مُحَيَّاكَ تَهْوَاهُ الحُمَيَّا أَمَا تَرىَ

مُحَيَّاكَ تَهْوَاهُ الحُمَيَّا أَمَا تَرىَ

حَشَا الكَأْسِ فِيهِ جُذْوَةٌ تَتَوَقَّدُ

حَشَا الكَأْسِ فِيهِ جُذْوَةٌ تَتَوَقَّدُ

Strong wine adores your face—do you not see

I greet you, whose passion is desire, don't you see

an ember blazing in the cup's heart?

The cup brims over with embers kindling

وَلَوْلاَ بُكَاهَا مَا بَدَا فَوْقَ خَدِّهَا

وَلَوْلاَ بُكَاهَا مَا بَدَا فَوْقَ خَدِّهَا

دُمُوعٌ حَكَاهَا اللُّؤلُؤُ المُتَبَدِّدُ

دُمُوعٌ حَكَاهَا اللُّؤلُؤُ المُتَبَدِّدُ

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

Were it not for her tears, nothing would show over her cheek

tears that scattered pearls resemble.

Except pearls telling the tale of her weeping eyes

وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي فِتْنَةَ العِشْقِ قَبْلَهَا

وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي فِتْنَةَ العِشْقِ قَبْلَهَا

إِلى أَنْ رَأَتْ عَيْنِي جَمَالَكَ يُعْبَدُ

إِلى أَنْ رَأَتْ عَيْنِي جَمَالَكَ يُعْبَدُ

And I did not know love's enchantment before it,

I did not know the temptation of love before her

until my eye saw your beauty worshipped.

Until my eyes 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

When you sip wine from the mouth of its cup,

When you sip the wine from the lip of her cup

do you not see it prostrating itself toward your face?

Do you not see it bowing down towards 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

And were your inner reality not absolute in existence—

If your being was not free in the universe

a bounded beauty of yours pointing to it—

Beauty confined in you would point 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 not have witnessed your beauty plainly;

My eyes would not have witnessed your beauty unveiled

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

And who has not seen cannot bear witness

عَجِبْتُ لِكَأسٍ قَدْ صَحَوْتُ بِشُرْبِهَا

عَجِبْتُ لِكَأسٍ قَدْ صَحَوْتُ بِشُرْبِهَا

بِهَا أَبَداً صَحْوى عَلىَّ يُعَرْبِدُ

بِهَا أَبَداً صَحْوى عَلىَّ يُعَرْبِدُ

I marveled at a cup whose draught made me sober;

I'm amazed by a cup whose drinking

through it, my sobriety forever rages drunkenly against me.

Has perpetually awakened me to ever wakefulness

أَقَامَتْ عَليِّ الحَدَّ أَسْمَاءُ ذَاتِهَا

أَقَامَتْ عَليِّ الحَدَّ أَسْمَاءُ ذَاتِهَا

فَهَلاَّ أُقِيمَ الحَدُّ فيمَنْ يُحَدِّدُ

فَهَلاَّ أُقِيمَ الحَدُّ فيمَنْ يُحَدِّدُ

The names of its essence imposed the penalty upon me;

The names of her essence have fixed the limit on me

why, then, not impose the penalty on whoever sets limits?

Why not fix the limit on the one who imposes 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 waist sway and so ascribed partners to God;

They saw Laila's charm incline so they shared her

yet it may sway while remaining singular in beauty.

Though she in beauty remains peerless

فَإِنْ حاولوُا مِنيِّ الحُجُودُ أَوْ الرَّدَى

فَإِنْ حاولوُا مِنيِّ الحُجُودُ أَوْ الرَّدَى

فَهَذَا دَمِي حِلٌّ لَهُمْ لَسْتُ أَحْجَدُ

فَهَذَا دَمِي حِلٌّ لَهُمْ لَسْتُ أَحْجَدُ

So if they demand of me denial or death,

If they try to spurn or reject me

then here is my blood, lawful for them—I will not deny.