اسْقِنِي وَاشْرَبْ خَلِيلِي

جُرْعَةَ الكَأسِ الْعَلِيلِ

Quench my thirst, my friend,

With a draught from the gentle cup,

ارْونِي إنِّي ظَمِي، لا

أرْتَويهَا بِالْقَلِيلِ

Show me, for I am parched - do not

Quench me with little.

وَامْضِي لا تُخْفِيهَا سِرًّا

كُلُّ سِرٍّ مِنْ دَلِيلِي

Go on, do not keep it secret,

Every secret comes from my confidant.

وَامْضِي بِيْ حَيْثُ الْتَقَيْنَا

سَاعَةَ الصُّبْحِ الْجَلِيلِ

Take me where we met

At the blessed dawn,

لا تُبَالِي بِالسُّكُوتِ

نَبْضُنُا حَكْيُ الْهَدِيلِ

Disregard the silence -

Our whispers are the murmuring of streams.

إنْ تَرَاءى لِلْحَيَارَى

خَطْونُا، لا بِالذَّلِيلِ

If our steps seem lost

To the perplexed, they are not demeaning.

فاعْلَمِي أنِّي أُحِبُّكْ

لَسْتُ بِالصَّبِ الْهَذِيلِ

Know that I love you,

I am no fickle youth,

لٙمْ أُدَارِ بَعْضَ شَوْقِي

فِي خُضُوعٍ مِنْ بَلِيْلِي

I have not turned away some of my passion

In weak submission,

أثْقِلِينِي كُلَّ حُبٍّ

أنْتِ لِي كُلُّ الْحَلِيلِ

Weigh me down with all your love,

You are all comfort to me.

يَا قَصِيدًا بِتُّ فِيهِ

حَرْفُهُ نَبْضِي، نَزِيلِي

O poem where

Its letters are my pulse, my descent,

أُسْكُبِي وَجْهَ الْمَعَانِي

فِي فُؤادِي، لا تَحُولِي

Pour out the meanings -

Into my heart, do not waver,

لِي مِنَ الْخَمْرِ عَجِيبٌ

بِاللَّيَالِي هُوْ عَقِيلِي

Wondrous to me, is the wine

At night it is my friend,

خَمْرَةُ الشِّعْرِ انْهِمَارٌ

تُبْتَدَى عِنْدَ الْوُصُولِ

The inebriation of poetry is a downpour

Begun when goals are reached,

خَمْرَةُ لَيْسَتْ لِبَيْعٍ

إنَّمَا للمُسْتَحِيلِ

An inebriation not for sale

Rather for the impossible.