خَليلَيَّ لَستُ أَرى الحُبَّ عارا

خَليلَيَّ لَستُ أَرى الحُبَّ عارا

فَلا تَعذُلاني خَلَعتُ العِذارا

فَلا تَعذُلاني خَلَعتُ العِذارا

My two friends, I do not see love as a disgrace.

My beloved, I see no shame in love

So do not reproach me: I have cast off the bridle.

So reproach me not, for I've cast off restraint

وَكَيفَ تَصَبُّرُ مَن قَلبُهُ

وَكَيفَ تَصَبُّرُ مَن قَلبُهُ

يَكادُ مِنَ الحُبِّ أَن يُستَطارا

يَكادُ مِنَ الحُبِّ أَن يُستَطارا

And how can one endure whose heart

How can one show patience when his heart

is almost carried away by love?

Is near bursting with passion's fierce complaint

لَقَد تَرَكَ الوَجدُ نَفسي بِها

لَقَد تَرَكَ الوَجدُ نَفسي بِها

تَموتُ مِراراً وَتَحيا مِرارا

تَموتُ مِراراً وَتَحيا مِرارا

Longing for her has indeed left my soul

Desire has left my soul dying in her

dying repeatedly and living repeatedly.

To perish again and again for love's sweet pain

كِلانا مُحِبٌّ وَلَكِنَّني

كِلانا مُحِبٌّ وَلَكِنَّني

عَلى الهَجرِ مِنها أَقَلُّ اِصطِبارا

عَلى الهَجرِ مِنها أَقَلُّ اِصطِبارا

We are both in love, but I

Though we're both lovers, I less can endure

am less able to bear her estrangement.

Parting from her, so little fortitude have I to sustain

إِذا قُلتُ أَسلو دَعاني الهَوى

إِذا قُلتُ أَسلو دَعاني الهَوى

فَأَلهَبَ في القَلبِ لِلشَوقِ نارا

فَأَلهَبَ في القَلبِ لِلشَوقِ نارا

When I say, "I shall forget," passion calls me,

When I said I would forget, passion called me

then kindles a fire of yearning in my heart.

And lit in my heart a blaze of longing fire

وَأَحوَرَ وَسنانَ ذي غُنَّةٍ

وَأَحوَرَ وَسنانَ ذي غُنَّةٍ

كَأَنَّ بِوَجنَتِهِ الجُلَّنارا

كَأَنَّ بِوَجنَتِهِ الجُلَّنارا

And a dark-eyed, drowsy one with a nasal lilt,

It twisted the braids of one with a throat melodious

as though pomegranate blossoms were upon his cheek,

As if adorned with gleaming beads of ruby entire

كَساني مِنَ الحُبِّ ثَوبَ الجَوى

كَساني مِنَ الحُبِّ ثَوبَ الجَوى

فَصارَ الشِعارَ وَصارَ الدِثارا

فَصارَ الشِعارَ وَصارَ الدِثارا

clothed me through love in a garment of anguish.

Passion robed me in the garb of love-madness

So it became my undergarment and became my outer cloak.

And made it my habit and cloak to attire

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي بِأَرضِ الشَآمِ

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي بِأَرضِ الشَآمِ

أَطَعتُ الهَوى وَشَرِبتُ العُقارا

أَطَعتُ الهَوى وَشَرِبتُ العُقارا

Have you not seen that I, in the land of Syria,

Can you not see that in Damascus' land

obeyed passion and drank wine?

I obeyed passion and drank love's elixir

شَرِبتُ وَنادَمَني شادِنٌ

شَرِبتُ وَنادَمَني شادِنٌ

صَغيرٌ وَإِنّي أُحِبُّ الصِغارا

صَغيرٌ وَإِنّي أُحِبُّ الصِغارا

I drank, and a young gazelle was my drinking companion,

I drank it and a young wine-pourer chastened me

a young one—and indeed I love the young.

Though young, for the young I hold much desire

وَصِرفَ رُصافِيَّةٍ قَهوَةٍ

وَصِرفَ رُصافِيَّةٍ قَهوَةٍ

تُميتُ الهُمومَ وَتُبدي السِرارا

تُميتُ الهُمومَ وَتُبدي السِرارا

And I drank unmixed wine from Rusafa,

The pouring of coffee by a lovely cup-bearer

which kills cares and reveals secrets:

Banishing cares and cheering the spirit with cheer

كُمَيتٍ رَحيقٍ إِذا صُفِّقَت

كُمَيتٍ رَحيقٍ إِذا صُفِّقَت

أَطارَت عَلى حافَّتَيها الشَرارا

أَطارَت عَلى حافَّتَيها الشَرارا

a reddish-brown, pure wine that, when poured,

A goblet of rich wine which when clinked

sends sparks flying along both its edges.

Sends sparks flying up from its crystalclear

لَقَد كِدتُ مِن حُبِّ خَمرِ البَلي

لَقَد كِدتُ مِن حُبِّ خَمرِ البَلي

خِ أَن أَجعَلَ الشامَ أَهلاً وَدارا

خِ أَن أَجعَلَ الشامَ أَهلاً وَدارا

Indeed, for love of Balikh wine, I nearly

I nearly made Damascus home for the love

made Syria my kin and my home.

Of wine, though forbidden in religion most austere

فَما زِلتُ أَسقيهِ حَتّى إِذا

فَما زِلتُ أَسقيهِ حَتّى إِذا

ثَنى طَرفَهُ نَشوَةً وَاِستَدارا

ثَنى طَرفَهُ نَشوَةً وَاِستَدارا

So I kept giving him drink until, when

I plied him with drink until when at last

he lowered his gaze in drunkenness and turned around,

His eyes grew drowsy with tipsiness sincere

نَهَضتُ إِلَيهِ فَقَبَّلتُهُ

نَهَضتُ إِلَيهِ فَقَبَّلتُهُ

وَعانَقتُهُ وَحَلَلتُ الإِزارا

وَعانَقتُهُ وَحَلَلتُ الإِزارا

I rose, approached him, and kissed him,

I rose and kissed him and embraced him

and embraced him and untied the waistcloth.

And loosened all modesty's bonds sincere

وَقَد زادَني طَرَباً نَحوَهُ

وَقَد زادَني طَرَباً نَحوَهُ

مُضاجَعَةُ الياسَمينَ البَهارا

مُضاجَعَةُ الياسَمينَ البَهارا

And my delight in him was heightened still more

The scent of jasmine heightened my fervor for him

by jasmine lying beside the yellow oxeye blossoms.

As we lay among the fragrant flowers without fear

أَتاني لَها شِعرُ ذي قُدرَةٍ

أَتاني لَها شِعرُ ذي قُدرَةٍ

عَلى الشِعرِ قَد قالَ فِيَّ اِقتِدارا

عَلى الشِعرِ قَد قالَ فِيَّ اِقتِدارا

Verses about it reached me from one skilled

A poet of great skill wrote verses about me

in poetry, who had spoken of me with mastery.

That showed admiration for my passion sincere

فَقُل لي رِضىً قَد رَضينا بِكُم

فَقُل لي رِضىً قَد رَضينا بِكُم

وَإِن كُنتُ لَستُ أُريدُ الخِيارا

وَإِن كُنتُ لَستُ أُريدُ الخِيارا

So say to me approvingly, "We are indeed pleased with you,"

Say to me, though you're displeased, we're content with you

even though I was not seeking a choice.

For though I seek not the virtuous, your friendship I hold dear