غَدَوتُ وَما يُشجي فُؤادي خَوادِشٌ

وَما وَطَري إِلّا الغَوايَةُ وَالخَمرُ

I went out at dawn, with no cares to sadden my heart,

I went out early with no troubles to scar my heart,

My only thought being wantonness and wine.

My only desire being seduction and the wine.

مُعَتَّقَةٌ حَمراءُ وَقدَتُها جَمرُ

وَنَكهَتُها مِسكٌ وَطَلعَتُها تِبرُ

A red old wine, its spark a live coal,

An aged red vintage, glowing like a burning ember,

Its taste musk, its morning draught cool water.

Her breath is musk, her appearance pure gold.

حَطَطنا عَلى خَمّارِها جُنحَ لَيلَةٍ

فَلاحَ لَنا فَجرٌ وَلَم يَطلُعِ الفَجرُ

We folded the wings of night over its jar,

We descended upon the vintner in the darkness of the night,

So no dawn shone for us and sunrise came not.

And a dawn shone forth for us, though true dawn had not yet risen.

وَأَبرَزَ بِكراً مُزَّةَ الطَعمِ قَرقَفاً

صَنيعَةَ دِهقانٍ تَراخى لَهُ العُمرُ

At daybreak, from the tavern, the keeper brought forth

He brought out a virgin cask, a trembling wine of biting taste,

An old wine-skin the years had mellowed.

The handiwork of a master whose life had stretched long.

فَقالَ عَروسٌ كانَ كِسرى رَبيبَها

مُعَتَّقَةٌ مِن دونِها البابُ وَالسَترُ

Said a bride, "Khusraw" was her darling:

He said, "She is a bride whom Chosroes himself once fostered,

"Aged wine is best, doors and veils between."

Ancient and secluded behind locked door and heavy veil."

فَقُلتُ أَدِل مِنها العَنانَ فَإِنَّني

لَها كُفءُ صِدقٍ لَيسَ مِن شِيَمي العُسرُ

I said, "Let me taste it, for I have friends

I said, "Slacken her reins and pour, for truly I

True-hearted, and ease comes not hard to me."

Am a worthy match for her; stinginess is not in my nature."

فَجاءَ بِها شَعثاءَ مَشدودَةَ القَرا

عَلى رَأسِها تاجٌ مَلاحِفُها عُفرُ

He brought it disheveled, tied up,

He brought her forth, dusty and bound at the waist,

Its cap filthy, grimed with dust.

Upon her head a crown, her robes covered in dust.

فَلَمّا تَوَجّى خَصرَها فاحَ ريحُها

فَقُلتُ أَذا عِطرٌ فَقالَ هُوَ العِطرُ

When I undid its waist, the smell wafted -

And when he pierced her side, her fragrance wafted out,

Said I, "Is this perfume?" He said, "It's the perfume."

I asked, "Is this perfume?" and he replied, "It is the very essence."

وَأَرسَلتُها في الكَأسِ راحاً كَريمَةً

تَعَطَّرُ بِالرَيحانِ أَحكَمَها الدَهرُ

And I sent it forth in a goblet, a generous steed,

I poured her into the cup, a vintage noble and rare,

Seasoned with mint - fate had controlled it.

Scented with sweet basil, perfected by the ages.

كَأَنَّ الزُجاجَ البيضَ مِنها عَرائِسٌ

عَلَيهِنَّ بَينَ الشَربِ أَردِيَةٌ حُمرُ

Like pure white glass the goblets from it

As if the clear white glasses were radiant brides,

On which, as they drank, lay red brocade.

Draped in crimson cloaks amidst the drinking crowd.

إِذا قُهِرَت بِالماءِ راقَ شُعاعُها

عُيونَ النَدامى وَاستَمَرَّ بِها الأَمرُ

When mixed with water, its colors shone out,

When subdued by water, her radiance dazzled

Eyes of penitents wept, and the drink went on.

The eyes of the companions, and the revelry ensued.

وَضاءَ مِنَ الحُلي المُضاعَفِ فَوقَها

بُدورٌ وَمُرجانٌ تَأَلَّفَهُ الشَذرُ

From piled-up pearls and gems above it

And there shone above her a double strand of jewels,

Scattered splendor flashed like stars.

Moons and coral strung together with beads of gold.

كَأَنَّ نُجومَ اللَيلِ فيها رَواكِدٌ

أَقَمنَ عَلى التَأليفِ آنِسُها البَدرُ

As if the night's stars in it were still,

As if the stars of the night were resting within,

Kept from setting by the moon's face.

Fixed in their constellations, befriended by the full moon.

وَصَلتُ بِها يَوماً بِلَيلٍ وَصَلتُهُ

بِأَوَّلِ يَومٍ كانَ آخِرَهُ السُكرُ

One day I drank it, stretching the day

With this wine I joined the day to the night, and joined that

To eve, till the first day's end was drunkenness.

To the start of a day that ended in sweet intoxication.

وَظَبيٍ خَلوبِ اللَفظِ حُلوٍ كَلامُهُ

مُقَبَّلُهُ سَهلٌ وَجانِبُهُ وَعرُ

A gazelle — gentle of speech — caressed my ear,

And a gazelle of captivating words and speech so sweet,

Kissing him was joy, his cheek smooth.

Whose mouth is soft to kiss, yet whose nature is hard to tame.

سَكَبتُ لَهُ مِنها فَخَرَّ لِوَجهِهِ

وَأَمكَنَ مِنهُ ماتُحيطُ بِهِ الأُزرُ

I poured him some — he fell on his face,

I poured for him a draught, and he bowed down low,

And granted me all I could encompass.

Yielding that which his garments had kept concealed.

فَقُمتُ إِلَيهِ وَالكَرى كُحلُ عَينِهِ

فَقَبَّلتُهُ وَالصَبُّ لَيسَ لَهُ صَبرُ

I rose to him, kohl the drunk of his eyes,

I rose to him while slumber lined his eyes like kohl,

And kissed him, though the passionate have no patience.

And I kissed him, for a lover holds no patience.

وَقَبَّلتُهُ ظَهراً لِبَطنِن وَتارَةً

يَكونُ بِساطُ الأَرضِ بِالباطِنِ الظَهرُ

Kissing his back and at times his front,

I embraced him, back pressed to belly, and at times,

Since the earth's carpet may turn into its back.

The earth itself became our bed, beneath and above.

إِلى أَن تَجَلّى نَومُهُ عَن جُفونِهِ

وَقالَ كَسَبتَ الذَنبَ قُلتُ لِيَ العُذرُ

Till his sleep uncovered his eyes from their lids,

Until the sleep finally lifted from his heavy lids,

And he said, "You've earned sin," and I, "For me excuse."

And he said, "You have sinned," but I replied, "I have my excuse."

فَأَعرَضَ مَزوَرّاً فَكانَ بِوَجهِهِ

تَفَقُّؤُ رُمّانٍ وَقَد بَرَدَ الصَدرُ

He turned away frowning, and in his face

He turned away in coy disdain, and upon his face

Were pomegranates bursting apart with cold.

Was the blush of bursting pomegranates, though passion had cooled.

فَما زِلتُ أَرقيهِ وَأَلثُمُ خَدُّهُ

إِلى أَن تَغَنّى راضِياً وَلَهُ الشُكرُ

Still I kept courting him and kissing his cheek,

I continued to soothe him and kiss his cheek,

Till he was pleased and smiled again in thanks.

Until he sang out in satisfaction—all thanks be to him.

أَلا يا اسلَمي يا دارَ مَيٍّ عَلى البِلى

وَلا زالَ مُنهَلّاً بِجَرعائِكِ القَطرُ

O heart that resides in the ruins of Layla,

Peace be upon you, O Abode of Mayya, despite the decay,

Still drawing from her ruins your tears!

And may the rain forever pour upon your sandy dunes.