آذَنَكَ الناقوسُ بِالفَجرِ

آذَنَكَ الناقوسُ بِالفَجرِ

وَغَرَّدَ الراهِبُ في العُمرِ

وَغَرَّدَ الراهِبُ في العُمرِ

The church bell announced dawn to you,

The bell tolled for dawn

The bell has signaled the break of dawn,

and the monk warbled in the monastery.

And the monk chirped in life

And the monk has chanted within the monastery,

وَحَنَّ مَخمورٌ إِلى خَمرَةٍ

وَحَنَّ مَخمورٌ إِلى خَمرَةٍ

وَجاءَكَ الغَيثُ عَلى قَدرِ

وَجاءَكَ الغَيثُ عَلى قَدرِ

And a hungover man yearned for wine,

A drunkard yearned for a wineskin

And the drunkard yearns for the vintage,

and rain came to you in due measure.

And rain came to you in measure

As the rain descends in perfect measure.

وَاطَّرَدَت عَيناكَ في رَوضَةٍ

وَاطَّرَدَت عَيناكَ في رَوضَةٍ

تَضحُكُ عَن خُضرٍ وَعَن صُفرِ

تَضحُكُ عَن خُضرٍ وَعَن صُفرِ

And your eyes ranged over a garden

Your eyes wandered in a garden

Your eyes wandered through a garden,

smiling to reveal greens and yellows.

That laughs with green and yellow

Laughing with blooms of green and gold,

فَعاطِ نَدماتَكَ مِن خَمرَةٍ

فَعاطِ نَدماتَكَ مِن خَمرَةٍ

مِزاجُها مِن مُعرَقِ القَطرِ

مِزاجُها مِن مُعرَقِ القَطرِ

So pass your drinking companions some wine,

So give your regrets some wine

So pour for your companions a wine

whose admixture comes from the rain’s scant drops

Whose blend is from grape syrup

Tempered with the purest tears of rain,

عَلى خُزاماها وَحَوذانِها

عَلى خُزاماها وَحَوذانِها

وَمُشكِلٍ مِن حُلَلِ الزَهرِ

وَمُشكِلٍ مِن حُلَلِ الزَهرِ

upon its lavender and its buttercups,

On its jugs and little cups

Upon its lavender and marigolds,

and a medley of the flowers’ robes,

And a problem of the flower’s slip

And a tapestry of floral robes,

في مَسرَحٍ تَرتَعُ أَكنافَهُ

في مَسرَحٍ تَرتَعُ أَكنافَهُ

شَوادِنٌ مِن بَقَرٍ زُهرِ

شَوادِنٌ مِن بَقَرٍ زُهرِ

in a pasture whose fringes are grazed

In a theater where its sides graze

In a pasture where, along its borders, graze

by fawns of gleaming white wild cattle.

Cows with yellow bells

Young fawns born of radiant herds.

يا حَبَّذا الصُبحَةُ في العُمرِ

يا حَبَّذا الصُبحَةُ في العُمرِ

وَحَبَّذا نَيسانُ مِن شَهرِ

وَحَبَّذا نَيسانُ مِن شَهرِ

Ah, how lovely is morning slumber in the monastery,

How excellent is the morning in life

How sweet is the morning draught in the abbey!

and what a lovely month is Nisan!

And how excellent is April from the months

And how sweet is April among the months!

يا عاقِدَ الزُنّارِ في الخَصرِ

يا عاقِدَ الزُنّارِ في الخَصرِ

بِحُرمَةِ الحانَةِ وَالفَهرِ

بِحُرمَةِ الحانَةِ وَالفَهرِ

O you who tie the girdle at your waist,

O binder of the belt at the waist

O you who bind the zunnar-belt upon your waist,

by the sanctity of the tavern and the synagogue,

By sanctity of the tavern and splendor

By the sanctity of the tavern and the stone,

لا تَسقِني إِن كُنتَ بي عالِماً

لا تَسقِني إِن كُنتَ بي عالِماً

إِلّا الَّتي أَضمَرتُ في صَدري

إِلّا الَّتي أَضمَرتُ في صَدري

give me nothing to drink—if you know me—

Do not let me drink, if you know me

Pour me nothing, if you truly know my soul,

except the one I have hidden in my breast.

Except what I harbored in my chest

Save for that which I hide within my breast;

هاتِ الَّتي تَعرِفُ وَجدي بِها

هاتِ الَّتي تَعرِفُ وَجدي بِها

وَاكنِ بِما شِئتَ عَنِ الخَمرِ

وَاكنِ بِما شِئتَ عَنِ الخَمرِ

Bring the one you know I yearn for,

Bring me what you know pleases me

Bring the one you know stirs my ecstasy,

and call the wine by whatever veiled name you please.

And turn away about the wine

And call the wine by any name you please.