أَمِنْتَ الَّليَالِيْ وَأَقْدارَها

أَمِنْتَ الَّليَالِيْ وَأَقْدارَها

فَصِلْ بِالأصائِلِ أَسْحارَهَا

فَصِلْ بِالأصائِلِ أَسْحارَهَا

You have felt safe from the nights and their decrees;

You believed the nights and their destinies,

so join their predawn hours to the late afternoons.

So separate with the predawn the evil within them.

وَخُذْ ما صَفا مِنْ رَحِيقِ الكُؤوسِ

وَخُذْ ما صَفا مِنْ رَحِيقِ الكُؤوسِ

وَخَلِّ لِغَيْرِكَ أَكْدارَهَا

وَخَلِّ لِغَيْرِكَ أَكْدارَهَا

And take what is clear from the nectar of the cups,

And take the pure sips from the wine glasses,

and leave their dregs to others.

And leave the bitterness for others.

لَيالٍ تَعَلَّلَ فِيهَا النَّسِيمُ

لَيالٍ تَعَلَّلَ فِيهَا النَّسِيمُ

فَما كانَ أَقْصَرَ أَعْمارَهَا

فَما كانَ أَقْصَرَ أَعْمارَهَا

Nights in which the breeze dallied—

Nights the breeze whispered through,

and how short their lives were!

How brief were their lives.

تَجاذَبَ فِيها العِشَا وَالصَّباحُ

تَجاذَبَ فِيها العِشَا وَالصَّباحُ

فَهَلْ سَحَرَ الَّليْلُ سَحَّارَهَا

فَهَلْ سَحَرَ الَّليْلُ سَحَّارَهَا

Dusk and dawn contended within them;

In them reveled night and dawn,

did night, then, bewitch their enchanter?

Did the night bewitch its own magician?

إِذْا دَقَّ ناقُوسُها بِالبِزَالِ

إِذْا دَقَّ ناقُوسُها بِالبِزَالِ

وَشَدَّتْ عَلى الخَصْرِ زُنَّارَهَا

وَشَدَّتْ عَلى الخَصْرِ زُنَّارَهَا

When its bell rang with the cask-tap,

When it rings its bells of separation,

and it tied its girdle about its waist,

And wraps itself at the waist in its sash,

عَبَدْتُ الصَّلِيبَ لِراووقِهَا

عَبَدْتُ الصَّلِيبَ لِراووقِهَا

وَوافَقْتُ فِي القَوْلِ خَمَّارَهَا

وَوافَقْتُ فِي القَوْلِ خَمَّارَهَا

I worshipped the cross for the sake of its wine-strainer,

I worshipped the cross for its crucifix,

and I agreed in speech with its wine-seller.

And corresponded in speech with its priests.

حَمَتْ مُقْلَتاهُ رِياضَ الخُدودِ

حَمَتْ مُقْلَتاهُ رِياضَ الخُدودِ

فَما يَجْتَنِي النَّاسُ أَثْمارَهَا

فَما يَجْتَنِي النَّاسُ أَثْمارَهَا

His two eyes guarded the gardens of his cheeks,

Its glances encompassed the gardens of cheeks,

so people do not pluck their fruit.

But people cannot harvest their fruits.

فَيا طَيْفَ مُقْلَتِهِ لا تَنَمْ

فَيا طَيْفَ مُقْلَتِهِ لا تَنَمْ

فَما أَوْقَدَتْ لِلْقِرَى نارَهَا

فَما أَوْقَدَتْ لِلْقِرَى نارَهَا

So, O phantom of his eye, do not sleep,

So its phantom, do not sleep,

for it has not lit its fire to welcome guests.

For you have not set the lands afire.

وَلَمَّا رَشَفْتُ جَنَى رِيْقِهِ

وَلَمَّا رَشَفْتُ جَنَى رِيْقِهِ

هَجَرْتُ المُدَامَ وَعَصَّارَهَا

هَجَرْتُ المُدَامَ وَعَصَّارَهَا

And when I sipped the fruit of his saliva,

When I sipped the saliva of his mouth,

I forsook wine and its presser.

I abandoned wine and presses.

حَصَلْتُ عَلى الدُّرِّ مِنْ ثَغْرِهِ

حَصَلْتُ عَلى الدُّرِّ مِنْ ثَغْرِهِ

فَعِفْتُ البِحَارَ وَأَخْطَارَهَا

فَعِفْتُ البِحَارَ وَأَخْطَارَهَا

I gained pearls from his mouth,

I gained pearls from his lips,

so I spurned the seas and their perils.

So I excused the seas and their perils.

أَفِي عَصْرِ موسى يَكُونُ البَخِيلُ

أَفِي عَصْرِ موسى يَكُونُ البَخِيلُ

ناهِي النُّفوسِ وَأَمَّارَهَا

ناهِي النُّفوسِ وَأَمَّارَهَا

In Musa's age, can a miser be

In Moses’ era can the miser exist,

the giver of prohibitions and commands to souls?

Tempting souls and inciting them?

أَبا الفَتْحِ أَكْرِمْ بِهَا كُنْيَةً

أَبا الفَتْحِ أَكْرِمْ بِهَا كُنْيَةً

فَقَدْ صَدَّقَ الخُبْرُ أَخْبارَهَا

فَقَدْ صَدَّقَ الخُبْرُ أَخْبارَهَا

Abu al-Fath—what a noble byname it is!

Abu al-Fath, honor it as an epithet,

For experience has confirmed its reports.

For events have proven their tidings true.

وَلا تَحْتَقِرْ فَتْحَ تَلَّعْفَرٍ

وَلا تَحْتَقِرْ فَتْحَ تَلَّعْفَرٍ

فَقَدْ زادَكَ اللَّهُ سِنْجارَهَا

فَقَدْ زادَكَ اللَّهُ سِنْجارَهَا

And do not belittle the conquest of Tal Afar,

And do not think little of the conquest of Tulay’fil,

for God has granted you its Sinjar as well.

For God has increased its prizes for you.