وَلَقَد شَربتُ الراح يَسطَعُ نُورُها

وَلَقَد شَربتُ الراح يَسطَعُ نُورُها

وَاللَيلُ قَد مَدَّ الظَلامَ رِداءَ

وَاللَيلُ قَد مَدَّ الظَلامَ رِداءَ

And indeed I drank the wine, its light shining,

I drank the wine whose light radiates,

while night had spread darkness as a cloak,

While the night spread its cloak of darkness,

حَتّى تَبدّى البَدرُ في جَوزائِهِ

حَتّى تَبدّى البَدرُ في جَوزائِهِ

مَلِكا تَناهى بَهجَةً وَبَهاءَ

مَلِكا تَناهى بَهجَةً وَبَهاءَ

until the full moon appeared in its midst,

Until the full moon appeared in its apogee,

a king, supreme in beauty and splendor.

A king, perfect in splendor and brilliance.

لَمّا أَرادَ تَنَزُّها في غَربِهِ

لَمّا أَرادَ تَنَزُّها في غَربِهِ

جَعَلَ المظَلَّةَ فَوقَهُ الجَوزاءَ

جَعَلَ المظَلَّةَ فَوقَهُ الجَوزاءَ

When he wished to stroll westward,

When it wanted to take an evening stroll in its setting,

he made al-Jawza the canopy above him.

It placed the nut-tree its umbrella above it.

وَتَناهَضَت زُهرُ النُجوم يَحُفُّهُ

وَتَناهَضَت زُهرُ النُجوم يَحُفُّهُ

لألاؤها فاِستَكمَلَ اللألاءَ

لألاؤها فاِستَكمَلَ اللألاءَ

And the bright stars rose together; he was encircled

And the flowers of the stars rose to surround it,

by their glitter, and so attained full brilliance.

With their glitter, it perfected the adornment.

وَتَرى الكَواكِبَ كالمَواكِب حَولَهُ

وَتَرى الكَواكِبَ كالمَواكِب حَولَهُ

رُفِعَت ثُرَيّاها عَلَيهِ لِواءَ

رُفِعَت ثُرَيّاها عَلَيهِ لِواءَ

And you see the stars like retinues around him,

You see the planets around it like processions,

their Pleiades raised above him as a banner.

Their banners raised above it as flags.

وَحَكَيتُهُ في الأَرضِ بَينَ مَواكِبَ

وَحَكَيتُهُ في الأَرضِ بَينَ مَواكِبَ

وَكَواعِبَ جَمَعَت سَنا وَسَناءَ

وَكَواعِبَ جَمَعَت سَنا وَسَناءَ

And I mirrored him on earth amid retinues

I described it on earth among processions,

and full-breasted maidens who combined radiance and nobility.

And maidens who gathered with splendor and beauty.

إِن نَشَرت تِلكَ الدُروع حَنادِساً

إِن نَشَرت تِلكَ الدُروع حَنادِساً

مَلأت لَنا هَذي الكُؤوسَ ضِياءَ

مَلأت لَنا هَذي الكُؤوسَ ضِياءَ

If those spread coats of mail like pitch-dark nights,

If those coats of mail spread out spears,

these filled our cups with light.

They would fill these cups for us with light.

وَإِذا تَغَنَّت هَذِهِ في مَزهَرٍ

وَإِذا تَغَنَّت هَذِهِ في مَزهَرٍ

لَم تَألُ تِلكَ عَلى التَريك غِناءَ

لَم تَألُ تِلكَ عَلى التَريك غِناءَ

And when these sang to a lute,

And if these sang here in blossoming meadow,

those did not stint their song upon the helmets.

Those would never tire above the vines with melody.