تواعدنا إلى الشربِ

تواعدنا إلى الشربِ

من الليل على شط

من الليل على شط

We agreed to meet for a drink

We promised to drink

at night, upon a shore.

At night by the shore

فوافينا إلى الوعد

فوافينا إلى الوعد

وربّ البيت قد غط

وربّ البيت قد غط

So we came to the appointed meeting,

We kept our promise

and the master of the house was already snoring.

Though the host was asleep

وزاد الماء في الشط

وزاد الماء في الشط

فغاصت أرجلُ البط

فغاصت أرجلُ البط

And the water rose along the shore,

The water rose in the shore

so the ducks’ feet sank.

And the duck's feet were submerged

وسار الغيم فانقط

وسار الغيم فانقط

وجاء الغيث فانحط

وجاء الغيث فانحط

And the clouds moved on and broke apart,

The clouds drifted and dripped

and the rain came falling down.

And the rain poured down

وكان الشرب دون الخط

وكان الشرب دون الخط

فاشتقنا إلى الخط

فاشتقنا إلى الخط

And our drinking was without a line of cheek-down,

But drinking was not our goal

so we longed for that line of down.

So we longed for the shore

وتمّت نعمة الله

وتمّت نعمة الله

بمعشوق قد اختط

بمعشوق قد اختط

And God’s blessing was made complete

And God's blessings were complete

with a beloved whose cheek-down had appeared:

With a lovely beloved who came

مليح الخد والقد

مليح الخد والقد

ظريفٌ لم يخن قط

ظريفٌ لم يخن قط

lovely in cheek and figure,

Handsome of cheek and stature

charming, never once unfaithful.

Faithful, he never betrayed

وكنا تحت أشجار

وكنا تحت أشجار

على ورد قد انقبط

على ورد قد انقبط

And we were beneath trees,

We were under trees

upon roses gathered together.

On fallen rose petals