1. طرَقتني فجر يوم المولد

    وأبوها عاكفٌ في المسجد

    She called on me at dawn on the day of the Mawlid,

    While her father was absorbed in worship in the mosque.

  2. فالتقى الثغران رغم الحسد

    وكلانا متعبُ القلب صدي

    So our lips met, despite envy,

    And both of us were weary-hearted and parched.

  3. غادةٌ لم تخش إنذار أبيها

    لا ولم تحفل بتهديد أخيها

    A maiden who did not fear her father's warning,

    No, nor did she heed her brother's threat,

  4. حين قالت أمّها قومي أغنميها

    ساعة هيا معي لا تقعدي

    When her mother said, “Get up, seize it—

    An hour! Come with me; do not sit idle.”

  5. فارتدت ثوبَ أخيها وهو نائم

    وأتت تحرسُها والجوّ غائم

    So she donned her brother's garment while he slept,

    And came, with her mother guarding her, while the sky was overcast.

  6. بأبي هائمة زفّت لهائم

    موجع القلب جريح الكبد

    May my father be her ransom—a lovestruck girl led as a bride to a lovestruck man,

    With an aching heart and a wounded liver.

  7. فشجا نفسيَ ما مرّ ببالي

    حين أبكاها شحوبي وهزالي

    So what crossed my mind grieved my soul,

    When my pallor and wasting made her weep.

  8. قلتُ صونيها فإنّ الدمع غالي

    أدمعاً للروح لا للجسد

    I said, “Spare them, for tears are precious—

    Tears for the soul, not for the body.”

  9. ونشرنا وطوينا صفحات

    وسخرنا من أراجيف الوشاة

    And we unfolded pages and folded them away,

    And mocked the slanderers' false rumors,

  10. وتصفّحنا سجل الذكريات

    برهةٌ واندمل الجرح الندي

    And leafed through the record of memories.

    A moment—and the fresh wound healed.

  11. ثم قالت ورذاذ المطر

    حبس الطير ولما يطر

    Then she said, while the drizzle of rain

    Held the birds captive, and they had not yet flown:

  12. هات بنت النخل يا ابن العسكر

    لا يطاق الصحو في ذا البلد

    “Bring the daughter of the palm, O son of al-Askar;

    Sobriety is unbearable in this land.

  13. هاتها بيضاء من خمر العراق

    كم بها حلّق بالندمان ساقي

    Bring it white, from the wine of Iraq;

    How often a cupbearer has borne his drinking companions aloft with it!

  14. ولنعاقرها معا قبل الفراق

    ثم قامت ونضَت ما ترتدي

    And let us quaff it together before we part.”

    Then she rose and shed what she was wearing.

  15. وفضضنا ختمها والسعد باسم

    وسكبناها على همس النسائم

    And we broke its seal, with fortune smiling,

    And poured it to the whisper of the breezes,

  16. وأدرناها وأنف الشيخ راغم

    وشربناها ولم نقتصد

    And passed it round, the sheikh's nose rubbed in dust,

    And drank it without restraint.

  17. خمرةً تسمو بذي الخلق الكريم

    بتّ منها في فراديس النعيم

    A wine that lifts high the one of noble character;

    Through it, I spent the night in paradises of bliss.

  18. قبلتي كأسي ومعبودي نديمي

    ما ألذّ الخمر من تلك اليد

    My cup was my direction of prayer, my drinking companion my god.

    How delicious the wine from that hand!

  19. يد حسناءٍ تعطي الراح شاعر

    ذات حسٍّ يخلبُ الألبابَ ساحر

    A beauty's hand, giving wine to a poet,

    Endowed with an enchanting sensibility that captivates minds.

  20. فجبين زاهر والجفن فاتر

    وفم يغري وشعر عسجدي

    And her brow radiant, her eyelids languid,

    And a mouth that tempts, and hair of gold.

  21. يا لمرآى شاعر يسقي غريره

    ويناغيها بألحانٍ مثره

    Oh, the sight of a poet giving drink to an innocent girl!

    And crooning to her with stirring melodies!

  22. ولمرآى غادة نشوى صغيره

    وهي تسقيه وكم قالت زد

    And the sight of a young, tipsy maiden,

    As she gives him drink—how often she said, “More!”

  23. وشفينا إذ سكرنا الغللا

    وتغنّت بهوانا كيف لا

    And when we grew drunk, we quenched our burning thirst,

    And she sang of our love—how could she not?

  24. فانتشى الكون وقد أصغى إلى

    صوتها العذب الحنون الغرد

    So the universe grew intoxicated as it listened to

    Her sweet, tender, melodious voice.

  25. واعتنقنا يا لها من لحظات

    هي سر العيش بل معنى الحياة

    And we embraced—oh, what moments!

    They are the secret of living, indeed the meaning of life.

  26. من رآنا خالنا صرعى السبات

    آه لو كان سباتا أبدي

    Whoever saw us thought us felled by slumber.

    Ah, if only it were an eternal sleep!

  27. وترشفنا حميا القبل

    وتركنا النوم للغر الخلي

    And we sipped the intoxicating heat of kisses,

    And left sleep to the carefree innocent.

  28. وتحدثنا عن المستقبل

    وأزحنا الستر عن دنيا الغد

    And we spoke of the future,

    And drew aside the veil from tomorrow's world.

  29. وأفقنا فإذا بالشيخ قادم

    وكلانا مطمئن النفس ناعم

    And we came to our senses—there was the sheikh approaching,

    And both of us were serene in soul, at ease.

  30. وافترقنا ولتقُم شتى المزاعم

    فلظى مأوى الأثيم المعتدي

    And we parted—let all manner of allegations arise,

    For Hell's blaze is the abode of the sinful transgressor.