بِكَأسِكَby your cup يَاO سَاقِيcupbearer of المُحِبِّينَthe lovers يُهْتَدىone is guided
بِكَأسِكَ يَا سَاقِي المُحِبِّينَ يُهْتَدى
فَكَمْfor how many a فِيهِwithin it نَجْمٌstar نُورُهُits light قَدْindeed تَوَقَّداhas blazed
فَكَمْ فِيهِ نَجْمٌ نُورُهُ قَدْ تَوَقَّدا
By your cup, O cupbearer of lovers, one is guided.
For how many a star within it has blazed with light!
إِذَاwhen ما(emphatic particle) انْقَضَىhas passed سُكْرُthe intoxication of النَّدامىthe drinking companions وشَاهَدُواand they behold
إِذَا ما انْقَضَى سُكْرُ النَّدامى وشَاهَدُوا
جَمَالَكَyour beauty عَادَreturned السُّكْرُintoxication فِيهِمْwithin them كَمَاjust as بَداit appeared
جَمَالَكَ عَادَ السُّكْرُ فِيهِمْ كَمَا بَدا
When the drinking companions’ intoxication has passed and they behold
your beauty, intoxication returns to them as it first arose.
تَجَلَّىhe manifested himself بِأَوْصَافِin the attributes of الجَمَالِbeauty جَمِيعِهَاall of them
تَجَلَّى بِأَوْصَافِ الجَمَالِ جَمِيعِهَا
ولكِنَّهُbut he لَمَّاwhen تَثَنَّىswayed تَفَرَّداstood peerless
ولكِنَّهُ لَمَّا تَثَنَّى تَفَرَّدا
He manifested himself in all the attributes of beauty,
yet when he swayed, he stood peerless.
وَأَوْحَىand revealed الَّذيhe who أَسْرَىjourneyed by night إِلىto سِرِّthe inmost heart of عَبْدِهِhis servant
وَأَوْحَى الَّذي أَسْرَى إِلى سِرِّ عَبْدِهِ
فَأَصْبَحَso he became جَهْراًopenly فيamong المُحِبيِّنَthe lovers سَيِّداa master
فَأَصْبَحَ جَهْراً في المُحِبيِّنَ سَيِّدا
And he who journeyed by night sent revelation to his servant’s inmost heart,
so he became, for all to see, a master among lovers.
تَاَمَّلْcontemplate تَرىyou will see الأَلْبَابَminds تُنْهَبُare plundered جَهْرَةًopenly
تَاَمَّلْ تَرى الأَلْبَابَ تُنْهَبُ جَهْرَةً
إِذاwhen هُوَhe لِلأَحْبَابِto the beloved ones فيin سِرِّهِمْtheir inmost hearts بَداappeared
إِذا هُوَ لِلأَحْبَابِ في سِرِّهِمْ بَدا
Contemplate: you will see minds plundered openly
when he appears to the beloved ones in their inmost hearts.
وَإِيَاكَand beware والإِشْرَاكَand associating partners فِيin دِينِthe religion of حُبِّهِlove of him
وَإِيَاكَ والإِشْرَاكَ فِي دِينِ حُبِّهِ
وَلاand do not تَكُbe إِلاَّexcept بالجَمَالِby beauty مُقَيْداbound
وَلا تَكُ إِلاَّ بالجَمَالِ مُقَيْدا
And beware of associating partners in the religion of loving him,
and be bound by beauty alone.