أَنزَفَ دَمعي طولُ تَسكابِهِ

وَاختَصَّني الحُبُّ بِأَتعابِهِ

My tears flowed continuously

The endless pouring has drained my tears dry,

And love singled me out for its troubles

And Love has singled me out to bear its burdens.

وَأَغرَقَت قَلبي بِحارُ الهَوى

مِمّا بِهِ مِن طولِ أَوصابِهِ

And the sea of passion flooded my heart

The seas of passion have submerged my heart,

With its endless billows

With the sheer weight of its lingering pains.

وَاختَصَّني الحُبُّ حَليفاً لَهُ

بورِكَ في الحُبِّ وَأَسبابِهِ

Love singled me out as its confidante

Love has chosen me as its sworn ally,

Blessings upon love and its causes

Blessed be Love and all its causes.

مَن صَدَقَت نِيَّتُهُ في الهَوى

أَعانَهُ الحُبُّ عَلى ما بِهِ

He whose intention in passion was sincere

He whose intent in passion proves sincere,

Love aids him in his plight

Love shall aid him in enduring his plight.

يُعينُهُ اللُهُ عَلى حُبِّهِ

إِن صَحَّحَ الحُبُّ لِأَصحابِهِ

May God aid him in his love

God lends him strength in his devotion,

If love improves its people

If Love proves faithful to its companions.

وَزائِرٍ زارَ بُعَيدَ الكَرى

ذَكَّرَ قَلبي كُنهُ أَطرابِهِ

And a visitor visited after long absence

And a visitor who arrived just after sleep,

Reminding my heart of its inner agitations

Stirring my heart with the essence of rapture.

أَقبَلَ يَسعى في الدُجى مُقبِلاً

كَالبَدرِ يَمشي بَينَ أَترابِهِ

He came walking in the darkness

He came forth, gliding through the gloom of night,

Like the moon walking amidst its entourage

Like the full moon walking among the stars.

فَقُلتُ لَمّا أَن بَدا مُعلِناً

شَمساً تَجَلَّت بَينَ أَثوابِهِ

So I said when he appeared openly

I spoke when he appeared, revealed and bright,

Like a sun unveiled amongst its clothes

A sun unveiled from within his robes.

فَباتَ يَسقيني جَنى ريقِهِ

يَمزُجُهُ لي بَردُ أَنيابِهِ

He spent the night quenching me with his saliva

He passed the night pouring me the nectar of his lips,

Mixing it for me with the cold of his fangs

Mixed for me with the coolness of his teeth.

وَصاحِبٍ عَفِّ الذُرى ماجِدٍ

بِهَديِهِ زَينٍ لِأَحبابِهِ

And a friend whose nobility the times witness

And a noble companion of pure heights,

With his guidance an adornment to his loved ones

Whose guidance is an ornament to his friends.

قُلتُ لَهُ خُذها أَبا جَعفَرٍ

فَقَد تَدَلّى الصُبحَ في بابِهِ

I said to him take it, Abu Ja’far

I said to him, "Take the cup, O Abu Ja'far,"

For the dawn has draped itself over his door

"For the dawn now hangs low at the door."

وَقَد مَضى عَنكَ ظَلامُ الدُجى

وَانكَشَفَت أَستارُ أَثوابِهِ

And the darkness of night has passed you by

"The darkness of night has departed from you,"

And the veils of its clothes have lifted

"And the veils of its robes have been stripped away."

فَسَلسَلَ الكَأسَ عَلى كُرهِهِ

وَمَرَّ فيها بَعدَ تَقطابِهِ

So he chained the wine despite his resentment

So he poured the wine, though against his will,

And passed it amongst us after his sulking

And proceeded to drink after his frown.

كَأَنَّما الكَأسُ إِذا صُفِّقَت

قِنديلُ قَسٍّ وَسطَ مِحرابِهِ

As if the cup when beaten

As if the cup, when poured out clear,

A lantern mid its niche

Were a priest's lamp within his altar niche.

وَأَصبَحَت أَلسُنُ أَوتارِهِ

إِذ حَرَّكَ المَثنى بِمِضرابِهِ

And the strings of his oud sounded

And the tongues of his lute strings awoke,

When he strummed the plectrum on it

When he struck the second cord with his plectrum.

ثُمَّ شَدا لَمّا جَرَت كَأسُهُ

صِرفاً وَمَرَّت بَينَ أَترابِهِ

Then he sang when his cup flowed

Then he sang, as his cup flowed round,

Circulating amongst his friends

Pure vintage passing among his peers:

عاوَدَ قَلبي كُنهُ أَطرابِهِ

مِن حُبِّ مَن أَصبَحتُ أَغنى بِهِ

It reminded my heart of its inner agitations

"The essence of rapture has returned to my heart,"

Of love for whom I have become most ecstatic

"From love of the one in whom I found my wealth."