وباكَرْتُ الصَّبوحَ على صَبَاحٍ

وباكَرْتُ الصَّبوحَ على صَبَاحٍ

يَلُوحُ مِنَ السّوالِفِ والسُّلافِ

يَلُوحُ مِنَ السّوالِفِ والسُّلافِ

And I took the morning draught early, at a dawn

I hastened the dawn upon a morning

That gleams from necks and pure wine.

That gleams with souvenirs and good cheer,

وغَدْراوَيْنِ مِنْ حَلَبَ الأماني

وغَدْراوَيْنِ مِنْ حَلَبَ الأماني

أَدَرْتُهُما ومِنْ حَلَبِ القطافِ

أَدَرْتُهُما ومِنْ حَلَبِ القطافِ

And two dark cups of wishes’ milk

And two meadows of my heart's desires,

And of the vintage’s milk—I passed them round.

I milked them, and from orchards of bounty.

أَدَرْنا مِنهما قَمَراً وشَمْساً

أَدَرْنا مِنهما قَمَراً وشَمْساً

وشَمْسُ اللّهِ مُسْرَجَةُ الغلافِ

وشَمْسُ اللّهِ مُسْرَجَةُ الغلافِ

From those two we passed round a moon and a sun,

We milked from them a moon and a sun,

While God’s sun’s mantle was alight.

With God's sun spangled in its wrapper.

خُذِي حَلَبَ الحياةِ ولا تَبيعي

خُذِي حَلَبَ الحياةِ ولا تَبيعي

رَجاءً بالمخافةِ لَنْ تَخافي

رَجاءً بالمخافةِ لَنْ تَخافي

Take the milk of life, and do not sell

Take life's milk and do not sell

Hope for fear; you will not be afraid.

A hope for fear you'll not fear.

هيَ الدُّنيا وقَدْ نَعِموا بأُخْرى

هيَ الدُّنيا وقَدْ نَعِموا بأُخْرى

وتَسْويفُ النُّفوسِ مِنَ السّوافِ

وتَسْويفُ النُّفوسِ مِنَ السّوافِ

It is this world, and they have indeed found bliss in another;

Such is this world, and they've indulged in another,

And putting souls off is a kind of deadly plague.

While souls procrastinate from the wand'rer,

فإنْ كَذبوا أَمِنْتَ وإِنْ أَصابوا

فإنْ كَذبوا أَمِنْتَ وإِنْ أَصابوا

فإنَّ المُبْتَليكَ هو المُعَافي

فإنَّ المُبْتَليكَ هو المُعَافي

So if they have lied, you are safe; and if they are right,

If they lied you'd believe, and if right

Then the one who afflicts you is the one who heals.

Then He who tried you is the Healer.

وأَصْدَقُ ما أَبُثُّكَ أنَّ قلبي

وأَصْدَقُ ما أَبُثُّكَ أنَّ قلبي

بِتَصْديقِ القِيامَةِ غيرُ صَافِ

بِتَصْديقِ القِيامَةِ غيرُ صَافِ

And the truest thing I confide to you is that my heart

And truest thing I tell you is my heart

Is clouded in its belief in the Resurrection.

Believes Judgment Day and is not serene.