سَقَى اللهُ أيَّامَ الصَّبَابَةِ وَالهَوَى

سَقَى اللهُ أيَّامَ الصَّبَابَةِ وَالهَوَى

وَعًصرَ الشّبابِ الغَضِّ أكرِم بِهِ عَصرَا

وَعًصرَ الشّبابِ الغَضِّ أكرِم بِهِ عَصرَا

May God water the days of yearning and love,

God watered the days of my youth and passion

And the time of tender youth—how noble a time!—

And the prime of my green adolescence - may it be a generous time!

سَحَاباً يدِرّ المَاءَ في مَحلِ رَوضِهَا

سَحَاباً يدِرّ المَاءَ في مَحلِ رَوضِهَا

وَيُنبِتُ فِي أَغصَانِهَا الوَرَقَ الخُضرَا

وَيُنبِتُ فِي أَغصَانِهَا الوَرَقَ الخُضرَا

With a cloud pouring water upon their parched garden,

Like clouds that pour down water in the dwellings of the garden

And bringing forth green leaves on their branches;

And cause the green leaves to grow on its branches.

وَجَادَ أَصِيلاً بالقصيبَة لَم يُضَف

وَجَادَ أَصِيلاً بالقصيبَة لَم يُضَف

إِلَى حُسنِهِ عَيبٌ سِوَى أنَّهُ مَرّا

إِلَى حُسنِهِ عَيبٌ سِوَى أنَّهُ مَرّا

And lavish rain on a late afternoon at al-Qusayba; nothing was added

And it was generous with the wine that had no fault added

To its beauty as a flaw, save that it passed.

To its beauty except that it was bitter.

إِذِ الشَّمسُ تَحكِينِي وَتَحكِي مُعَذِّبي

إِذِ الشَّمسُ تَحكِينِي وَتَحكِي مُعَذِّبي

بِما احمَرَّ مِنهَا لِلغُرُوبِ وَمَا اصفَرّا

بِما احمَرَّ مِنهَا لِلغُرُوبِ وَمَا اصفَرّا

When the sun mirrored me and mirrored my tormentor,

When the sun reproached me and reproached my tormentor

In the red it took on at sunset, and in its yellow.

With what reddened of it for sunset and what yellowed.

وراحَةُ مَن أهوَى وبَارِقُ ثَغرِهِ

وراحَةُ مَن أهوَى وبَارِقُ ثَغرِهِ

وَلَحظَتُهُ الوَطفَاءُ تَمزِج لِي خَمرَا

وَلَحظَتُهُ الوَطفَاءُ تَمزِج لِي خَمرَا

And the palm of him I love, and the gleam of his teeth,

And the rest of my beloved and the lightning of his smile

And his thick-lashed glance mixed wine for me.

And his languorous glance mixed wine for me.

فَقَامَت بِهِ حَولِي سقاةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ

فَقَامَت بِهِ حَولِي سقاةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ

مُنَى كُلِّ ساقٍ أن أمِيدَ لَهُ سُكرَا

مُنَى كُلِّ ساقٍ أن أمِيدَ لَهُ سُكرَا

So many cupbearers stood around me with it,

Many cupbearers then stood around me

Each cupbearer's wish was that I sway for him in drunkenness.

The wish of every pourer being that I prolong the drunkenness.

فَلَم أدرِ مِمَّا كنت أُسقَى هَل الهَوَى

فَلَم أدرِ مِمَّا كنت أُسقَى هَل الهَوَى

شَرِبتُ أمِ الصَّهبَاءَ صِرفاً أمِ السِّحرَا

شَرِبتُ أمِ الصَّهبَاءَ صِرفاً أمِ السِّحرَا

So I could not tell what I was being served: was it love

So I did not know whether it was passion I was given to drink

I drank, or unmixed tawny wine, or enchantment?

Or whether it was the limpid or the bewitched wine.

سلامٌ عَلَى ذَاكَ الأَصِيلِ وَطِيبِهِ

سلامٌ عَلَى ذَاكَ الأَصِيلِ وَطِيبِهِ

يُرَدَّدُ مَا مَرَّ الأصِيلُ وَمَا مَرَّا

يُرَدَّدُ مَا مَرَّ الأصِيلُ وَمَا مَرَّا

Peace upon that late afternoon and its sweetness,

Greetings to that generous one and his goodness

Repeated whenever late afternoon passes—and when it does not.

However much the generous one refused and refused.