أَهدى نَسيمُ الصَباحِ

أَهدى نَسيمُ الصَباحِ

نَسيمَ مِسكٍ وَعَنبَر

نَسيمَ مِسكٍ وَعَنبَر

The morning breeze bestowed

The morning breeze brought

a breath of musk and ambergris;

A breeze of musk and ambergris

يَحُثُّها خَندَريسا

يَحُثُّها خَندَريسا

مِن خَدِّ ساقيها تُعصَر

مِن خَدِّ ساقيها تُعصَر

he quaffs it, an aged wine,

Stirred by a lute

pressed from its cupbearer’s cheek.

Squeezed from the cheek of its pourer

اليَومُ يَومٌ أَغَرُّ

اليَومُ يَومٌ أَغَرُّ

كَما تَراهُ طَليق

كَما تَراهُ طَليق

Today is a radiant day,

Today is an intoxicating day

cheerful, as you see it:

As you see it free

زَهرٌ وَظِلٌّ وَنَهرُ

زَهرٌ وَظِلٌّ وَنَهرُ

وَشادِنٌ وَرَحيق

وَشادِنٌ وَرَحيق

flowers, shade, and a river,

A flower, shade and a river

and a young gazelle, and pure wine,

Mead and wine dregs

وَذَيلُ سُكرٍ يُجَرُّ

وَذَيلُ سُكرٍ يُجَرُّ

وَمُنتَشٍ لا يُفيق

وَمُنتَشٍ لا يُفيق

and a train of drunkenness dragged along,

And a tail of drunkenness dragged

and a tipsy man who does not sober up.

By one who won't awaken

زَمانُهُ في اِصطِباحِ

زَمانُهُ في اِصطِباحِ

إِذا أَفاقَ تَذَكَّر

إِذا أَفاقَ تَذَكَّر

His time is spent in morning drinking;

Its time in the morning

whenever he sobers, he remembers,

When it awakens, it remembers

فَقالَ هاتِ الكُؤوسا

فَقالَ هاتِ الكُؤوسا

واِشرَب وَدَع مَن تَعَذَّر

واِشرَب وَدَع مَن تَعَذَّر

and says, “Bring the cups,

So it says, bring the cups

and drink; leave whoever makes excuses.”

Drink and leave whoever apologized

كَم ذا تَكَتَّمَ وَجدا

كَم ذا تَكَتَّمَ وَجدا

أَذابَ قَلبي زَفيرُه

أَذابَ قَلبي زَفيرُه

How long he concealed a passion

How much hidden ecstasy

whose sigh melted my heart,

Melted my heart with its sigh

مِن شادِنٍ لَو تَبَدّى

مِن شادِنٍ لَو تَبَدّى

لِلبَدرِ أَظلَمَ نورُه

لِلبَدرِ أَظلَمَ نورُه

for a young gazelle—were he to appear

If it appeared from the wine

before the full moon, its light would darken.

Its light would darken the moon

مَن بِالنُفوسِ يُفَدّى

مَن بِالنُفوسِ يُفَدّى

أَنا المُعَنّى أَسيرُه

أَنا المُعَنّى أَسيرُه

One for whom lives are offered as ransom—

It ransoms souls

I, the tormented one, am his captive.

I am its captive

يَفري الحَشا بِاِلتِماحِ

يَفري الحَشا بِاِلتِماحِ

مِن طَرفِ وَسِنانَ أَحوَر

مِن طَرفِ وَسِنانَ أَحوَر

He rends the entrails with a glance

The gazelle frolics with a side glance

from a drowsy eye of vivid black and white.

From the edge of curved white teeth

ناهيكَ عِلقاً نَفيسا

ناهيكَ عِلقاً نَفيسا

في مِثلِهِ الصَبُّ يُعذَر

في مِثلِهِ الصَبُّ يُعذَر

What a precious treasure!

Not to mention a refined doe

The lovesick lover is excused for one like him.

For whom wine is an excuse

مُنَعَّمُ القَدِّ لَدنُ

مُنَعَّمُ القَدِّ لَدنُ

كَالغُصنِ في عَليائِهِ

كَالغُصنِ في عَليائِهِ

Delicate of figure and supple,

Smooth of body

like a bough in its lofty height;

Like a branch in its loftiness

وَهيَ الكَواكِبُ تَعنو

وَهيَ الكَواكِبُ تَعنو

لِحُسنِهِ وَبَهائِهِ

لِحُسنِهِ وَبَهائِهِ

and the stars themselves bow

And the stars swoon

to his beauty and his splendor.

For his beauty and brilliance

وَكُلُّ قَلبٍ يَحِنُّ

وَكُلُّ قَلبٍ يَحِنُّ

إِلَيهِ شَوقَ لِقائِهِ

إِلَيهِ شَوقَ لِقائِهِ

And every heart yearns

And every heart yearns

for him, longing to meet him.

For him, longing for his presence

مُطاوِعٌ ذو جِماحِ

مُطاوِعٌ ذو جِماحِ

يَهوى الوِصالَ وَيَحذَر

يَهوى الوِصالَ وَيَحذَر

Yielding, yet headstrong,

Obedient, with beautiful wings

he desires union, yet fears

It desires union and is wary

لِذاكَ عِرضاً دَنيساً

لِذاكَ عِرضاً دَنيساً

وَلَيسَ يَهوى لِمُنكَر

وَلَيسَ يَهوى لِمُنكَر

a sullied reputation because of it,

Of a despicable offer

and has no desire for wrongdoing.

It does not desire the forbidden

موسى حَوَيتَ الجَمالا

موسى حَوَيتَ الجَمالا

وَعِفَّةً في طِباعِك

وَعِفَّةً في طِباعِك

Musa, you possess beauty

Musa, you encompass beauty

and chastity in your nature.

And chastity in your nature

لَم تَرضَ إِلّا الحَلالا

لَم تَرضَ إِلّا الحَلالا

غُذيتَهُ في رِضاعِك

غُذيتَهُ في رِضاعِك

You accepted nothing but the lawful;

You would not accept but the lawful

you were nourished on it at the breast.

You were nourished by it in your infancy

وَقَد أَمَلتَ الرِجالا

وَقَد أَمَلتَ الرِجالا

نِهايَةً بِاِصطِناعِك

نِهايَةً بِاِصطِناعِك

And you have indeed won men over

You have hoped for men

utterly, through your favors.

The utmost in your making

فَاِلبَس رِداءَ اِمتِداحِ

فَاِلبَس رِداءَ اِمتِداحِ

وَجَرِّرِ الذَيلَ وَاِفخَر

وَجَرِّرِ الذَيلَ وَاِفخَر

So put on a cloak of praise,

So wear the garment of praise

and trail its train, and take pride;

And drag your train and boast

فَلَن يَزالَ حَبيسا

فَلَن يَزالَ حَبيسا

يُطوى عَلَيكَ وَيُنشَر

يُطوى عَلَيكَ وَيُنشَر

for it shall ever remain captive,

For it will remain a prisoner

folded about you and unfurled.

Folded over you and spread out

لَمّا اِستَقامَ قَضيباً

لَمّا اِستَقامَ قَضيباً

وَكادَ يَنقَدُّ مَيلا

وَكادَ يَنقَدُّ مَيلا

When he stood straight as a bough,

When it stood up straight as a rod

and nearly snapped from bending,

And nearly poured inclination

وَمَرَّ خِشفاً رَبيبا

وَمَرَّ خِشفاً رَبيبا

وَزادَ حُسناً وَطَولا

وَزادَ حُسناً وَطَولا

and passed by as a nurtured fawn,

And passed by throbbing

and grew in beauty and bounty

And increased in beauty and height

ما شاءَ قُمتُ خَطيبا

ما شاءَ قُمتُ خَطيبا

فَقُلتُ وَالحَقُّ أَولى

فَقُلتُ وَالحَقُّ أَولى

as much as he wished, I rose to speak,

Whatever you desire, I stood up as an eulogizer

and said—and truth comes first:

And said, and truth is most deserving