مُحَيَّاكَ تَهْوَاهُ الحُمَيَّا أَمَا تَرىَ

مُحَيَّاكَ تَهْوَاهُ الحُمَيَّا أَمَا تَرىَ

حَشَا الكَأْسِ فِيهِ جُذْوَةٌ تَتَوَقَّدُ

حَشَا الكَأْسِ فِيهِ جُذْوَةٌ تَتَوَقَّدُ

Your countenance—the wine itself adores it; do you not see

The potent wine longs for your face—do you not see

within the cup an ember blazing?

An ember blazing within the cup’s heart?

وَلَوْلاَ بُكَاهَا مَا بَدَا فَوْقَ خَدِّهَا

وَلَوْلاَ بُكَاهَا مَا بَدَا فَوْقَ خَدِّهَا

دُمُوعٌ حَكَاهَا اللُّؤلُؤُ المُتَبَدِّدُ

دُمُوعٌ حَكَاهَا اللُّؤلُؤُ المُتَبَدِّدُ

Were it not for her weeping, there would not have appeared upon her cheek

And were it not for its weeping, there would not appear upon its cheek

tears that scattered pearls strive to imitate.

Tears mirrored by scattered pearls.

وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي فِتْنَةَ العِشْقِ قَبْلَهَا

وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي فِتْنَةَ العِشْقِ قَبْلَهَا

إِلى أَنْ رَأَتْ عَيْنِي جَمَالَكَ يُعْبَدُ

إِلى أَنْ رَأَتْ عَيْنِي جَمَالَكَ يُعْبَدُ

I knew nothing of love’s enchantment before her,

And I had not known love’s enchantment before it,

until my eye beheld your beauty worshipped.

Until my eye saw your beauty being worshipped.

إِذَا مَا ارْتَشَفْتَ الرَّاحَ مِنْ ثَغْرِ كَأْسِهَا

إِذَا مَا ارْتَشَفْتَ الرَّاحَ مِنْ ثَغْرِ كَأْسِهَا

أَلَستَ تَرَاهَا نَحْوَ وَجْهِكَ تَسْجُدُ

أَلَستَ تَرَاهَا نَحْوَ وَجْهِكَ تَسْجُدُ

Whenever you sip the wine from the mouth of her cup,

When you sip the wine from the mouth of its cup,

do you not see it prostrating itself toward your face?

Do you not see it prostrating toward your face?

وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعْنَاكَ في الكَوْنِ مُطْلَقاً

وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعْنَاكَ في الكَوْنِ مُطْلَقاً

يَدُّلُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْكَ حُسْنٌ مُقَيَّدُ

يَدُّلُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْكَ حُسْنٌ مُقَيَّدُ

Had your essence not been unbounded throughout creation,

And were your essence not absolute in the universe,

revealed by a bounded beauty proceeding from you,

A bounded beauty of yours pointing to it,

لَمَا شَهِدَتْ عَيْنِي جَمَالَكَ جَهْرَةً

لَمَا شَهِدَتْ عَيْنِي جَمَالَكَ جَهْرَةً

وَمَنْ لَمْ تُشَاهِدْ عَيْنُهُ كَيْفَ يَشْهَدُ

وَمَنْ لَمْ تُشَاهِدْ عَيْنُهُ كَيْفَ يَشْهَدُ

my eye would never have witnessed your beauty openly—

My eye would not have beheld your beauty openly.

and one whose eye has not beheld, how can he bear witness?

And one whose eye has not beheld—how can he bear witness?

عَجِبْتُ لِكَأسٍ قَدْ صَحَوْتُ بِشُرْبِهَا

عَجِبْتُ لِكَأسٍ قَدْ صَحَوْتُ بِشُرْبِهَا

بِهَا أَبَداً صَحْوى عَلىَّ يُعَرْبِدُ

بِهَا أَبَداً صَحْوى عَلىَّ يُعَرْبِدُ

I marvel at a cup whose drink has made me sober;

I marveled at a cup: by drinking it, I grew sober;

through it, forever, my sobriety reels drunkenly over me.

Through it, my sobriety forever rages drunkenly against me.

أَقَامَتْ عَليِّ الحَدَّ أَسْمَاءُ ذَاتِهَا

أَقَامَتْ عَليِّ الحَدَّ أَسْمَاءُ ذَاتِهَا

فَهَلاَّ أُقِيمَ الحَدُّ فيمَنْ يُحَدِّدُ

فَهَلاَّ أُقِيمَ الحَدُّ فيمَنْ يُحَدِّدُ

The Names of her Essence have imposed the penalty upon me—

The names of its essence have imposed the prescribed penalty upon me;

why, then, is the penalty not imposed on whoever sets a limit?

Why, then, has the penalty not been imposed on whoever sets limits?

رَأُوا عِطْفَ لَيْلَى قَدْ تَثَنَّى فَأَشْرَكُوا

رَأُوا عِطْفَ لَيْلَى قَدْ تَثَنَّى فَأَشْرَكُوا

وَقَدْ يَتَثَنَّى وَهْوَ في الحُسْنِ مُفْرَدُ

وَقَدْ يَتَثَنَّى وَهْوَ في الحُسْنِ مُفْرَدُ

They saw Layla’s supple waist bend, and so they made others divine;

They saw Layla’s side bend, and so they ascribed partners to God;

yet though it bends, in beauty it remains one alone.

Yet it may bend while remaining one in beauty.

فَإِنْ حاولوُا مِنيِّ الحُجُودُ أَوْ الرَّدَى

فَإِنْ حاولوُا مِنيِّ الحُجُودُ أَوْ الرَّدَى

فَهَذَا دَمِي حِلٌّ لَهُمْ لَسْتُ أَحْجَدُ

فَهَذَا دَمِي حِلٌّ لَهُمْ لَسْتُ أَحْجَدُ

If they seek from me denial—or else death—

So if they seek denial from me, or my death,

then here is my blood, lawful to them; I shall not deny.

Then here is my blood, lawful for them to shed; I will not deny.