عَلى حُكم الهَوى أَدرِ المُداما

عَلى حُكم الهَوى أَدرِ المُداما

وَعُد لِهَوى المَها وَدع المَلاما

وَعُد لِهَوى المَها وَدع المَلاما

By love's decree, pass round the wine.

Turn the wine round in circles, and blame not the bending of inclination,

And return to love of the oryx, and forsake reproach.

And promise the beloved ones your love, and leave reproach.

وَأَكرم أَهل ودّك لا لأمرٍ

وَأَكرم أَهل ودّك لا لأمرٍ

عراك وَدُم عَلى ما الودّ داما

عراك وَدُم عَلى ما الودّ داما

And honor those dear to you, not because of some trouble

Honor your intimate friends, not for any cause of

That has befallen you; remain steadfast while affection lasts.

Strife and blood, so long as affection lasts.

هُمُ الكُرَماء مَهما طالَ صدٌّ

هُمُ الكُرَماء مَهما طالَ صدٌّ

لِحُكم الودّ ما سَلُّوا حُساما

لِحُكم الودّ ما سَلُّوا حُساما

They are the generous, however long estrangement lasts;

They are the noble ones, though estrangement be long lasting

In deference to affection's rule, they have drawn no sword.

To the rule of love, whatsoever they sought with swords.

سُرورُ المَرء لَولا العَهد أَلوى

سُرورُ المَرء لَولا العَهد أَلوى

وَهمّ المَرء لَولا الوَعد داما

وَهمّ المَرء لَولا الوَعد داما

A person's joy, but for the pledge, would depart;

One's joy but for the pact would fail,

And a person's sorrow, but for the promise, would endure.

And one's anxiety but for the promise would last.

أمرُّ عَلى الطُلول طُلول سَلمى

أمرُّ عَلى الطُلول طُلول سَلمى

أسلّم لا لِأُسمعها السَلاما

أسلّم لا لِأُسمعها السَلاما

I pass by the ruins, the ruins of Salma;

To pass by the encampments is more bitter than aloes-

I greet them, not to make them hear the greeting.

Yet I pass them by, no "Peace" do I hear in salutation.

أَراهُم كُلَّما مَرّوا سِراعاً

أَراهُم كُلَّما مَرّوا سِراعاً

عَلى أَهل الهَوى مَرّوا كِراما

عَلى أَهل الهَوى مَرّوا كِراما

I see them: whenever they pass swiftly

Whenever they pass the people of passionate love,

By the people of love, they pass nobly.

They pass exalted, generous.

طَلاً ألمى أَدار لَماه راحاً

طَلاً ألمى أَدار لَماه راحاً

حَلالاً ما أَراد طِلاً حراما

حَلالاً ما أَراد طِلاً حراما

A dark-lipped fawn, whose dusky lips passed round wine—

My eyes have turned from visitation, for when he departed

Lawful—he desired no forbidden wine.

He made lawful what he desired of unlawful kissing.

وَما أَردى الحَسود عَلى هَواها

وَما أَردى الحَسود عَلى هَواها

سِوى هَمٍّ طَمى وَهمى ركاما

سِوى هَمٍّ طَمى وَهمى ركاما

And nothing brought the envious man to ruin over his love for her

Naught but anxiety and care intense caused the envious one

Except sorrow that overflowed and poured down in heaps.

Against his passion, save misery, sadness, and ruin.

وَآرام رَعوا لِلودِّ عَهداً

وَآرام رَعوا لِلودِّ عَهداً

سَموا أَعلى العُلى هِمَماً وَهاما

سَموا أَعلى العُلى هِمَماً وَهاما

And gazelles who kept a pledge to love

And they lived to keep affection's pact,

Rose to the loftiest heights, in aspiration and with heads held high.

They aspired to the highest above the highest endeavor.

وَكَم حال أَحال الدَهرَ مكراً

وَكَم حال أَحال الدَهرَ مكراً

وَصادمها وَسَلّ لَها حُساما

وَصادمها وَسَلّ لَها حُساما

And how many a state has Time treacherously changed,

How many a just man has time betrayed and opposed!

Clashing with it and drawing a sword against it.

How many drawn swords against him has it wielded!

وَكَم ملك مُطاع الأَمر وَلّى

وَكَم ملك مُطاع الأَمر وَلّى

وَما لِسِوى الإِله الملك داما

وَما لِسِوى الإِله الملك داما

And how many a king whose command was obeyed has departed;

How many a ruler obeyed, exalted in command,

And dominion has endured for none but God.

Yet none remains ruler save God who endures.

وَما أَدراكَ ما أَطلال سَلمى

وَما أَدراكَ ما أَطلال سَلمى

رُسوم لا طَعام لَها وَلا ما

رُسوم لا طَعام لَها وَلا ما

And what can make you know what Salma's ruins are?

Thou wouldst deem the deserted abodes of Salma

Traces that have neither food nor water.

To be, because of lack of food and drink, without inhabitants.

أَرى كلّاً حَوى أَسرار مَولىً

أَرى كلّاً حَوى أَسرار مَولىً

إِلى أَهل الهُدى أَمسى إِماما

إِلى أَهل الهُدى أَمسى إِماما

I see that everyone who has held a master's secrets

I see everyone loves mysteries for his comrades,

Has become an imam for the people of guidance.

Is become a guide to the people of truth among guides.

سَما كُلّ الوَرى كَرَماً وَحلماً

سَما كُلّ الوَرى كَرَماً وَحلماً

إمام طالَما صَلّى وَصاما

إمام طالَما صَلّى وَصاما

He surpassed all humankind in generosity and forbearance—

The heavens and earth in bounty and clemency-

An imam who has long prayed and fasted.

He long prayed and fasted from worldly inclination.

رَعى اللَه الحِمى وَحَمى كراما

رَعى اللَه الحِمى وَحَمى كراما

لَها حَول الحِمى المَكلوم حاما

لَها حَول الحِمى المَكلوم حاما

May God guard the sanctuary and protect noble ones.

May God preserve the protectorate, and protect the generous ones!

For her, the wounded one circled around the sanctuary.

Around the preserve of God the Compassionate, preserves it.

وَلَو صَدح الحمام أَعادَ صَدحاً

وَلَو صَدح الحمام أَعادَ صَدحاً

لَهُ وَأَعار مَسمعه الحماما

لَهُ وَأَعار مَسمعه الحماما

And if the doves sang, he echoed their song

And if the dove made repeated cries in calling,

To them, and lent the doves his ear.

It toward it, and lent its call to the dove.

وَما هَلّ الهِلال وَلاحَ إِلّا

وَما هَلّ الهِلال وَلاحَ إِلّا

أَهلّ مَدامِعاً أَو سامَ ساما

أَهلّ مَدامِعاً أَو سامَ ساما

And the crescent never rose and shone but

Naught caused the new moon to appear and gleam

Eyes were made to weep, or death was dealt.

Save it moved to tears or poisoned poison.