غَدَوتُ وَما يُشجي فُؤادي خَوادِشٌ

غَدَوتُ وَما يُشجي فُؤادي خَوادِشٌ

وَما وَطَري إِلّا الغَوايَةُ وَالخَمرُ

وَما وَطَري إِلّا الغَوايَةُ وَالخَمرُ

I set out, no vexations grieving my heart,

I went out at dawn, with no cares to sadden my heart,

I went out early with no troubles to scar my heart,

And my only desire was waywardness and wine:

My only thought being wantonness and wine.

My only desire being seduction and the wine.

مُعَتَّقَةٌ حَمراءُ وَقدَتُها جَمرُ

مُعَتَّقَةٌ حَمراءُ وَقدَتُها جَمرُ

وَنَكهَتُها مِسكٌ وَطَلعَتُها تِبرُ

وَنَكهَتُها مِسكٌ وَطَلعَتُها تِبرُ

Aged and red, her blaze is embers,

A red old wine, its spark a live coal,

An aged red vintage, glowing like a burning ember,

Her breath is musk, her face unminted gold.

Its taste musk, its morning draught cool water.

Her breath is musk, her appearance pure gold.

حَطَطنا عَلى خَمّارِها جُنحَ لَيلَةٍ

حَطَطنا عَلى خَمّارِها جُنحَ لَيلَةٍ

فَلاحَ لَنا فَجرٌ وَلَم يَطلُعِ الفَجرُ

فَلاحَ لَنا فَجرٌ وَلَم يَطلُعِ الفَجرُ

We stopped at her wine-seller’s in the darkness of a night,

We folded the wings of night over its jar,

We descended upon the vintner in the darkness of the night,

And a dawn gleamed for us, though dawn had not risen.

So no dawn shone for us and sunrise came not.

And a dawn shone forth for us, though true dawn had not yet risen.

وَأَبرَزَ بِكراً مُزَّةَ الطَعمِ قَرقَفاً

وَأَبرَزَ بِكراً مُزَّةَ الطَعمِ قَرقَفاً

صَنيعَةَ دِهقانٍ تَراخى لَهُ العُمرُ

صَنيعَةَ دِهقانٍ تَراخى لَهُ العُمرُ

He brought forth a virgin wine, tart to the taste,

At daybreak, from the tavern, the keeper brought forth

He brought out a virgin cask, a trembling wine of biting taste,

The handiwork of a dehqan whose life stretched long.

An old wine-skin the years had mellowed.

The handiwork of a master whose life had stretched long.

فَقالَ عَروسٌ كانَ كِسرى رَبيبَها

فَقالَ عَروسٌ كانَ كِسرى رَبيبَها

مُعَتَّقَةٌ مِن دونِها البابُ وَالسَترُ

مُعَتَّقَةٌ مِن دونِها البابُ وَالسَترُ

He said, “A bride whose fosterling was Kisra,

Said a bride, "Khusraw" was her darling:

He said, "She is a bride whom Chosroes himself once fostered,

Aged, with door and curtain guarding her.”

"Aged wine is best, doors and veils between."

Ancient and secluded behind locked door and heavy veil."

فَقُلتُ أَدِل مِنها العَنانَ فَإِنَّني

فَقُلتُ أَدِل مِنها العَنانَ فَإِنَّني

لَها كُفءُ صِدقٍ لَيسَ مِن شِيَمي العُسرُ

لَها كُفءُ صِدقٍ لَيسَ مِن شِيَمي العُسرُ

I said, “Let loose her reins, for I

I said, "Let me taste it, for I have friends

I said, "Slacken her reins and pour, for truly I

Am her true, worthy match; I am not difficult by nature.”

True-hearted, and ease comes not hard to me."

Am a worthy match for her; stinginess is not in my nature."

فَجاءَ بِها شَعثاءَ مَشدودَةَ القَرا

فَجاءَ بِها شَعثاءَ مَشدودَةَ القَرا

عَلى رَأسِها تاجٌ مَلاحِفُها عُفرُ

عَلى رَأسِها تاجٌ مَلاحِفُها عُفرُ

He brought her disheveled, tightly bound about the back,

He brought it disheveled, tied up,

He brought her forth, dusty and bound at the waist,

A crown upon her head, her cloaks dust-colored.

Its cap filthy, grimed with dust.

Upon her head a crown, her robes covered in dust.

فَلَمّا تَوَجّى خَصرَها فاحَ ريحُها

فَلَمّا تَوَجّى خَصرَها فاحَ ريحُها

فَقُلتُ أَذا عِطرٌ فَقالَ هُوَ العِطرُ

فَقُلتُ أَذا عِطرٌ فَقالَ هُوَ العِطرُ

When he pierced her waist, her fragrance wafted,

When I undid its waist, the smell wafted -

And when he pierced her side, her fragrance wafted out,

I asked, “Is this perfume?” He said, “It is perfume itself.”

Said I, "Is this perfume?" He said, "It's the perfume."

I asked, "Is this perfume?" and he replied, "It is the very essence."

وَأَرسَلتُها في الكَأسِ راحاً كَريمَةً

وَأَرسَلتُها في الكَأسِ راحاً كَريمَةً

تَعَطَّرُ بِالرَيحانِ أَحكَمَها الدَهرُ

تَعَطَّرُ بِالرَيحانِ أَحكَمَها الدَهرُ

I sent her flowing into the cup, a noble wine,

And I sent it forth in a goblet, a generous steed,

I poured her into the cup, a vintage noble and rare,

Perfumed with basil, perfected by time.

Seasoned with mint - fate had controlled it.

Scented with sweet basil, perfected by the ages.

كَأَنَّ الزُجاجَ البيضَ مِنها عَرائِسٌ

كَأَنَّ الزُجاجَ البيضَ مِنها عَرائِسٌ

عَلَيهِنَّ بَينَ الشَربِ أَردِيَةٌ حُمرُ

عَلَيهِنَّ بَينَ الشَربِ أَردِيَةٌ حُمرُ

As though the white glasses, filled with her, were brides,

Like pure white glass the goblets from it

As if the clear white glasses were radiant brides,

With red cloaks upon them amid the drinkers.

On which, as they drank, lay red brocade.

Draped in crimson cloaks amidst the drinking crowd.

إِذا قُهِرَت بِالماءِ راقَ شُعاعُها

إِذا قُهِرَت بِالماءِ راقَ شُعاعُها

عُيونَ النَدامى وَاستَمَرَّ بِها الأَمرُ

عُيونَ النَدامى وَاستَمَرَّ بِها الأَمرُ

When subdued with water, her radiance delighted

When mixed with water, its colors shone out,

When subdued by water, her radiance dazzled

The drinking companions’ eyes, and with her the revel continued.

Eyes of penitents wept, and the drink went on.

The eyes of the companions, and the revelry ensued.

وَضاءَ مِنَ الحُلي المُضاعَفِ فَوقَها

وَضاءَ مِنَ الحُلي المُضاعَفِ فَوقَها

بُدورٌ وَمُرجانٌ تَأَلَّفَهُ الشَذرُ

بُدورٌ وَمُرجانٌ تَأَلَّفَهُ الشَذرُ

And amid the layered jewelry above her shone

From piled-up pearls and gems above it

And there shone above her a double strand of jewels,

Full moons and coral, joined together by beads.

Scattered splendor flashed like stars.

Moons and coral strung together with beads of gold.

كَأَنَّ نُجومَ اللَيلِ فيها رَواكِدٌ

كَأَنَّ نُجومَ اللَيلِ فيها رَواكِدٌ

أَقَمنَ عَلى التَأليفِ آنِسُها البَدرُ

أَقَمنَ عَلى التَأليفِ آنِسُها البَدرُ

As though the stars of night were motionless within her,

As if the night's stars in it were still,

As if the stars of the night were resting within,

Remaining in ordered company, the full moon their companion.

Kept from setting by the moon's face.

Fixed in their constellations, befriended by the full moon.

وَصَلتُ بِها يَوماً بِلَيلٍ وَصَلتُهُ

وَصَلتُ بِها يَوماً بِلَيلٍ وَصَلتُهُ

بِأَوَّلِ يَومٍ كانَ آخِرَهُ السُكرُ

بِأَوَّلِ يَومٍ كانَ آخِرَهُ السُكرُ

With her I joined a day to a night, which I joined

One day I drank it, stretching the day

With this wine I joined the day to the night, and joined that

To the beginning of a day whose ending was drunkenness.

To eve, till the first day's end was drunkenness.

To the start of a day that ended in sweet intoxication.

وَظَبيٍ خَلوبِ اللَفظِ حُلوٍ كَلامُهُ

وَظَبيٍ خَلوبِ اللَفظِ حُلوٍ كَلامُهُ

مُقَبَّلُهُ سَهلٌ وَجانِبُهُ وَعرُ

مُقَبَّلُهُ سَهلٌ وَجانِبُهُ وَعرُ

And a gazelle, beguiling in speech, his words sweet,

A gazelle — gentle of speech — caressed my ear,

And a gazelle of captivating words and speech so sweet,

His kissing-place was easy, but his side was rugged.

Kissing him was joy, his cheek smooth.

Whose mouth is soft to kiss, yet whose nature is hard to tame.

سَكَبتُ لَهُ مِنها فَخَرَّ لِوَجهِهِ

سَكَبتُ لَهُ مِنها فَخَرَّ لِوَجهِهِ

وَأَمكَنَ مِنهُ ماتُحيطُ بِهِ الأُزرُ

وَأَمكَنَ مِنهُ ماتُحيطُ بِهِ الأُزرُ

I poured him some of her, and he fell upon his face,

I poured him some — he fell on his face,

I poured for him a draught, and he bowed down low,

And what his loincloths covered became accessible.

And granted me all I could encompass.

Yielding that which his garments had kept concealed.

فَقُمتُ إِلَيهِ وَالكَرى كُحلُ عَينِهِ

فَقُمتُ إِلَيهِ وَالكَرى كُحلُ عَينِهِ

فَقَبَّلتُهُ وَالصَبُّ لَيسَ لَهُ صَبرُ

فَقَبَّلتُهُ وَالصَبُّ لَيسَ لَهُ صَبرُ

I rose to approach him, slumber the kohl upon his eye,

I rose to him, kohl the drunk of his eyes,

I rose to him while slumber lined his eyes like kohl,

Then I kissed him—the lovesick lover has no patience.

And kissed him, though the passionate have no patience.

And I kissed him, for a lover holds no patience.

وَقَبَّلتُهُ ظَهراً لِبَطنِن وَتارَةً

وَقَبَّلتُهُ ظَهراً لِبَطنِن وَتارَةً

يَكونُ بِساطُ الأَرضِ بِالباطِنِ الظَهرُ

يَكونُ بِساطُ الأَرضِ بِالباطِنِ الظَهرُ

And I kissed him, back to belly; and at times

Kissing his back and at times his front,

I embraced him, back pressed to belly, and at times,

His back became the carpet on the ground beneath,

Since the earth's carpet may turn into its back.

The earth itself became our bed, beneath and above.

إِلى أَن تَجَلّى نَومُهُ عَن جُفونِهِ

إِلى أَن تَجَلّى نَومُهُ عَن جُفونِهِ

وَقالَ كَسَبتَ الذَنبَ قُلتُ لِيَ العُذرُ

وَقالَ كَسَبتَ الذَنبَ قُلتُ لِيَ العُذرُ

Until sleep lifted from his eyelids,

Till his sleep uncovered his eyes from their lids,

Until the sleep finally lifted from his heavy lids,

And he said, “You have earned sin.” I said, “I have my excuse.”

And he said, "You've earned sin," and I, "For me excuse."

And he said, "You have sinned," but I replied, "I have my excuse."

فَأَعرَضَ مَزوَرّاً فَكانَ بِوَجهِهِ

فَأَعرَضَ مَزوَرّاً فَكانَ بِوَجهِهِ

تَفَقُّؤُ رُمّانٍ وَقَد بَرَدَ الصَدرُ

تَفَقُّؤُ رُمّانٍ وَقَد بَرَدَ الصَدرُ

He turned away in aversion, and on his face was

He turned away frowning, and in his face

He turned away in coy disdain, and upon his face

The bursting of a pomegranate, though his breast had cooled.

Were pomegranates bursting apart with cold.

Was the blush of bursting pomegranates, though passion had cooled.

فَما زِلتُ أَرقيهِ وَأَلثُمُ خَدُّهُ

فَما زِلتُ أَرقيهِ وَأَلثُمُ خَدُّهُ

إِلى أَن تَغَنّى راضِياً وَلَهُ الشُكرُ

إِلى أَن تَغَنّى راضِياً وَلَهُ الشُكرُ

I kept soothing him with charms and kissing his cheek,

Still I kept courting him and kissing his cheek,

I continued to soothe him and kiss his cheek,

Until he sang contentedly—and thanks be to him:

Till he was pleased and smiled again in thanks.

Until he sang out in satisfaction—all thanks be to him.

أَلا يا اسلَمي يا دارَ مَيٍّ عَلى البِلى

أَلا يا اسلَمي يا دارَ مَيٍّ عَلى البِلى

وَلا زالَ مُنهَلّاً بِجَرعائِكِ القَطرُ

وَلا زالَ مُنهَلّاً بِجَرعائِكِ القَطرُ

“Ah, be safe, O dwelling of Mayy, despite decay,

O heart that resides in the ruins of Layla,

Peace be upon you, O Abode of Mayya, despite the decay,

And may rain never cease pouring upon your sandy ground.”

Still drawing from her ruins your tears!

And may the rain forever pour upon your sandy dunes.