جيشُ الظلامِ بالصُّبْحِ مَهْزُومْ

جيشُ الظلامِ بالصُّبْحِ مَهْزُومْ

فَقُمْ يا نديمْ

فَقُمْ يا نديمْ

The army of darkness is defeated by dawn.

The army of darkness is defeated at dawn

So rise, O drinking companion!

So arise, my friend

لا بدَّ لي على الوردةِ من وردِ

لا بدَّ لي على الوردةِ من وردِ

فهاتها مُعَصْفَرَةَ البُرْدِ

فهاتها مُعَصْفَرَةَ البُرْدِ

I must have a draught beside the rose.

I must have a rose on the rosebush

So bring her, her cloak dyed with safflower,

So bring it to me yellowed by the cold

ناراً من الزجاجةِ في زَنْدِ

ناراً من الزجاجةِ في زَنْدِ

كلَّما لَثَمْتُها لَطَمَتْ خدِّي

كلَّما لَثَمْتُها لَطَمَتْ خدِّي

a fire from the bottle in a firestick.

A fire from the bottle in tinder

Whenever I kissed her, she slapped my cheek;

Whenever I kiss it, it bruises my cheek

ولا كمثل خدٍّ مَلْطومْ

ولا كمثل خدٍّ مَلْطومْ

من بنتِ الكروم

من بنتِ الكروم

and nothing compares to a cheek slapped

And nothing compares to a bruised cheek

by the daughter of the vines.

From the daughter of the vineyards

أرى على اسم ربّكَ في الفُلْكِ

أرى على اسم ربّكَ في الفُلْكِ

إلى الخليج ناهيكَ منْ مُلْكِ

إلى الخليج ناهيكَ منْ مُلْكِ

I see, in your Lord's name, aboard the ship,

I see your Lord's name on the ship

toward the gulf—what a realm!—

Sailing to the Gulf, I swear by your kingdom

والوشيجَ صفاً في الحُبُكِ

والوشيجَ صفاً في الحُبُكِ

والوُرْقَ في مأتمها تبكي

والوُرْقَ في مأتمها تبكي

and the reeds arrayed among the ripples,

And the oleander lined up in the necklace

and the gray doves weeping in their mourning gathering.

And the leaves mourning in their bereavement

والروضُ سرُّهُ غيرُ مكتومْ

والروضُ سرُّهُ غيرُ مكتومْ

في صدرِ النسيم

في صدرِ النسيم

And the garden's secret is not concealed

And the garden whose secret is not hidden

in the bosom of the breeze.

In the breast of the breeze

قلْ للأميرِ عَينِ الحُسْنِ والحمدِ

قلْ للأميرِ عَينِ الحُسْنِ والحمدِ

صافحتَ باليمنِ من الرِّفْد

صافحتَ باليمنِ من الرِّفْد

Say to the prince, the very essence of beauty and praise:

Tell the prince, the beauty and praise

You have clasped hands with good fortune through bounty;

You have greeted with fortune from the bounty

فاسلمْ فأَنتض واسطةُ العقدِ

فاسلمْ فأَنتض واسطةُ العقدِ

السادةِ الكرامِ بني العبدِ

السادةِ الكرامِ بني العبدِ

so remain safe, for you are the central jewel in the necklace

So submit, you are the clasp of the necklace

of the noble lords, the sons of al-ʿAbd.

Of the generous masters, the sons of the servant

مدائحُ تجيز التحكيمْ

مدائحُ تجيز التحكيمْ

في مالِ الكريم

في مالِ الكريم

Praises that confer authority

Your praises suffice the judgment

over the generous man's wealth.

Of the generous man's wealth

وردتَ منَ المكارم في فجرِ

وردتَ منَ المكارم في فجرِ

أحلى منَ الوصلِ على الهجر

أحلى منَ الوصلِ على الهجر

You have arrived, through noble deeds, at a dawn

You have returned from the generosities at dawn

sweeter than union after estrangement.

Sweeter than union after separation

فأشْرَقْ بريقِكَ الآن يا دهري

فأشْرَقْ بريقِكَ الآن يا دهري

ما خابتِ الوسيلةُ مِنْ شعري

ما خابتِ الوسيلةُ مِنْ شعري

So choke on your spittle now, O my Time!

So let your brilliance shine now, my lifetime

My poetry's appeal has not failed;

The means of my poetry has not failed

أهْدَيْتُ دُرَّهُ وهو مَنظُومْ

أهْدَيْتُ دُرَّهُ وهو مَنظُومْ

لعبد الرحيم

لعبد الرحيم

I offered its pearls, strung together,

I have gifted its pearls composed

to ʿAbd al-Raḥīm.

To the merciful servant

ولا أَعزَّ منْ شهرِ شعبانْ

ولا أَعزَّ منْ شهرِ شعبانْ

شيّعْهُ بكاسٍ وَنَدْمانْ

شيّعْهُ بكاسٍ وَنَدْمانْ

And nothing is dearer than the month of Shaʿbān;

Nothing is dearer than the month of Sha’ban

send it off with a cup and a drinking companion,

Escort it with a cup and recreations

واتركْ نُصْحَ بعضِ خِلاّنْ

واتركْ نُصْحَ بعضِ خِلاّنْ

عنْ قولِ واثقٍ بالرحمان

عنْ قولِ واثقٍ بالرحمان

and leave aside the counsel of some close friends,

And leave the advice of some faultfinders

on the word of one who trusts in the All-Merciful:

From the words of one confident in the Merciful

اشربْ إلى غدٍ مع ذا الريم

اشربْ إلى غدٍ مع ذا الريم

فالمولى كريم

فالمولى كريم

Drink until tomorrow with this gazelle,

Drink until tomorrow with the wine bearer

for the Lord is generous.

For the Master is generous