لم يشفني الابريق قرقفه

لم يشفني الابريق قرقفه

وشفاء عاني القلب مرشفهُ

وشفاء عاني القلب مرشفهُ

The jug's wine has not healed me;

The pitcher did not heal my thirst

the cure for a captive heart is his lips.

And the cup's draught was not a cure for my aching heart

لم تحل بنت الكرم في قدح

لم تحل بنت الكرم في قدح

الا ويرشفها وترشفهُ

الا ويرشفها وترشفهُ

The vine's daughter never settles in a cup

The daughter of generosity does not fill a goblet

but it sips her, and she sips it.

Without sipping it and letting it flow

ولرب شارب قهوة ثملٍ

ولرب شارب قهوة ثملٍ

متغطرف زاهٍ تغطرفه

متغطرف زاهٍ تغطرفه

And many a tipsy drinker of wine,

Many a coffee drinker sips the brew

swaggering, proud of his swagger—

Arrogantly squandering it and letting it spill

الهو ويلهو في مطارحة

الهو ويلهو في مطارحة

ارعيه لي سمعاً يشنِّفه

ارعيه لي سمعاً يشنِّفه

I make merry, and he makes merry, trading verses;

He fritters away his time in frolic

I lend him my ear, and he delights it.

Make him listen, so he learns better manners

بيناه العبُ في بلهنيةٍ

بيناه العبُ في بلهنيةٍ

اذ جدّ جدّ الشيب مرجفهُ

اذ جدّ جدّ الشيب مرجفهُ

While I was playing in carefree ease,

Play exposed him in foolishness

suddenly gray hair's herald grew gravely earnest.

When grey hair came, dignity prevailed

شيبٌ براسي حلَّ محترماً

شيبٌ براسي حلَّ محترماً

لو كان يرعاه مفوّفهُ

لو كان يرعاه مفوّفهُ

Gray hair has settled on my head, deserving honor,

Grey hair adorned my head with respect

if only its white-streaked bearer would heed it.

Had youth looked after it and groomed it

ضيفٌ يوُّقرني وامقته

ضيفٌ يوُّقرني وامقته

فعلى مَ انكره واعرفه

فعلى مَ انكره واعرفه

A guest who dignifies me, yet I detest him.

A guest who honours me, I welcome

Why, then, deny him when I recognize him?

No matter who dislikes him or knows him

ما الممهاة تجرُّ مطرفها

ما الممهاة تجرُّ مطرفها

عنه اذا ما لاح مطرفه

عنه اذا ما لاح مطرفه

The oryx-like maiden does not draw her mantle

The blinkers do not veil the eyes of a beauty

away from him whenever his mantle appears.

When her glances shine through

امسى يروع الخود ابيضه

امسى يروع الخود ابيضه

ولكان يصبي الرود مغدفه

ولكان يصبي الرود مغدفه

Its white hair now frightens the tender maiden,

With a cinched waist and prominent hips

though once its dark, hanging locks beguiled the graceful girl.

A curve elegantly curved

وغزيِّل يرعى الحشا سغباً

وغزيِّل يرعى الحشا سغباً

والشيح مرعاه ومألفه

والشيح مرعاه ومألفه

And a little gazelle grazes hungrily upon my heart,

A gazelle grazing the shrubs

with wormwood his pasture and his haunt.

And an old man tending his flock and friend

بموارد الريان مورده

بموارد الريان مورده

وبمنبت الحوذان معلفه

وبمنبت الحوذان معلفه

His watering-place is at al-Rayyan's waterholes,

At the meadows he waters his herd

and his feeding-place where buttercups grow.

And at the acacia groves he feeds them

اترى يؤنبني مؤنبه

اترى يؤنبني مؤنبه

او ان يعنِّفني معنفه

او ان يعنِّفني معنفه

Do you think his reprover will reproach me,

Does the critic scold me

or that his chastiser will treat me harshly?

Or the blamer accuse me harshly

مصقول ورد الخد يانعه

مصقول ورد الخد يانعه

قد رحت بالألحاظ اقطفه

قد رحت بالألحاظ اقطفه

Burnished is the ripe rose of his cheek;

The apples of a rosy cheek, ripe to pluck

I have set about plucking it with my glances.

I went, gathering them in glances

ومدفَّع الاوراك ناء بها

ومدفَّع الاوراك ناء بها

خصرٌ يكلفه مكلفه

خصرٌ يكلفه مكلفه

And full-hipped: beneath their weight bends

With a rear swaying, bent over

a waist strained by the burden laid upon it.

A waist wrapped up and bound

ريان حقف الردف مفعمه

ريان حقف الردف مفعمه

ونحيف ظامي الكشح مخطفه

ونحيف ظامي الكشح مخطفه

Lush and full is the sand-dune of his rump,

The mounts of a plump thigh swelling

and lean and thirsty the taper of his flank.

And slender shins of a leg finely sculpted

يمشي على مرح وعامله

يمشي على مرح وعامله

خطَّاره واللحظ مرهفه

خطَّاره واللحظ مرهفه

He walks merrily; his lance-like figure

He walks proudly, carried away

sways, and his glance is his sharpened blade.

His looks sharp and discerning

اخشى اذا هبَّت يمانية

اخشى اذا هبَّت يمانية

حذراً عليه اخاف تقصفه

حذراً عليه اخاف تقصفه

I fear, when a wind from Yemen blows,

I fear if a south wind blows

anxious for him, I fear it may snap him.

I must protect him, anxious it will knock him over

الراح تأخذه وتتركه

الراح تأخذه وتتركه

والريح تعدله وتعطفه

والريح تعدله وتعطفه

Wine takes hold of him and lets him go,

The winds take and leave him

and the wind straightens him and bends him.

Blowing him then gently cradling him

ولربَّ دمعٍ سال منحدراً

ولربَّ دمعٍ سال منحدراً

فيه يكفكفه مكفكفه

فيه يكفكفه مكفكفه

And many a tear has streamed downward

And many a tear flows downhill

for him, as its wiper wipes it away.

With a palm wiping it, comforting it

ان عزَّ جمع العين واكفه

ان عزَّ جمع العين واكفه

فالقلب بالزفرات يخلفه

فالقلب بالزفرات يخلفه

If the eye struggles to muster its streaming tears,

If gathering them has proven hard

the heart makes up for them with sighs.

Then sighing releases them

كم مسلكٍ بهواه يمَّمه

كم مسلكٍ بهواه يمَّمه

اعياه فدفده ونفنفه

اعياه فدفده ونفنفه

How many a path it sought for love of him—

Many a path has passion led him on

its stony wastes and chasms wore it out.

Exhausting him, weakening and draining him