يا شَريفَ الأَغراسِ وَالأَغراقِ

يا شَريفَ الأَغراسِ وَالأَغراقِ

وَظَريفَ الأَفعالِ وَالأَخلاقِ

وَظَريفَ الأَفعالِ وَالأَخلاقِ

O you noble in your plantings and immersions,

O noblest of branches and roots

and graceful in deeds and character,

And most refined in deeds and morals

رُبَّ يَومٍ لا أَشتَهي فيهِ إِلّا

رُبَّ يَومٍ لا أَشتَهي فيهِ إِلّا

ما يَبيعُ الغَرامُ في الأَسواقِ

ما يَبيعُ الغَرامُ في الأَسواقِ

many a day I crave nothing but

Many a day I desire nothing but

what passion sells in the markets.

What love sells in the markets

وَلَنا أَرؤُسٌ نِطافٌ ظِرافٌ

وَلَنا أَرؤُسٌ نِطافٌ ظِرافٌ

كُلُّ رَأسٍ مِنها لَذيذُ المَذاقِ

كُلُّ رَأسٍ مِنها لَذيذُ المَذاقِ

And we have heads, clean and dainty,

We have heads, soft and gentle

each one delicious to the taste.

Each head deliciously sweet to taste

كُلَّما زَفَّها الغُلامُ جَلاها

كُلَّما زَفَّها الغُلامُ جَلاها

في ثِيابٍ مِنَ الرُقاقِ رِقاقِ

في ثِيابٍ مِنَ الرُقاقِ رِقاقِ

Whenever the servant parades them, he unveils them

Whenever the youth presents them

in thin garments of delicate flatbread.

In clothes of sheer silk

وَبِقَولٌ لِلقَطرِ طَرزٌ عَلى ما

وَبِقَولٌ لِلقَطرِ طَرزٌ عَلى ما

لَبِسَتهُ مِن سُندُسِ الأَوراقِ

لَبِسَتهُ مِن سُندُسِ الأَوراقِ

And greens, with rain's embroidery upon what

With words for the rain, embroidered on

they wear of the fine silk of leaves.

The finery it wears of leafy silk

ثُمَّ يَأتيكَ في السَكارِجِ خَلٌّ

ثُمَّ يَأتيكَ في السَكارِجِ خَلٌّ

حُبُّهُ ما حَييتَ في القَلبِ باقِ

حُبُّهُ ما حَييتَ في القَلبِ باقِ

Then vinegar comes to you in little dishes,

Then dates come to you in baskets

love for it abiding in the heart as long as you live.

Whose love in my heart forever lasts

وَجُبُنٌّ كَالإِحتِمالِ وَمِلحٌ

وَجُبُنٌّ كَالإِحتِمالِ وَمِلحٌ

كَبَياضِ الحَنُوِّ وَالإِشفاقِ

كَبَياضِ الحَنُوِّ وَالإِشفاقِ

And cheese like forbearance, and salt

And cheese like endurance, and salt

like the whiteness of tenderness and compassion.

White like affection and kindness

وَجَميعُ الَّذي فَرَغنا بِلَيلٍ

وَجَميعُ الَّذي فَرَغنا بِلَيلٍ

مِنهُ مِن صَعتَرٍ وَمِن سُمّاقِ

مِنهُ مِن صَعتَرٍ وَمِن سُمّاقِ

And all that we finished preparing at night,

And all we emptied at night

including thyme and sumac.

Of Sa'tir and Summaq

وَلَنا قَهوَةٌ أَرَقَّ وَأَصفى

وَلَنا قَهوَةٌ أَرَقَّ وَأَصفى

مِن دُموعِ المُحِبِّ يَومَ الفِراقِ

مِن دُموعِ المُحِبِّ يَومَ الفِراقِ

And we have wine more delicate and clearer

And coffee, more subtle and pure

than a lover's tears on the day of parting:

Than tears of a lover on days of parting

بِنتَ كَرمٍ تَختالُ بَينَ النَدامى

بِنتَ كَرمٍ تَختالُ بَينَ النَدامى

في ثِيابٍ فِضِّيَةِ الأَطواقِ

في ثِيابٍ فِضِّيَةِ الأَطواقِ

a daughter of the vine, strutting among drinking companions

Daughter of generosity who struts among friends

in garments with silver collars.

In clothes with silver belts

وَلَنا مِن هَدِيَّةِ الرَوضِ وَردٌ

وَلَنا مِن هَدِيَّةِ الرَوضِ وَردٌ

صَبغَهُ في نِهايَةِ الإِشراقِ

صَبغَهُ في نِهايَةِ الإِشراقِ

And among the garden's gifts we have roses,

And we have from the garden's gift, a rose

their hue at the utmost height of radiance.

Dyed at the break of dawn

وَلَنا نَرجِسٌ أَحييكَ مِنهُ

وَلَنا نَرجِسٌ أَحييكَ مِنهُ

بِوُجوهٍ مَفتوحَةِ الأَحداقِ

بِوُجوهٍ مَفتوحَةِ الأَحداقِ

And we have narcissus, with which I greet you,

And a narcissus that revives you

with faces whose eyes are open.

With wide open eyes

وَلَنا بَعدَ ذاكَ مِن آلِ كِسرى

وَلَنا بَعدَ ذاكَ مِن آلِ كِسرى

مُسمِعٌ حاذِقٌ مِنَ الحُذّاقِ

مُسمِعٌ حاذِقٌ مِنَ الحُذّاقِ

And after that we have, from the house of Kisra,

And after that we have from Kisra's clan

a skilled musician, one of the masters.

A keen, accomplished listener

فَبِنُعماكَ داوِني بِمَجيءٍ

فَبِنُعماكَ داوِني بِمَجيءٍ

مِنكَ تَشفى بِهِ طَويلَ اِشتِياقي

مِنكَ تَشفى بِهِ طَويلَ اِشتِياقي

So, by your kindness, cure me with a visit

So in your bounty heal me with a visit

from you, with which you will heal my long yearning.

From you, to cure my longing

لا تَدَعَني فَإِنَّني عازِمٌ أَن

لا تَدَعَني فَإِنَّني عازِمٌ أَن

أُشمِتَ الإِصطِباحِ بِالإِغتِباقِ

أُشمِتَ الإِصطِباحِ بِالإِغتِباقِ

Do not leave me, for I am determined to

Do not leave me be, for I am determined

make morning drinking gloat over evening drinking.

To greet the morning with a kiss