راضَ نَفسي حَتّى تَرَضَّيتُ إِبلي

راضَ نَفسي حَتّى تَرَضَّيتُ إِبلي

سُ قَديماً قَد طاوَعَتهُ النُفوسُ

سُ قَديماً قَد طاوَعَتهُ النُفوسُ

Iblis tamed my soul until I yielded;

I pleased myself until my camels were content

long ago, souls had obeyed him.

Long ago, souls obeyed it

كَم أَرَدتُ التَقى فَما تَرَكَتني

كَم أَرَدتُ التَقى فَما تَرَكَتني

خَندَريسٌ يُديرُها طاوُوسُ

خَندَريسٌ يُديرُها طاوُوسُ

How often I sought piety, but it would not leave me—

How much I wanted to meet, but Khandaris did not leave me

the aged wine that Tawus passes round.

A peacock leads them

أَسكَنوها في الدُنِّ مِن عَهدِ نوحٍ

أَسكَنوها في الدُنِّ مِن عَهدِ نوحٍ

كَظَلامٍ فيهِ نَهارٌ حَبيسُ

كَظَلامٍ فيهِ نَهارٌ حَبيسُ

They have housed it in the wine-jar since Noah's day,

They settled them in the lowlands since the days of Noah

like darkness with daylight held captive within.

Like darkness in which there is an imprisoned daylight

يَخرِجُ العِلجُ خَيرَها وَتُعاني

يَخرِجُ العِلجُ خَيرَها وَتُعاني

في ظِلالٍ كَما تُصانُ العَروسُ

في ظِلالٍ كَما تُصانُ العَروسُ

The foreigner draws out its best, and it is tended

Treatment brings out the best in them and they suffer

in the shade, as a bride is guarded.

In shades as the bride is protected

وَهيَ عِندي لا ذا وَلا ذا وَهَذا

وَهيَ عِندي لا ذا وَلا ذا وَهَذا

هِيَ سَعدٌ قَد فارَقَتهُ النُحوسُ

هِيَ سَعدٌ قَد فارَقَتهُ النُحوسُ

And to me it is neither this nor that nor the other;

And they are nothing to me, neither this nor that

it is good fortune, from which ill luck has departed.

This is Saad who has been abandoned by misfortunes

أَيُّ حُسنٍ تُخفي الدُنانُ مِنَ الرا

أَيُّ حُسنٍ تُخفي الدُنانُ مِنَ الرا

حِ وَحُسنٍ تَبديهِ مِنها الكُؤوسُ

حِ وَحُسنٍ تَبديهِ مِنها الكُؤوسُ

What beauty of wine the jars conceal,

What beauty do the lowly world hide from the onlooker, and what beauty made apparent by cups?

and what beauty the cups reveal of it!

My drinking companion, serve me drinks for dawn has arrived and the bell has tolled

يا نَديمَيَّ إِسقِياني فَقَد لا

يا نَديمَيَّ إِسقِياني فَقَد لا

حَ صَباحٌ وَأَذَّنَ الناقوسُ

حَ صَباحٌ وَأَذَّنَ الناقوسُ

O my two drinking companions, pour me a drink—for

From a heap as if it were land of incense

dawn has broken, and the bell has rung—

In its regions implanted pearls

مِن كُمَيتٍ كَأَنَّها أَرضُ تِبرٍ

مِن كُمَيتٍ كَأَنَّها أَرضُ تِبرٍ

في نَواحيهِ لُؤلُؤٌ مَغروسُ

في نَواحيهِ لُؤلُؤٌ مَغروسُ

of dark-red wine, like a field of gold,

Evil laughed when it saw I had grown old and said the vines had withered

with pearls planted throughout its reaches.

I said that there is still grace in my youth

ضَحِكَت شُرُّ إِذ رَأَتني قَد شِب

ضَحِكَت شُرُّ إِذ رَأَتني قَد شِب

تُ وَقالَت قَد فُضَّضَ الآبَنوسُ

تُ وَقالَت قَد فُضَّضَ الآبَنوسُ

Shurr laughed when she saw I had grown gray,

Then it said this is borrowed youth

and said, “The ebony has been silvered!”

I have enjoyed what has satisfied me, when I was weaned from frivolity and accustomed to solitude

قُلتُ إِنَّ الشَبابَ فِيَّ لَباقٍ

قُلتُ إِنَّ الشَبابَ فِيَّ لَباقٍ

بَعدُ قالَت هَذا شَبابٌ لَبيسُ

بَعدُ قالَت هَذا شَبابٌ لَبيسُ

I said, “Youth surely remains within me

And my heart is like lines on paper, and my cheek planted with my beard

still.” She said, “This is threadbare youth.”

قَد تَمَتَّعتُ ما كَفاني إِذ رَب

قَد تَمَتَّعتُ ما كَفاني إِذ رَب

عي مِنَ اللَهوِ وَالصِبا مَأنوسُ

عي مِنَ اللَهوِ وَالصِبا مَأنوسُ

I had my fill of pleasure, when my dwelling

was lively with revelry and youth,

وَفُؤادي مِثلُ القَناةِ مِنَ الخَط

وَفُؤادي مِثلُ القَناةِ مِنَ الخَط

طِ وَخَدّي مِن لِحيَتي مَكنوسُ

طِ وَخَدّي مِن لِحيَتي مَكنوسُ

and my heart was like a lance from al-Khatt,

and my cheek was swept clean of my beard.