من شاقه الجيرةُ الذي بَعُدوا

من شاقه الجيرةُ الذي بَعُدوا

أو عَادَ عَنْ معشرٍ وقد نَجدَوا

أو عَادَ عَنْ معشرٍ وقد نَجدَوا

Whoever is stirred to longing by companions now far away,

Whoever yearns for the neighbors who have gone far away,

or turns back from a company after they have ascended into Najd,

or turns away from companions who have gone to Najd,

أو تَسْبَيه القدودُ مائلةً

أو تَسْبَيه القدودُ مائلةً

أو الشنيب المُعَسَل البَدَدُ

أو الشنيب المُعَسَل البَدَدُ

or is captivated by graceful, swaying figures,

or is captivated by swaying figures,

or by honey-sweet, gleaming teeth set slightly apart—

or cool, honeyed, spaced-apart teeth,

وكل من رام إن ينال غناً

وكل من رام إن ينال غناً

أو همَّ فقراً فليلُه سَهُدُ

أو همَّ فقراً فليلُه سَهُدُ

and everyone who aspires to attain wealth,

and whoever seeks to attain wealth,

or whom poverty troubles—his night is sleepless.

or frets over poverty—his night is sleepless.

فرَاحَتي في القُديحِ يحملُه

فرَاحَتي في القُديحِ يحملُه

إليَّ ساقٍ بجيده غَيَدُ

إليَّ ساقٍ بجيده غَيَدُ

But my repose is in the little cup, borne

My comfort, then, lies in the little cup, carried

to me by a cupbearer with a supple, graceful neck.

to me by a cupbearer with a gracefully supple neck.

أَحُبُّه أو يكاد يَقْتُلني

أَحُبُّه أو يكاد يَقْتُلني

أضمه أو يكاد ينقَصد

أضمه أو يكاد ينقَصد

I love him, though he nearly kills me;

I love him—he almost kills me;

I embrace him, though he nearly snaps in two.

I embrace him—he almost snaps in two.

أشربُ خمرين من فمٍ ويدٍ

أشربُ خمرين من فمٍ ويدٍ

وخيرُ سَاقٍ سقى فمٌ ويدُ

وخيرُ سَاقٍ سقى فمٌ ويدُ

I drink two wines, from a mouth and a hand;

I drink two wines from a mouth and a hand,

and the finest cupbearers ever to pour are mouth and hand.

and the finest cupbearers to pour are a mouth and a hand.

من لي بليلى وطيب ليلتنا

من لي بليلى وطيب ليلتنا

بالوصل والكاشحون قد رقدوا

بالوصل والكاشحون قد رقدوا

Who will restore Layla to me, and the sweetness of our night

Who can grant me Layla and the sweetness of our night

of union, when the spiteful watchers had fallen asleep?

together, when the ill-wishers had fallen asleep?

كم قبّلت مفرقي هناك وكم

كم قبّلت مفرقي هناك وكم

قَبّلتْ فاهَا وطعمُه شُهُدَ

قَبّلتْ فاهَا وطعمُه شُهُدَ

How often she kissed the parting of my hair there—and how often

How often she kissed the parting of my hair there, and how often

I kissed her mouth, whose taste was pure honey.

I kissed her mouth, whose taste was honey.

حتى إذا ما البياضُ لاحَ لها

حتى إذا ما البياضُ لاحَ لها

بمفرقي أخْلَفَتْ بما تعِدُ

بمفرقي أخْلَفَتْ بما تعِدُ

Until, when the whiteness appeared to her,

Until, when the white hair became visible to her

because of my graying hair-part she broke the promises she had made.

at the parting of my hair, she failed to keep what she promised.

ناء الفتى إنْ رحلتُ عن بلدٍ

ناء الفتى إنْ رحلتُ عن بلدٍ

فلي سواه الصديقُ والبلدُ

فلي سواه الصديقُ والبلدُ

A young man may roam far: whenever I journey from a land,

The young man has gone far away; if I leave a land,

elsewhere I have both friend and homeland.

elsewhere I have both a friend and a land.

الخِصبُ لي والخَصيب في رِمع

الخِصبُ لي والخَصيب في رِمع

ومصر بل نيلُها لمن يَرد

ومصر بل نيلُها لمن يَرد

Prosperity is mine, and al-Khaṣīb is in Ramaʿ;

Abundance is mine, and al-Khasib is in Rimaʿ;

and Egypt—nay, her Nile—is for whoever comes.

and Egypt—rather, its Nile—is for whoever comes.

ومذ كساني الحسامَ نعمتَه

ومذ كساني الحسامَ نعمتَه

لم أبك للبرمكيِّين إذ كسدوا

لم أبك للبرمكيِّين إذ كسدوا

Since al-Ḥusām—“the Sword”—clothed me in his favor,

And since al-Husam clothed me in his bounty,

I have not mourned the Barmakids when their fortunes waned.

I did not weep for the Barmakids when their standing waned.

ومُذ كفلني أبو العفيف فلا

ومُذ كفلني أبو العفيف فلا

لَمْ يَمْلِ عيني من الورى أحدُ

لَمْ يَمْلِ عيني من الورى أحدُ

And since Abu al-Afif took me under his care,

And since Abu al-ʿAfif took me under his care, no—

no one among humankind has so filled my eyes—

no one else among mankind has filled my eye.

ذيِ رمع والحمى وذاك بها

ذيِ رمع والحمى وذاك بها

مُعَيْبدٌ والعديد والعُددُ

مُعَيْبدٌ والعديد والعُددُ

lord of Ramaʿ and the protected domain; and there within it are

Here is Rimaʿ and the protected domain; there within it

Muʿaybid, multitudes, and stores of arms.

are Muʿaybid, the troops, and the equipment.

إن سَارَ ساروا وراءَ رايته

إن سَارَ ساروا وراءَ رايته

أوْ هو أومى بكفه سجدوا

أوْ هو أومى بكفه سجدوا

If he marches, they march behind his banner;

If he marches, they march behind his banner;

or if he but gestures with his hand, they prostrate themselves.

or if he gestures with his palm, they prostrate themselves.