أَلا خُذها كَمِصباحِ الظَلامِ

أَلا خُذها كَمِصباحِ الظَلامِ

سَليلَةَ أَسوَدٍ جَعدٍ سُخامِ

سَليلَةَ أَسوَدٍ جَعدٍ سُخامِ

Come, take her, like a lamp in the darkness,

Oh take it like a lamp in the darkness

Come, take it—like a lamp amidst the gloom,

daughter of a black, curly-haired, soot-dark one.

A smooth-skinned, curly-haired, jet-black beauty

The daughter of a vine, black, curled, and deep as soot,

مُعَتَّقَةً كَما أَوفى لِنوحٍ

مُعَتَّقَةً كَما أَوفى لِنوحٍ

سِوى خَمسينَ عاماً أَلفُ عامِ

سِوى خَمسينَ عاماً أَلفُ عامِ

Aged as long as Noah's full span—

As virtuous as Noah's ark itself

An ancient vintage, enduring as the span of Noah,

a thousand years, less fifty.

Fifty thousand years, less just fifty years

A thousand years, save fifty, in its count.

أَقامَت في الدِنانِ ولَم تَضِرها

أَقامَت في الدِنانِ ولَم تَضِرها

وَلَكِن زانَها طولُ المُقامِ

وَلَكِن زانَها طولُ المُقامِ

She stayed in the wine jars, which did her no harm;

In the flasks it stayed, yet was not harmed

She dwelled within clay casks, unharmed by time,

instead, her long sojourn adorned her.

Only improved by the years confined

Nay, long confinement only graced her form.

أُشَبِّهُها وَقَد صُفَّت صُفوفاً

أُشَبِّهُها وَقَد صُفَّت صُفوفاً

بِأَشياخٍ مُعَمَّمَةٍ قِيامِ

بِأَشياخٍ مُعَمَّمَةٍ قِيامِ

I liken them, arrayed in rows,

It stands in rows, like old men in turbans

I liken the jars, when ranged in ordered rows,

to turbaned elders standing upright.

As raindrops beat down on their heads year after year

To turbanned elders standing in solemn prayer.

يَشُجُّ القَطرُ أَرأُسَها وَتَسفي

يَشُجُّ القَطرُ أَرأُسَها وَتَسفي

عَلَيها الريحُ عاماً بَعدَ عامِ

عَلَيها الريحُ عاماً بَعدَ عامِ

Rain gashes their heads, while dust is blown

It came forth smooth and beautiful as tears

The rain strikes down upon their heads, and winds

over them by the wind, year after year.

Like drops of dew on translucent marble

Blow dust upon them, passing year on year.

فَجاءَت كَالدُموعِ صَفاً وَحُسناً

فَجاءَت كَالدُموعِ صَفاً وَحُسناً

كَقَطرِ الطَلِّ في صافي الرُخامِ

كَقَطرِ الطَلِّ في صافي الرُخامِ

So she emerged, like tears in clarity and beauty,

A gentle Magus accessed it, untainted

She emerged like falling tears in purity and grace,

like drops of dew on unblemished marble.

By deceit or impurities, pristine

As dewdrops glistening on polished marble stone.

أُتيحَ لَها مَجوسِيٌّ رَقيقٌ

أُتيحَ لَها مَجوسِيٌّ رَقيقٌ

نَقِيَّ الجَيبِ مِن غِشٍّ وَذامِ

نَقِيَّ الجَيبِ مِن غِشٍّ وَذامِ

A gentle Magian was provided for her,

He let it flow softly from a wineskin

A gentle Magian was destined for her care,

his bosom pure, free of deceit and blame.

And the darkness eagerly came to it

With unsoiled conscience, free of fraud and blame.

فَسَيَّلَها بِرِفقٍ مِن بِزالٍ

فَسَيَّلَها بِرِفقٍ مِن بِزالٍ

فَسالَ إِلَيهِ عَيّوقُ الظَلامِ

فَسالَ إِلَيهِ عَيّوقُ الظَلامِ

Then he gently let her flow from a spigot,

He brought it out well-aged after years

He poured her gently from the vessel’s mouth,

and the Capella of darkness streamed toward him.

Of postponing the final seal's stamp

And lo, the bright Star of the Dark flowed out to him.

وَأَبرَزَها وَقَد بَطِرَت وَصارَت

وَأَبرَزَها وَقَد بَطِرَت وَصارَت

شَمولاً مِن مُماطَلَةِ الجِمامِ

شَمولاً مِن مُماطَلَةِ الجِمامِ

And he brought her forth, grown exuberant and turned

You see the beads as they hang suspended

He unveiled her, exuberant and changed,

to heady wine through long-protracted repose.

Like pearls perfectly strung on a necklace

A chilled draught, weary of its long repose.

تَرى فيها الحَبابَ وَقَد تَدَلّى

تَرى فيها الحَبابَ وَقَد تَدَلّى

كَمِثلِ الدُرِّ سُلَّ مِنَ النِظامِ

كَمِثلِ الدُرِّ سُلَّ مِنَ النِظامِ

You see the bubbles in her, dangling

Our bottle's like a regal bird with chicks

You see the bubbles floating in the glass,

like pearls pulled from their string.

Two jewels of pearl and priceless gems

Like scattered pearls unstrung from their cord.

تَرى إِبريقَنا كَالطَيرِ سامٍ

تَرى إِبريقَنا كَالطَيرِ سامٍ

لَهُ فَرخانِ مِن دُرٍّ وَسامِ

لَهُ فَرخانِ مِن دُرٍّ وَسامِ

You see our ewer like a bird on high,

When it pecks a chick of bright metal

Behold our pitcher, craning like a bird,

with two chicks of pearl and gold.

You see it glitter amidst the rest

With two small fledglings made of silver sheen.

إِذا ما زَقَّ فَرخاً مِن سُلافٍ

إِذا ما زَقَّ فَرخاً مِن سُلافٍ

تَراهُ دامِياً مِن بَينِ دامِ

تَراهُ دامِياً مِن بَينِ دامِ

Whenever it feeds a chick with pure first-run wine,

So take it if you want a life of joy

And when it feeds a chick the purest draught,

you see it bloodied among the bloodied.

Do not forsake it for mere raisin wine

You see it bleeding red amidst the red.

فَخُذها إِن أَرَدتَ لَذيذَ عَيشٍ

فَخُذها إِن أَرَدتَ لَذيذَ عَيشٍ

وَلا تَعدِل خَليلِيَ بِالمُدامِ

وَلا تَعدِل خَليلِيَ بِالمُدامِ

So take her, if you desire a pleasant life,

And if they say it's sin, say sin it is!

So seize the cup if you desire life’s sweet delight,

and, my friend, set nothing equal to aged wine.

But sweetest pleasure lies in the forbidden

And place no equal, friend, beside the wine.

وَإِن قالوا حَرامٌ قُل حَرامٌ

وَإِن قالوا حَرامٌ قُل حَرامٌ

وَلَكِنَّ اللَذاذَةُ في الحَرامِ

وَلَكِنَّ اللَذاذَةُ في الحَرامِ

And if they say 'Forbidden,' say 'Forbidden—

And take from the palm of a young lass in summer

And if they cry 'Forbidden!' say: 'Forbidden, yes,'

but pleasure lies in the forbidden.'

With soft skin and sweet mumbled words

'But truly, pleasure lies in what is banned.'

وَخُذ مِن كَفِّ جارِيَةٍ وَصيفٍ

وَخُذ مِن كَفِّ جارِيَةٍ وَصيفٍ

رَخيمَ الدَلِّ مَلثوغَ الكَلامِ

رَخيمَ الدَلِّ مَلثوغَ الكَلامِ

And take her from a young maidservant's palm,

She has a feminine form but then between

And take it from a servant maiden's hand,

soft in her coquetry, lisping in her speech.

You glimpse the traits of masculine youth

Soft in her coquetry, with lisping speech,

لَها شَكلُ الإِناثِ وَبَينَ بَينَ

لَها شَكلُ الإِناثِ وَبَينَ بَينَ

تَرى فيها تَكاريهَ الغُلامِ

تَرى فيها تَكاريهَ الغُلامِ

She has a woman's form, yet is somewhere between;

So she frowns her brows for a moment or two

She bears a female form, yet in between,

you see in her a boy's unlovely features.

Then bends gently as blades of grass

You find the sullen traits of a young boy.

فَأَحياناً تُقَطِّبُ حاجِبَيها

فَأَحياناً تُقَطِّبُ حاجِبَيها

وَأَحياناً تَثَنّى كَالحُسامِ

وَأَحياناً تَثَنّى كَالحُسامِ

So at times she knits her brows,

Sing if she excites you, my soul's ransom!

For at times she knits her brows in frowning scorn,

and at times bends like a keen-edged sword.

For the times have adorned you in sleep

And at times she sways, graceful as a sword.

وَغَنِّ إِذا طَرِبتَ فَدَتكَ نَفسي

وَغَنِّ إِذا طَرِبتَ فَدَتكَ نَفسي

وَقَد كَحَلَتكَ أَسبابُ المَنامِ

وَقَد كَحَلَتكَ أَسبابُ المَنامِ

And sing when you grow merry—may my soul ransom you—

Greet the beloved with peace!

And sing when joy overtakes you—my soul your ransom be!—

while the approach of sleep has lined your eyes with kohl:

And if she cannot bear to reply

When sleep’s soft hand has kohled your weary eyes.

أَلا حَيِّ الحَبيبَةَ بِالسَلامِ

أَلا حَيِّ الحَبيبَةَ بِالسَلامِ

وَإِن هِيَ لَم تُطِق رَجعَ الكَلامِ

وَإِن هِيَ لَم تُطِق رَجعَ الكَلامِ

'Come, greet the beloved with peace,

Oh, greet the beloved with a word of peace,

even if she cannot return a word.'

Even if she cannot answer you a word.