ماhow أحلىsweet لياليnights الهناbliss
ما أحلى ليالي الهنا
ماin the space بينbetween الأقمارْthe moons
ما بين الأقمارْ
How sweet are the nights of bliss,
How lovely are our nights of intimacy
Among the moons!
Between the moons
والكاسْand the cup يدورgoes round بينناamong us
والكاسْ يدور بيننا
ياO جمعَgathering الأخيارْthe virtuous
يا جمعَ الأخيارْ
And the cup goes round among us,
And the cup circulating among us
O gathering of the virtuous!
O gathering of the virtuous
نشربْwe drink لذيذْdelicious خمرناour wine
نشربْ لذيذْ خمرنا
نعاينwe behold الأسرارthe mysteries
نعاين الأسرار
We drink our delicious wine,
We drink our sweet wine
We behold the mysteries,
And observe the secrets
منfrom خمرهwine صافيهclear
من خمره صافيه
بيضاءwhite نقيهpure
بيضاء نقيه
From a clear wine,
From its pure, white wine
White and pure.
Circulating among us
بهاwith it يدورَgoes round بينناamong us
بها يدورَ بيننا
ساقيcupbearer الحميهardor
ساقي الحميه
With it goes round among us
Is the cupbearer of fervor
The cupbearer of ardor.
Arise, my boon companion, let us seize
قمrise ياO نديمboon companion نغتنمlet us seize
قم يا نديم نغتنم
ساعةan hour هنيهpleasant
ساعة هنيه
Rise, O boon companion; let us seize
An hour of bliss
A pleasant hour.
The breeze blew, and the sublime gathering
هبَblew النسيمْthe breeze طابتْgrew sweet
هبَ النسيمْ طابتْ
الحضرةthe presence العليهexalted
الحضرة العليه
The breeze blew; sweet grew
Became fragrant
The exalted presence.
From it drank before us
منهاfrom it شربْdrank قبلنَاbefore us
منها شربْ قبلنَا
آدمْAdam وموسىand Musa
آدمْ وموسى
From it drank, before us,
Adam, Moses
Adam and Musa,
And Idris when he ascended
وادريسُand Idris لماwhen رقيhe ascended
وادريسُ لما رقي
ويحيىand Yahya وعيسىand Isa
ويحيى وعيسى
And Idris when he ascended,
And John and Jesus
And Yahya and Isa.
And the righteous devouts
والصالحينand the righteous التُقىthe pious
والصالحين التُقى
شربواthey drank كوسيmy cups
شربوا كوسي
And the righteous, the pious,
Drank from the goblet
Drank from my cups,
And their hearts were pure
وقلوبهمand their hearts صافيهclear
وقلوبهم صافيه
بيضهwhite نقيهpure
بيضه نقيه
And their hearts are clear,
White and immaculate
White and pure.
And He granted them in the Gardens
وَهَبْhe granted لهمto them فيin الجنانْthe gardens
وَهَبْ لهم في الجنانْ
درجهa rank عليهexalted
درجه عليه
He granted them in the gardens
A lofty abode
An exalted rank.
Arise, my boon companion, let us seize
قمْrise ياO نديمْboon companion نغتمlet us seize (likely intended)
قمْ يا نديمْ نغتم
ساعهan hour هنيهpleasant
ساعه هنيه
Rise, O boon companion; let us seize
An hour of bliss
A pleasant hour.
The breeze blew, and the sublime gathering
هبَblew النسيمْthe breeze طابتgrew sweet
هبَ النسيمْ طابت
الحضرهthe presence العليهexalted
الحضره العليه
The breeze blew; sweet grew
Became fragrant
The exalted presence.
The people of purity with purity
أهلُpeople الصفاpurity بالصفاthrough purity
أهلُ الصفا بالصفا
نالواthey attained المعاليthe heights
نالوا المعالي
The people of purity, through purity,
Attained the heights
Attained the heights.
They drank the cups of the Beloved
شربواthey drank كؤوسَcups الحبيبْthe Beloved
شربوا كؤوسَ الحبيبْ
والحبُand love غاليprecious
والحبُ غالي
They drank from the Beloved's cups,
And love is precious
And love is precious.
And they entrusted their affairs
وفوضواand they entrusted أمرهَمtheir affairs
وفوضوا أمرهَم
لذوto the Possessor of الجلالِmajesty
لذو الجلالِ
And they entrusted their affairs
To the Lord of Majesty
To the Possessor of Majesty.
Wretched is he who blames me
مسكينpoor منwhoever لامنيreproached me
مسكين من لامني
علىfor السنيهthe sublime
على السنيه
Poor is he who reproached me
For my devotion
For what is sublime.
And does not intend his deeds
ولاand not يكونْis العملْthe deed
ولا يكونْ العملْ
إلاexcept بنيهwith intention
إلا بنيه
And there is no deed
With true intention
Except with intention.
Arise, my boon companion, let us seize
قمrise ياO نديمboon companion نغتنمْlet us seize
قم يا نديم نغتنمْ
ساعةan hour هنيهpleasant
ساعة هنيه
Rise, O boon companion; let us seize
An hour of bliss
A pleasant hour.
The breeze blew, and the sublime gathering
هبَblew النسيمْthe breeze طابتgrew sweet
هبَ النسيمْ طابت
الحضرهthe presence العليهexalted
الحضره العليه
The breeze blew; sweet grew
Became fragrant
The exalted presence.
Our joy at the Prophet
ياO فرحناour joy بالنبيin the Prophet
يا فرحنا بالنبي
جاناhe came to us بالكرامهwith honor
جانا بالكرامه
O our joy in the Prophet!
Who came to us generously
He came to us with honor.
On the Day of Judgment
يومْthe day الحسابْreckoning
يومْ الحسابْ
أمتهhis community تبقىwill remain علامهa sign
أمته تبقى علامه
On the Day of Reckoning,
His nation will remain a sign
His community will remain a sign.
And drinking from his basin
والشربُand drinking منfrom حوضهhis pool
والشربُ من حوضه
يُبرىcures السقامهsickness
يُبرى السقامه
And drinking from his pool
Will cure all maladies
Cures sickness.
And the disbelievers, oh what a pity
والكافرينand the unbelievers ياO سلامْpeace
والكافرين يا سلامْ
فيin نارْa fire حميهblazing
في نارْ حميه
And the unbelievers—O peace!—
In a blazing fire
Are in a blazing fire,
Dwelling amidst hellfire
وسطِin the midst of الجحيمHell ساكنينdwelling
وسطِ الجحيم ساكنين
معwith كلِevery حيهserpent
مع كلِ حيه
Dwelling in the midst of Hell,
With every serpent
With every serpent.
Arise, my boon companion, let us seize
قمْrise ياO نديمْboon companion نغتنمْlet us seize
قمْ يا نديمْ نغتنمْ
ساعهan hour هنيهpleasant
ساعه هنيه
Rise, O boon companion; let us seize
An hour of bliss
A pleasant hour.
The breeze blew, and the sublime gathering
هبَblew النسيمْthe breeze طابتgrew sweet
هبَ النسيمْ طابت
الحضرهthe presence العليهexalted
الحضره العليه
The breeze blew; sweet grew
Became fragrant
The exalted presence.
Partial English translation: 55 of 56 Arabic lines translated.