وقد خالط الفجر الظلام كما التقى

وقد خالط الفجر الظلام كما التقى

على روضة خضراء ورد وادهمُ

على روضة خضراء ورد وادهمُ

And dawn had mingled with darkness, as there met

The dawn mingled with the darkness as they met

on a green meadow a bay horse and a black one.

In a green meadow, roses and myrrh intertwined

وعهدي بها والليل ساق ووصلنا

وعهدي بها والليل ساق ووصلنا

عقار وفوها الكأس أو كأسها فم

عقار وفوها الكأس أو كأسها فم

And I remember her when night was cupbearer, and our union

And I promised her, as the night marched on and we arrived

was wine, her mouth the cup—or her cup a mouth—

At a place whose cups offered wine or their mouths

إلى أن بدرنا بالنجوم وغربها

إلى أن بدرنا بالنجوم وغربها

يفض عقود الدر والشرق ينظم

يفض عقود الدر والشرق ينظم

until we hastened with the stars, while their west

Until we outshone the stars and they set

unstrung necklaces of pearls, and the east strung them.

Scattering strings of pearls while the East composed verse

ونبهت فتيان الصبوح للذة

ونبهت فتيان الصبوح للذة

فلبوا وما فيهم سوى الليل محرم

فلبوا وما فيهم سوى الليل محرم

And I roused the young men of the morning draught to pleasure;

And I roused the youths at dawn to pleasure

they answered, and only night among them abstained.

They acquiesced, though to them the night was still forbidden

وفي كل كأس للندامى بقية

وفي كل كأس للندامى بقية

تلوح كدنيا يغطيه درهم

تلوح كدنيا يغطيه درهم

And in every cup for the drinking companions was a remnant,

In every cup unfinished by the revelers

gleaming like a world covered by a dirham.

Glimpses remaining like a world eclipsed by a coin