مُطَرِّبُ الصُّبْح هَيَّجَ الطَّرَبا

مُطَرِّبُ الصُّبْح هَيَّجَ الطَّرَبا

لَمّا قَضَى الليْلُ نَحْبَهُ انْتَحَبا

لَمّا قَضَى الليْلُ نَحْبَهُ انْتَحَبا

Dawn's songster stirred rapture;

The morning's troubadour awakened delight

when night met its end, he sobbed.

When the night ended its sorrow and wept

مُغَرِّدٌ تَابَع الصِّياحَ فَما

مُغَرِّدٌ تَابَع الصِّياحَ فَما

نَدْري رِضاً كانَ ذَاكَ أَمْ غَضَبا

نَدْري رِضاً كانَ ذَاكَ أَمْ غَضَبا

A warbler kept up his crowing, and we do not

A warbler followed the cries - we know not

know whether that was contentment or anger.

If it was pleased or angered by that

ما تُنْكِرُ الطَّيْرُ أَنَّهُ مَلِكٌ

ما تُنْكِرُ الطَّيْرُ أَنَّهُ مَلِكٌ

لَها فَبِالتّاجِ رَاحَ مُعْتَصِبا

لَها فَبِالتّاجِ رَاحَ مُعْتَصِبا

The birds do not deny that he is a king

The birds do not deny that he is

over them, for he went about with a crown bound on.

Their king, so with the crown he busied himself

طَوَى الظَّلامُ البُنُودَ مُنْصَرِفاً

طَوَى الظَّلامُ البُنُودَ مُنْصَرِفاً

حِينَ رَأَى الفَجْرَ يَنْشُرُ العَذَبا

حِينَ رَأَى الفَجْرَ يَنْشُرُ العَذَبا

Darkness furled its banners as it withdrew,

Darkness folded its flags retreating

when it saw dawn unfurling its pennants.

When it saw dawn spreading its sweetness

واللَّيْلُ مِنْ فَتْكَةِ الصَّباحِ بِهِ

واللَّيْلُ مِنْ فَتْكَةِ الصَّباحِ بِهِ

كَراهِبٍ شَقَّ جَيْبَهُ طَرَبا

كَراهِبٍ شَقَّ جَيْبَهُ طَرَبا

And night, from morning's deadly assault upon it,

And the night from the morning's attack

was like a monk who tore his collar in rapture.

Was like a monk who tore his cassock in delight

فَبَاكِرِ الخَمْرَةَ التي تَرَكَتْ

فَبَاكِرِ الخَمْرَةَ التي تَرَكَتْ

بَنانَ كَفِّ المُديرِ مُخْتَضبا

بَنانَ كَفِّ المُديرِ مُخْتَضبا

So seek at dawn the wine that has left

So enjoy the wine left over

the fingertips of the cupbearer's hand stained.

That graced the palm of the tavern keeper

كأَنَّما صَبَّ في الزُّجاجَةِ مِنْ

كأَنَّما صَبَّ في الزُّجاجَةِ مِنْ

لُطْفٍ ومِنْ رِقَّةٍ نَسيمَ صَبا

لُطْفٍ ومِنْ رِقَّةٍ نَسيمَ صَبا

As though he had poured into the bottle—such was its

As if he had poured into the bottle

delicacy and fineness—the east wind's breeze.

A gentle breeze and softness from Sabah

ولَيْسَ نارُ الهُمومِ خامِدَةً

ولَيْسَ نارُ الهُمومِ خامِدَةً

إِلا بِنورِ الكُؤوسِ مُلْتَهِبا

إِلا بِنورِ الكُؤوسِ مُلْتَهِبا

And the fire of cares is not quenched

The fire of worries is not extinguished

except by the blazing light of cups.

Except by the light of the flaming goblets

يَظَلُّ زِقَّ المُدامِ مُمْتَهناً

يَظَلُّ زِقَّ المُدامِ مُمْتَهناً

سَحْباً وَذَيْلُ المُجونِ مُنْسَحِبا

سَحْباً وَذَيْلُ المُجونِ مُنْسَحِبا

He keeps handling the wineskin roughly,

The spout of the wine remains humble

dragging it, while wanton revelry's train trails behind.

Bending, while the libertine's tail withdraws

ومُقْعَدٍ لا حَرَاكَ يُنْهِضُهُ

ومُقْعَدٍ لا حَرَاكَ يُنْهِضُهُ

وهو على أَرْبَعٍ قَدِ انْتَصَبا

وهو على أَرْبَعٍ قَدِ انْتَصَبا

And a cripple whom no movement rouses,

And a seat where there is no movement to rouse

though he stands erect on four legs;

While leaning on all fours it stood

مُصَفَّرٍ مُحْرِقٍ تَنَفُّسَهُ

مُصَفَّرٍ مُحْرِقٍ تَنَفُّسَهُ

تَخَالُهُ العَيْنُ عاشِقا وَصِبا

تَخَالُهُ العَيْنُ عاشِقا وَصِبا

yellow-faced, with a scorching breath,

Yellow, scorched - its breath

the eye takes him for an ailing lover.

The eye imagines it a fervent lover

إِذا نَظَمْنا في جِيدِهِ سَبَجاً

إِذا نَظَمْنا في جِيدِهِ سَبَجاً

صَيَّرَهُ بَعْدَ ساعَةٍ ذَهَبا

صَيَّرَهُ بَعْدَ ساعَةٍ ذَهَبا

When we string jet around his neck,

When we string pearls around his neck

he turns it to gold after a while.

After an hour he turns them into gold

فَما خَبَتْ نارُنا ولا وَقَفَتْ

فَما خَبَتْ نارُنا ولا وَقَفَتْ

خُيولُ لَهْوٍ جَرَتْ بِنا خَبَبا

خُيولُ لَهْوٍ جَرَتْ بِنا خَبَبا

So our fire did not die down, nor did they halt—

Our fire has not died out or stopped

the steeds of revelry that bore us at a trot.

The steeds of frivolity raced, driving us

وسَاحِرِ الطَّرْفِ لا نِقابَ لَهُ

وسَاحِرِ الطَّرْفِ لا نِقابَ لَهُ

إِذْ كَانَ بِالْجُلَّنارِ مُنْتَقِبا

إِذْ كَانَ بِالْجُلَّنارِ مُنْتَقِبا

And one of enchanting gaze, with no veil,

The charmer's eyes have no veil

since he was veiled in pomegranate blossom.

As he peeped through the wine-colored glass

جَنَيْتُ من ثَغْرِهِ وَوَجْنَتِهِ

جَنَيْتُ من ثَغْرِهِ وَوَجْنَتِهِ

بِلَحْظِ عَيْنَيَّ زَهْرَةً عَجَبا

بِلَحْظِ عَيْنَيَّ زَهْرَةً عَجَبا

I plucked from his mouth and his cheek,

From his mouth and cheek I reaped

with my eyes' glance, a wondrous flower:

With a glance of my eyes, a wondrous flower

شَقائِقاً مُذْهباً يُرى خجلا

شَقائِقاً مُذْهباً يُرى خجلا

وأُقْحُواناً مُفَضَّضاً شَنَبا

وأُقْحُواناً مُفَضَّضاً شَنَبا

gilded anemones, showing as a blush,

Red anemones, golden, seen shy

and silvered daisies—the cool gleam of teeth.

And freckled lilies, cracked open

حتّى إِذا ما انْتَشى ونَشْوَتُهُ

حتّى إِذا ما انْتَشى ونَشْوَتُهُ

قَدْ سَهَّلَتْ مِنْهُ كُلَّ ما صَعُبا

قَدْ سَهَّلَتْ مِنْهُ كُلَّ ما صَعُبا

Until, when he grew drunk, and his intoxication

Until when his vigor and delight subsided

had made easy in him all that had been difficult,

All the difficulties were eased

غَلَبْتُ صَحْبي عليهِ مُنفرداً

غَلَبْتُ صَحْبي عليهِ مُنفرداً

بِهِ وهَلْ فازَ غَيْرُ مَنْ غَلَبا

بِهِ وهَلْ فازَ غَيْرُ مَنْ غَلَبا

I bested my companions over him, alone

I overpowered my companions, alone with him

with him—and who ever won but the one who prevailed?

And who wins but the victorious?

أَرْشُفُ رِيقاً عَذْبَ الَّلمى خَصِراً

أَرْشُفُ رِيقاً عَذْبَ الَّلمى خَصِراً

كأَنَّ فِيهِ الضَّريبَ والضَّرَبا

كأَنَّ فِيهِ الضَّريبَ والضَّرَبا

I sip sweet, cool saliva from dusky lips,

I sip the sweet saliva of his mouth, a waist

as though it held frost and white honey.

As if in it lies spoils and ruins