سَقَاهَا فَهلْ أَبصَرْتَ شَمْساً مُنيَرةً

سَقَاهَا فَهلْ أَبصَرْتَ شَمْساً مُنيَرةً

يَحثكَ في جُنْحِ الظَّلامِ بِها بَدْرُ

يَحثكَ في جُنْحِ الظَّلامِ بِها بَدْرُ

He poured it—have you ever beheld a radiant sun

He served it—have you seen a radiant sun

with which, in the heart of darkness, a full moon entices you?

that a full moon urges you to drink under cover of darkness?

وَلَمَّا بَدَتْ مِن فِيهِ هَامَتْ بِلثْمهِ

وَلَمَّا بَدَتْ مِن فِيهِ هَامَتْ بِلثْمهِ

فَنُظِّمَ من ثَغْرِ الحَبابِ لها ثَغْرُ

فَنُظِّمَ من ثَغْرِ الحَبابِ لها ثَغْرُ

And when it appeared from his mouth, it grew mad with longing to kiss him;

And when it emerged from his mouth, it was smitten with kissing him,

so a mouth was strung for her from the bubbles’ smiling mouth.

so a mouth was strung for it from the bubbles' mouth.

وَلَمَّا اجتَلْينا ثَغْرهُ وَحَبابَها

وَلَمَّا اجتَلْينا ثَغْرهُ وَحَبابَها

وَمَبسِمَهُ لَمْ نَسْتَبِنْ أَيّها الدُّرُّ

وَمَبسِمَهُ لَمْ نَسْتَبِنْ أَيّها الدُّرُّ

And when we gazed upon his mouth and her bubbles,

And when we beheld his mouth and its bubbles,

and upon his smiling lips, we could not tell which of them was pearl.

and his smiling mouth, we could not tell which of them were the pearls.

مِن التُّرْكِ فَتَّاكُ اللِّحاظ إذا رَنَا

مِن التُّرْكِ فَتَّاكُ اللِّحاظ إذا رَنَا

وَمالَ بِعِطفيهِ فمَا البِيضُ والسُمْرُ

وَمالَ بِعِطفيهِ فمَا البِيضُ والسُمْرُ

A Turk, death-dealing in his sidelong glances whenever he gazes,

One of the Turks, deadly in his glances—when he gazes

who sways from side to side—what are swords and spears beside him?

and sways his flanks, what are gleaming swords and dusky spears worth?

غَزاني وَمَا أَضمَرْتُ حَرْباً لحبّهِ

غَزاني وَمَا أَضمَرْتُ حَرْباً لحبّهِ

فَأَوَّلُ ما وَلَّى سُلُوِّيَ والصَّبْرُ

فَأَوَّلُ ما وَلَّى سُلُوِّيَ والصَّبْرُ

He invaded me, though I had harbored no war against his love;

He invaded me, though I had intended no war against his love;

the first to turn and flee were my detachment and my patience.

so the first to flee were my forgetfulness of love and patience.

يَكادُ لِفَرْطِ اللِّينِ يَنقَدُّ قَدُّهُ

يَكادُ لِفَرْطِ اللِّينِ يَنقَدُّ قَدُّهُ

فَهَلْ جِسْمُهُ مَاءٌ وَهَلْ قلبُهُ صَخْرُ

فَهَلْ جِسْمُهُ مَاءٌ وَهَلْ قلبُهُ صَخْرُ

From sheer suppleness, his figure almost splits in two;

His form almost splits apart from its extreme softness;

is his body water, then—and is his heart stone?

so is his body water, and is his heart rock?