ربّ يومٍ قطعتُهُ بسرورٍ

ربّ يومٍ قطعتُهُ بسرورٍ

شَرْطُهُ السكر وانعقادُ اللسان

شَرْطُهُ السكر وانعقادُ اللسان

Many a day I passed in delight,

Many a day I spent in joy,

on condition of drunkenness and a tongue tied fast;

Its condition was drunkenness and a tongue tied fast;

وحبيبٍ مساعدٍ فيه أحيا

وحبيبٍ مساعدٍ فيه أحيا

ني ببعضِ الريحان إِذ حياني

ني ببعضِ الريحان إِذ حياني

and my beloved, my willing helper in it, brought—

And an obliging beloved who, that day, revived

—me back to life with a sprig of basil when he greeted me.

me with some basil when he greeted me;

وعروسٍ حجابها بطنُ دنٍّ

وعروسٍ حجابها بطنُ دنٍّ

عمرت في دساكرِ الرهبان

عمرت في دساكرِ الرهبان

And a bride whose veil was a wine jar’s belly,

And a bride whose veil was a wine jar's belly,

long-aged in the monks’ villages;

Who dwelt in the monks' settlements.

لبسها من عناكب بغزولٍ

لبسها من عناكب بغزولٍ

خلتها قد تجسَّمَتْ من دخان

خلتها قد تجسَّمَتْ من دخان

her dress was of thread spun by spiders—

Her clothing was woven of spiders' threads;

I fancied she had taken bodily form from smoke:

I imagined she had taken bodily form from smoke.

دوحةٌ للفرات من زعفرانٍ

دوحةٌ للفرات من زعفرانٍ

تلد الدرَّ في رؤوس القيان

تلد الدرَّ في رؤوس القيان

a spreading tree for a saffron Euphrates,

A spreading tree of saffron for the Euphrates,

giving birth to pearls upon the heads of singing women,

Bearing pearls in the heads of singing girls;

وعليها غلائلٌ من زجاجٍ

وعليها غلائلٌ من زجاجٍ

واضحاتٌ قليلةُ الكتمان

واضحاتٌ قليلةُ الكتمان

with sheer robes of glass upon her,

And upon her were thin robes of glass,

transparent and concealing little.

Transparent, concealing little.

ظلتُ يومي أَنفي بها الحزنَ عني

ظلتُ يومي أَنفي بها الحزنَ عني

فهي ترياقُ لاعج الأحزان

فهي ترياقُ لاعج الأحزان

All day I kept banishing sorrow from myself with her,

All day I kept banishing sorrow from myself with her,

for she is an antidote to the searing pang of sorrows,

For she is an antidote to sorrow's burning anguish,

مع فتيانِ لذةٍ صحبوها

مع فتيانِ لذةٍ صحبوها

كلهم مُسْعِدٌ مطيع العنان

كلهم مُسْعِدٌ مطيع العنان

among pleasure-loving youths who kept her company,

With pleasure-loving youths who kept her company,

each a giver of joy, tractable to the rein,

All of them obliging, obedient to the reins.

وعلى هامهم أكاكليلُ آسٍ

وعلى هامهم أكاكليلُ آسٍ

في مكان اللجين والعقيان

في مكان اللجين والعقيان

with crowns of myrtle upon their heads

And on their heads were wreaths of myrtle,

instead of silver and pure gold.

In place of silver and pure gold.