لا وَجُفونٍ تَنوسُ في العُقَدِ

لا وَجُفونٍ تَنوسُ في العُقَدِ

وَحُسْنُ ثَغْرٍ يَلُوحُ كَالْبَرَدِ

وَحُسْنُ ثَغْرٍ يَلُوحُ كَالْبَرَدِ

No, by eyelids swaying amid the knots,

No eyelids grow weary in the knots,

and by the beauty of a mouth gleaming like hail,

And the beauty of lips gleam like hailstones.

لا كُنْتُ مِمَّنْ يُضيعُ أَدْمُعَهُ

لا كُنْتُ مِمَّنْ يُضيعُ أَدْمُعَهُ

بين الأَثافي والنَؤْيِ والوَتِدِ

بين الأَثافي والنَؤْيِ والوَتِدِ

may I never be among those who waste their tears

I'm not one who wastes his tears

among the hearthstones, the trench, and the tent peg.

Between tents, intonations, and tent pegs.

أَحْسَنُ مِنْ وَقْفَةٍ على طَلَلٍ

أَحْسَنُ مِنْ وَقْفَةٍ على طَلَلٍ

قَفْرٍ وزَجْرِ العَيْرانَةِ الأُجُدِ

قَفْرٍ وزَجْرِ العَيْرانَةِ الأُجُدِ

Better than a halt at a ruined campsite,

Better than standing at the ruins

desolate, and urging on the strong, sturdy she-camel,

Of a barren desert and the scolding of caravaneers

كَأْسُ مُدامٍ جَلا المُديرُ بِها

كَأْسُ مُدامٍ جَلا المُديرُ بِها

أَمَّ اللَّيالي وجَدَّةَ الأَبَدِ

أَمَّ اللَّيالي وجَدَّةَ الأَبَدِ

is a cup of aged wine, with which the cupbearer unveiled

Is a cup of wine the tavern keeper matured,

the mother of nights and the grandmother of eternity.

Mother of nights and essence of perpetuity.

نَشْرَبُها شُعْلَةً بِلا حُرَقٍ

نَشْرَبُها شُعْلَةً بِلا حُرَقٍ

ونَجْتَليها رُوحاً بِلا جَسَدِ

ونَجْتَليها رُوحاً بِلا جَسَدِ

We drink it as a flame without burning,

We drink it in a flame without being burnt

and behold it as a spirit without a body.

And enjoy it as a spirit without a body.

هَلْ أَحَدٌ نالَ مِثْلَ لَذَّتِنا

هَلْ أَحَدٌ نالَ مِثْلَ لَذَّتِنا

يا بامَخايِالَ لَيْلَةَ الأَحَدِ

يا بامَخايِالَ لَيْلَةَ الأَحَدِ

Has anyone attained pleasure like ours,

Has anyone attained pleasure like ours,

O Bamakhayal, on Sunday night?

O dreams of the night of Sunday?

سَقْيا لِماخورِ حارِثٍ ولِما

سَقْيا لِماخورِ حارِثٍ ولِما

خَصَّ بِهِ مِنْ مَحاسِنٍ جُدُدِ

خَصَّ بِهِ مِنْ مَحاسِنٍ جُدُدِ

May rain bless Harith's tavern, and the

A drink to the incense burner of Harith and what

fresh beauties with which he has graced it.

He was distinguished with of renewed beauties.

قُلْتُ لَهُ وابْنُهُ يَطوفُ بِها

قُلْتُ لَهُ وابْنُهُ يَطوفُ بِها

عُمْرُكَ فينا عِمَارَةُ البَلَدِ

عُمْرُكَ فينا عِمَارَةُ البَلَدِ

I said to him, as his son went around with it:

I said to him while his son walked around it:

Your life among us is the town's flourishing.

“Your life for us is the prosperity of the country,

بِابْنِكَ ذا في جَمالِ صُورَتِهِ

بِابْنِكَ ذا في جَمالِ صُورَتِهِ

صِرْتَ أَبا الظَبْيِ لا أَبا الأَسَدِ

صِرْتَ أَبا الظَبْيِ لا أَبا الأَسَدِ

With this son of yours, so beautiful in form,

With your son, who in the beauty of his image

you have become father of the gazelle, not father of the lion.

You have become the gazelle’s not the lion’s father.”

هاتِ اسْقِنِيها فَإِنْ سَفَكْتَ دَمي

هاتِ اسْقِنِيها فَإِنْ سَفَكْتَ دَمي

فَما بِقَتْلي عَليْكَ مِنْ قَوَدِ

فَما بِقَتْلي عَليْكَ مِنْ قَوَدِ

Bring it; let me drink it—for if you spill my blood,

Give it to me to drink, and if you spill my blood,

you face no retaliation for killing me.

There will be no retaliation for my murder.