شَرِبتُ مِنَ الحُمَيّا ما سَقَتني

شَرِبتُ مِنَ الحُمَيّا ما سَقَتني

بِكاساتِ المُحَيّا ذاتُ حُسنِ

بِكاساتِ المُحَيّا ذاتُ حُسنِ

I drank of the strong wine she served me,

I drank from the wine as much as was poured for me

in goblets of her countenance—the beautiful one.

In cups by a beautiful and cheerful host

فَبانَ بِسَكرَتي صَحوي لِصَحبي

فَبانَ بِسَكرَتي صَحوي لِصَحبي

بِإِثباتِ الَّذي فيهِ مَحَتني

بِإِثباتِ الَّذي فيهِ مَحَتني

Through my drunkenness, my sobriety became clear to my companions,

So my sobriety was revealed to my friends

by affirming that in which she effaced me.

By my intoxication with that which enthralled me

وَأَوجَدَني بِها عَدَمي وَجوداً

وَأَوجَدَني بِها عَدَمي وَجوداً

لِكُلِّ بَقاءِ حَظٍّ فِيَّ مُفني

لِكُلِّ بَقاءِ حَظٍّ فِيَّ مُفني

And through her my nonbeing brought me into being,

And it made me find with it my non-existence as existence

annihilating every lingering share within me.

For every lasting fortune in me is fleeting

وَحَيَّتني فَأَحيَتني بِمَوتي

وَحَيَّتني فَأَحيَتني بِمَوتي

بِنَشري طائِراً لَمّا طَوَتني

بِنَشري طائِراً لَمّا طَوَتني

And she greeted me, then revived me through my death,

And it gave me life, so it revived me with my death

by unfolding me as a bird when she folded me away.

By freeing me, a bird, when it entrapped me

وَأَقصَتني وَقَصَتني وَمِنها

وَأَقصَتني وَقَصَتني وَمِنها

وَبِحُبِّ الحُبِّ في قَفَصي حَبَتني

وَبِحُبِّ الحُبِّ في قَفَصي حَبَتني

And she banished me, broke my neck, and from her,

And it narrated me and narrated me, and from it

and through love of love, I was favored in my cage

And with love of love, it imprisoned me in my cage

دَجاجاتٌ دَجىً جاءَت إِلَينا

دَجاجاتٌ دَجىً جاءَت إِلَينا

بِبَيضِ البيضِ في حَضَنٍ بِحُضنِ

بِبَيضِ البيضِ في حَضَنٍ بِحُضنِ

by hens that came to us in darkness,

Hens came cooing to us

with the white ones’ eggs, in Hadan, in a bosom

With eggs in an embrace within embrace

لِديكٍ ما لَدَيكَ لَهُ وَمِن

لِديكٍ ما لَدَيكَ لَهُ وَمِن

هُ الأَذانُ أَزالَ عَنّي وَقرَ أُذُني

هُ الأَذانُ أَزالَ عَنّي وَقرَ أُذُني

of a cock; whatever you possess is his, and from

For a rooster, what you have, he has it and from

him, the call to prayer lifted the heaviness from my ear.

Him the call to prayer removed from me and deafened my ear

فَيا طَرَبي بِهِ طِربي إِلَيهِ

فَيا طَرَبي بِهِ طِربي إِلَيهِ

وَعَن عَينِ الغَلاةِ إِلَيكَ عَنّي

وَعَن عَينِ الغَلاةِ إِلَيكَ عَنّي

So, O my ecstasy in him, fly me to him!

So my rapture with it, my rapture is to it

And away from the zealots’ eye—to you, away from me.

And from the eye of the transgressors, to you from me

فَلَو لِلعُرفِ مِنهُ شَمَمتُ عَرفاً

فَلَو لِلعُرفِ مِنهُ شَمَمتُ عَرفاً

لَنِلتُ مِنَ المُنى أَقصى التَمَنّي

لَنِلتُ مِنَ المُنى أَقصى التَمَنّي

Then, if I smelled a fragrance from his crest,

If I smelled an aroma from it for familiarity

I would attain, among wishes, the utmost wish.

I would attain the utmost of wishes from joy

وَلَو أَن الغُرابَ حَباكَ قَتلاً

وَلَو أَن الغُرابَ حَباكَ قَتلاً

أَعادَكَ طائِراً مِن بَعدِ دَفنِ

أَعادَكَ طائِراً مِن بَعدِ دَفنِ

And if the crow granted you death,

And if the crow loved you to kill you

he would restore you as a bird after burial,

It would restore you as a bird after burial

وَعُصفوراً ثَناكَ تُري المَنايا

وَعُصفوراً ثَناكَ تُري المَنايا

صُقوراً لَم تَفُز مِنهُ بِمَنِّ

صُقوراً لَم تَفُز مِنهُ بِمَنِّ

and turn you back into a sparrow, showing deaths

And if fate made you a sparrow

as falcons—you gained no favor from him.

You would not escape from it as free hawks