وَمُغَرِّدٍ هَزِجِ الغِناءِ مُطَرِّبٍ

وَمُغَرِّدٍ هَزِجِ الغِناءِ مُطَرِّبٍ

يُلقى بِهِ لَيلُ التَمامِ فَيَقصُرُ

يُلقى بِهِ لَيلُ التَمامِ فَيَقصُرُ

And a warbling singer whose lilting song enraptures,

With a warbler, melodious with song,

With him one meets the longest night, and it grows short.

The night of bliss is made brief.

سَفَرَ الشَبابُ لَنا بِهِ عَن غُرَّةٍ

سَفَرَ الشَبابُ لَنا بِهِ عَن غُرَّةٍ

يُرمى بِها لَيلُ السِرارِ فَيُقمِرُ

يُرمى بِها لَيلُ السِرارِ فَيُقمِرُ

Youth unveiled for us in him a radiant brow,

Our youth’s journey was shortened by it

With which the moonless night is struck and turns moonlit.

From an unripe night made into a moonlit one.

غازَلتُهُ حَيثُ المُدامَةُ وَالحَبابَةُ

غازَلتُهُ حَيثُ المُدامَةُ وَالحَبابَةُ

وَجَنةٌ تَدمى وَعَينٌ تَنظُرُ

وَجَنةٌ تَدمى وَعَينٌ تَنظُرُ

I flirted with him where the wine and its bubble

It flirted where wine glasses and flagons lay

Were a bleeding cheek and a gazing eye.

With an orchard dripping and an eye watching.

وَالمُزنُ طِرفٌ جالَ يَصهَلُ أَشهَبٌ

وَالمُزنُ طِرفٌ جالَ يَصهَلُ أَشهَبٌ

وَالبَرقُ جُلَّ قَد تَمَزَّقَ أَحمَرُ

وَالبَرقُ جُلَّ قَد تَمَزَّقَ أَحمَرُ

And the rainclouds were a gray steed, wheeling and neighing,

The Pleiades incline with a yearning glance

And lightning was a red horsecloth, torn apart.

As lightning flashed, red fragmented.

فَكَأَنَّهُ وَالسُكرُ يَلوي عِطفَهُ

فَكَأَنَّهُ وَالسُكرُ يَلوي عِطفَهُ

غُصنٌ تُعانِقُهُ الرِياحُ مُنَوِّرُ

غُصنٌ تُعانِقُهُ الرِياحُ مُنَوِّرُ

So, as drunkenness bent his side, he seemed

As if in drunkenness it bent its branch

A flowering bough embraced by the winds.

Embraced by winds made luminous.

مَلَأَ المَسامِعَ وَالعُيونُ مَحاسِناً

مَلَأَ المَسامِعَ وَالعُيونُ مَحاسِناً

فَلَم أَدرِ هَل أُصغي إِلَيهِ أَم أَنظُرُ

فَلَم أَدرِ هَل أُصغي إِلَيهِ أَم أَنظُرُ

He filled ears and eyes with beauty,

It filled sights and hearings with beauties—

So I did not know whether to listen to him or gaze.

I know not whether to listen or gaze.