لَئِن هَجَرَتكَ بَعدَ الوَصلِ أَروى

لَئِن هَجَرَتكَ بَعدَ الوَصلِ أَروى

فَلَم تَهجُركَ صافِيَةٌ عُقارُ

فَلَم تَهجُركَ صافِيَةٌ عُقارُ

Even if Arwa has forsaken you after union,

If you abandon me after union, I will still quench my thirst,

Though Arwa has shunned you after your time of union,

Yet clear wine has not forsaken you.

For the clear wine did not abandon you, it is pure nectar.

A pure, distinct vintage has not forsaken you.

فَخُذها مِن بَناتِ الكَرمِ صِرفاً

فَخُذها مِن بَناتِ الكَرمِ صِرفاً

كَعَينِ الديكِ يَعلوها اِحمِرارُ

كَعَينِ الديكِ يَعلوها اِحمِرارُ

So take it unmixed, from the daughters of the vine,

Take it from the generous vines as a gift,

So take her, a daughter of the vine, poured unmixed,

Like a rooster's eye, mantled in redness.

Like the redness in the rooster's eye.

Clear as a rooster’s eye, crowned with rising redness.

شَراباً إِن تُزاوِجهُ بِماءٍ

شَراباً إِن تُزاوِجهُ بِماءٍ

تَوَلَّدَ مِنهُما دُرَرٌ كِبارُ

تَوَلَّدَ مِنهُما دُرَرٌ كِبارُ

A drink that, if you wed it to water,

It is a drink which if mixed with water,

A draught that, should you wed her to water,

Large pearls are born of the two.

Pearls are born from them both.

Begets from their union great, gleaming pearls.

طَبيخُ الشَمسِ لَم تَطبُخهُ قِدرٌ

طَبيخُ الشَمسِ لَم تَطبُخهُ قِدرٌ

بِماءٍ لا وَلَم تَلذَعهُ نارُ

بِماءٍ لا وَلَم تَلذَعهُ نارُ

Cooked by the sun, no pot has cooked it

The sun's cooking did not cook it in a pot,

She is the sun's own brew, cooked in no cauldron,

With water—no, nor has fire scorched it.

With water, nor did fire scorch it.

Boiled in water? Nay, nor ever stung by fire.

عَلى أَمثالِها كانَت لِكِسرى

عَلى أَمثالِها كانَت لِكِسرى

أَنوشِروانَ تَتَّجِرُ التِجارُ

أَنوشِروانَ تَتَّجِرُ التِجارُ

In wines like it, for Khosrow

The likes of it were articles of trade for Chosroes,

It was for the likes of her that, for Chosroes

Anushirwan, the merchants used to trade.

Merchants trafficking in it for Anushirwan.

Anushirvan, the merchants plied their trade.

إِذا المَخمورُ باكَرَها ثَلاثاً

إِذا المَخمورُ باكَرَها ثَلاثاً

تَطايَرَ عَن مَفاصِلِهِ الخُمارُ

تَطايَرَ عَن مَفاصِلِهِ الخُمارُ

When a hungover man drinks it thrice at dawn,

When the intoxicated begins it in the morning,

If the hungover soul seeks her out thrice at dawn,

The hangover flies away from his joints.

Drunkenness takes flight from his joints.

The lingering sickness takes flight from his joints.

وَهاتِ فَغَنِّني بَيتَي نُصَيبٍ

وَهاتِ فَغَنِّني بَيتَي نُصَيبٍ

فَقَد وافانِيَ القَدَحُ المُدارُ

فَقَد وافانِيَ القَدَحُ المُدارُ

And come now, sing me Nusayb's two verses,

Bring me then, let me sing the verses of Nuṣayb,

So pass it, and sing me the couplet of Nusayb,

For the cup being passed around has reached me.

For the circulating cup has come my way.

For the circling chalice has reached my hand:

وَلَولا أَن يُقالَ صَبا نُصَيبٌ

وَلَولا أَن يُقالَ صَبا نُصَيبٌ

لَقُلتُ بِنَفسِيَ النَشءُ الصِغارُ

لَقُلتُ بِنَفسِيَ النَشءُ الصِغارُ

And were it not that people would say, “Nusayb is smitten,”

Were it not that some would say, "Nuṣayb is drunk,"

'Were it not said that Nusayb plays the fool in love,

I would say, “My life for the young girls,

I would say it openly - the young are drunk!

I would say: Let my soul be ransom for the young;

بِنَفسِيَ كُلُّ مَهضومٍ حَشاها

بِنَفسِيَ كُلُّ مَهضومٍ حَشاها

إِذا ظُلِمَت فَلَيسَ لَها اِنتِصارُ

إِذا ظُلِمَت فَلَيسَ لَها اِنتِصارُ

My life for every girl whose waist is slender,

By my life, every wronged one whose rights were lost,

My life for the one with the slender, sculpted waist,

When she is wronged, she has no means of redress.”

If oppressed, has no redress.

Who, when treated wrongly, possesses no defense.'