رقْرَقَ الكَأسُ حَبيبي

رقْرَقَ الكَأسُ حَبيبي

وروَى منَّا الجُموعْ

وروَى منَّا الجُموعْ

My beloved set the cup shimmering clear,

My beloved made the cup shimmer

And gave the throngs among us drink.

and quenched the thirst of the throngs among us.

فمَزَجْنا الخمرَ لهْفاً

فمَزَجْنا الخمرَ لهْفاً

بأَفانينِ الدُّموعْ

بأَفانينِ الدُّموعْ

So in longing we mingled the wine

So, yearning, we mixed the wine

With tears of every kind.

with many kinds of tears.

وتَداعَيْنا سُكارَى

وتَداعَيْنا سُكارَى

والهوَى شيءٌ عَجيبْ

والهوَى شيءٌ عَجيبْ

We called to one another, drunk,

And we called to one another, drunk,

And love is a wondrous thing.

and love is a wondrous thing.

وتَمايَلْنا حَيارَى

وتَمايَلْنا حَيارَى

ضمنَ أَثوابِ الوُلوعْ

ضمنَ أَثوابِ الوُلوعْ

We swayed, bewildered,

And we swayed, bewildered,

Within the robes of ardor.

within the robes of ardor.

قد صَبَبْنا الدَّمعَ صَبًّا

قد صَبَبْنا الدَّمعَ صَبًّا

وانْطَوَيْنا بالأَنينْ

وانْطَوَيْنا بالأَنينْ

We poured out tears in torrents,

Indeed, we poured out tears in torrents

And folded inward with our moaning.

and folded inward with groaning.

وجَعَلْنا الكَوْنَ سَلباً

وجَعَلْنا الكَوْنَ سَلباً

هكَذا دينُ الخُشوعْ

هكَذا دينُ الخُشوعْ

We made the cosmos a thing despoiled—

And we reduced the cosmos to negation—

Such is the way of humble devotion.

such is the creed of humble reverence.

وثَمِلْنا عن غَرامٍ

وثَمِلْنا عن غَرامٍ

ومَحَقْنا الكائِناتْ

ومَحَقْنا الكائِناتْ

We grew drunk with passion,

And we grew drunk from passionate love

And effaced all beings;

and obliterated all beings.

وانْطَمَسْنا بهُيامٍ

وانْطَمَسْنا بهُيامٍ

وسُجودٍ ورُكوعْ

وسُجودٍ ورُكوعْ

We vanished into rapture,

And we were effaced in love's delirium

In prostration and in bowing.

and in prostration and bowing.

زَمْزَمَ الحادي علينا

زَمْزَمَ الحادي علينا

بإِشاراتِ الحَبيبْ

بإِشاراتِ الحَبيبْ

The caravan singer chanted over us

The camel-driver chanted softly over us

In signs from the Beloved.

at the beloved's signals,

والْتَوى لُطْفاً إلينا

والْتَوى لُطْفاً إلينا

ففَنِينا بالخُضوعْ

ففَنِينا بالخُضوعْ

And graciously turned toward us,

and bent gently toward us,

So in submission we were effaced.

so we were annihilated in submission.

سكَنَ الوجدُ كَميناً

سكَنَ الوجدُ كَميناً

وله فينا قَرارْ

وله فينا قَرارْ

Ecstasy lay hidden in ambush,

Ecstasy dwelt in hiding,

Yet it has its settled home in us.

and within us it has a resting place.

ومضَى الرَّكْبُ أَميناً

ومضَى الرَّكْبُ أَميناً

بالَّذي تَطْوي الضُّلوعْ

بالَّذي تَطْوي الضُّلوعْ

The caravan went safely on

And the caravan journeyed onward, secure,

With what the ribs enfold.

with what the ribs enfold.

دمدَمَ الرُّكْبانُ وجداً

دمدَمَ الرُّكْبانُ وجداً

بينَ فقدٍ وحُضورْ

بينَ فقدٍ وحُضورْ

The riders murmured, overcome with longing,

The riders murmured in ecstasy

Between absence and presence.

between loss and presence,

وتَلا الخِلاَّنَ عهداً

وتَلا الخِلاَّنَ عهداً

نَصُّهُ لهْفٌ وجوعْ

نَصُّهُ لهْفٌ وجوعْ

The dear companions recited a covenant

and the friends recited a covenant

Whose text was yearning and hunger.

whose wording is yearning and hunger.

وبأَشْجانٍ سَرَيْنا

وبأَشْجانٍ سَرَيْنا

وبِنا ثارَ الغَرامْ

وبِنا ثارَ الغَرامْ

With sorrows we traveled by night,

And with sorrows we traveled by night,

And passion surged within us.

and passionate love surged within us.

ونُشِرْنا وانْطَوَيْنا

ونُشِرْنا وانْطَوَيْنا

حينَ حرَّمْنا الرُّجوعْ

حينَ حرَّمْنا الرُّجوعْ

We were unfolded, then folded away,

And we were unfolded, and we folded inward,

When we forbade ourselves return.

when we forbade return.

برَزَ السَّاقي وحَيَّى

برَزَ السَّاقي وحَيَّى

بعد أن طالَ السَّفرْ

بعد أن طالَ السَّفرْ

The cupbearer appeared and gave greeting

The cupbearer appeared and offered greetings

After the journey had grown long.

after the journey had grown long.

وشَذا نَشْرِ الحُمَيَّا

وشَذا نَشْرِ الحُمَيَّا

ما لنا منه هُجوعْ

ما لنا منه هُجوعْ

And the fragrance wafted by the wine

And the wafting fragrance of the potent wine—

Left us no sleep.

we have no sleep because of it.

هذه آثارُ حِبِّي

هذه آثارُ حِبِّي

عَرَفَتْها العارِفونْ

عَرَفَتْها العارِفونْ

These are the traces of my love,

These are the traces of my beloved;

The knowers recognize them:

the knowers have recognized them.

بينَ إيجابٍ وسلْبٍ

بينَ إيجابٍ وسلْبٍ

فجرُها زاهي الطُّلوعْ

فجرُها زاهي الطُّلوعْ

Between affirmation and negation,

Between affirmation and negation,

Its dawn rises radiant.

their dawn rises radiant.