أَوضَحَت نارُ خَدِّهِ لِلمَجوسِ

أَوضَحَت نارُ خَدِّهِ لِلمَجوسِ

حُجَّةً في السُجودِ وَالتَقديسِ

حُجَّةً في السُجودِ وَالتَقديسِ

The fire of his cheek made clear to the Magians

The glow of his cheek showed the Magi

a justification for prostration and veneration.

Clear proof of prostration and sanctification,

وَأَقامَت لِلعاشِقينَ دَليلاً

وَأَقامَت لِلعاشِقينَ دَليلاً

واضِحاً في جَوازِ نَهبِ النُفوسِ

واضِحاً في جَوازِ نَهبِ النُفوسِ

And it furnished lovers with a proof,

And established for lovers a lucid sign

clear, that souls may lawfully be plundered.

Of the permissibility of ravishing souls.

رَشَأٌ مِن جَآذِرِ التُركِ لَكِن

رَشَأٌ مِن جَآذِرِ التُركِ لَكِن

حازَ إِرثَ الجَمالِ عَن بِلقيسِ

حازَ إِرثَ الجَمالِ عَن بِلقيسِ

A gazelle-fawn among the Turks' wild-cow calves, yet

A twig from Turkish roots, but he gained

he inherited beauty from Bilqis.

The inheritance of beauty from Bilqis.

لا بِساً مِن بَهائِهِ ثَوبَ بَدرٍ

لا بِساً مِن بَهائِهِ ثَوبَ بَدرٍ

وَمِنَ الوَشي حُلَّةَ الطاوُوسِ

وَمِنَ الوَشي حُلَّةَ الطاوُوسِ

Wearing a full moon's robe of his own splendor,

He wore no ordinary clothes, but a robe like the full moon,

and a peacock's mantle of brocade.

And a peacock's costume of brocade.

حَمَلَ الكَأسَ فَاِكتَسَت وَجنَتاهُ

حَمَلَ الكَأسَ فَاِكتَسَت وَجنَتاهُ

شَفَقاً مِن شُعاعِها المَعكوسِ

شَفَقاً مِن شُعاعِها المَعكوسِ

He held the cup, and his cheeks were clothed

He carried the wine-cup, so his cheeks blushed

in a twilight glow from its reflected rays.

Shyly from its inverted radiance.

فَشَهِدنا مِن خَدِّهِ وَسَناها

فَشَهِدنا مِن خَدِّهِ وَسَناها

كَيفَ تُكسى البُدورُ نورَ الشُموسِ

كَيفَ تُكسى البُدورُ نورَ الشُموسِ

So from his cheek and its radiance we saw

Thus we saw how his cheek and it clothed

how full moons are clothed in the light of suns.

The full moons in the light of suns.

وَجَلاها وَالصُبحُ قَد هَزَمَ اللَي

وَجَلاها وَالصُبحُ قَد هَزَمَ اللَي

لَ وَهَمَّ الرِفاقُ بِالتَعريسِ

لَ وَهَمَّ الرِفاقُ بِالتَعريسِ

And he unveiled it when dawn had routed the night,

It outshone them, while dawn had defeated night,

and the companions were about to halt for rest.

And the companions fancied a wedding.

وَالثُرَيّا وَلَّت وَمالَت إِلى الغَر

وَالثُرَيّا وَلَّت وَمالَت إِلى الغَر

بِ فَكانَت كَالطائِحِ المَنكوسِ

بِ فَكانَت كَالطائِحِ المَنكوسِ

And the Pleiades turned away, inclining toward the west,

The Pleiades inclined and leaned westwards,

and became like one tumbling headfirst.

Becoming like a swooning drunkard.

وَلَّدَ الشَرقُ شَكلَها وَهوَ لَحيا

وَلَّدَ الشَرقُ شَكلَها وَهوَ لَحيا

نُ فَصارَت في الغَربِ كَالإِنكيسِ

نُ فَصارَت في الغَربِ كَالإِنكيسِ

The east brought forth its figure as Lahyan,

The Orient gave birth to her form, while it was

and in the west it became like Inkis.

A new moon, so in the West she was like a crescent.

فَاِبتَدَرنا الصَبوحَ وَاللَهوَ لَمّا

فَاِبتَدَرنا الصَبوحَ وَاللَهوَ لَمّا

نَبَّهَ الصَحبَ دَقَّةُ الناقوسِ

نَبَّهَ الصَحبَ دَقَّةُ الناقوسِ

So we hastened to morning wine and merriment when

We rose early for joy and amusement when

a stroke of the bell roused the companions.

The bells awakened the companions.

وَجَلَونا عَلى الأَهِلَّةِ شَمسَ ال

وَجَلَونا عَلى الأَهِلَّةِ شَمسَ ال

راحِ بَينَ الشَمّاسِ وَالقِسّيسِ

راحِ بَينَ الشَمّاسِ وَالقِسّيسِ

And over the crescents we unveiled the sun of

We sat under the crescent moon with the rising

wine, between the deacon and the priest.

Sun between the deacon and the priest.

قَهوَةً تَحسُدُ العَمائِمَ لا تَس

قَهوَةً تَحسُدُ العَمائِمَ لا تَس

كُنُ لَمّا تُدارُ غَيرَ الرُؤوسِ

كُنُ لَمّا تُدارُ غَيرَ الرُؤوسِ

A wine that envies turbans, never settling,

A coffee that makes turbans envy it, it does not

when passed around, anywhere but in heads.

Settle except when skulls are rotated.

جَعَلَت بَينَ شارِبيها عَلى اللَه

جَعَلَت بَينَ شارِبيها عَلى اللَه

وِ وَبَينَ الهُمومِ حَربَ البَسوسِ

وِ وَبَينَ الهُمومِ حَربَ البَسوسِ

It set, between its drinkers in their merriment

It made between its drinkers, by God, and sorrows

and their cares, the War of Basus.

The war of destruction and reversal.

مِن يَدَي شادِنٍ يَكادُ يُعيدُ ال

مِن يَدَي شادِنٍ يَكادُ يُعيدُ ال

راحَ سَكرى بِخُلقِهِ المَأنوسِ

راحَ سَكرى بِخُلقِهِ المَأنوسِ

From the hands of a young gazelle who almost makes the

From the hand of a pourer who can almost return

wine itself drunk with his amiable nature.

Tipsiness with his intimate nature.

فَعَلَت مُقلَتاهُ في أَنفُسِ العُش

فَعَلَت مُقلَتاهُ في أَنفُسِ العُش

شاقِ فِعلَ السُلافَةِ الخَندَريسِ

شاقِ فِعلَ السُلافَةِ الخَندَريسِ

His two eyes wrought in lovers' souls

It made his eyelids among the impassioned

the effect of pure, aged wine.

Do the work of merriment and joyfulness.

قَدَحٌ دارَ في يَدي ذي احوِرارٍ

قَدَحٌ دارَ في يَدي ذي احوِرارٍ

فَسَكِرنا بِالطَردِ وَالمَعكوسِ

فَسَكِرنا بِالطَردِ وَالمَعكوسِ

A goblet went round in the hands of a dark-eyed one,

A goblet circulated in the hands of one flushed

so we grew drunk on the word and its reverse.

With wine, so we were drunk with pushes and shoves.

أَهيَفُ القَدِّ مُخطَفُ الخَصرِ ساجي الط

أَهيَفُ القَدِّ مُخطَفُ الخَصرِ ساجي الط

طَرفِ أُنسُ النَديمِ روحُ الجَليسِ

طَرفِ أُنسُ النَديمِ روحُ الجَليسِ

Slender of stature, narrow of waist, languid of

Is he the bent-statured, slender-waisted one, the smooth-

gaze—the drinking companion's delight, the companion's soul.

Faced, intimate friend, soul of the companion?

لا تُلامُ العُشّاقُ في تَلَفِ الأَر

لا تُلامُ العُشّاقُ في تَلَفِ الأَر

واحِ في عِشقِهِ وَبَذلِ النُفوسِ

واحِ في عِشقِهِ وَبَذلِ النُفوسِ

Lovers are not to be blamed for the loss of their souls

Lovers are not blamed for wasting lives

in loving him, and for surrendering their lives.

In love of him and sacrificing souls.

نَظَروا ذَلِكَ الجَمالَ وَقَد لا

نَظَروا ذَلِكَ الجَمالَ وَقَد لا

حَ نَفيساً فَخاطَروا بِالنَفيسِ

حَ نَفيساً فَخاطَروا بِالنَفيسِ

They beheld that beauty as it appeared,

They saw that beauty shining as if

precious, and so risked their own precious lives.

Precious, so they risked the precious.