اسقني يا ضَرَّة القمرِ

اسقني يا ضَرَّة القمرِ

واسلب اللذّاتِ وابتدرِ

واسلب اللذّاتِ وابتدرِ

Give me drink, O rival of the moon,

Give me to drink, O bright moon,

And seize delights; hasten to serve

And snatch away the pleasures, hasten!

قهوةً حمراءَ صافيةً

قهوةً حمراءَ صافيةً

تخضِبُ النَّدمانَ بالشررِ

تخضِبُ النَّدمانَ بالشررِ

A clear, red wine

Coffee, pure and red,

That dyes the drinking companion with sparks.

That stains remorse with sparks.

سبقت نُوحاً فلو نطقت

سبقت نُوحاً فلو نطقت

لروَت ما مرّ في السِيَرِ

لروَت ما مرّ في السِيَرِ

It preceded Noah; were it to speak,

You surpassed Noah, so if you but speak

It would recount what passed in the chronicles.

You would tell what passed in history's accounts.

فجيوشُ الليلِ هاربةٌ

فجيوشُ الليلِ هاربةٌ

وجنودُ الصبحِ في الأثَرِ

وجنودُ الصبحِ في الأثَرِ

So the armies of night are fleeing,

The armies of night are fleeing

And dawn’s troops are on their trail.

And dawn's troops are in hot pursuit.

ونجومُ الجوِّ حائرةٌ

ونجومُ الجوِّ حائرةٌ

والدجى يبكي على القمرِ

والدجى يبكي على القمرِ

And the stars of the sky are bewildered,

The stars of space are lost

And darkness weeps over the moon.

And darkness weeps for the moon.

وغصونُ البانِ مائلةٌ

وغصونُ البانِ مائلةٌ

طَرباً من شدّةِ السكرِ

طَرباً من شدّةِ السكرِ

And the bān tree’s boughs lean,

The branches of the acacia sway

In rapture from intense intoxication.

Drunk from the wine's intensity.

ولحونُ الطيرِ عاليةٌ

ولحونُ الطيرِ عاليةٌ

والصبَّا تختالُ بالشجرِ

والصبَّا تختالُ بالشجرِ

And the birds’ melodies rise high,

The birds' throats trill on high

And the east breeze struts among the trees.

As the morning breeze struts through the trees.

ليلتي لا عيبَ فيكِ ولا

ليلتي لا عيبَ فيكِ ولا

خِلتُ أن تَشني سوى القِصَرِ

خِلتُ أن تَشني سوى القِصَرِ

My night, there is no fault in you, nor

My night, you are flawless, and I have found

Did I think you could be marred, save by brevity.

No bosom friend save seclusion's embrace.

ليتَها طالت عليَّ ولو

ليتَها طالت عليَّ ولو

كان ذاكَ الطولُ من عُمُري

كان ذاكَ الطولُ من عُمُري

Would that it had lasted longer for me, even if

Would that it were prolonged for me, even if

That length were drawn from my own life.

That lengthening were from my life's span.

لي حبيبٌ ليس يُنصفُني

لي حبيبٌ ليس يُنصفُني

مهجتي منه على خطَر

مهجتي منه على خطَر

I have a beloved who does not treat me fairly;

I have a lover who is unjust to me,

My life is in peril because of him.

My love for him places me in peril.

مالكٌ رِقّي يعذبُني

مالكٌ رِقّي يعذبُني

كم مليكٍ سيئِ الظفَرِ

كم مليكٍ سيئِ الظفَرِ

He owns me as a slave and torments me—

He rules me harshly, tormenting me -

How many a king is cruel in victory!

How many wretched kings hold power!