شَبيهُكَ يا مَولايَ قَد حانَ أَن يَبدو

فَهَل لَكَ أَن تَغدو وَفي الحُزنِ أَن تَغدو

Your likeness, o my master, it is time for it to appear

So would you come at dawn, though in grief you appear

عَلى قَهوَةٍ مِسكِيَّةٍ بابِلِيَّةٍ

لَها في أَعالي الكَأسِ مِن مَزجِها عِقدُ

Over Babylonian coffee, musky

In the top of the cup, intertwined

فَقَد أَزعَجَ الناقوسُ مَن كانَ وادِعاً

وَأَهدى إِلَينا طيبَ أَنفاسِها الوَردُ

For the bell has disturbed whoever was calm

And the roses breathed their sweet fragrance to us

وَهَذي بَزوغى وَالغُروبُ وَطائِرٌ

عَلى الغُصنِ لا يَدري أَيندُبُ أَم يَشدو

And this is my dawn, and the sunset, and a bird

On the branch, not knowing whether to chirp or sing

فَقامَ وَفَضلاتُ الكَرى في جُفونِهِ

وَفي بُردِهِ غُصنٌ يَتيهُ بِهِ البُردُ

So he got up, and the remains of worries in his eyelids

And in his chill, a branch where the chill wanders

فَناوَلتُهُ كأساً فَأَسرَعَ شُربَها

وَلَم يَكُ لي مِن أَن أُساعِدَهُ بُدُّ

So I handed him a cup and he hurried to drink it

And I had no choice but to help him

فَغَنّى وَقَد غابَت سَماديرُ سُكرِهِ

أَلا مَن لِصَبٍّ قَد تَحَيَّفَهُ الوَجدُ

So he sang, and the curtains of his drunkenness disappeared

Oh, who can help a youth who is possessed by ecstasy?

سَقى اللَهُ أَيّامي بِرَحبَةِ هاشِمٍ

إِلى دارِ شِرشيرٍ وَإِن قَدُمَ العَهدُ

May God water my days with the breadth of Hashim

To the house of tinkling, though the time is old

فَقَصرُ اِبنِ حَمدونٍ إِلى الشارِعِ الَّذي

غَنينا بِهِ وَالعَيشُ مُقتَبِلٌ رَغدُ

For the palace of Ibn Hamdoun to the street

Where we sang and life looks prosperous

مَنازِلُ كانَت بِالمِلاحِ أَنيسَةً

فَأَضحَت وَما فيهِنَّ دَعدٌ وَلا هِندُ

Houses that were cozy with sailors

Have become desolate, with no intimacy or love

فَسُبحانَ مَن أَضحى الجَميعُ بِأَمرِهِ

وَتَقديرِهِ أَيدي سَبا وَلَه الحَمدُ

So glory to Him who made everything by His command

And predestination, the hands of Sabah, and to Him be praise