أَنزَفَ دَمعي طولُ تَسكابِهِ

أَنزَفَ دَمعي طولُ تَسكابِهِ

وَاختَصَّني الحُبُّ بِأَتعابِهِ

وَاختَصَّني الحُبُّ بِأَتعابِهِ

Long shedding has exhausted my tears.

My tears flowed continuously

The endless pouring has drained my tears dry,

And love has singled me out for its hardships.

And love singled me out for its troubles

And Love has singled me out to bear its burdens.

وَأَغرَقَت قَلبي بِحارُ الهَوى

وَأَغرَقَت قَلبي بِحارُ الهَوى

مِمّا بِهِ مِن طولِ أَوصابِهِ

مِمّا بِهِ مِن طولِ أَوصابِهِ

And the seas of passion have drowned my heart,

And the sea of passion flooded my heart

The seas of passion have submerged my heart,

because of the long afflictions it bears.

With its endless billows

With the sheer weight of its lingering pains.

وَاختَصَّني الحُبُّ حَليفاً لَهُ

وَاختَصَّني الحُبُّ حَليفاً لَهُ

بورِكَ في الحُبِّ وَأَسبابِهِ

بورِكَ في الحُبِّ وَأَسبابِهِ

And love has chosen me as its ally.

Love singled me out as its confidante

Love has chosen me as its sworn ally,

Blessed be love and all that brings it about.

Blessings upon love and its causes

Blessed be Love and all its causes.

مَن صَدَقَت نِيَّتُهُ في الهَوى

مَن صَدَقَت نِيَّتُهُ في الهَوى

أَعانَهُ الحُبُّ عَلى ما بِهِ

أَعانَهُ الحُبُّ عَلى ما بِهِ

Whoever's intent in love is sincere,

He whose intention in passion was sincere

He whose intent in passion proves sincere,

love helps him with what afflicts him.

Love aids him in his plight

Love shall aid him in enduring his plight.

يُعينُهُ اللُهُ عَلى حُبِّهِ

يُعينُهُ اللُهُ عَلى حُبِّهِ

إِن صَحَّحَ الحُبُّ لِأَصحابِهِ

إِن صَحَّحَ الحُبُّ لِأَصحابِهِ

God helps him in his love,

May God aid him in his love

God lends him strength in his devotion,

if love sets things right for its companions.

If love improves its people

If Love proves faithful to its companions.

وَزائِرٍ زارَ بُعَيدَ الكَرى

وَزائِرٍ زارَ بُعَيدَ الكَرى

ذَكَّرَ قَلبي كُنهُ أَطرابِهِ

ذَكَّرَ قَلبي كُنهُ أَطرابِهِ

And a visitor came shortly after sleep,

And a visitor visited after long absence

And a visitor who arrived just after sleep,

reminding my heart of its deepest raptures.

Reminding my heart of its inner agitations

Stirring my heart with the essence of rapture.

أَقبَلَ يَسعى في الدُجى مُقبِلاً

أَقبَلَ يَسعى في الدُجى مُقبِلاً

كَالبَدرِ يَمشي بَينَ أَترابِهِ

كَالبَدرِ يَمشي بَينَ أَترابِهِ

He came hastening through the darkness, drawing near,

He came walking in the darkness

He came forth, gliding through the gloom of night,

like the full moon walking among his peers.

Like the moon walking amidst its entourage

Like the full moon walking among the stars.

فَقُلتُ لَمّا أَن بَدا مُعلِناً

فَقُلتُ لَمّا أَن بَدا مُعلِناً

شَمساً تَجَلَّت بَينَ أَثوابِهِ

شَمساً تَجَلَّت بَينَ أَثوابِهِ

So I spoke when he appeared, revealing

So I said when he appeared openly

I spoke when he appeared, revealed and bright,

a sun that shone forth between his robes.

Like a sun unveiled amongst its clothes

A sun unveiled from within his robes.

فَباتَ يَسقيني جَنى ريقِهِ

فَباتَ يَسقيني جَنى ريقِهِ

يَمزُجُهُ لي بَردُ أَنيابِهِ

يَمزُجُهُ لي بَردُ أَنيابِهِ

Then all night he gave me the fruit of his saliva to drink,

He spent the night quenching me with his saliva

He passed the night pouring me the nectar of his lips,

the coolness of his teeth blending it for me.

Mixing it for me with the cold of his fangs

Mixed for me with the coolness of his teeth.

وَصاحِبٍ عَفِّ الذُرى ماجِدٍ

وَصاحِبٍ عَفِّ الذُرى ماجِدٍ

بِهَديِهِ زَينٍ لِأَحبابِهِ

بِهَديِهِ زَينٍ لِأَحبابِهِ

And a noble companion of unblemished honor,

And a friend whose nobility the times witness

And a noble companion of pure heights,

an ornament to his loved ones through his conduct.

With his guidance an adornment to his loved ones

Whose guidance is an ornament to his friends.

قُلتُ لَهُ خُذها أَبا جَعفَرٍ

قُلتُ لَهُ خُذها أَبا جَعفَرٍ

فَقَد تَدَلّى الصُبحَ في بابِهِ

فَقَد تَدَلّى الصُبحَ في بابِهِ

I said to him, "Take it, Abu Ja'far,

I said to him take it, Abu Ja’far

I said to him, "Take the cup, O Abu Ja'far,"

for dawn has already descended at his door;

For the dawn has draped itself over his door

"For the dawn now hangs low at the door."

وَقَد مَضى عَنكَ ظَلامُ الدُجى

وَقَد مَضى عَنكَ ظَلامُ الدُجى

وَانكَشَفَت أَستارُ أَثوابِهِ

وَانكَشَفَت أَستارُ أَثوابِهِ

and the gloom of night has already passed from you,

And the darkness of night has passed you by

"The darkness of night has departed from you,"

and the veils of its garments have been lifted."

And the veils of its clothes have lifted

"And the veils of its robes have been stripped away."

فَسَلسَلَ الكَأسَ عَلى كُرهِهِ

فَسَلسَلَ الكَأسَ عَلى كُرهِهِ

وَمَرَّ فيها بَعدَ تَقطابِهِ

وَمَرَّ فيها بَعدَ تَقطابِهِ

So he drank down the cup despite his reluctance,

So he chained the wine despite his resentment

So he poured the wine, though against his will,

and went on with it after his frown.

And passed it amongst us after his sulking

And proceeded to drink after his frown.

كَأَنَّما الكَأسُ إِذا صُفِّقَت

كَأَنَّما الكَأسُ إِذا صُفِّقَت

قِنديلُ قَسٍّ وَسطَ مِحرابِهِ

قِنديلُ قَسٍّ وَسطَ مِحرابِهِ

It was as though the cup, when its wine was decanted,

As if the cup when beaten

As if the cup, when poured out clear,

were a priest's lamp in the midst of his sanctuary.

A lantern mid its niche

Were a priest's lamp within his altar niche.

وَأَصبَحَت أَلسُنُ أَوتارِهِ

وَأَصبَحَت أَلسُنُ أَوتارِهِ

إِذ حَرَّكَ المَثنى بِمِضرابِهِ

إِذ حَرَّكَ المَثنى بِمِضرابِهِ

And the tongues of his strings came alive,

And the strings of his oud sounded

And the tongues of his lute strings awoke,

when he set the second string vibrating with his plectrum.

When he strummed the plectrum on it

When he struck the second cord with his plectrum.

ثُمَّ شَدا لَمّا جَرَت كَأسُهُ

ثُمَّ شَدا لَمّا جَرَت كَأسُهُ

صِرفاً وَمَرَّت بَينَ أَترابِهِ

صِرفاً وَمَرَّت بَينَ أَترابِهِ

Then he sang, when his cup flowed

Then he sang when his cup flowed

Then he sang, as his cup flowed round,

with unmixed wine and passed among his peers.

Circulating amongst his friends

Pure vintage passing among his peers:

عاوَدَ قَلبي كُنهُ أَطرابِهِ

عاوَدَ قَلبي كُنهُ أَطرابِهِ

مِن حُبِّ مَن أَصبَحتُ أَغنى بِهِ

مِن حُبِّ مَن أَصبَحتُ أَغنى بِهِ

My heart's deepest raptures returned,

It reminded my heart of its inner agitations

"The essence of rapture has returned to my heart,"

from love of the one through whom I have grown richer.

Of love for whom I have become most ecstatic

"From love of the one in whom I found my wealth."