أَتَرْغَبَ في الحَيَاةِ ولَحْظُ هِنْدِ

عَلَيْنَا مِنْهُ سُلَّتْ أَيٌّ هِنْدي

Do you desire the moment of bliss, O friend

Upon us from it descend, which bliss O friend?

تَعَرَّضْنَا لِمُقْلَتِهَا إِلى أَنْ

تَرَاضَعْنَا كُؤُوسَ هَوىً وَوَجْدِ

We were exposed to her coquetry until

We sucked cups of love and fervor

فَهَاتِ على اسْمِهَا كاسِي فَأنَّى

تُعَدِّى الكَأْسَ مَعْ ظَمْآنَ بَعْدِ

So bring in her name my cup that I

Pass the cup despite thirst afterward

وَوَالِ كُؤُوسَهَا حَتَّى تَرَانِي

وَعَيْنِي لاَ تَرَاكَ وَأَنْتَ عِنْدي

And frequent her cups until you see me

While my eye sees you not, and you are next to me

مُدَاماً مَا الحَبَابُ بِهَا سِوَاها

لَهَا مِنْهَا عَلَيْهَا أَيُّ عَقْدِ

A long time, nothing pleases lovers but it

It has upon it, which pact O friend?

أُنَاوِلُهَا نَدِيميَ فَهْوَ مِثْلِي

وَفِيتُ بِعَهْدِهِ وَوَفَى بِعَهْدِي

I give it to my boon companion, and he is like me

And I fulfill my pact, and he fulfilled my pact

كَتُومُ السِّرِّ لاَ ألْقَاهُ غَيْرِي

إذَا مَا كَانَ عِنْدِيَ كُنْتُ وَحْدِي

Keeper of secrets, I do not divulge it but to myself

When it is with me, I was alone

تَفَرْقَنَا نَوَىً فَأمَرَّ حُلْوِي

وَكَدْرَ بِالتَّفَرُّقِ صَفْوَ وُودِّي

We intended to part, so he soured my sweetness

And troubled by parting, the purity of my love

فَلَمْ أَرَ ذَا تَهُورٍ مِثْلَ طَرْفِي

عَصَرْتُ الدَّمْعَ مِنْهُ فَجَاءَ وِرْدِي

So I saw no one as reckless as my glance

I squeezed tears from it, and it came my roses

وَلاَ كَحَشَايَ تُقْدَحُ فِيهِ نَارٌ

تُذَكَّرُ مَالِكِيهِ بِغَيْرِ زَنْدِ

Nor a goblet in which fire is kindled

Reminding its owners without ember

أَمَا مِنْ مُسْعَدٍ يَا سَعْدُ أَشْكُو

صَبَابَاتِي إِلْيهِ وَفَرْطَ وَجْدي

Is there no fortunate one, O Saad, I complain to

My fervent love for him and the excess of my passion

شَرِبْتُ مُدامَ نُعْمَى مِنْ قَدِيمٍ

مُرَوَّقَةً وَلَيْسَتْ ذَاتُ دُرْدِي

I drank old fine wine

Refined, and not harsh

فَأَعْجَزَ بَعضُ أًَيْسَرِهَا بَنَانِي

عَلَى بَذْلِي لَهَا مَا فَوْقَ جُهْدِي

So the easiest of it disabled me

From giving to it what's beyond my ability

فَدَيْتُكَ جَامِعاً للْفَضْلِ فيهِ

يُؤذِّنُ دَائِماً مَدْحِي وَحَمْدِي

So I ransom you, gathering virtue in it

It always proclaims my praise and laudation

وَمُشْتَاقٍ ذَكَرْتُ لَهُ اسمَ لَيْلَى

فَهَامَ بِهَا وَذِكْرُ الحُبَّ يُعْدِي

And a longing one, I mentioned to him Layla's name

So he became possessed with her, and the mention of love is contagious

عَلَيِّ لهُ وعنْدِي مَا يُرَجَّى

وَبُشْرَى مِنْ عَلِيِّ لَهُ وَعِنْدِي

To me for him is what is hoped for

And good tidings from the Most High for him and with me

لأَنِّي قَبْلُ مَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ قَبْلِي

هُنَاكَ وَبَعْدُ مَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ بَعْدِي

Because I before, am one who came before

Thereafter, and one who came thereafter

وَلِي في مَا يُقالُ كَلاَمُ حُرٍّ

وَفِي مَالاَ يُقالُ سُكُونُ عَبْدِ

And I have in what is said the words of a freeman

And in what isn't said, the silence of a slave