تجنى الخبيبُ فقالوا غضبْ

تجنى الخبيبُ فقالوا غضبْ

وتاهَ دلالاً فقالوا اجتنبْ

وتاهَ دلالاً فقالوا اجتنبْ

The beloved found fault unjustly; they said, 'He grew angry.'

They plucked the grapes, so they said he was angry,

And he grew haughty in his coyness; they said, 'He kept away.'

And he went astray out of love, so they said avoid him.

الا دعهمُ ذاكَ بدرُ السما

الا دعهمُ ذاكَ بدرُ السما

إذا ما أضاءَ السماءَ احتجبْ

إذا ما أضاءَ السماءَ احتجبْ

Ah, leave them be; that is heaven's full moon.

But let them be, that is the full moon of the sky,

Whenever it lights the sky, it veils itself.

When it illuminates the sky, it is veiled.

وهذي عروسُ الصبا أقبلتْ

وهذي عروسُ الصبا أقبلتْ

تزفُّ إلينا عجوزُ الحقبْ

تزفُّ إلينا عجوزُ الحقبْ

And this bride of youth has arrived—

And here comes the bride of youth,

an old woman of the ages, brought to us as a bride.

The old woman of eras comes to us as a bride.

فقم فاجلها إن بنتَ الضحى

فقم فاجلها إن بنتَ الضحى

تخافُ أشعةَ بنتَ العنبْ

تخافُ أشعةَ بنتَ العنبْ

So rise and unveil her, for the daughter of morning light

So get up and drive her away, if you are the morning's daughter,

fears the rays of the daughter of the grape.

You fear the rays of the grape's daughter.

ولا تأمنِ الماءَ يخلو بها

ولا تأمنِ الماءَ يخلو بها

فيولدها من بناتِ الحببْ

فيولدها من بناتِ الحببْ

And do not trust the water alone with her,

Do not trust the water when left alone with her,

lest it make her bear daughters of bubbles.

Or it will give birth to her many lovely daughters.

وكم غشني حينَ عاملتهُ

وكم غشني حينَ عاملتهُ

فمزْ بينَ فضتهِ والذهبْ

فمزْ بينَ فضتهِ والذهبْ

And how often it cheated me when I dealt with it!

And how often did it deceive me when I dealt with it,

So distinguish between its silver and the gold.

So separate between its silver and gold.

وإما دعاني داعي الصبا

وإما دعاني داعي الصبا

ومالت بعطفيَ أمُّ الطربْ

ومالت بعطفيَ أمُّ الطربْ

And if the caller of youth summons me,

And if the youth's caller invited me,

and the mother of rapture sways my side,

And the mother of enchantment leaned towards my shoulder.

فقلْ لخطيبِ الرياضِ ارتجلْ

فقلْ لخطيبِ الرياضِ ارتجلْ

فإنَّ خطيبَ الهوى قد خطبْ

فإنَّ خطيبَ الهوى قد خطبْ

then tell the orator of the gardens, 'Improvise!'

Tell the courtyards' suitor to improvise,

for the orator of love has already spoken;

For the suitor of love has proposed.

وللصبحِ يبدي تباشيرَهُ

وللصبحِ يبدي تباشيرَهُ

ويروي الهنا عن إمامِ الأدبْ

ويروي الهنا عن إمامِ الأدبْ

and say the same to the dawn, as it reveals its glad tidings

And the dawn shows its first light,

and tells of joy on the authority of the master of letters.

And narrates to the times about the imam of literature.