سقاني مريرَ الكأس حلوُ المباسمِ

سقاني مريرَ الكأس حلوُ المباسمِ

وغادَرَني محلولَ عَقد العزائم

وغادَرَني محلولَ عَقد العزائم

He of the sweet lips made me drink the bitter cup,

The sweet-smiling one made me drink the bitter cup.

He gave me the bitter cup with a sweet smile,

and left me with the knot of resolve undone.

And left me with the knot of resolve undone.

And left me perplexed, my resolutions dissolved.

وحارَبني بالصَّدِّ والصّدُّ قاتلي

وحارَبني بالصَّدِّ والصّدُّ قاتلي

فيا ليته لا كانَ إلاَّ مسالمي

فيا ليته لا كانَ إلاَّ مسالمي

He warred against me with rejection—and rejection is my slayer.

And fought me with rejection, and rejection is my killer.

He fought me with rejection - and rejection kills me!

Oh, would that he were nothing but at peace with me.

So, would that he were only at peace with me!

Oh, if only he had been peaceful with me.

ومنذُ أطعتُ الحبّ فيه صبابة

ومنذُ أطعتُ الحبّ فيه صبابة

عَصَيْتُ عذولي في هواه ولائمي

عَصَيْتُ عذولي في هواه ولائمي

Ever since I obeyed love for him, out of ardent longing,

And since, out of longing, I obeyed love for him,

Since I obeyed love through him while still a youth,

I have defied my censor and my blamer in loving him.

I disobeyed my reproacher and my censurer in loving him.

I disobeyed my own wisdom for his love and reproaches.

وقد عَلِمَ الواشونَ إذ ذاك أنَّني

وقد عَلِمَ الواشونَ إذ ذاك أنَّني

بلاني وأَبلاني الغرام بجاسم

بلاني وأَبلاني الغرام بجاسم

And then the tale-bearers knew that

And indeed the talebearers knew then that I

And the spies knew, back then, that I

passionate love had afflicted me and worn me down with something grievous.

Was afflicted and worn out by passion for Jasim.

Was tested and tested by passionate love for Jasim.

نَعِمْتُ به أيَّام وصلٍ تَصَرَّمَتْ

نَعِمْتُ به أيَّام وصلٍ تَصَرَّمَتْ

ونحنُ لدى خفضٍ من العيش ناعم

ونحنُ لدى خفضٍ من العيش ناعم

I delighted in him through days of union now gone,

I delighted in him through days of union that have passed,

I enjoyed days of union that have now crumbled away,

while we lived amid life’s gentle ease.

While we were amid the comfort of a pleasant life.

While we remain in a gentle life of lowered standards.

يُديرُ عليَّ الكأسَ يمزج صرفها

يُديرُ عليَّ الكأسَ يمزج صرفها

نديمي على كأس الطّلا ومنادمي

نديمي على كأس الطّلا ومنادمي

He would pass me the cup, mixing its pure wine—

He passes me the cup, mixing its undiluted wine—

My drinking companion pours the wine for me and mixes its pureness -

my intimate over the wine cup, my drinking companion,

My companion over the wine-cup and my fellow drinker.

On a cup of drinking and friendship.

ألذّ من الماء النَّمير لشاربٍ

ألذّ من الماء النَّمير لشاربٍ

وأَلطَفُ خلقاً من هبوب النَّسائم

وأَلطَفُ خلقاً من هبوب النَّسائم

sweeter to the drinker than fresh, sweet water,

More delightful to a drinker than pure water,

Sweeter than fresh water for the drinker,

and gentler in nature than the wafting breezes.

And gentler in nature than the blowing of breezes.

And gentler in creation than the blowing of breezes.

لقد مرَّ ما أحلاه عيشٌ بقربه

لقد مرَّ ما أحلاه عيشٌ بقربه

فهل كانَ ذاك العيش أحلام نائم

فهل كانَ ذاك العيش أحلام نائم

That life beside him has passed—how sweet it was!

Indeed, life beside him has passed—how sweet it was!

What his company made sweet in life has passed -

Could that life have been a sleeper’s dreams?

Was that life, then, the dreams of a sleeper?

Was that life just the dreams of one sleeping?

ذكرتُ قضيب البان وهو قوامه

ذكرتُ قضيب البان وهو قوامه

فنُحتُ عليه فوقَ نَوْح الحمائم

فنُحتُ عليه فوقَ نَوْح الحمائم

I remembered the supple bough of the bān tree—such was his figure—

I recalled the bān-tree branch: such was his figure.

I remembered the switch of a myrtle whose stature it matched -

and lamented for him beyond the lamenting of doves.

So I lamented him beyond the lamentation of doves.

So I carved on it, over the moan of doves.

وما كنتُ لولا طاعة الحبّ في الهوى

وما كنتُ لولا طاعة الحبّ في الهوى

ألائم في العشَّاق غير ملائم

ألائم في العشَّاق غير ملائم

Were it not that I obey love in passion, I would never

And, were it not for obedience to love in passion, I would not

And I would not, were it not for obedience to love's passion,

among lovers seek accord with one who will not accord.

Consort, among lovers, with one so uncongenial.

Blame the lovers for what does not conform.