خليليّ قد ولَّى الظلامُ وهَمْلَجا

خليليّ قد ولَّى الظلامُ وهَمْلَجا

وقد كاد وجهُ الصُّبح أن يتبلّجا

وقد كاد وجهُ الصُّبح أن يتبلّجا

My two friends, darkness has turned its back and ambled away,

My beloved, the darkness has passed and the dawn has begun to shine

and the face of dawn is about to brighten.

Rise to your cupbearer and call out to him

فقوما إلى ساقِيكما فاهتِفا به

فقوما إلى ساقِيكما فاهتِفا به

ولا تَفْتحا باباً من الهمِّ مُرْتَجا

ولا تَفْتحا باباً من الهمِّ مُرْتَجا

So rise, go to your cupbearer, and call out to him,

Do not open any doors to worries that would disturb you

and do not open a barred door of sorrow.

And make for yourselves an Arabian coffee

ودونكماها قهوةً بابليّةً

ودونكماها قهوةً بابليّةً

إذا ما فصيح عبّ فيها تلجلجا

إذا ما فصيح عبّ فيها تلجلجا

And here it is for you both—a Babylonian wine:

That would gurgle if pure coffee beans were put in it

when an eloquent man drinks deeply of it, he stammers.

Next to a fresh narcissus that a lily observes

على نرجس غَض يُلاحظ سَوْسناً

على نرجس غَض يُلاحظ سَوْسناً

آسٍ ربِيعيّ يُناجي بَنَفْسَجا

آسٍ ربِيعيّ يُناجي بَنَفْسَجا

Beside fresh narcissus exchanging glances with irises,

And an apple tree that whispers to a violet

springtime myrtle whispering to violets,

And a girl splashing water in the middle of a pond

وقاذفةٍ بالماء في وَسْط بِركةٍ

وقاذفةٍ بالماء في وَسْط بِركةٍ

قد التحفتْ وَحفاً من الشعْر سَجْسَجا

قد التحفتْ وَحفاً من الشعْر سَجْسَجا

and a fountain spouting water in the middle of a pool,

That was adorned with a necklace of dangling hair

wrapped in a thick, smoothly flowing mantle of hair.

When she splashes the water, it flows down in strands

إذا قذَفت بالماء سلّته مُنْصُلاً

إذا قذَفت بالماء سلّته مُنْصُلاً

وعاد عليها ذلك النَّصْل هَوْدَجا

وعاد عليها ذلك النَّصْل هَوْدَجا

Whenever she casts out water, she unsheathes it as a blade,

And those strands flow back down over her

and that blade becomes a howdah over her.

It's as if the eyes of lovers mock her

كأنّ عيون العاشقين تُعِيرُها

كأنّ عيون العاشقين تُعِيرُها

من الدّمع سَجْلاً صافياً لا مُضَرَّجا

من الدّمع سَجْلاً صافياً لا مُضَرَّجا

As though lovers' eyes were lending her

With a pure, untarnished tear

a clear bucketful of tears, not stained with blood.

She imagines the water flowing from her eyes

تخالُ بروزَ الماء من جَفْن عيْنها

تخالُ بروزَ الماء من جَفْن عيْنها

قضيبَ لُجيْن سُلَّ منه مُدَمْلَجا

قضيبَ لُجيْن سُلَّ منه مُدَمْلَجا

You would take the water emerging from her eyelid for

To be a smooth spear that was completely wet

a smoothly rounded silver rod drawn out from it.

She tries to reach the stars with her splashing

تُحاول إدارك النّجوم بقَذْفه

تُحاول إدارك النّجوم بقَذْفه

كأنّ قلباً على الأفْق مُحْرَجا

كأنّ قلباً على الأفْق مُحْرَجا

She tries, by casting it, to reach the stars,

As if a heart were blushing on the horizon

as though a troubled heart were upon the horizon.

Next to a garden where the clouds have wandered

لدى روضةٍ جاد السَّحابُ ربوعَها

لدى روضةٍ جاد السَّحابُ ربوعَها

وزَخْرفَها دون الرياض ودبَّجا

وزَخْرفَها دون الرياض ودبَّجا

Beside a garden whose grounds the clouds have generously watered,

And adorned it beyond the meadows and embroidered it

adorning it above other gardens and embroidering it.

It's as if the branches of the trees are emeralds

كأنّ غصون الأقْحوان زُمُرُّدٌ

كأنّ غصون الأقْحوان زُمُرُّدٌ

تَعمَّم بالكافور ثم تَتَوَّجا

تَعمَّم بالكافور ثم تَتَوَّجا

As though the stems of chrysanthemums were emerald

Crowned with camphor and then adorned

that turbaned itself with camphor, then crowned itself.

And orange blossoms, as if their breeze

ونُوَّار نَسْرينٍ كأنّ نسيمَه

ونُوَّار نَسْرينٍ كأنّ نسيمَه

من المسك في أُفق السماء تأرّجا

من المسك في أُفق السماء تأرّجا

And eglantine blossoms, as though their breeze

Had been perfumed with musk on the horizon of the sky

wafted musk's fragrance through the expanse of heaven.

So my cupbearers, hurry and serve me

فيا ساقِيَيَّ استعجلا لِي وصَرِّفا

فيا ساقِيَيَّ استعجلا لِي وصَرِّفا

عُقَارَكما إن شِئْتماه أو امْزُجا

عُقَارَكما إن شِئْتماه أو امْزُجا

So, my two cupbearers, hurry for me, and serve unmixed

Mix your drinks if you wish or pour me some

your wine, if you wish it so—or blend it.

And do not carry the worries of time, for

ولا تَحمِلا هَمَّ الزمان فإنّه

ولا تَحمِلا هَمَّ الزمان فإنّه

إذا اشتد ضِيقُ الحادثاتِ تَفرَّجا

إذا اشتد ضِيقُ الحادثاتِ تَفرَّجا

And do not shoulder time's cares, for it

When troubles intensify, there is relief

opens into relief when misfortune's straits grow tight.

Summon my regret, my cup, my flower

دعاني ونَدْماني وكأسي ومِزْهري

دعاني ونَدْماني وكأسي ومِزْهري

فحسبيّ بالمعشوق رَبْعاً ومَنْهجا

فحسبيّ بالمعشوق رَبْعاً ومَنْهجا

Leave me with my drinking companions, my cup, and my lute,

For my beloved quarter is enough and too much for me

for al-Maʿshūq suffices me as dwelling and way.

It's as if his ground, whenever the dew greets it

كأنّ ثَراه كلّما صافَح النَّدى

كأنّ ثَراه كلّما صافَح النَّدى

وهزّ نسيمُ الرِّيح ألويةَ الدُّجى

وهزّ نسيمُ الرِّيح ألويةَ الدُّجى

As though its soil, whenever it shakes hands with dew

And the breeze stirs the banners of darkness

and the wind's breeze stirs the banners of darkness,

Were remnants of thunder in the breasts of lilies

بقايا الغوالي في نحور نواهِدٍ

بقايا الغوالي في نحور نواهِدٍ

يُنازِلن باللَّحظ الكميّ المدجّجا

يُنازِلن باللَّحظ الكميّ المدجّجا

were remnants of rich perfumes on the throats of full-breasted maidens

Assailing suddenly with gathered clouds

who challenge the fully armored champion with a glance.

I will claim my right if God judges in my favor

سأطلب حقّي إن قضى اللهُ لي به

سأطلب حقّي إن قضى اللهُ لي به

وأفتح منه كلَّ ما كان مُرْتَجا

وأفتح منه كلَّ ما كان مُرْتَجا

I shall seek my right, if God decrees it for me,

And open from it all that was folded

and open whatever of it has been barred.

For if my cup is empty, I am no complainer

فلستُ إن عاقرتُ كأسي بسالكٍ

فلستُ إن عاقرتُ كأسي بسالكٍ

من الأمر فيها كلَّ ما كان أسْمَجا

من الأمر فيها كلَّ ما كان أسْمَجا

For though I drink deeply from my cup, I do not follow

Of that which in it was muddled and turbid

every most unseemly course of conduct in it.

Nor a buyer of false glory, however excellent

ولا مُشْتَرٍ بالمجد مُسْتَحْسَن الصّبا

ولا مُشْتَرٍ بالمجد مُسْتَحْسَن الصّبا

ولا مُشْتَرٍ طُرْق المهالك بالنَّجا

ولا مُشْتَرٍ طُرْق المهالك بالنَّجا

Nor do I buy youth's delights at the price of glory,

Nor a buyer of the paths to ruin in exchange for salvation

nor buy the paths of ruin at the price of safety.

But I fulfill my soul its rights

ولكنّني مُوْفٍ لنفسي حقوقَها

ولكنّني مُوْفٍ لنفسي حقوقَها

ورْائضُها فيما استوى وتعوَّجا

ورْائضُها فيما استوى وتعوَّجا

But I give my soul its full due,

And that which leaned and crooked in it

and school it in what is straight and what is crooked.