رقْرَقَ الكَأسُ حَبيبي

وروَى منَّا الجُموعْ

My beloved set the cup shimmering clear,

And gave the throngs among us drink.

فمَزَجْنا الخمرَ لهْفاً

بأَفانينِ الدُّموعْ

So in longing we mingled the wine

With tears of every kind.

وتَداعَيْنا سُكارَى

والهوَى شيءٌ عَجيبْ

We called to one another, drunk,

And love is a wondrous thing.

وتَمايَلْنا حَيارَى

ضمنَ أَثوابِ الوُلوعْ

We swayed, bewildered,

Within the robes of ardor.

قد صَبَبْنا الدَّمعَ صَبًّا

وانْطَوَيْنا بالأَنينْ

We poured out tears in torrents,

And folded inward with our moaning.

وجَعَلْنا الكَوْنَ سَلباً

هكَذا دينُ الخُشوعْ

We made the cosmos a thing despoiled—

Such is the way of humble devotion.

وثَمِلْنا عن غَرامٍ

ومَحَقْنا الكائِناتْ

We grew drunk with passion,

And effaced all beings;

وانْطَمَسْنا بهُيامٍ

وسُجودٍ ورُكوعْ

We vanished into rapture,

In prostration and in bowing.

زَمْزَمَ الحادي علينا

بإِشاراتِ الحَبيبْ

The caravan singer chanted over us

In signs from the Beloved.

والْتَوى لُطْفاً إلينا

ففَنِينا بالخُضوعْ

And graciously turned toward us,

So in submission we were effaced.

سكَنَ الوجدُ كَميناً

وله فينا قَرارْ

Ecstasy lay hidden in ambush,

Yet it has its settled home in us.

ومضَى الرَّكْبُ أَميناً

بالَّذي تَطْوي الضُّلوعْ

The caravan went safely on

With what the ribs enfold.

دمدَمَ الرُّكْبانُ وجداً

بينَ فقدٍ وحُضورْ

The riders murmured, overcome with longing,

Between absence and presence.

وتَلا الخِلاَّنَ عهداً

نَصُّهُ لهْفٌ وجوعْ

The dear companions recited a covenant

Whose text was yearning and hunger.

وبأَشْجانٍ سَرَيْنا

وبِنا ثارَ الغَرامْ

With sorrows we traveled by night,

And passion surged within us.

ونُشِرْنا وانْطَوَيْنا

حينَ حرَّمْنا الرُّجوعْ

We were unfolded, then folded away,

When we forbade ourselves return.

برَزَ السَّاقي وحَيَّى

بعد أن طالَ السَّفرْ

The cupbearer appeared and gave greeting

After the journey had grown long.

وشَذا نَشْرِ الحُمَيَّا

ما لنا منه هُجوعْ

And the fragrance wafted by the wine

Left us no sleep.

هذه آثارُ حِبِّي

عَرَفَتْها العارِفونْ

These are the traces of my love,

The knowers recognize them:

بينَ إيجابٍ وسلْبٍ

فجرُها زاهي الطُّلوعْ

Between affirmation and negation,

Its dawn rises radiant.