ضَحِكَ الشَيبُ في نَواحي الظَلامِ

ضَحِكَ الشَيبُ في نَواحي الظَلامِ

وَاِرعَوى عَنكَ زاجِرُ اللَوّامِ

وَاِرعَوى عَنكَ زاجِرُ اللَوّامِ

Gray hair laughed in the reaches of darkness,

The gray hair laughed in the corners of darkness

The gray dawn has laughed through the corners of the dark,

And the reproachers' rebuking voice drew back from you.

And cried out to you, blamer of the blamers

And the scolding voice of the blamers has ceased to rebuke.

فَاِسقِنيها سُلافَةً بِنتُ عَشرٍ

فَاِسقِنيها سُلافَةً بِنتُ عَشرٍ

دَبَّ في جِرمِها غِذاءُ الحَرامِ

دَبَّ في جِرمِها غِذاءُ الحَرامِ

So pour it for me—pure wine, a daughter of ten years,

So serve it to me, a draft, daughter of ten (years old)

So pour me the purest vintage, a daughter of ten years,

Into whose body forbidden nourishment has crept.

In whose body the nourishment of the unlawful crept

Through whose substance the essence of sin has subtly crept.

مِن عُقارٍ كَطَلعَةِ البَدرِ لا بَل

مِن عُقارٍ كَطَلعَةِ البَدرِ لا بَل

تَكسِفُ البَدرَ في رُواقِ الظَلامِ

تَكسِفُ البَدرَ في رُواقِ الظَلامِ

Of a wine like the full moon's face—no, rather,

Of a potion like the rising full moon, no, but

A liquor radiant as the rising moon—nay,

It eclipses the full moon beneath the canopy of darkness.

It eclipses the full moon in the porch of darkness

It eclipses the very moon within the pavilion of night.

عاطِنيها كَما وَصَفتَ خَليلي

عاطِنيها كَما وَصَفتَ خَليلي

مَن يَدَي شادِنٍ رَخيمِ الكَلامِ

مَن يَدَي شادِنٍ رَخيمِ الكَلامِ

Pass it to me as you described it, my dear friend,

Serve it to me as you described, my friend

Pass it to me as you have described, O my friend,

From the hands of a young gazelle, soft-spoken.

Before a young tender, gentle-worded gazelle

From the hands of a fawn with soft and melodious speech.

عَلَّمَ السِحرَ مُقلَتَيهِ اِحوِراراً

عَلَّمَ السِحرَ مُقلَتَيهِ اِحوِراراً

شيبَ تَفتيرُهُ بِلَونِ المُدامِ

شيبَ تَفتيرُهُ بِلَونِ المُدامِ

He taught enchantment to his eyes, dark against their bright whites;

Its eyelashes taught magic, captivating

Magic has taught his dark eyes their captivating art,

His languorous gaze was tinged with the color of wine.

Its youthful radiance is the color of wine

Their languid gaze tinged with the crimson of the vine.

وَجهُهُ البَدرُ وَالمُدامَةُ بَدرٌ

وَجهُهُ البَدرُ وَالمُدامَةُ بَدرٌ

يا لِبَدرَينِ رُكِّبا في نِظامِ

يا لِبَدرَينِ رُكِّبا في نِظامِ

His face is the full moon, and the wine a full moon—

Its face the full moon and the wine a full moon

His face is a full moon, and the wine is a moon as well,

Oh, two full moons set together in one array!

Oh two full moons composed in a system

O wonder of two moons aligned in a single orbit!

كُلَّما دارَتِ الكُؤوسُ تَغَنّى

كُلَّما دارَتِ الكُؤوسُ تَغَنّى

مَن لِقَلبِ مُتَيَّمٍ مُستَهامِ

مَن لِقَلبِ مُتَيَّمٍ مُستَهامِ

Whenever the cups went round, he sang:

Whenever the cups turned around, it sang

And whenever the cups circle round, he begins to sing:

“Who will help a heart enslaved by love, love-distraught?”

Who for a passionate heart, intense with yearning?

"Who will save a heart enslaved and lost in desire?"

خَلِّ لِلأَشقِياءِ وَصفَ الفَيافي

خَلِّ لِلأَشقِياءِ وَصفَ الفَيافي

وَاِسقِنيها سُلافَةً بِسَلامِ

وَاِسقِنيها سُلافَةً بِسَلامِ

Leave descriptions of desert wastes to the wretched,

Leave the description of trifles for the miserable

Leave the description of barren deserts to the wretched,

And pour it for me—pure wine—in peace.

And serve it to me, a draft, in peace

And pour me this pure wine in comfort and in peace.