أَخِي نَطَقَ القُمْرِيُّ بعد سُكُوتِ

أَخِي نَطَقَ القُمْرِيُّ بعد سُكُوتِ

وهَبَّتْ صَبَا الأَسْحَارِ بعدَ خُفُوتِ

وهَبَّتْ صَبَا الأَسْحَارِ بعدَ خُفُوتِ

My brother, the turtledove has spoken after silence,

My brother, the moon speaks after silence

and the predawn east breeze has stirred after stillness.

And the dawn breeze blows after stillness

فَبَادِرْ بِهَا ضَوْءَ الصَّبَاحِ فإنَّهَا

فَبَادِرْ بِهَا ضَوْءَ الصَّبَاحِ فإنَّهَا

شَرَابِي الذي أَحْيَا عَليهِ وقُوتِي

شَرَابِي الذي أَحْيَا عَليهِ وقُوتِي

So hasten with it before morning's light, for it is

So precede the morning light, for it is

the drink I live on, and my sustenance.

My drink that revives me and nourishes me

فِإنَّكَ لو وَلَّيتَني الحُكْمَ لَمْ يكُنْ

فِإنَّكَ لو وَلَّيتَني الحُكْمَ لَمْ يكُنْ

مقِيلي إلاّ عندَهَا ومَبِيتي

مقِيلي إلاّ عندَهَا ومَبِيتي

For if you entrusted rule to me, there would be

For if you left me to rule, my resting place

no place for my noon rest or night's lodging except beside it.

Would only be next to it, and my lodging place

كُمَيْتاً إذَا اسْتوصفتنيها وجَدتَها

كُمَيْتاً إذَا اسْتوصفتنيها وجَدتَها

تَرْفَّعُ عَنْ وَصْفِي لَهَا ونُعُوتِي

تَرْفَّعُ عَنْ وَصْفِي لَهَا ونُعُوتِي

A dark-red wine—if you asked me to describe it, you would find it

Seeming dead when you describe it to me, you find it

rising beyond my description of it and my epithets.

Rising above my descriptions of it and attributes

كأَنَّكَ تَسْتذكِي بِهَا نَشْرَ عَنْبَرٍ

كأَنَّكَ تَسْتذكِي بِهَا نَشْرَ عَنْبَرٍ

شَدِيخٍ ومِسْكٍ في الكؤُوسِ فَتِيتِ

شَدِيخٍ ومِسْكٍ في الكؤُوسِ فَتِيتِ

As though with it you kindled the fragrance of ambergris,

As if you invoke by it the diffusion of aged ambergris

crushed, and of musk crumbled within the cups,

And musk in cups of a delicate constitution

عَلَى وَجْهِ مَمْشُوقِ القَوَامِ كأنَّهُ

عَلَى وَجْهِ مَمْشُوقِ القَوَامِ كأنَّهُ

إذَا ما ثنتْهُ الرِّيحُ طَاقَةُ تُوتِ

إذَا ما ثنتْهُ الرِّيحُ طَاقَةُ تُوتِ

before the face of one of slender stature, as though he were,

On the face of a slender statured one, as if when

when the wind bends him, a mulberry bough.

The wind sways him, he is a bending branch of mulberry

وَصِيفٍ ولكِنَّ الجَمَالَ أَحَلَّهُ

وَصِيفٍ ولكِنَّ الجَمَالَ أَحَلَّهُ

مِن العِزِّ فِيما شَاءَ والجَبَرُوتِ

مِن العِزِّ فِيما شَاءَ والجَبَرُوتِ

A serving boy; yet beauty has placed him

Of summer, but beauty most suits him

wherever it wished amid honor and sovereign might.

Of glory in whatever he desires and omnipotence

وأفْرغه في قَالِبِ الحُسْنِ ربُّهُ

وأفْرغه في قَالِبِ الحُسْنِ ربُّهُ

فَجَاءَ بِهِ أُعجُوبةَ الملكُوتِ

فَجَاءَ بِهِ أُعجُوبةَ الملكُوتِ

And his Lord cast him in beauty's mold,

And his Lord poured it into the mould of beauty

and brought him forth, a marvel of the divine realm.

So it came out a wonder of kingship

أ قيِّمَةَ الديْرِ اصْنَعِي عندنَا يداً

أ قيِّمَةَ الديْرِ اصْنَعِي عندنَا يداً

وقُومِي فَسقِّينَا المُدَامَ سُقِيتِ

وقُومِي فَسقِّينَا المُدَامَ سُقِيتِ

O keeper of the monastery, do us a kindness,

O nunnery superior, make a hand for us

and rise and pour us wine—may you be given drink!

And stand, serve us our drinks you have served

وحُكْمكِ فِيها فاطْلِبي وتَحرَّكِي

وحُكْمكِ فِيها فاطْلِبي وتَحرَّكِي

بِسَوْمِيَ تُعْطَيْ ما أردْتِ وشِيتِ

بِسَوْمِيَ تُعْطَيْ ما أردْتِ وشِيتِ

And its terms are yours to set: ask, and proceed

And your rule in it, seek and stir

to bargain with me; you shall have what you desire and wish.

With my authority you are given what you wished and wanted

فَأَهْوَنُ شَيءٍ يا لَكِ الخَيرُ عِندنَا

فَأَهْوَنُ شَيءٍ يا لَكِ الخَيرُ عِندنَا

إذَا غَضِبَتْ عُذَّالُنَا ورَضِيتِ

إذَا غَضِبَتْ عُذَّالُنَا ورَضِيتِ

For it matters little to us—may good be yours!—

The smallest thing, O yours are goodness with us

if our reprovers grow angry while you are pleased.

If our sulkers get angry and become content

ويا ربةَ العودِ ابسطِي من نُفُوسِنَا

ويا ربةَ العودِ ابسطِي من نُفُوسِنَا

عَلَيهِ بِشَيءٍ مِنْ غِنَاكِ غُنِيتِ

عَلَيهِ بِشَيءٍ مِنْ غِنَاكِ غُنِيتِ

And O mistress of the lute, gladden our souls

And O mistress of the lute, extend from our souls

with some of your singing to its accompaniment—may you prosper!

Upon it some of your wealth you were enriched

قَصَرتُ عَلَى شُربِي المدَامِ عَزِيمَتي

قَصَرتُ عَلَى شُربِي المدَامِ عَزِيمَتي

وإِنْ طَارَ في الآفَاقِ طَائِرُ صيتِي

وإِنْ طَارَ في الآفَاقِ طَائِرُ صيتِي

I have confined my resolve to drinking wine,

My resolve was lacking in drinking wine

even if the bird of my fame flies across the horizons.

Though the bird of my reputation flew through the horizons

أَعَاذِلَتي في شُربِيَ الرَّاحَ رَفِّهِي

أَعَاذِلَتي في شُربِيَ الرَّاحَ رَفِّهِي

عَلَيكِ فَقَدْ عَنَّيْتِني وعَنِيتِ

عَلَيكِ فَقَدْ عَنَّيْتِني وعَنِيتِ

O my reprover for drinking wine, go easy

My flirts in my drinking of wine, calm them

on yourself: you have wearied me and grown weary.

Upon you, for you have distracted me and busied me

ذَرِينِي فَما تَرْكِي المُدَامَ بِمُخْلِدِي

ذَرِينِي فَما تَرْكِي المُدَامَ بِمُخْلِدِي

فَواقاً ولا شرْبي لَهَا بممِيتِي

فَواقاً ولا شرْبي لَهَا بممِيتِي

Leave me be: giving up wine will not prolong my life

Leave me be, do not prevent me from drinking wine forever

by even a moment, nor will drinking it kill me.

Lest I become an abstainer, nor is my drinking of it lethal

سَأَشربُهَا حَيّاً وإنْ مِتُّ فانضَحِي

سَأَشربُهَا حَيّاً وإنْ مِتُّ فانضَحِي

ثَرَايَ بِها تَرْوي صَدَاي رُوِيتِ

ثَرَايَ بِها تَرْوي صَدَاي رُوِيتِ

I shall drink it while alive; and if I die, sprinkle

I will drink it alive and if I die, sprinkle

my grave-dust with it to quench my thirst—may yours be quenched!

My bier with it, to water my veins you have watered