لم أَلْقَ رَيحانةً ولا رَاحا

لم أَلْقَ رَيحانةً ولا رَاحا

إلا ثَنَتْني إليكَ مُرتاحا

إلا ثَنَتْني إليكَ مُرتاحا

Never did I encounter sweet basil or wine

Never have I encountered sweet basil or wine

but it drew me toward you, glad at heart.

without its turning me toward you in delight.

وعِندَنا ظبيةٌ مُهَفْهَفَةٌ

وعِندَنا ظبيةٌ مُهَفْهَفَةٌ

تَرأَمُ رِيماً يَحِنُّ صَدَّاحا

تَرأَمُ رِيماً يَحِنُّ صَدَّاحا

Among us is a slender, graceful doe,

And with us is a slender-waisted gazelle,

tenderly mothering a fawn that yearns, warbling aloud.

cherishing a white gazelle that sings its longing aloud.

تُفسِدُ قلبي إن أَصْلَحَتْهُ ولا

تُفسِدُ قلبي إن أَصْلَحَتْهُ ولا

أرى لما أفسدَتْه إصلاحا

أرى لما أفسدَتْه إصلاحا

She undoes my heart whenever I mend it, and

She ruins my heart if she mends it; nor

I see no mending for what she has undone.

do I see any repair for what she has ruined.

وفتيةٌ إن تذاكَروا ذَكرُوا

وفتيةٌ إن تذاكَروا ذَكرُوا

من الكلامِ المليحِ أرواحا

من الكلامِ المليحِ أرواحا

And youths who, whenever they converse, call forth

And youths who, when they converse, utter

the very souls of lovely speech.

the very souls of graceful speech.

وقد أضاءَت نجومُ مجلسِنا

وقد أضاءَت نجومُ مجلسِنا

حتى اكتسَى غُرَّةً وأوضَاحا

حتى اكتسَى غُرَّةً وأوضَاحا

The stars of our gathering have shone

And the stars of our gathering have shone

until it donned a white blaze and gleaming markings.

until it wore a radiant brow and gleaming ornaments.

لو جَمَدَتْ راحُنا غدَتْ ذَهباً

لو جَمَدَتْ راحُنا غدَتْ ذَهباً

أو ذابَ تُفَّاحُنا اغتدى راحا

أو ذابَ تُفَّاحُنا اغتدى راحا

Had our wine frozen on departure’s morn, it would have become apples;

If our wine froze, it would become gold,

or had our apples melted, they would have become wine.

or if our apples melted, they would turn to wine.

عِصابةٌ لو شَهِدْتَ مَجلِسَهم

عِصابةٌ لو شَهِدْتَ مَجلِسَهم

كنتَ شِهاباً لهم ومِصباحا

كنتَ شِهاباً لهم ومِصباحا

A band of companions—had you attended their gathering,

A band—if you attended their gathering,

you would have been a shooting star among them, and a lamp.

you would be their shooting star and lamp.

أُغلِقَ بابُ السُّرورِ دونَهمُ

أُغلِقَ بابُ السُّرورِ دونَهمُ

فكُنْ لِبابِ السُّرورِ مِفتاحا

فكُنْ لِبابِ السُّرورِ مِفتاحا

The door of joy has been shut against them;

The door of joy has been shut against them;

so be the key to the door of joy.

so be a key to the door of joy.