ما زلت أشتاق ناراً أوقدت لهما

ما زلت أشتاق ناراً أوقدت لهما

حتى ظننت عذاب النار قد عذبا

حتى ظننت عذاب النار قد عذبا

I have never ceased longing for a fire kindled for those two,

I have never ceased to long for a fire kindled for them both,

until I thought the torment of fire itself had grown sweet.

Until I thought the torment of fire had grown sweet.

يعلو الدخان بسود من ذوائبها

يعلو الدخان بسود من ذوائبها

قد عط فيها قناع التبر واستلبا

قد عط فيها قناع التبر واستلبا

Smoke rises, black among its tresses;

Smoke rises with black strands of its tresses;

within it, a veil of raw gold lies torn away.

Within it, the veil of gold has been rent and snatched away.

قد كللت عنبراً بالمسك ممتزجا

قد كللت عنبراً بالمسك ممتزجا

وطوقت جلناراً واكتست ذهبا

وطوقت جلناراً واكتست ذهبا

It is crowned with ambergris commingled with musk,

It has been crowned with ambergris mingled with musk,

wreathed in pomegranate blossom, and clothed in gold.

And garlanded with pomegranate blossoms and clothed in gold.

فالنور يلعب في أطرافها مرحاً

فالنور يلعب في أطرافها مرحاً

والخمر يرعد في اكنافها رهبا

والخمر يرعد في اكنافها رهبا

Light frolics merrily along its edges,

So light plays merrily at its edges,

while wine thunders in dread within its reaches.

And wine trembles fearfully around it.

وطارعنها شرار لو جرى معه

وطارعنها شرار لو جرى معه

برق دنا أو تلقى كوكباً لكبا

برق دنا أو تلقى كوكباً لكبا

Sparks fly from it, and alongside them runs

And sparks flew from it: should there race alongside them

lightning drawing near—or meeting a star ablaze.

A nearby lightning flash—or should they meet a star—it would stumble.

لو كان وقت نثار خلته درراً

لو كان وقت نثار خلته درراً

أو كان وقت انتصار خلته شهبا

أو كان وقت انتصار خلته شهبا

Were it a time for scattering, I would take them for pearls;

Were it a time for scattering gifts, I would take them for pearls;

or a time of vengeance, I would take them for meteors.

Or were it a time of victory, I would take them for shooting stars.

والليل عريان فيه من ملابسه

والليل عريان فيه من ملابسه

نشوان قد شق أثواب الدجى طربا

نشوان قد شق أثواب الدجى طربا

Night stands within it, naked of its garments,

And night is naked there, stripped of its garments,

drunk, having torn the robes of darkness in rapture.

Drunken, having torn the robes of darkness in rapture.

أقسمت بالطرف لو أشرفت حين خبت

أقسمت بالطرف لو أشرفت حين خبت

جعلت أنفس أعضائي لها حطبا

جعلت أنفس أعضائي لها حطبا

I swear by the eye: had you appeared when it died down,

I swore by the gaze: had I looked down as it died out,

I would have made the choicest of my limbs fuel for it.

I would have made my most precious limbs firewood for it.