَلى النَأيِ قَهوَةٌ

كَأَنَّ سَناها ضَوءُ نارٍ تُضَرَّمُ

كَأَنَّ سَناها ضَوءُ نارٍ تُضَرَّمُ

Then our wine shone before them from afar,

They saw from afar a coffeehouse of ours

Then our wine gleamed out to them across the distance,

as though its radiance were the light of a fire set ablaze.

As if its light were a flaming fire.

As if its radiance were the light of a kindled fire.

إِذا ما حَسَوناها أَقاموا مَكانَهُم

إِذا ما حَسَوناها أَقاموا مَكانَهُم

وَإِن مُزِجَت حَثّوا الرِكابَ وَيَمَّموا

وَإِن مُزِجَت حَثّوا الرِكابَ وَيَمَّموا

Whenever we sipped it, they stayed where they were;

When they felt us near, they stopped in their place,

When we quaffed it pure, they halted where they stood,

and if it was mixed, they urged their mounts on and set off.

And if we got mixed up, they spurred on their ride and went forth.

But when mixed, they spurred their mounts and made straight for us.