اِسقِني يابنَ أَسعَدا

اِسقِني يابنَ أَسعَدا

قَبلَ أَن يَنزِلَ الرَدى

قَبلَ أَن يَنزِلَ الرَدى

Give me drink, O son of Asʿad,

Quench my thirst, O son of Sa'd,

Before death descends—

Before the evening dew descends,

شَربَةً تُذهِبُ الهُمو

شَربَةً تُذهِبُ الهُمو

مَ وَتَشفي المُصَرَّدا

مَ وَتَشفي المُصَرَّدا

A draught that dispels sorrows

With a drink that takes away cares

And heals the chilled.

And heals the troubled one.

اِسقِني ثُمَّ غَنِّني

اِسقِني ثُمَّ غَنِّني

لا أَرى النَجمَ عَرَّدا

لا أَرى النَجمَ عَرَّدا

Give me drink, then sing to me;

Quench me, then sing to me,

I do not see the star depart.

For I see no star appear.

أَنقَدَت عَينِيَ الكَرى

أَنقَدَت عَينِيَ الكَرى

مَن رَعى الهَمَّ أَنقَدا

مَن رَعى الهَمَّ أَنقَدا

My eye has lost its sleep;

My eyes are burning with sorrow,

Whoever nurses grief lies awake.

For one who tended to worries is burned.

إِنَّ فاها أَشهى اِلَي

إِنَّ فاها أَشهى اِلَي

يَ رُضاباً وَمَورِدا

يَ رُضاباً وَمَورِدا

Indeed, her mouth is sweeter to

Verily her mouth is more tempting to me

Me, in its saliva and as a drinking-place,

Than meadows and springs,

مِن جَنى النَحلِ بِالنُقا

مِن جَنى النَحلِ بِالنُقا

خِ زُلالاً مُبَرَّدا

خِ زُلالاً مُبَرَّدا

Than the bees' harvest with pure

Than the honeycomb of bees

Water, limpid and chilled.

Dripping chilled and filtered.

شاقَني صَوتُ طائِرٍ

شاقَني صَوتُ طائِرٍ

زارَ إِلفاً فَغَرَّدا

زارَ إِلفاً فَغَرَّدا

The voice of a bird stirred my longing;

The voice of a bird visiting friends distressed me,

It visited a mate, then warbled.

For it twittered merrily.

إِنَّ حُبّى بِحُبِّها

إِنَّ حُبّى بِحُبِّها

تَرَكَتني مُسَهَّدا

تَرَكَتني مُسَهَّدا

Indeed, Ḥubbā, through my love for her,

My love for her

Has left me sleepless.

Left me sleepless.

أَمسَكَتني عَلىالصَبا

أَمسَكَتني عَلىالصَبا

بَةِ حَرّانَ مُعبَدا

بَةِ حَرّانَ مُعبَدا

She has held me in passionate

She held me back in my youth

Longing, burning and enslaved.

At the sanctuary of burning sands.

آمُلُ العَيشَ تارَةً

آمُلُ العَيشَ تارَةً

وَأَرى المَوتَ أَسوَدا

وَأَرى المَوتَ أَسوَدا

At times I hope for life,

At times I hope for life,

And see death as black.

At others, I see death as darkest.

فَهُمومي مُطِلَّةٌ

فَهُمومي مُطِلَّةٌ

بادِئاتٍ وَعُوَّدا

بادِئاتٍ وَعُوَّدا

So my sorrows loom,

My worries are prolonged

New ones and returning ones.

Troubles, accustomed and trained.

لَم تَدَع لي عِندَ المَلا

لَم تَدَع لي عِندَ المَلا

ئِحِ وَاللَهِ مَوعِدا

ئِحِ وَاللَهِ مَوعِدا

They have not left me, among the beauties,

They left me no respite, by God,

By God, a tryst.

At the resting places.

يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ مَلَك

يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ مَلَك

تِ فَمُنّي أَنا الفِدا

تِ فَمُنّي أَنا الفِدا

O daughter of goodness, you have taken

O daughter of goodness, you have reigned,

Possession; be gracious—I am your ransom.

So sacrifice me, for I am to be sacrificed.

لَجَّ مِن حُبِّكِ الطَري

لَجَّ مِن حُبِّكِ الطَري

فِ فَأَطرَقتُ وَاِعتَدى

فِ فَأَطرَقتُ وَاِعتَدى

It grew relentless through newfound love of you;

The intense love for you caused me

So I lowered my gaze, and it overstepped.

To bow down in humility.

أَعتِقيني مِنَ الهَوى

أَعتِقيني مِنَ الهَوى

أَو عِدي مِنكِ مَوعِدا

أَو عِدي مِنكِ مَوعِدا

Free me from passion,

Free me from passion

Or promise me a tryst with you.

Or make me a promise from you.

أَطمِعينا كَيما نَعي

أَطمِعينا كَيما نَعي

شُ وَقولي لَنا غَدا

شُ وَقولي لَنا غَدا

Raise our hopes, so that we may live,

Give us hope, so we may live,

And tell us, “Tomorrow.”

And say to us “tomorrow”.

أَنتِ هَمّي مَعَ القَري

أَنتِ هَمّي مَعَ القَري

نِ وَإِن رُحتُ مُفرَدا

نِ وَإِن رُحتُ مُفرَدا

You are my concern in company,

You are my care, along with my dear one,

And even when I go alone.

Even when I depart alone.

حَبَّذا أَنتِ يا حُبا

حَبَّذا أَنتِ يا حُبا

بَةُ وَالعودُ وَالنَدى

بَةُ وَالعودُ وَالنَدى

How delightful you are, O Ḥubāba,

How excellent are you, O love,

And the lute, and generosity,

And the lute and the dew,

وَحَديثٌ مِنَ الخَلا

وَحَديثٌ مِنَ الخَلا

ءِ مِنَ العَينِ وَالعِدى

ءِ مِنَ العَينِ وَالعِدى

And conversation in seclusion,

And talk of the eye and of intimacy

Away from watchful eyes and foes,

Curing through it depression.

وَعِناقٌ خِلالَ ذا

وَعِناقٌ خِلالَ ذا

كِ تُداوي بِهِ الصَدا

كِ تُداوي بِهِ الصَدا

And an embrace amid all that,

And a mature wine

With which you soothe thirst,

That leaves the old man seated.

وَشَرابٌ مُعَتَّقٌ

وَشَرابٌ مُعَتَّقٌ

يَترُكُ الشَيخَ مُقعَدا

يَترُكُ الشَيخَ مُقعَدا

And aged wine

That is a life which, if prolonged for me,

That leaves the old man unable to rise.

I would live eternally delighted.

ذاكَ عَيشٌ لَو دامَ لي

ذاكَ عَيشٌ لَو دامَ لي

عِشتُ فيهِ مُخَلَّدا

عِشتُ فيهِ مُخَلَّدا

That is a life—if it lasted for me,

I would live in it forever.