أَلا هاتَ أَسقني كَأساً فَكَأسا

أَلا هاتَ أَسقني كَأساً فَكَأسا

وَحيّ بِها ثَلاثاً بَل سداسا

وَحيّ بِها ثَلاثاً بَل سداسا

Come, bring it—give me cup after cup to drink.

Come, give me a cup to drink, and another cup

And salute me with it three times—rather, six.

And fill it three times, no, six times over

فَإِني في اِحتساها لا أُعاصي

فَإِني في اِحتساها لا أُعاصي

رَشا تَخذ الحَشا مني كناسا

رَشا تَخذ الحَشا مني كناسا

For, in drinking it, I do not disobey

For in drinking it I do not transgress

A young gazelle who has made my heart his lair.

Sprinkling dew that makes the gravel glisten

حَبيب كُلَّما أَلقاهُ يَغضي

حَبيب كُلَّما أَلقاهُ يَغضي

فَلو أَهدَيتُهُ آساً لِآسي

فَلو أَهدَيتُهُ آساً لِآسي

A beloved who lowers his gaze whenever I meet him.

My beloved, whenever I meet him, turns away

So, if I gave him myrtle, he would offer solace.

So if I brought him consolation, it would console me

بيريك إِذا بَدا قَمَراً مُنيراً

بيريك إِذا بَدا قَمَراً مُنيراً

وَغُصناً إِن ثَنى عَطفاً وَماسا

وَغُصناً إِن ثَنى عَطفاً وَماسا

He shows you a radiant moon when he appears,

When my dear one appears as a shining moon

And a bough if he bends his side and sways.

And a branch, if he bends it, supple and lithe

وَيَبسم ثَغرَهُ عَن اِقحوان

وَيَبسم ثَغرَهُ عَن اِقحوان

وَيَجلو خَدَهُ وَرداً وَآسا

وَيَجلو خَدَهُ وَرداً وَآسا

And his mouth smiles, revealing chrysanthemums,

And his lips smile, from a mouth like an anemone

And his cheek displays roses and myrtle.

And his cheek grows rosy and fresh

خَلَعت عذار نَسكي في هَواهُ

خَلَعت عذار نَسكي في هَواهُ

وَما راقَبتُ في حَبيبِهِ ناسا

وَما راقَبتُ في حَبيبِهِ ناسا

I cast off the bridle of my piety for love of him,

I have shed my chaste modesty for his love

And I heeded no one where his beloved was concerned.

And have not reproached my beloved at all

فَأَحلا الحُب ما كانَ اِفتِضاحاً

فَأَحلا الحُب ما كانَ اِفتِضاحاً

وَأَشها الوَصل ما كانَ اِختِلاسا

وَأَشها الوَصل ما كانَ اِختِلاسا

For the sweetest love is that which becomes a scandal,

So love makes lawful what was shameful before

And the most delectable union is that which is stolen in secret.

And intimacy permits what was forbidden