أَمّا الصَبوحُ فإِنَّه فَرضُ

أَمّا الصَبوحُ فإِنَّه فَرضُ

فإلامَ يكحلُ جَفنَك الغمضُ

فإلامَ يكحلُ جَفنَك الغمضُ

As for the morning draught, it is a duty.

Morning is an obligation, so why

So how long will sleep paint your eyelid with kohl?

Does sleep still cling to your eyelids?

هَذا الصَباحُ بدت بشائِرُهُ

هَذا الصَباحُ بدت بشائِرُهُ

وَلخيله في ليله رَكضُ

وَلخيله في ليله رَكضُ

This morning's glad tidings have appeared,

This morning's omens have appeared,

and its steeds gallop through its night.

Its horses raced in the night.

وَاللَيلُ قد شابَت ذوائبَهُ

وَاللَيلُ قد شابَت ذوائبَهُ

وَعِذارُه بالفجر مُبيَضُّ

وَعِذارُه بالفجر مُبيَضُّ

And night's forelocks have turned gray,

The night's plaits have grayed,

and its cheek-down is whitened by dawn.

Its cheeks whitened at dawn.

فاِنهض إِلى حَمراءَ صافيةٍ

فاِنهض إِلى حَمراءَ صافيةٍ

قد كادَ يشربُ بعضَها البَعضُ

قد كادَ يشربُ بعضَها البَعضُ

So rise for a clear red wine,

So rise to meet the rosy wine,

one part of which almost drinks the other.

Some of it almost touching the rest,

يَسقيكَها من كفِّهِ رشأٌ

يَسقيكَها من كفِّهِ رشأٌ

لَدنُ القَوام مهفهفٌ بضُّ

لَدنُ القَوام مهفهفٌ بضُّ

A young gazelle serves it to you from his palm,

Poured for you from his palm,

supple of figure, slender-waisted and tender-skinned.

A gentle, fluttering stream.

سيّان خمرتُه وَريقتُه

سيّان خمرتُه وَريقتُه

كلتاهما عنبيَّةٌ مَحضُ

كلتاهما عنبيَّةٌ مَحضُ

His wine and his saliva are alike:

Its two colors, ruby and topaz,

both are pure grape wine.

Are both pure grape.

تُدمي اللواحظُ خدَّه نَظَراً

تُدمي اللواحظُ خدَّه نَظَراً

فاللَحظُ وَجناته عضُّ

فاللَحظُ وَجناته عضُّ

Eyes make his cheek bleed with their gaze,

It reddens cheeks with its gaze,

for a glance is a bite upon his cheeks.

For the glance and cheeks sting each other.

مَن ضمَّهُ فَتحَ السُرورُ له

مَن ضمَّهُ فَتحَ السُرورُ له

باباً وَكانَ لعيشِه الخَفضُ

باباً وَكانَ لعيشِه الخَفضُ

Whoever embraces him—joy opens for him

When it drew him close, joy opened for him

a door, and ease attends his life.

A door, and ease entered his life.

باهَت وقد أَبدى محاسِنَه

باهَت وقد أَبدى محاسِنَه

بدرَ السَماءِ بحُسنِه الأَرضُ

بدرَ السَماءِ بحُسنِه الأَرضُ

When he revealed his charms, the earth vied

The bright moon paled, displaying

with heaven's full moon through his beauty.

To the beautiful earth its beauty.

يَسعى بها كالشَمسِ مشرقةً

يَسعى بها كالشَمسِ مشرقةً

للعين عَن إِشراقِها غضُّ

للعين عَن إِشراقِها غضُّ

He moves with it like the radiant sun,

It moves across the sky like the rising sun,

the eye turning away from its radiance.

Too bright for eyes to look at its rising.

وَالكأسُ إِذ تَهوي بها يدُهُ

وَالكأسُ إِذ تَهوي بها يدُهُ

نجمٌ بجُنح اللَيل مُنقَضُّ

نجمٌ بجُنح اللَيل مُنقَضُّ

And the cup, as his hand swoops down with it,

When his hand tilts the goblet,

is a star shooting down through night's darkness.

It is a star swooping in the night.

باتَ النَدامى لا حراكَ بهم

باتَ النَدامى لا حراكَ بهم

إِلّا كَما يتحرَّك النبضُ

إِلّا كَما يتحرَّك النبضُ

The drinking companions passed the night unmoving,

Regretful late risers hardly stir,

save for a stirring like the beat of a pulse,

Their pulse beats faint as a blossom

في رَوضةٍ يُهدي لناشِقها

في رَوضةٍ يُهدي لناشِقها

أَرجَ الحبائِب زَهرُها الغَضُّ

أَرجَ الحبائِب زَهرُها الغَضُّ

in a garden where those who breathe its scent are offered

In a meadow, its tender buds

the fragrance of beloveds by its tender blossoms.

Still green, their petals not opened.

ختم الحَيا أَزهارَها فَغَدا

ختم الحَيا أَزهارَها فَغَدا

بيد النَسيم لخَتمها فَضُّ

بيد النَسيم لخَتمها فَضُّ

The rain sealed its flowers, and then

The flowers of life have closed their blooms,

the breeze's hand broke their seal.

The breeze of time scatters their seeds.

فاِشرَب على حافاتِها طرباً

فاِشرَب على حافاتِها طرباً

واِنهض لها إِن أَمكَن النَهضُ

واِنهض لها إِن أَمكَن النَهضُ

So drink in rapture along its edges,

Drink to rapture on their banks,

and rise for it, if rising is possible.

And rise if you still have the strength.

لا تُنكِرَن لَهوي على كِبَري

لا تُنكِرَن لَهوي على كِبَري

فعليَّ من عَصرِ الصِبا قَرضُ

فعليَّ من عَصرِ الصِبا قَرضُ

Do not condemn my revelry despite my old age;

Do not deny me in my old age

for I owe a debt from the days of youth.

The madness of my vanishing youth.

أَغرى العذولُ بلومه شَغفي

أَغرى العذولُ بلومه شَغفي

فَكأَنَّما إِبرامُهُ نَقضُ

فَكأَنَّما إِبرامُهُ نَقضُ

The reproacher inflamed my passion with his blame,

Censorious virtue provoked my passion--

so his insistence is, as it were, an undoing.

As if refusing me fanned the flames.

خالفتُه وَالرأَيُ مختلفٌ

خالفتُه وَالرأَيُ مختلفٌ

شأني الودادُ وَشأنُه البغضُ

شأني الودادُ وَشأنُه البغضُ

I opposed him, and our views differ:

I differed with him, for opinions divide;

my concern is love, and his is hatred.

My way is love, and his is hatred.

مَهلاً فَلَيسَ على الفَتى دَنَسٌ

مَهلاً فَلَيسَ على الفَتى دَنَسٌ

في الحُبِّ ما لَم يَدنس العِرضُ

في الحُبِّ ما لَم يَدنس العِرضُ

Gently! For no stain rests upon a young man

Patience. No shame clings to a man

in love, so long as honor is not sullied.

Who loves but does no dishonor.