وَأَصل المَحبوب وَالقَدحا

وَأَصل المَحبوب وَالقَدحا

وَأَهجر اللؤام وَالنصحا

وَأَهجر اللؤام وَالنصحا

And keep company with the beloved and the cup,

The origin of the beloved and the wine cup,

And shun reproachers and advisers.

And I shun blame and advice.

وَسَل الساقي يَطوفُ بِها

وَسَل الساقي يَطوفُ بِها

وَجَبين الصُبح قَد وَضحا

وَجَبين الصُبح قَد وَضحا

And ask the cupbearer to pass it round,

Ask the cupbearer to pass by with it,

And dawn's brow has grown bright.

And the forehead of dawn has become clear.

فَهَل الدُنيا سِوى سَكَنٍ

فَهَل الدُنيا سِوى سَكَنٍ

وَعَقار تَمنَح الفَرحا

وَعَقار تَمنَح الفَرحا

So is the world anything but a beloved companion

So is the life anything but tranquility,

And wine that bestows joy?

And a potion that grants joy?

خَفيت مِن لُطفِها فَحَكَت

خَفيت مِن لُطفِها فَحَكَت

خاطِراً في خاطر سَنَحا

خاطِراً في خاطر سَنَحا

Its delicacy made it invisible; it resembled

I hid from its gentleness, so it conversed

A thought that arose within a mind.

With a whim in a presented idea.

لَو رَأى وَجه المُدير لَها

لَو رَأى وَجه المُدير لَها

زاهد مِن وَقتِهِ اِقتَرَحا

زاهد مِن وَقتِهِ اِقتَرَحا

If the face of the one who passes it round were seen

If an ascetic in his time saw

By an ascetic, he would ask for it at once.

The face of its bearer, he would wish for it.

وَاخش أَن تَنهال إِن لَمَستَ

وَاخش أَن تَنهال إِن لَمَستَ

راحة لا تَحجب القَدحا

راحة لا تَحجب القَدحا

And fear lest it crumble, should you touch

And I fear that if it touches comfort,

A palm that does not conceal the cup.

It will not conceal the wine cup.

ما سَقاني الراح حامِلُها

ما سَقاني الراح حامِلُها

بَل سَقاني الوَجد وَالبَرحا

بَل سَقاني الوَجد وَالبَرحا

Its bearer gave me no wine to drink,

The breeze did not quench me, its bearer,

But gave me longing and anguish.

Rather, ardor and joy quenched me.

مَنَحتِني الحُب مُقلَتُهُ

مَنَحتِني الحُب مُقلَتُهُ

رُبَّ مَقتول بِما مَنَحا

رُبَّ مَقتول بِما مَنَحا

His eye bestowed love upon me;

Love granted me its eyelashes,

Many a man is slain by what was bestowed.

Which killed many granted it.

ظَلتُ أَستَشفي بِها وَلَها

ظَلتُ أَستَشفي بِها وَلَها

وَدَمي مِن مُقلَتي نَضَحا

وَدَمي مِن مُقلَتي نَضَحا

I kept seeking healing through it, love-distraught,

I kept healing with it and because of it,

While my blood spurted from my eye.

While my blood from its eyelashes gushed.

وَمَتى تَبرى الجِراح إِذا

وَمَتى تَبرى الجِراح إِذا

كانَ آسيها الَّذي جَرَحا

كانَ آسيها الَّذي جَرَحا

And when can wounds heal, if

And when will wounds heal if

Their healer is the one who wounded?

Its healer was the one who gashed?

فَسَقَيتُ الريَّ يا زَمَناً

فَسَقَيتُ الريَّ يا زَمَناً

كانَ لي بِالوَصل قَد سَمَحا

كانَ لي بِالوَصل قَد سَمَحا

So may you be watered to the full, O time

So I watered the meadow for some time,

That had granted me union.

When attachment to it was generous.

عَجَباً لِلدَهر مِن عَجَب

عَجَباً لِلدَهر مِن عَجَب

بَينَما يَنقاد إِذ جَمحا

بَينَما يَنقاد إِذ جَمحا

How astonishing is time—what a wonder!

Wondrous is time in its wonders,

Just as it yields, suddenly it bolts.

While it is led when it raged.

قَد جَمَعنا لِلقا سِحراً

قَد جَمَعنا لِلقا سِحراً

وَرُمينا بِالفُراق ضُحى

وَرُمينا بِالفُراق ضُحى

It had brought us together to meet before dawn,

It gathered us for a meeting at night,

And we were struck by parting in the forenoon.

And cast us apart at dawn.

صاحَ إِن جئت اللَوى كَرَماً

صاحَ إِن جئت اللَوى كَرَماً

حَيِّ لي أَلفاً بِهِ نَزَحا

حَيِّ لي أَلفاً بِهِ نَزَحا

Friend, if you come to al-Liwā, kindly

It cried, "If the agony of love comes generously,

Greet for me a beloved who has gone far away there.

Call a thousand to me with it."

فَإِن اِستَخبَرت عَنيَ قُل

فَإِن اِستَخبَرت عَنيَ قُل

شَبَحاً غادَرت مطرحا

شَبَحاً غادَرت مطرحا

And if you are asked about me, say:

So if you ask about me, say,

“I left behind a specter, cast aside.

"A specter that left dejected."

باتَ يُصَلي اللَيل جَمر جَوى

باتَ يُصَلي اللَيل جَمر جَوى

بِزِناد البَرق قَد قَدَحا

بِزِناد البَرق قَد قَدَحا

He spent the night burning in embers of heartache

The embers of passion spent the night praying

That he had kindled with lightning's firesteel.

With the flint of lightning that sparked.

وَجَرَت دَمعاً حَشاشَتهُ

وَجَرَت دَمعاً حَشاشَتهُ

مِن حَمام موهِناً صَدحا

مِن حَمام موهِناً صَدحا

And his last remnant of life flowed as tears

And its doves shed tears

At doves that sang in the dead of night.

From a cooing, moaning dove.

ثُمَّ فاضَت نَفسُهُ فَقَضى

ثُمَّ فاضَت نَفسُهُ فَقَضى

وَالجَوى وَالوَجد ما بَرَحا

وَالجَوى وَالوَجد ما بَرَحا

Then his soul flowed out, and he died,

Then its breath expired, so it passed away,

While heartache and longing did not depart.”

While passion and fervor did not wane.