أَلَذُّ وَأَشْفَى لَنَا مِنْ طَرَبْ

أَلَذُّ وَأَشْفَى لَنَا مِنْ طَرَبْ

وَأَطْيَبُ مِنْ رَشْفِ ماءِ العِنَبْ

وَأَطْيَبُ مِنْ رَشْفِ ماءِ العِنَبْ

Sweeter and more healing to us than rapture,

Sweeter and more healing for us than the rapture of music,

and finer than sipping the juice of grapes,

And more delicious than sipping grape wine,

تَبَذَّبُ سَاقٍ أَدَارَ العُقَارَ

تَبَذَّبُ سَاقٍ أَدَارَ العُقَارَ

يَكْفِيكَ بِالْبَذْلِ ذُلَّ الطَّلَبْ

يَكْفِيكَ بِالْبَذْلِ ذُلَّ الطَّلَبْ

is the unreserved giving [uncertain reading] of a cupbearer who passed the wine,

Is a supple figure who turns his back to leave.

sparing you, by giving, the humiliation of asking.

Your generosity suffices to humble all seekers.

أَدَارَ لَنا ذَات ياقُوتَةٍ

أَدَارَ لَنا ذَات ياقُوتَةٍ

وَأَلْبَسَها خلَعاً مِنْ ذَهَبْ

وَأَلْبَسَها خلَعاً مِنْ ذَهَبْ

He passed around for us a ruby-red wine,

He showed us a ruby-like beauty,

and clothed her in robes of gold.

And clothed her in a garment of gold.

وعدَّلَ سائِرَ سَوْرَاتِها

وعدَّلَ سائِرَ سَوْرَاتِها

وذَرَّ عَلَيْهَا دُيُوبَ الحَبَبْ

وذَرَّ عَلَيْهَا دُيُوبَ الحَبَبْ

He tempered all her surges,

He adjusted the rest of her features,

and sprinkled upon her the [unclear word] of bubbles.

And sprinkled on her the pearls of love.

ومُعْتَدِلِ الحُسْنِ لكِنَّهُ

ومُعْتَدِلِ الحُسْنِ لكِنَّهُ

يُخَطِّي الذُّنُوبَ وحُبَّ الرِّيبْ

يُخَطِّي الذُّنُوبَ وحُبَّ الرِّيبْ

And one of well-proportioned beauty—yet he

Her beauty is perfect, yet

condemns sins and the love of dubious deeds.

She ignores sins and the lure of doubt.

تَاَلَّفَ مِنْ خُدَعٍ كُلُّهُ

تَاَلَّفَ مِنْ خُدَعٍ كُلُّهُ

بِسِحْرِ اللِّسانِ وظَرْفِ الأدَبْ

بِسِحْرِ اللِّسانِ وظَرْفِ الأدَبْ

He was wholly made of wiles,

She is entirely composed of charms,

through the magic of his tongue and the grace of his manners.

With the magic of her tongue and the grace of literature.

لَهَوْنَا بِهَا وَنَعِمْنا بِهِ

لَهَوْنَا بِهَا وَنَعِمْنا بِهِ

فَكانا جَمِيعاً عِنَانَ الطَّرَبْ

فَكانا جَمِيعاً عِنَانَ الطَّرَبْ

We made merry with her and found bliss in him,

We sported with her and delighted in her,

so together they were the reins of rapture.

And together we were the reins of rapture.

فَلَمَّا تَرَنَّحَ مِنْ سُكْرِهِ

فَلَمَّا تَرَنَّحَ مِنْ سُكْرِهِ

وجَرَّعْتُهُ فَضْلَ مَا قَدْ شَرِبْ

وجَرَّعْتُهُ فَضْلَ مَا قَدْ شَرِبْ

Then, when he swayed from his drunkenness,

But when he sighed from his drunkenness,

and I made him gulp the rest of what he had been drinking,

And I made him drink what he had already drunk,

تَنَشَّرْتُ مِنْ نَشْرِهِ مسكَةً

تَنَشَّرْتُ مِنْ نَشْرِهِ مسكَةً

ونَاجَيْتُ فَتْكِي بِسِرٍّ عَجَبْ

ونَاجَيْتُ فَتْكِي بِسِرٍّ عَجَبْ

I inhaled a touch of musk from his fragrance,

I diffused from his diffusion a musky fragrance,

and whispered to my reckless daring a wondrous secret.

And whispered to him privately in wonder.

وَكَمْ مِنْ ليالٍ لَنا أَسْعَفَتْ

وَكَمْ مِنْ ليالٍ لَنا أَسْعَفَتْ

مَطالِبَنا بِسُرُورِ الغَلَبْ

مَطالِبَنا بِسُرُورِ الغَلَبْ

And how many nights have granted us

How many nights did she oblige

our desires, with the joy of triumph!

Our desires with the joy of intimacy!