أدر خمرة الأسرار في الحان يا سعدُ

أدر خمرة الأسرار في الحان يا سعدُ

وغنّ لنا فالوقت طاب لك السعدُ

وغنّ لنا فالوقت طاب لك السعدُ

Pass round the wine of mysteries in the tavern, O Sa‘d.

Turn the jar of secrets with melodies, O Saad

And sing for us—the hour is sweet; good fortune is yours.

And sing for us, for time has been good for your happiness

وكرّر على سمعي أحاديثَ وصفِها

وكرّر على سمعي أحاديثَ وصفِها

ففيها شفاء القلب يا سعد يا سعدُ

ففيها شفاء القلب يا سعد يا سعدُ

And repeat to my ears the tales that describe it.

And repeat in my hearing the conversations describing him

For in it is healing for the heart, O Sa‘d, O Sa‘d.

For in it is the healing of the heart, O Saad, O Saad

وهيّم ودمدم يا ابن ودّي مزمزماً

وهيّم ودمدم يا ابن ودّي مزمزماً

بذكر إله العرش فهو لنا القصد

بذكر إله العرش فهو لنا القصد

And stir rapture and murmur, O son of my affection, chanting softly,

And be active, hum, O son of Waddi, humming

In remembrance of the God of the Throne, for He is our aim.

With the mention of the God of the throne, for He is our purpose

وخلّ عذول الحبِّ في تيه غيّه

وخلّ عذول الحبِّ في تيه غيّه

عليه يدور السوءُ والبعدُ والطرد

عليه يدور السوءُ والبعدُ والطرد

And leave love’s reproacher in the wilderness of his error;

And leave the foolishness of passion lost in its folly

Around him circle misfortune, estrangement, and banishment.

Evil, distance and expulsion revolve around it

فنحن نرى فرط التهتّك مذهباً

فنحن نرى فرط التهتّك مذهباً

ونرشف ورد القرب يا حبّذا الورد

ونرشف ورد القرب يا حبّذا الورد

For we regard boundless abandon as a path,

For we see the excess of dissolution as a doctrine

And sip the draught of nearness—oh, how lovely the draught!

And we sip the rose water of nearness, how good is this rose!

وتزهو إذا غنّى المغنّون باسمها

وتزهو إذا غنّى المغنّون باسمها

ولا نرعوي عنها ولو ضمَّنا اللحد

ولا نرعوي عنها ولو ضمَّنا اللحد

And it glows when the singers sing in its name,

And it blooms when the singers sing her name

Nor do we turn away from it, even if the grave enfolds us.

And we don't pasture away from it, even if we were shrouded

رعى الله أوقاتَ الصبابة إنّها

رعى الله أوقاتَ الصبابة إنّها

شفَت مهجتي والقلب ما مسّه ضدّ

شفَت مهجتي والقلب ما مسّه ضدّ

May God preserve the hours of longing, for they

May God protect the times of youth, they

Healed my soul, and no foe touched the heart:

Soothed my innermost being, and the heart untouched by harm

ليالي أنسٍ في معاهد زينبٍ

ليالي أنسٍ في معاهد زينبٍ

وليلى وسُعدى والغرام له وقد

وليلى وسُعدى والغرام له وقد

Nights of intimacy in the abodes of Zaynab,

Nights of intimacy in the dwellings of Zainab

And Layla and Su‘da, with passion ablaze.

And Layla and Su`da and passion has for it firewood

تروّق راحاً في ظلال خيامها

تروّق راحاً في ظلال خيامها

معتّقةً فالمطربون لها تشدو

معتّقةً فالمطربون لها تشدو

You decant wine in the shade of her tents,

Strolling at ease in the shade of its tents

Well-aged, and for it the minstrels sing,

Freed, and the singers sing for her

على سررٍ مرفوعةٍ ونمارقٍ

على سررٍ مرفوعةٍ ونمارقٍ

وريح الصَّبا بالنشر في حيّها تعدو

وريح الصَّبا بالنشر في حيّها تعدو

Upon raised couches and cushions,

On raised couches and carpets

And the east wind races through her camp, laden with fragrance.

And the morning breeze strides briskly in its plains

وغاب رقيبي والمواهب جمّةً

وغاب رقيبي والمواهب جمّةً

ووافى حبيبي والجمال له يبدو

ووافى حبيبي والجمال له يبدو

And my watcher vanished, while gifts were abundant,

My watcher disappeared, and welcome were the gifts

And my beloved arrived, his beauty showing forth.

And my beloved came, and beauty appeared to him

هنالك قد طبنا وطابت نفوسنا

هنالك قد طبنا وطابت نفوسنا

وغبنا عن الأكوان لمّا دنا الوجد

وغبنا عن الأكوان لمّا دنا الوجد

There we were gladdened, and our souls rejoiced,

There we were delighted, and our souls eased

And we vanished from the worlds when ecstasy drew near.

And we were absent from the universe when ecstasy drew near

فقل لأناس عاذلين ترفّقوا

فقل لأناس عاذلين ترفّقوا

بنا إنّنا من دأبنا الصدق والودّ

بنا إنّنا من دأبنا الصدق والودّ

So say to reproaching people: Be gentle

Say to the blameworthy people, be gentle

With us; truthfulness and affection are indeed among our ways.

With us - our way is sincerity and affection

دعُونا ومن نهوى وكونوا بغيّكم

دعُونا ومن نهوى وكونوا بغيّكم

فكلٌّ له رأيٌ وكلٌّ له رشد

فكلٌّ له رأيٌ وكلٌّ له رشد

Leave us and those we love, and remain in your error,

Leave us and whom we love, and be content with your own hatred

For each has his own view, and each his own guidance.

For each has an opinion, and each has wisdom

وصلّ وسلّم سيّدي كلّ لحظةٍ

وصلّ وسلّم سيّدي كلّ لحظةٍ

على المصطفى المختار ما سبّحَ الرعد

على المصطفى المختار ما سبّحَ الرعد

And send blessings and peace, my Lord, at every moment,

Send blessings and greetings, my master, every moment

Upon the Chosen One, the Elect, as long as thunder glorifies God,

Upon the Chosen One as long as thunder has pealed

وآلٍ وأصحابٍ بهمّةِ عزمِهم

وآلٍ وأصحابٍ بهمّةِ عزمِهم

لما شاده أهلُ الضلالة قد هدّوا

لما شاده أهلُ الضلالة قد هدّوا

And his family and companions, who, with the zeal of their resolve,

And his family and companions in their resolute determination

Have demolished what the people of error erected,

When the people of misguidance opposed him, they were guided

مدى الدهر ما صبٌّ لساقيه منشدٌ

مدى الدهر ما صبٌّ لساقيه منشدٌ

أدر خمرةَ الأسرار في الحان يا سعد

أدر خمرةَ الأسرار في الحان يا سعد

Throughout the ages, as long as a lover chants to his cupbearer:

As long as the cosmos remains, his cupbearer will have a singer

Pass round the wine of mysteries in the tavern, O Sa‘d.

Turn the jar of secrets with melodies, O Saad