1. أيُّ راحٍ دارتْ به الأقداحُ

    ومُدامٍ كاساتُهُ الأرواحُ

    What wine is this that the goblets have borne round,

    And what aged wine has souls for its cups?

  2. سارَ بالعاشقينَ شرقاً وغرباً

    وأطاشَ العُقولَ ذاكَ الرَّاحُ

    It carried the lovers east and west,

    And that wine sent minds reeling.

  3. أسكرَ القومَ شَمُّهُ فَتداعَوا

    واسْتغاثوا وبالتَّوَلُّهِ صاحوا

    Smelling it intoxicated the company; they called to one another,

    And sought help, and cried out in love's bewilderment.

  4. وقَضَوا سُنَّةَ الغرامِ افتِضاحاً

    هكذا الحُبُّ دينُهُ فَضَّاحُ

    And fulfilled passion's rite by laying themselves bare;

    Such is love: its creed lays one bare.

  5. أكْثروا الأنَّ والحنينَ اضْطِراماً

    وبَكَوا لهْفةً ووجداً وناحوا

    In burning ardor, they groaned and yearned all the more,

    And wept with longing and passion, and lamented.

  6. سَكْرةٌ تقلبُ الجَبانَ شُجاعاً

    وتُحيِّي مَحْزونَها الأفراحُ

    An intoxication that turns the coward brave,

    And joys greet its sorrowful one.

  7. حلَّلَتْها لنا فَتاوى رِجالٍ

    طَرحوا رِبْقةَ الوُجودِ وراحوا

    The rulings of men have made it lawful for us,

    Who cast off existence's yoke and departed.

  8. حرَّموا ضِدَّها ونَصُّوا عليها

    فبِها الموتُ للمُحبِّ مُباحُ

    They forbade its opposite and expressly decreed it;

    So through it, death is lawful for the lover.

  9. نورُها قَدْ يُزيلُ عتمَ الدَّياجي

    بِقنانٍ يَلوحُ منها الصَّباحُ

    Its light may dispel the gloom of dark nights,

    In bottles from which dawn gleams.

  10. يا سُقاةَ الكُؤوسِ دَوْراً فدوْراً

    وحَناناً دينُ الغرامِ سَماحُ

    O cupbearers, round after round,

    And be tender: passion's creed is generosity.

  11. إن تَروْنا لِقاهرِ السُّكْرِ بُحْنا

    فاعْذُرونا مَخْمورُكمْ بوَّاحُ

    If you see us speaking out, compelled by drunkenness,

    Then pardon us: your drunken one freely tells all.

  12. قَدْ نَظمْنا جَواهرَ الوجدِ فيكُمْ

    وهي يا سادةَ الوُجودِ صِحاحُ

    We have strung longing's jewels into verse about you;

    And they are genuine, O masters of existence.

  13. والَّذي علَّمَ المُحبَّ التَّمنِّي

    أثْخَنتني من الجُفونِ الجِراحُ

    By Him who taught the lover to yearn,

    Wounds from eyelids have laid me low.

  14. لُبُّ قَلبي على الغَضا يَتقلَّى

    باصْطِلامٍ ومَدْمعي سَيَّاحُ

    My heart's core roasts over ghada embers,

    In utter annihilation, while my tearful eye streams on.

  15. قَدْ ألِفتُ الأقاحَ إذْ نالَ منكُمْ

    شَبهاً والخُدودُ فيها أقاحُ

    I have grown fond of daisies, since they gained from you

    A likeness—and in the cheeks are daisies.

  16. أنا لولاكُمُ لما ارْتاحَ قَلبي

    لِمُحيَّا الضُّحى وهلْ يرْتاحُ

    As for me, without you my heart would never have rejoiced

    At the face of bright morning—and does it rejoice?

  17. تَرْجمتْ لَهْفتي عليكمْ دُموعي

    رُبَّ دمعٍ سُكوتُهُ إفْضاحُ

    My tears have translated my longing for you;

    Many a tear's silence is disclosure.

  18. أنا نَوْحي أسالَ طَوفانَ نوحٍ

    أنا أنِّي للمُنْشَئاتِ رِياحُ

    It is I whose lament made Noah's flood flow;

    It is I whose groans are winds for the ships.

  19. وعِظامي إلى سفينةِ قُرْبي

    لِحِماكُمْ وحقَّكمْ ألواحُ

    And my bones, for the ship of my approach

    To your sanctuary, are planks—by your right.

  20. كافحَتْنا الأشواقُ فيكمْ كِفاحاً

    رُبَّما يَغلبُ الكِفاحَ الكِفاحُ

    Longings for you have assailed us in open combat;

    At times, struggle overcomes struggle.

  21. فوقَ مِقْدارِنا التَّوَلُّهُ فيكمْ

    ولقد يَعشقُ المِلاحَ القِباحُ

    To be lost in love for you is above our station;

    And indeed, the ugly love the beautiful.

  22. قَدْ نَشرنا الغرامَ في الطَّيِّ منَّا

    فَجُنِنَّا ومَلَّنا النُّصَّاحُ

    We have unfolded passion in the folds within us;

    So we went mad, and the counselors grew weary of us.

  23. عَجباً أغْفَلوا المَراتبَ مِنَّا

    وشَذانا ما بينهُمْ فَيَّاحُ

    How strange! They overlooked our ranks,

    While our fragrance wafts widely among them.

  24. وقُفولُ الألبابِ بالبابِ طاحَتْ

    وأُناسٌ بالموتِ فيه اسْتَراحوا

    And the locks of minds fell away at the door,

    And some people found rest there through death.

  25. أغْلقتْهُ يدُ الجَلالةِ عِزًّا

    فَتولَّى اسْتِفتاحهُ الفَتَّاحُ

    The hand of Majesty closed it in might;

    Then the Opener took charge of opening it.

  26. هكذا خَمرةُ السَّرائرِ إن ما

    زَمْزمَتْها لأهْلِها الأقْداحُ

    Such is the wine of innermost secrets, if ever

    The goblets murmur it for its people.