نَعَم سَهِرتُ نَديمَ الكَأسِ وَالوَتَرِ

نَعَم سَهِرتُ نَديمَ الكَأسِ وَالوَتَرِ

وَاللَيلُ يَقظانُ عَينِ الزُهْرِ وَالزَهَرِ

وَاللَيلُ يَقظانُ عَينِ الزُهْرِ وَالزَهَرِ

Yes, I stayed awake, companion to the goblet and the lute-string,

Yes, I stayed up late with the cup and lute companions,

while night was wakeful, with stars and blossoms for eyes.

And the night kept awake the eyes of flowers and blossoms.

يا نائِمَ اللَيلِ ماذا فاتَ نائِمَهُ

يا نائِمَ اللَيلِ ماذا فاتَ نائِمَهُ

مِن لَذَّةٍ تَشتَريها العَينُ بِالسَهَرِ

مِن لَذَّةٍ تَشتَريها العَينُ بِالسَهَرِ

O sleeper through the night, how much its sleeper has missed

O you who sleep the night, what did you miss, o sleeper,

of pleasure that the eye buys with sleeplessness!

Of the pleasure the eye buys with staying up?

لا بُدَّ بَينَ الرِضا وَالسُخطِ مِن سَهَرٍ

لا بُدَّ بَينَ الرِضا وَالسُخطِ مِن سَهَرٍ

يُقَلِّبُ اللَيلَ بَينَ الطولِ وَالقِصَرِ

يُقَلِّبُ اللَيلَ بَينَ الطولِ وَالقِصَرِ

Between contentment and displeasure, sleeplessness is inevitable,

There must be between pleasure and displeasure some waking

making the night alternate between length and brevity.

That turns the night between long and short.

وَأَنتَ يا قَمَري لا بُدَّ مِنكَ وَلَو

وَأَنتَ يا قَمَري لا بُدَّ مِنكَ وَلَو

بَنَيتَ دارَكَ لي في دارَةِ القَمَرِ

بَنَيتَ دارَكَ لي في دارَةِ القَمَرِ

And you, O my moon, I cannot do without, even if

And you, my moon, I must have you even if

you built your home for me within the moon’s halo.

You built your house for me in the moon's orbit.

يا مَورِدَ العَيشِ لَم يَترُكْهُ وارِدُهُ

يا مَورِدَ العَيشِ لَم يَترُكْهُ وارِدُهُ

عَلى الصَفاءِ وَلَم يَهجُرْهُ لِلكَدَرِ

عَلى الصَفاءِ وَلَم يَهجُرْهُ لِلكَدَرِ

O wellspring of life, whose drinker has not left it

O life's resort, its resorter did not leave it

in its clarity, nor forsaken it for its murk.

Untainted, nor did he abandon it to turbidity.

ظَبيٌ إِذا ما أَدارَ الخَمرَ قُلتُ لَهُ

ظَبيٌ إِذا ما أَدارَ الخَمرَ قُلتُ لَهُ

هَذا الَّذي لَم تُدِرهُ ظَبيَةُ الخَمَرِ

هَذا الَّذي لَم تُدِرهُ ظَبيَةُ الخَمَرِ

A gazelle—when he passes round the wine, I say to him:

I said to the gazelle when he passed the wine,

“This is what the doe of the thicket never passed around.”

"This is what the gazelle of wine did not know."

إِن نامَ زُرتُ خَيالاً أَو يَهُبَّ أَزُر

إِن نامَ زُرتُ خَيالاً أَو يَهُبَّ أَزُر

أَو يَمشِ أَسعَ وَإِن خَبَّ الخُطى أَطِر

أَو يَمشِ أَسعَ وَإِن خَبَّ الخُطى أَطِر

If he sleeps, I visit as a dream-image; or if he wakes, I visit;

If he sleeps, I visit a fantasy, he wraps a belt

or if he walks, I hasten; and if he quickens his steps, I fly.

Or walks proudly, and if his pace falters, I reproach.