اِسقِني فَاليَومُ نَشوانُ

اِسقِني فَاليَومُ نَشوانُ

وَالرُبى صادٍ وَرَيّانُ

وَالرُبى صادٍ وَرَيّانُ

Pour me a drink, for the day is drunk,

Quench my thirst, for today is delight

And the hills are thirsty and well-watered.

And the meadows lush and verdant bright

كَفَلَت بِاللَهوِ وافِيَةً

كَفَلَت بِاللَهوِ وافِيَةً

لَكَ ناياتٌ وَعيدانُ

لَكَ ناياتٌ وَعيدانُ

Merriment has been fully guaranteed

The playful one fulfilled her vow

For you by flutes and lutes.

With flutes and lutes and pipes so light

حازَ وَفدَ الريحِ فَالتَطَمَت

حازَ وَفدَ الريحِ فَالتَطَمَت

مِنهُ أَوراقٌ وَأَغصانُ

مِنهُ أَوراقٌ وَأَغصانُ

It gathered the wind's visiting host; then clashed

The wind swept by in joyous flight

Its leaves and branches.

Leaving but branches swaying, dancing in sight

كُلُّ فَرعٍ مالَ جانِبُهُ

كُلُّ فَرعٍ مالَ جانِبُهُ

فَكَأَنَّ الأَصلَ سَكرانُ

فَكَأَنَّ الأَصلَ سَكرانُ

Every bough leaned to one side,

Each bough leaned aside

As though the trunk were drunk.

As if the trunk was drunk with delight

وَكَأَنَّ الغُصنَ مُكتَسِياً

وَكَأَنَّ الغُصنَ مُكتَسِياً

مِن رِياضِ الطَلِّ عُريانُ

مِن رِياضِ الطَلِّ عُريانُ

And as though the bough, though clothed

And each branch was arrayed

In dew's gardens, were naked.

In gardens of dangling jewels bright

كُلَّما قَبَّلتُ زَهرَتَها

كُلَّما قَبَّلتُ زَهرَتَها

خِلتُ أَنَّ القَطرَ غَيرانُ

خِلتُ أَنَّ القَطرَ غَيرانُ

Whenever I kissed its blossom,

Whenever I kissed its flowers

I thought the rain was jealous.

I felt its drops were not the same trite

وَمَقيلٍ بَينَ أَخبِيَةٍ

وَمَقيلٍ بَينَ أَخبِيَةٍ

قِلتُهُ وَالحَيُّ قَد بانوا

قِلتُهُ وَالحَيُّ قَد بانوا

And many a noonday rest among tents

At a camp ‘twixt low shrubs one night

I took, with the tribe already gone,

I spied it, though the living were out of sight

في أُصَيحابٍ مَفارِشُهُم

في أُصَيحابٍ مَفارِشُهُم

ثَمَّ أَنقاءٌ وَكُثبانُ

ثَمَّ أَنقاءٌ وَكُثبانُ

Among a few dear companions, whose beds

In a resting place, where those who lie

There were sand ridges and dunes.

Were pure and sand dunes white

عَسكَرَت فيها السَحابُ كَما

عَسكَرَت فيها السَحابُ كَما

حَطَّ بِالبَيداءِ رُكبانُ

حَطَّ بِالبَيداءِ رُكبانُ

The clouds encamped there, as

The clouds did camp there as if to alight

Riders alighted in the desert.

In the desert, a caravan in flight

فَاِرتَشَفنا ريقَ سارِيَةٍ

فَاِرتَشَفنا ريقَ سارِيَةٍ

حَيثُ كُلَّ الأَرضِ غُدرانُ

حَيثُ كُلَّ الأَرضِ غُدرانُ

So we sipped a night-cloud's saliva,

We sipped the saliva of a doe

Where all the earth was pools.

Where all the land was a perilous plight

فَاِسقِني فَالوَصلُ يَألَفُني

فَاِسقِني فَالوَصلُ يَألَفُني

إِنَّ يَومَ البَينِ قَرحانُ

إِنَّ يَومَ البَينِ قَرحانُ

So pour me a drink, for union befriends me;

So quench me, for company makes loving right

For the day of parting is wounded.

When apart, the heart knows blight

قَهوَةً ما زالَ يَقلَقُ مِن

قَهوَةً ما زالَ يَقلَقُ مِن

مُجتَناها المِسكُ وَالبانُ

مُجتَناها المِسكُ وَالبانُ

Wine that has never ceased to unsettle, through

Coffee that did cease to roil

Its vintage, musk and the ben tree.

From its perfume, musk and beans bright

غَيرُ سَمعي لِلمَلامِ إِذا

غَيرُ سَمعي لِلمَلامِ إِذا

ضَجَّ ساجي الصَوتِ مِرنانُ

ضَجَّ ساجي الصَوتِ مِرنانُ

Reproach is for ears other than mine, when

My hearing deaf to blame should it loudly cry

A soft yet resonant voice rings out.

The singing cup, a flute recite

رُبَّ بَدرٍ بِتُّ أَلثُمُهُ

رُبَّ بَدرٍ بِتُّ أَلثُمُهُ

صاحِياً وَالبَدرُ نَشوانُ

صاحِياً وَالبَدرُ نَشوانُ

Many a full moon I spent the night kissing,

The full moon visiting in the night

Sober, while the full moon was drunk.

While the moon itself was delight

قُدتُ خَيلَ اللَثمِ أَصرِفُها

قُدتُ خَيلَ اللَثمِ أَصرِفُها

حَيثُ ذاكَ الخَدُّ مَيدانُ

حَيثُ ذاكَ الخَدُّ مَيدانُ

I led the steeds of kissing, wheeling them

I drove the steeds of union towards her

Where that cheek was an arena.

Where that cheek was a racecourse site

لي غَديرٌ مِن مُقَبَّلِهِ

لي غَديرٌ مِن مُقَبَّلِهِ

وَمِنَ الصُدغَينِ بُستانُ

وَمِنَ الصُدغَينِ بُستانُ

I have a pool from his lips,

From her kiss I have a pond

And from his two temple-locks, a garden.

And gardens in her cheeks so bright

في قَميصِ اللَيلِ عَبقَةُ مَن

في قَميصِ اللَيلِ عَبقَةُ مَن

ظَنَّ أَنَّ الوَصلَ كِتمانُ

ظَنَّ أَنَّ الوَصلَ كِتمانُ

In the shirt of night is the scent of one

In the shirt of night, the scent of one

Who thought union could be concealed.

Who thought union was hidden from sight

كَيفَ لا تَبلى غَلائِلُهُ

كَيفَ لا تَبلى غَلائِلُهُ

وَهوَ بَدرٌ وَهيَ كَتّانُ

وَهوَ بَدرٌ وَهيَ كَتّانُ

How could his thin undergarments not wear out,

Why wouldn't her tresses fray and come undone

When he is a full moon and they are linen?

When he is the moon and she cotton white

وَنَدامى كَالنُجومِ سَطوا

وَنَدامى كَالنُجومِ سَطوا

بِالمُنى وَالدَهرُ جَذلانُ

بِالمُنى وَالدَهرُ جَذلانُ

And drinking companions, like stars, swooped

Passion like stars did ascend

Upon their wishes, while time was jubilant.

With wishes, while time was a spite

كَم تَخَلَّت مِن ضَمائِرِهِم

كَم تَخَلَّت مِن ضَمائِرِهِم

ثُمَّ أَلبانٌ وَأَذهانُ

ثُمَّ أَلبانٌ وَأَذهانُ

How often their inmost selves were deserted

How many minds were rid of their thoughts

Then by breasts and minds.

Then honey and brains took flight

خَطَروا وَالخَمرُ تَنفُضُهُم

خَطَروا وَالخَمرُ تَنفُضُهُم

وَذُيولُ القَومِ أَردانُ

وَذُيولُ القَومِ أَردانُ

They swaggered while wine shook them,

They wandered while wine did shake them

And the company's hems were sleeves.

And the people's tails were shorn of might

كُلَّ عَقلٍ ضاعَ مِن يَقظٍ

كُلَّ عَقلٍ ضاعَ مِن يَقظٍ

فَهوَ في الكاساتِ حَيرانُ

فَهوَ في الكاساتِ حَيرانُ

Every mind lost by a wakeful one

Each sober thought was lost

Is bewildered in the cups.

Bewildered in cups aright

إِنَّما ضَلَّت عُقولُهُمُ

إِنَّما ضَلَّت عُقولُهُمُ

حَيثُ يُعييهِنَّ وُجدانُ

حَيثُ يُعييهِنَّ وُجدانُ

Their minds went astray only

Only their minds were misled

Where finding baffles them.

Where ecstasy did inhibit sight

فَاِختَلِس طَعنَ الزَمانِ بِها

فَاِختَلِس طَعنَ الزَمانِ بِها

إِنَّما الأَيّامُ أَقرانُ

إِنَّما الأَيّامُ أَقرانُ

So steal a thrust at Time with it;

So steal the blow of time with her

The days are but adversaries.

For the days are peers in plight