عاطَيتُها في الكَأَسِ مِثلَ رُضابِها

عاطَيتُها في الكَأَسِ مِثلَ رُضابِها

تَسري إِلى قَلبِ الجَبانِ فَيَشجُعُ

تَسري إِلى قَلبِ الجَبانِ فَيَشجُعُ

I offered her wine in the cup, like her saliva;

I gave her in the cup pleasure like her smiles

I offered her in the cup a draught like the nectar of her mouth,

It flows into the coward's heart, and he grows brave.

It flows into the coward's heart making him brave

Which flows to the coward's heart, kindling courage within.

يَطفو الحَبابُ عَلى أَديمِ كُؤوسِها

يَطفو الحَبابُ عَلى أَديمِ كُؤوسِها

فَكَأَنَّ تِبراً بِاللُجَينِ يَرَصَّعُ

فَكَأَنَّ تِبراً بِاللُجَينِ يَرَصَّعُ

Bubbles float on the surface of its cups,

The bubbles float on the surface of her cups

Bubbles float upon the surface of its cups,

As though raw gold were inlaid with silver.

As if pearls studded with rubies

As though raw gold were being set with silver.

وَكَأَنَّما تِلكَ الكُؤوسُ نَواظِرٌ

وَكَأَنَّما تِلكَ الكُؤوسُ نَواظِرٌ

تَبكي وَهاتيكَ الفَواقِعُ أَدمُعُ

تَبكي وَهاتيكَ الفَواقِعُ أَدمُعُ

And as though those cups were eyes

And as if her cups are gazing eyes

It is as if those cups are gazing eyes,

Weeping, and those bubbles were tears.

That weep while those lashes are tears

That weep, while those bursting bubbles are the tears.

مَشمولَةٌ تُغري بِضُفرَتِها البَخيـ

مَشمولَةٌ تُغري بِضُفرَتِها البَخيـ

ـلَ بِها فَيَطمَعُ بِالنُضّارِ وَتَطمَعُ

ـلَ بِها فَيَطمَعُ بِالنُضّارِ وَتَطمَعُ

Wine cooled by the north wind lures, with its braid, the mi-

Covered, tempting with her locks the desirous one

A wind-chilled vintage, enticing the miser with its bouquet,

-ser to it; he covets pure gold, and it covets.

He lusts for freshness while she lusts too

Till he covets the golden wine, and she covets him.

شَمطاءَ إِلّا أَنَّها مَحجوبَةٌ

شَمطاءَ إِلّا أَنَّها مَحجوبَةٌ

عَذراءُ إِلّا أَنَّها لا تُمنَعُ

عَذراءُ إِلّا أَنَّها لا تُمنَعُ

Gray-haired, yet it is veiled;

Flirtatious, yet veiled

Aged and gray, save that she has been kept veiled,

A virgin, yet it is not withheld.

Chaste, yet not forbidden

A virgin, save that she is never withheld.

ما زِلتُ أَسقيها إِلى أَن أَخضَعَت

ما زِلتُ أَسقيها إِلى أَن أَخضَعَت

مِنها فُؤاداً لِلهَوى لا يَخضَعُ

مِنها فُؤاداً لِلهَوى لا يَخضَعُ

I kept giving her drink until it subdued

I kept giving her to drink until she surrendered

I continued to ply her with drink until it subdued

A heart of hers that would not yield to love.

A heart enslaved by love that bows to none

A heart within her that yields to no passion.

فَعَلَت بِها مِثلُ الَّذي فَعَلَت بِنا

فَعَلَت بِها مِثلُ الَّذي فَعَلَت بِنا

أَلحاظُها إِنَّ اللِحظَ لَتَصرَعُ

أَلحاظُها إِنَّ اللِحظَ لَتَصرَعُ

It did to her just what had been done to us

She did to me what her glances did to us

It wrought its effect upon her, just as we were undone

By her glances—for glances surely strike one down.

Glances that topple with a mere look

By her glances—for truly, such glances strike one down.

لَمّا اِنتَشَت وَمَضى الخَفاءُ لِشَأنِهِ

لَمّا اِنتَشَت وَمَضى الخَفاءُ لِشَأنِهِ

باحَت إِلَيَّ بِما تُكِنُّ الأَضلُعُ

باحَت إِلَيَّ بِما تُكِنُّ الأَضلُعُ

When she grew tipsy and secrecy went its way,

When she sobered up and privacy was gone

When she became intoxicated and her guard fell away,

She confided to me what her ribs concealed.

She confided in me her rib's secrets

She revealed to me what lay hidden within her breast.

بَرحَ الحَياءُ وَأَعلَنَت أَسرارَها

بَرحَ الحَياءُ وَأَعلَنَت أَسرارَها

إِنَّ الحَياةَ لِكُلِّ خَودٍ بُرقُعُ

إِنَّ الحَياةَ لِكُلِّ خَودٍ بُرقُعُ

Modesty departed, and she revealed her secrets.

Modesty left, and she revealed her hidden thoughts

Modesty departed, and she proclaimed her secrets;

Indeed, life is a veil for every maiden.

All cheeks in life are but patches

For conscious life is a veil for every maiden.

فَعَلِمتُ أَنّي قَد خُدِعتُ بِحُبِّها

فَعَلِمتُ أَنّي قَد خُدِعتُ بِحُبِّها

زَمَناً وَكُنتُ أَظُنُّني لا أُخدَعُ

زَمَناً وَكُنتُ أَظُنُّني لا أُخدَعُ

Then I knew I had been deceived by her love

I learned I was deceived by her love

Then I knew that I had been deceived by her love

For a time, while I thought I was not being deceived.

For so long I thought I wasn't fooled

For an age, though I deemed myself beyond deception.

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ قَبلَ أَن أَسكَرتُها

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ قَبلَ أَن أَسكَرتُها

أَنَّ الفُؤادَ بِحُبِّ غَيرِيَ مولَعُ

أَنَّ الفُؤادَ بِحُبِّ غَيرِيَ مولَعُ

I did not know, before I made her drunk,

I did not know before intoxicating her

I did not know, before I filled her with wine,

That her heart was enamored of someone other than me.

That her heart lusts for others, not me

That her heart was tormented by love for another.

فَتَرَكتُها نَشوى تُغالِبُ أَمرَها

فَتَرَكتُها نَشوى تُغالِبُ أَمرَها

وَالأَمرُ بَعدَ وُقوعِهِ لا يُدفَعُ

وَالأَمرُ بَعدَ وُقوعِهِ لا يُدفَعُ

So I left her intoxicated, struggling with her predicament;

I left her to her sorrow, fighting her state

So I left her reeling, struggling with her plight,

And a thing, once it has happened, cannot be averted.

What's done cannot be undone

For a fate, once befallen, cannot be turned aside.

وَرَجَعتُ عَنها واثِقاً مِن أَنَّ ما

وَرَجَعتُ عَنها واثِقاً مِن أَنَّ ما

قَد كانَ مِن حُبّي لَها لا يَرجَعُ

قَد كانَ مِن حُبّي لَها لا يَرجَعُ

And I turned away from her, certain that what

And turned away from her, certain that my

I turned away from her, certain that whatever

Had been my love for her would not return.

Love for her will never return

Of my love for her had existed, would never return.

لَبَكَيتُ لَو أَنَّ البُكاءَ أَفادَني

لَبَكَيتُ لَو أَنَّ البُكاءَ أَفادَني

وَنَدِمتُ لَو أَنَّ النَدامَةَ تَنفَعُ

وَنَدِمتُ لَو أَنَّ النَدامَةَ تَنفَعُ

I would have wept if weeping had helped me,

I would have wept if weeping benefited me

I would have wept, if weeping could avail me,

And would have regretted if regret could help.

And regretted if regret were of use

And felt remorse, if remorse could serve any end.