وَقَهوَةٍ تَلمَعُ كَالسَرابِ

وَقَهوَةٍ تَلمَعُ كَالسَرابِ

أَحلى مِنَ الوَصلِ بِلا عِقابِ

أَحلى مِنَ الوَصلِ بِلا عِقابِ

And wine that gleams like a mirage,

Coffee glitters like a mirage,

Sweeter than union free of punishment,

Sweeter than reunion without punishment.

تُعجِزُ أَوهامَ ذَوي الحِسابِ

تُعجِزُ أَوهامَ ذَوي الحِسابِ

عَن بَعضِ ما أَفنَت مِنَ الأَحقابِ

عَن بَعضِ ما أَفنَت مِنَ الأَحقابِ

It leaves the reckoners' minds unable

It baffles the minds of accountants,

To grasp even some of the ages it has outlasted.

With what it wastes of eras.

صَفراءُ مِثلَ الذَهَبِ المُذابِ

صَفراءُ مِثلَ الذَهَبِ المُذابِ

لَها أَكاليلٌ مِنَ الحَبابِ

لَها أَكاليلٌ مِنَ الحَبابِ

Yellow like molten gold,

Yellow like molten gold,

It has wreaths of bubbles.

With wreaths of coffee beans.

تَحكُمُ لِلصَبِّ عَلى الأَوصابِ

تَحكُمُ لِلصَبِّ عَلى الأَوصابِ

غادَيتُها بِغادَةٍ كَعابِ

غادَيتُها بِغادَةٍ كَعابِ

It rules for the lovesick lover against his afflictions.

It rules the youth over the old.

I drank it in the morning with a budding-breasted maiden,

I bid it farewell like a dear one.

رَقراقَةٌ ناعِمَةُ الشَبابِ

رَقراقَةٌ ناعِمَةُ الشَبابِ

تَبسِمُ عَن فَضِيَّةٍ عِذابِ

تَبسِمُ عَن فَضِيَّةٍ عِذابِ

Radiant, tender in her youth.

Smooth and delicate in its youth,

She smiles, revealing sweet, silvery teeth,

It smiles with a silvery torment.

عِطرِيَّةَ الأَنفاسِ وَالرُضابِ

عِطرِيَّةَ الأَنفاسِ وَالرُضابِ

إِذا بَدَت سافِرَةَ النِقابِ

إِذا بَدَت سافِرَةَ النِقابِ

Fragrant in breath and the moisture of her lips.

Fragrant breath and pounding.

When she appears with her face unveiled,

When unveiled, traveling cloaks unwind.

تَقَطَّعَت حَبائِلُ الأَلبابِ

تَقَطَّعَت حَبائِلُ الأَلبابِ

في رَوضَةٍ كَأُلفَةِ الأَحبابِ

في رَوضَةٍ كَأُلفَةِ الأَحبابِ

The cords of reason snap apart.

The minds' ropes are cut,

In a garden like the intimacy of loved ones,

In a garden, intimate as loved ones,

أَو كَمُؤاخاةِ ذَوي الآدابِ

أَو كَمُؤاخاةِ ذَوي الآدابِ

قِبابِها أَحسَنُ مِن قِبابي

قِبابِها أَحسَنُ مِن قِبابي

Or like the brotherhood of the cultured,

Or brotherhood of the cultured.

Its domes are lovelier than my own,

Its ceilings finer than my ceilings,

كَأَنَّهُنَّ قِطَعُ السَحابِ

كَأَنَّهُنَّ قِطَعُ السَحابِ

وَزَهرُها كَحُلَلِ العَتّابي

وَزَهرُها كَحُلَلِ العَتّابي

As though they were pieces of cloud.

As if they are cut from clouds.

And its flowers are like robes of ʿAttābī cloth.

Its flowers like robes of maidens,

تَسُحُّ فيها مُقلَةُ الرَبابِ

تَسُحُّ فيها مُقلَةُ الرَبابِ

طَلا يُشِبُّ جَمرَةَ الإِطرابِ

طَلا يُشِبُّ جَمرَةَ الإِطرابِ

The eye of the clouds pours down within it

Where the plectrum moves gently.

Fine rain that kindles the ember of rapture.

A tall one that does not spark restlessness,

وَالماءُ في الرَوضِ مِنَ الدولابِ

وَالماءُ في الرَوضِ مِنَ الدولابِ

فَلِمَ نَزَلَ نَشرَبُ بِالأَكوابِ

فَلِمَ نَزَلَ نَشرَبُ بِالأَكوابِ

And the garden's water comes from the waterwheel.

The water in the garden flows from a bucket.

So we kept drinking from cups,

Why then have we descended to drink from cups

وَالغَيمُ رَطبٌ أَدكَنُ الجَلبابِ

وَالغَيمُ رَطبٌ أَدكَنُ الجَلبابِ

حَتّى بَلَغتُ في الرُبى طِلابي

حَتّى بَلَغتُ في الرُبى طِلابي

While the clouds were moist and dark-cloaked,

While the clouds are damp, darkest of gowns?

Until I attained what I sought among the hills.

Until in camping I attained my wants,

فَلا عَدِمتُ خُلَّةَ التَصابي

فَلا عَدِمتُ خُلَّةَ التَصابي

So may I never lack the companionship of youthful dalliance.

I did not lack the seclusion of accord.