صَحا القَلبُ إِلّا مِن خُمارِ أَماني

صَحا القَلبُ إِلّا مِن خُمارِ أَماني

يُجاذِبُني في الغيدِ رَثَّ عِناني

يُجاذِبُني في الغيدِ رَثَّ عِناني

The heart has sobered—save from the lingering intoxication of wishes;

The heart has sobered, save for the hangover of hopes;

among graceful beauties, my slack rein still tugs at me.

It tugs against me at my frayed reins over slender maidens.

حَنانَيكَ قَلبي هَل أُعيدُ لَكَ الصِبا

حَنانَيكَ قَلبي هَل أُعيدُ لَكَ الصِبا

وَهَل لِلفَتى بِالمُستَحيلِ يَدانِ

وَهَل لِلفَتى بِالمُستَحيلِ يَدانِ

Easy, my heart! Can I bring youth back for you?

Have mercy, my heart—can I restore youth to you?

Can a young man lay two hands upon the impossible?

And can a young man's two hands achieve the impossible?

تَحُنُّ إِلى ذاكَ الزَمانِ وَطيبِهِ

تَحُنُّ إِلى ذاكَ الزَمانِ وَطيبِهِ

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا مِن دَمٍ وَحَنانِ

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا مِن دَمٍ وَحَنانِ

You yearn for that age and all its sweetness,

You yearn for that time and its sweetness;

yet what are you but blood and tenderness?

And are you made of anything but blood and tenderness?

إِذا لَم تَصُن عَهداً وَلَم تَرعَ ذِمَّةً

إِذا لَم تَصُن عَهداً وَلَم تَرعَ ذِمَّةً

وَلَم تَدَّكِر إِلفاً فَلَستَ جَناني

وَلَم تَدَّكِر إِلفاً فَلَستَ جَناني

If you do not keep a covenant or honor a sacred bond,

If you do not keep a pledge, nor honor a bond,

and do not remember a beloved intimate, you are no heart of mine.

Nor remember a beloved, then you are not my heart.

أَتَذَكُرُ إِذ نُعطي الصَبابَةَ حَقَّها

أَتَذَكُرُ إِذ نُعطي الصَبابَةَ حَقَّها

وَنَشرَبُ مِن صِرفِ الهَوى بِدِنانِ

وَنَشرَبُ مِن صِرفِ الهَوى بِدِنانِ

Do you remember when we gave ardor its full due,

Do you remember when we gave ardent longing its due,

and drank passion pure from wine-jars?

And drank love's unmixed wine by the jarful?

وَأَنتَ خَفوقٌ وَالحَبيبُ مُباعِدٌ

وَأَنتَ خَفوقٌ وَالحَبيبُ مُباعِدٌ

وَأَنتَ خَفوقٌ وَالحَبيبُ مُدانُ

وَأَنتَ خَفوقٌ وَالحَبيبُ مُدانُ

You throbbing, while the beloved kept afar;

And you throbbed while the beloved kept away,

you throbbing, while the beloved drew near;

And you throbbed while the beloved drew near.

وَأَيّامَ لا آلو رِهاناً مَعَ الهَوى

وَأَيّامَ لا آلو رِهاناً مَعَ الهَوى

وَأَنتَ فُؤادي عِندَ كُلِّ رِهانِ

وَأَنتَ فُؤادي عِندَ كُلِّ رِهانِ

and days when I held nothing back in wagering with love,

And the days when I never held back from wagering with love,

with you, my heart, the stake in every wager?

And you, my heart, were there at every wager?

لَقَد كُنتُ أَشكو مِن خُفوقِكِ دائِباً

لَقَد كُنتُ أَشكو مِن خُفوقِكِ دائِباً

فَوَلّى فَيا لَهَفي عَلى الخَفَقانِ

فَوَلّى فَيا لَهَفي عَلى الخَفَقانِ

How often I complained unceasingly of your throbbing;

Indeed, I used to complain constantly of your throbbing;

then it vanished—ah, how I long for that pounding!

Then it was gone—oh, how I long for that throbbing!

سَقاكَ التَصابي بَعدَ ما عَلَّكَ الصِبا

سَقاكَ التَصابي بَعدَ ما عَلَّكَ الصِبا

فَكَيفَ تَرى الكَأسَينِ تَختَلِفانِ

فَكَيفَ تَرى الكَأسَينِ تَختَلِفانِ

May second youth give you drink, after youth has quenched you—

Feigning youth gave you drink after youth had given you a second draught;

how, then, do you find the two cups differ?

So how do you think the two cups differ?

وَما زُلتُ في رَيعِ الشَبابِ وَإِنَّما

وَما زُلتُ في رَيعِ الشَبابِ وَإِنَّما

يَشيبُ الفَتى في مِصرَ قَبلَ أَوانِ

يَشيبُ الفَتى في مِصرَ قَبلَ أَوانِ

I still stand in the very bloom of youth; it is only that

And I am still in the bloom of youth; it is only that

in Egypt a young man goes gray before his time.

A young man turns gray in Egypt before his time.

وَلا أَكذِبُ الباري بَنى اللَهُ هَيكَلي

وَلا أَكذِبُ الباري بَنى اللَهُ هَيكَلي

صَنيعَةَ إِحسانٍ وَرِقَّ حِسانِ

صَنيعَةَ إِحسانٍ وَرِقَّ حِسانِ

I do not gainsay the Maker: God built my frame

And I do not lie to the Creator: God built my frame

as the handiwork of kindness and the tenderness of fair women.

A beneficiary of kindness and a slave to beautiful women.

أَدينُ إِذا اِقتادَ الجَمالُ أَزِمَّتي

أَدينُ إِذا اِقتادَ الجَمالُ أَزِمَّتي

وَأَعنو إِذا اِقتادَ الجَميلُ عِناني

وَأَعنو إِذا اِقتادَ الجَميلُ عِناني

I submit whenever beauty takes my reins,

I submit when beauty takes my reins,

and am enthralled whenever a beautiful one leads my bridle.

And I bow when kindness takes my reins.