يُدير عَليَّ كاسات الحميا

يُدير عَليَّ كاسات الحميا

ضَحوك السنَّ بَراق المَحيا

ضَحوك السنَّ بَراق المَحيا

He passes me cups of heady wine,

He pours me cups of passion

Ever smiling, his face radiant.

With a shining, bright-toothed laugh

إِذا ذَكَرت صِفات الحُسن مِنهُ

إِذا ذَكَرت صِفات الحُسن مِنهُ

فَما سَعدي وَما أَسما وَميّا

فَما سَعدي وَما أَسما وَميّا

When I recount the qualities of his beauty,

When I recall his beauty

Then what are Sa'da, Asma, and Mayya beside him?

Neither Sa'di nor Asma nor Mayya can compare

يَقول الوَرد في خَديهِ هَبوا

يَقول الوَرد في خَديهِ هَبوا

إِلى اللذات قَبل الفَوت هَيا

إِلى اللذات قَبل الفَوت هَيا

The roses in his cheeks say, 'Rise,

The rose says to his cheek, “Make haste

To pleasures before the chance is lost—come!

To pleasures before they flee away!”

فَإِن العُمر أَيام التَلاقي

فَإِن العُمر أَيام التَلاقي

وَساعات البدار أَجل مهيا

وَساعات البدار أَجل مهيا

For life is days of meeting

For the days of union are but moments

And hours of haste—a span of life laid ready.'

And hours of separation an eternity

فَقُلت نَعم لَو أَنَّ الحَظ حَظ

فَقُلت نَعم لَو أَنَّ الحَظ حَظ

وَزارَ السَعد نادينا وَحيا

وَزارَ السَعد نادينا وَحيا

So I said, 'Yes—if luck were truly luck,

I said “Yes! If only fate were kind

And good fortune visited our gathering and greeted us!

And happiness paid us a call”

وَلَكن لَو رَكبت الريح طَرفاً

وَلَكن لَو رَكبت الريح طَرفاً

وَكانَ البَرق سَوطاً في يَديا

وَكانَ البَرق سَوطاً في يَديا

But if I rode the wind as a steed,

But if I were to ride the wind swift

And lightning were a whip in my hands,

Or wield lightning as a whip

وَسابقني الجهول عَلى حِمار

وَسابقني الجهول عَلى حِمار

لَكانَ السَبق في الدُنيا عليا

لَكانَ السَبق في الدُنيا عليا

And a fool raced me on a donkey,

And a fool were to race me on a donkey

He would still win the race against me in this world.

I’d still lose first place in this world

وَلَو أَعيا الزَمان الوَغد همٌّ

وَلَو أَعيا الزَمان الوَغد همٌّ

فَأَعجزهُ لِأَرسلهُ اليّا

فَأَعجزهُ لِأَرسلهُ اليّا

And if a sorrow wearied vile Time,

And if worries could trouble eternity

And left it helpless, Time would send it to me.

I’d distress them just to be done

وَلَو أَنَّ السَّعادةَ بالتَّمني

وَلَو أَنَّ السَّعادةَ بالتَّمني

رَأَيت مَنازِلي فَوقَ الثُّرَيّا

رَأَيت مَنازِلي فَوقَ الثُّرَيّا

And if happiness could be had by wishing,

And if yearning alone brought good fortune

You would see my dwellings above the Pleiades.'

My dwellings would be over the stars