بِالقَفصِ لِلقَصفِ مَنزِل كَثَبُ

بِالقَفصِ لِلقَصفِ مَنزِل كَثَبُ

ما لِلتَصابى في غَيرِهِ أَرَبُ

ما لِلتَصابى في غَيرِهِ أَرَبُ

At al-Qafs, revelry has a dwelling close at hand.

The cage is home to birds, where they make their abode

Youthful dalliance desires no other place.

Free birds have no joy outside their natural mode

جادَت بِهِ ديمَةُ السُرورِ وَحَل

جادَت بِهِ ديمَةُ السُرورِ وَحَل

ل اللَهو فيهِ وَعَرَّسَ الطَربُ

ل اللَهو فيهِ وَعَرَّسَ الطَربُ

Joy's gentle rain showered it, and

Bliss has made it a place full of joy and delight

merriment settled there, and rapture made camp.

Play and music and dance are hosted here at night

دارَت نُجومُ السُرورِ في فَلَكٍ

دارَت نُجومُ السُرورِ في فَلَكٍ

منه لَهُ مِن فُتُوَّتي قَطَبُ

منه لَهُ مِن فُتُوَّتي قَطَبُ

The stars of joy revolved in a sphere

Stars of happiness orbit in its celestial sphere

within it, with my youthful vigor as its pole.

My exuberance made it the pole and axis here

مِن كُلِّ جِسمٍ كَأَنَّهُ عَرَضٌ

مِن كُلِّ جِسمٍ كَأَنَّهُ عَرَضٌ

يَكادُ لُطفاً بِاللَحظِ يُنتَهبُ

يَكادُ لُطفاً بِاللَحظِ يُنتَهبُ

Each a body as though it were a mere attribute,

Each part of it seems like a vision that could

so delicate it is almost snatched away by a glance.

Almost with a glance, gently be robbed

نورٌ وَإِن لَم يَغِب وَوَهمٌ وَإِن

نورٌ وَإِن لَم يَغِب وَوَهمٌ وَإِن

صَحَّ وَماءٌ لَو كانَ يَنسَكِبُ

صَحَّ وَماءٌ لَو كانَ يَنسَكِبُ

Light, though it does not vanish; an illusion, though

An illusion, though constant, and water though

it is real; and water, if it could flow.

Would spill if tipped, and perfect but for one flaw

لا عَيب فيهِ سِوى إِذاعَتهُ السْ

لا عَيب فيهِ سِوى إِذاعَتهُ السْ

سِرَّ الَّذي في حَشاهُ يُحتَجِبُ

سِرَّ الَّذي في حَشاهُ يُحتَجِبُ

It has no flaw except its revealing the

Which is its broadcasting the secret I hide

secret concealed within its bosom.

In its enclosure from which I cannot divide

كَأَنَّما صاغَهُ النِفاقُ فَما

كَأَنَّما صاغَهُ النِفاقُ فَما

يُخلِصُ مِنهُ صِدقٌ وَلا كَذِبُ

يُخلِصُ مِنهُ صِدقٌ وَلا كَذِبُ

As though hypocrisy had fashioned it: neither

As if hypocrisy formed it, so that in the end

truth nor falsehood comes from it pure.

Neither truth nor falsehood from it I can defend

فَهُوَ إِلى لَون ما يُجاوِرُهُ

فَهُوَ إِلى لَون ما يُجاوِرُهُ

عَلى اِختِلافِ الطِباعِ يَنتَسِبُ

عَلى اِختِلافِ الطِباعِ يَنتَسِبُ

So with the color of whatever neighbors it,

It takes the color of what sits next to its space

it claims kinship, despite their differing natures.

Matching each nature that it needs to embrace

إِذا اِدَّعاهُ اللَجينُ أَكذَبَهُ

إِذا اِدَّعاهُ اللَجينُ أَكذَبَهُ

بِالراحِ في صَبغِ جِسمِهِ الذَهَبُ

بِالراحِ في صَبغِ جِسمِهِ الذَهَبُ

When silver claims it, that claim is belied

When the base claim it, it rejects their lie

by gold, through wine's coloring of its body.

As the wine stains its gold to redden its dye

جَلَت عَروسُ المَدامِ حالِيَةً

جَلَت عَروسُ المَدامِ حالِيَةً

فيهِ عَلَينا الأَوتارُ وَالنَخبُ

فيهِ عَلَينا الأَوتارُ وَالنَخبُ

The bride of wine, adorned, was unveiled

The bride of revelry graced it, radiant and fair

within it before us by strings and toasts.

With rhythms and melodies filling the air

فَالراحُ بَدرٌ وَالجامُ هالَتُهُ

فَالراحُ بَدرٌ وَالجامُ هالَتُهُ

وَالأُفُقُ كَفي وَالأَنجمُ الحَبَبُ

وَالأُفُقُ كَفي وَالأَنجمُ الحَبَبُ

So wine is a full moon, and the goblet its halo;

The wine is a moon and the cup is its crescent phase

and the horizon is my palm, and the stars are the bubbles.

The sky is my palm and the stars are beloved maze

حالَ بِهِ الماءُ عَن طَبيعَتِهِ

حالَ بِهِ الماءُ عَن طَبيعَتِهِ

بِالمَزجِ حَتّى خلناهُ يَلتَهِبُ

بِالمَزجِ حَتّى خلناهُ يَلتَهِبُ

In it, water departed from its nature

The water let go its nature with perfect blend

through mixing, until we imagined it aflame.

Mixing with us until we saw it ignite

وَنَحنُ في مَجلِسٍ تُديرُ بِهِ ال

وَنَحنُ في مَجلِسٍ تُديرُ بِهِ ال

خَمرَ عَلَينا الأَقداحُ لا العُلَبُ

خَمرَ عَلَينا الأَقداحُ لا العُلَبُ

And we are in a gathering where they pass the

In a gathering where cups, not jars, bring around

wine around to us—the goblets, not wooden bowls.

Wine that for homelessness provides the best ground

يَنسى بِأَوطانِهِ الحَنينَ إِلى ال

يَنسى بِأَوطانِهِ الحَنينَ إِلى ال

أَوطانِ مَن بِالسُرورِ يَغتَرِبُ

أَوطانِ مَن بِالسُرورِ يَغتَرِبُ

In its lands, one forgets the longing for

Forgetting home when immersed in joy is found

home—whoever travels abroad amid joy.

By those who from home for happiness are bound

لَولا حِفاظي المَشهورما أَمِنت

لَولا حِفاظي المَشهورما أَمِنت

مِن بُعدِ بغدادَ سَلوَتى حَلَبُ

مِن بُعدِ بغدادَ سَلوَتى حَلَبُ

Were it not for my famed fidelity, there would be no safety

Without my famous self-restraint I could not feel secure

for Aleppo against my forgetting it in far-off Baghdad.

Far from Baghdad, finding in Aleppo my cure