تَبَسَّمَ الزَهرُ في البِطاحِ

تَبَسَّمَ الزَهرُ في البِطاحِ

وَاِفتَرّ عَن ثَغرِهِ الشَنيب

وَاِفتَرّ عَن ثَغرِهِ الشَنيب

The flowers smiled across the plains,

The flower smiled in the valley

And bared their cool, pearly-toothed mouths.

And uncovered its beaming mouth

وَهَذِهِ نَسمَةُ الصَباحِ

وَهَذِهِ نَسمَةُ الصَباحِ

جاءَت بِتَسليمَةِ الحَبيب

جاءَت بِتَسليمَةِ الحَبيب

And this morning breeze

This is the morning breeze

Came bearing the beloved's greeting.

That brought the beloved's greeting

يا أَيُّها المُغرَمُ المُعَنّى

يا أَيُّها المُغرَمُ المُعَنّى

مِثليَ بالحورِ وَالعُقار

مِثليَ بالحورِ وَالعُقار

O you, love-stricken and tormented,

O you who are infatuated and intent

Like me, by dark-eyed beauties and wine,

Like me on wine and perfume

أَمِط سُتورَ الوَقارِ عَنّا

أَمِط سُتورَ الوَقارِ عَنّا

فَما لَنا نَحنُ وَالوَقار

فَما لَنا نَحنُ وَالوَقار

Lift the veils of decorum from us;

Throw off the veil of dignity from us

For what have we to do with decorum?

For we have nothing to do with dignity

أَمّا سَمِعتَ الهَزارَ غَنّى

أَمّا سَمِعتَ الهَزارَ غَنّى

فاِستَلَبَ اللبّ ثُمَّ طار

فاِستَلَبَ اللبّ ثُمَّ طار

Have you not heard the nightingale sing?

Haven't you heard the jest sang

And so it stole the mind, then flew away.

It stole the heart then flew away

فَما تَرى في اِحتِساءِ راحِ

فَما تَرى في اِحتِساءِ راحِ

قاصي المُنى عِندَها قَريب

قاصي المُنى عِندَها قَريب

So what do you think of sipping wine,

So what do you see in yearning for the Beloved

With which the remotest wishes are within reach,

The far goal is near for her

مِن كَفِّ فَتّانَةٍ رَداحِ

مِن كَفِّ فَتّانَةٍ رَداحِ

أَشهى مِنَ الأَمنِ لِلمُريب

أَشهى مِنَ الأَمنِ لِلمُريب

From the hand of a full-hipped enchantress,

From the palm of a captivating coquette

More desirable than safety to one in fear?

More delicious than safety for the wary

صيغَت مِنَ الحُسنِ وَالصَباحَه

صيغَت مِنَ الحُسنِ وَالصَباحَه

وَأَلبِسَت سُندُسَ الجَمال

وَأَلبِسَت سُندُسَ الجَمال

She was fashioned from beauty and loveliness,

Molded from beauty and radiant dawn

And clothed in the fine silk of beauty.

Dressed in silk of perfection

نَختالُ كالغُصنِ في الرَجاحَه

نَختالُ كالغُصنِ في الرَجاحَه

صافَحَه صَيِّبٌ فَمال

صافَحَه صَيِّبٌ فَمال

We strut like a bough in its swaying,

Swaying like a branch in tenderness

A downpour clasped it, and it bent.

A warbler saluted her so she bent

أَلقى اِصطِباري لَها سِلاحَه

أَلقى اِصطِباري لَها سِلاحَه

وَالعَقلُ قَد ظَلَّ في عِقال

وَالعَقلُ قَد ظَلَّ في عِقال

My patience laid down its weapon before her,

I lost my patience with her as a weapon

And reason remained in fetters.

While reason remained in fetters

بَيضاءُ تَزهو عَلى الملاحِ

بَيضاءُ تَزهو عَلى الملاحِ

بِطَرفِها الفاتِرِ العَجيب

بِطَرفِها الفاتِرِ العَجيب

Fair-skinned, she outshines the beauties

A white beauty glowing in the valley

With her wondrous, languid gaze.

With her languid, wondrous glance

لَو أَنَّها تُسعِفُ اِقتِراحي

لَو أَنَّها تُسعِفُ اِقتِراحي

زارَت وَلَو صَدَّها الرَقيب

زارَت وَلَو صَدَّها الرَقيب

If she were to grant my request,

If only she would favor my proposal

She would visit, even if the watcher kept her away.

And visit even if the watchman prevented

يا شاطىءَ المَرسَة السَلامُ

يا شاطىءَ المَرسَة السَلامُ

عَلَيكَ يا نُزهَةَ العُيون

عَلَيكَ يا نُزهَةَ العُيون

O shore of al-Marsa, peace

O shore of the harbor, greetings

Be upon you, O delight of the eyes.

To you, delight of eyes

سَقى مَيادينَكَ المُدامُ

سَقى مَيادينَكَ المُدامُ

لا ديمَةُ الواكِفِ الهَتون

لا ديمَةُ الواكِفِ الهَتون

May wine water your open grounds,

Your plains were watered with wine

Not the steady rain that drips and pours.

Not the tears of the standing worshipper

وَزارَكَ الفِتيَةُ الكِرامُ

وَزارَكَ الفِتيَةُ الكِرامُ

لِلَّهوِ وَالأُنسِ وَالمُجون

لِلَّهوِ وَالأُنسِ وَالمُجون

And may noble young men visit you

And you were visited by noble youth

For amusement, companionship, and wanton revelry.

For play, companionship and passion

كَم بِتَّ فيها عَلى اطِّراحِ

كَم بِتَّ فيها عَلى اطِّراحِ

وَبُردُ أنسي بِها قَشيب

وَبُردُ أنسي بِها قَشيب

How often you spent the night there in carefree abandon,

How often did I sit reclined in it

And the mantle of my joy there was fresh.

And my intimate coolness with it turned lukewarm

أَختالُ في بُردَةِ اِرتياحِ

أَختالُ في بُردَةِ اِرتياحِ

لَستُ بِصاحٍ وَلا مُنيب

لَستُ بِصاحٍ وَلا مُنيب

I strut in a mantle of gladness;

I strut about in the garb of contentment

I am neither sober nor repentant.

I'm no weeper or confessor

يا هَل تَرى هَل يُعادُ أُنسي

يا هَل تَرى هَل يُعادُ أُنسي

يا دَهرُ في قُبَّةِ الهَوا

يا دَهرُ في قُبَّةِ الهَوا

Ah, do you think my joy will be restored,

O fate, will my intimacy be repeated

O Time, in Qubbat al-Hawa, the Dome of Air?

In the mansion of love

حينَ اِشتَفَت بِالمَزارِ نَفسي

حينَ اِشتَفَت بِالمَزارِ نَفسي

مِن بَعدِ ما شَفَّها الهَوى

مِن بَعدِ ما شَفَّها الهَوى

When my soul was healed by the visit,

When my soul was healed at the sanctuary

After love had wasted it away,

After love had salved it

وَأكؤُسُ الراحِ فَوقَ خَمسي

وَأكؤُسُ الراحِ فَوقَ خَمسي

أَرَقَّ حالاً مِن الهَوا

أَرَقَّ حالاً مِن الهَوا

And cups of wine upon my five fingers

And cups of tranquility on my path

Were more delicate in substance than air,

Made my state more restless than love

وَالمَوجُ في البَحرِ بالرياحِ

وَالمَوجُ في البَحرِ بالرياحِ

عَلى بُروجِ السَما يَثوب

عَلى بُروجِ السَما يَثوب

And the sea's waves, driven by the winds,

The waves in the sea with the winds

Surge again toward the towers of heaven.

Surge upon the celestial towers

وَفُضّضَ الأُفُقُ وَالنَواحي

وَفُضّضَ الأُفُقُ وَالنَواحي

بِصَفحَةِ البَدرش إِذ يَذوب

بِصَفحَةِ البَدرش إِذ يَذوب

And the horizon and surrounding reaches were silvered

The horizon scattered in all directions

By the full moon's face as it melts.

With the orbs page as it melts

باكِر إِلى اللَهوِ يا أنسي

باكِر إِلى اللَهوِ يا أنسي

وَلا تُضِع ساعَةَ السُرور

وَلا تُضِع ساعَةَ السُرور

Go early to pleasure, O my companion,

Hasten to pleasure my friend

And do not waste the hour of joy.

And do not miss the hour of joy

وَاِركَب إِلى الأُنسِ مَع خَميس

وَاِركَب إِلى الأُنسِ مَع خَميس

وَلا تَخَف سَطوَةَ الغَفور

وَلا تَخَف سَطوَةَ الغَفور

And ride to conviviality with Khamis,

And set out to intimacy with Thursday

And do not fear the might of the All-Forgiving.

Fear not the power of the Forgiving One

في مُحكَمِ المُنزَلِ النَفيسِ

في مُحكَمِ المُنزَلِ النَفيسِ

وَهَل يُجازى إِلّا الكَفور

وَهَل يُجازى إِلّا الكَفور

In the clear text of the precious revelation:

In the perfect, elite abode

And is anyone punished but the ungrateful?

Is the ungrateful one rewarded except

يا تُونِسَ الأُنسِ وَالمِلاحِ

يا تُونِسَ الأُنسِ وَالمِلاحِ

وَجَنَّةَ الماجِنِ الأَديب

وَجَنَّةَ الماجِنِ الأَديب

O Tunis of companionship and beauties,

O you who brings intimacy and salt

And paradise of the cultured libertine,

And garden of the refined companion

لا زِلتِ رَبعاً لِلإِنشِراحِ

لا زِلتِ رَبعاً لِلإِنشِراحِ

يَحظى بإِيناسِكِ اللَبيب

يَحظى بإِيناسِكِ اللَبيب

May you ever remain a dwelling of gladness,

You still remain a place of cheer

Where the discerning one enjoys your welcoming company.

That the perceptive is privileged with your camaraderie