أُنزِلتُ مِن لَيلٍ كَظِلِّ حَصاةِ

أُنزِلتُ مِن لَيلٍ كَظِلِّ حَصاةِ

لَيلاً كَظِلِّ الرُمحِ وَهوَ مُؤاتِ

لَيلاً كَظِلِّ الرُمحِ وَهوَ مُؤاتِ

I was brought from a night like a pebble's shadow

I descended from a night like the shadow of pebbles,

into a night like a spear's shadow, and it was favorable.

A night like the shadow of a lance when it is thrust.

وَتُحارِبُ الإِنسانَ عِدَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وَتُحارِبُ الإِنسانَ عِدَّةُ عَقلِهِ

لِحَوادِثِ الدَهرِ الَّذي هُوَ آتِ

لِحَوادِثِ الدَهرِ الَّذي هُوَ آتِ

And a man's mental preparations wage war on him

And man's reason battles the events of fate

for the calamities of the time that is to come.

That are to come.

وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ شُربَ ثَلاثَةٍ

وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ شُربَ ثَلاثَةٍ

دِرياقُ هَمٍّ مُسرِعٍ بِنَجاةِ

دِرياقُ هَمٍّ مُسرِعٍ بِنَجاةِ

And I have learned that drinking three cups

And I knew well that drinking three cups

is an antidote to grief, bringing swift deliverance.

Is an antidote to urgent anxiety and grief.

فَاِشرَب عَلى قَرنِ الزَمانِ وَلا تَمُت

فَاِشرَب عَلى قَرنِ الزَمانِ وَلا تَمُت

أَسَفاً عَلَيهِ دائِمَ الحَسَراتِ

أَسَفاً عَلَيهِ دائِمَ الحَسَراتِ

So drink upon Time's horn, and do not die

So drink to the horn of time, and do not die

grieving over it, forever full of regrets.

In endless regret over it.

وَاِنظُر إِلى دُنيا رَبيعٍ أَقبَلَت

وَاِنظُر إِلى دُنيا رَبيعٍ أَقبَلَت

مِثلَ النِساءِ تَبَرَّجَت لِزُناةِ

مِثلَ النِساءِ تَبَرَّجَت لِزُناةِ

And look at a springtime world that has come forth,

And look upon a springtime world that has come

like women, flaunting its beauty for adulterers.

Like women displaying themselves for adulterers.

وَإِذا تَعَرّى الصُبحُ مِن كافورِهِ

وَإِذا تَعَرّى الصُبحُ مِن كافورِهِ

نَطَقَت صُنوفُ طُيورِها بِلُغاتِ

نَطَقَت صُنوفُ طُيورِها بِلُغاتِ

And when dawn strips off its camphor,

And when dawn disrobes itself of its camphor,

its various birds speak in tongues.

The kinds of birds speak in tongues.

وَالوَردُ يَضحَكُ مِن نَواظِرِ نَرجِسٍ

وَالوَردُ يَضحَكُ مِن نَواظِرِ نَرجِسٍ

فُدِيَت وَآذَنَ حُبُّها بِمَماتِ

فُدِيَت وَآذَنَ حُبُّها بِمَماتِ

And the roses laugh at the eyes of narcissi—

And the roses laugh from narcissus glances.

may they be ransomed! And loving them heralds death.

Ransomed, their love proclaimed death.

فَتَتَوَّجَ الزَرعُ السَنِيُّ بِسُنبُلٍ

فَتَتَوَّجَ الزَرعُ السَنِيُّ بِسُنبُلٍ

غَضِّ الكَمائِمِ أَخضَرِ الشَعراتِ

غَضِّ الكَمائِمِ أَخضَرِ الشَعراتِ

So the splendid crop crowned itself with ears of grain,

So the old vegetation is crowned with wheat ears

tender-sheathed and green-haired.

With tender green spikes.

وَالكَمأَةُ الصَفراءُ بادٍ حَجمُها

وَالكَمأَةُ الصَفراءُ بادٍ حَجمُها

فَبِكُلِّ أَرضٍ مَوسِمٌ لِحَياةِ

فَبِكُلِّ أَرضٍ مَوسِمٌ لِحَياةِ

And the yellow truffle's bulk is visible,

And the yellow truffles as large as forces,

so every land has a season for life.

So for every land there is a season for life.

فَكَأَنَّ أَيديهِم وَقَد بَلَغَ الدُجى

فَكَأَنَّ أَيديهِم وَقَد بَلَغَ الدُجى

يَفحَصنَ في الميقاتِ عَن هاماتِ

يَفحَصنَ في الميقاتِ عَن هاماتِ

So it is as though their hands, once darkness has fallen,

Thus their hands when night falls

are digging at the appointed hour for heads.

Probe the appointed time for turbans.

وَتَظَلُّ غِربانُ الفَلا فيما اِدَّعَت

وَتَظَلُّ غِربانُ الفَلا فيما اِدَّعَت

يَأكُلنَ لَحمَ الأَرضِ مُبتَدِراتِ

يَأكُلنَ لَحمَ الأَرضِ مُبتَدِراتِ

And the wilderness ravens remain in what they have claimed,

And the ravens of decadence in what they pretended

eating the earth's flesh, racing to be first.

Eat the flesh of the land in haste.

وَالغَيثُ يُهدي الدَمعَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

وَالغَيثُ يُهدي الدَمعَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

لِغُيومِ يَومٍ لَم يُحَط بِنَباتِ

لِغُيومِ يَومٍ لَم يُحَط بِنَباتِ

And the rain offers tears every evening

And the rain sheds tears every evening

to the clouds of a day not encircled by vegetation.

For clouds of a day not girded with any blessing.

وَتَرى الرِياحَ إِذا مَسَحنَ غَديرَه

وَتَرى الرِياحَ إِذا مَسَحنَ غَديرَه

صَقَّلنَهُ وَنَفَينَ كُلَّ قَذاةِ

صَقَّلنَهُ وَنَفَينَ كُلَّ قَذاةِ

And you see the winds, when they stroke its pool,

And you see the winds when they erase its pond

polish it and sweep away every speck of debris.

They rendered it smooth and swept away every mote.

ما إِن يَزالُ عَلَيهِ ظَبيٌ كارِعٌ

ما إِن يَزالُ عَلَيهِ ظَبيٌ كارِعٌ

كَتَطَلُّعِ الحَسناءِ في المِرآةِ

كَتَطَلُّعِ الحَسناءِ في المِرآةِ

A gazelle is ever drinking at it,

There remains on it a raging gazelle

like a beautiful woman gazing into a mirror.

Like a lovely woman's looking in the mirror.

وَسَوابِخٌ يَجذِفنَ فيهِ بِأَرجُلٍ

وَسَوابِخٌ يَجذِفنَ فيهِ بِأَرجُلٍ

سَكَنَت عَلَيهِ بِكَثرَةِ الحَرَكاتِ

سَكَنَت عَلَيهِ بِكَثرَةِ الحَرَكاتِ

And waterfowl paddle in it with their feet,

And herons rowing on it with feet

staying still upon it through their many movements.

That alighted on it with repeated motions.

فَتَخالِهُنَّ كَرَوضَةٍ في لُجَّةٍ

فَتَخالِهُنَّ كَرَوضَةٍ في لُجَّةٍ

وَكَأَنَّما يَصفِرنَ مِن قَصَباتِ

وَكَأَنَّما يَصفِرنَ مِن قَصَباتِ

So you would imagine them a meadow amid deep water,

You would think them a pasture amidst still water,

and it is as though they whistle through reed pipes.

As if they were whistling with reeds.

وَيُغَرِّدُ المُكّاءُ في صَحرائِهِ

وَيُغَرِّدُ المُكّاءُ في صَحرائِهِ

طَرَباً لِتَرنيحٍ مِنَ النَشَواتِ

طَرَباً لِتَرنيحٍ مِنَ النَشَواتِ

And the lark warbles in its desert,

And the nightingale sings merrily in its plains

joyfully, swaying with ecstasy.

From the melodious trilling of youth.

يا صاحِ غادِ الخَندَريسَ فَقَد بَدا

يا صاحِ غادِ الخَندَريسَ فَقَد بَدا

شِمراخُ صُبحٍ لاحَ في الظُلُماتِ

شِمراخُ صُبحٍ لاحَ في الظُلُماتِ

O friend, drink aged wine at dawn, for there has appeared

O companion, dawn has appeared so pass the wine,

a branch of dawn, shining in the darkness.

The redness of morning shone in the darknesses.

وَالريحُ قَد باحَت بِأَسرارِ النَدى

وَالريحُ قَد باحَت بِأَسرارِ النَدى

وَتَنَفَّسَ الرَيحانُ بِالجَنّاتِ

وَتَنَفَّسَ الرَيحانُ بِالجَنّاتِ

And the wind has revealed the secrets of the dew,

And the wind made love at the secrets of the dew,

and basil has breathed in the gardens.

And the basil breathed in the gardens.

شَفِّع يَدَ الساقي وَطيبَةَ مائِهِ

شَفِّع يَدَ الساقي وَطيبَةَ مائِهِ

في السُكرِ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ وَغَداةِ

في السُكرِ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ وَغَداةِ

Let the cupbearer's hand and the sweetness of his water intercede

Intercede with the cupbearer’s hand and goodness of his water

in intoxication every evening and morning.

At dusk and dawn intoxicated.

وَمُعَشَّقِ الحَرَكاتِ يَحلو كُلُّهُ

وَمُعَشَّقِ الحَرَكاتِ يَحلو كُلُّهُ

عَذبٌ إِذا ما ذيقَ في الخَلَواتِ

عَذبٌ إِذا ما ذيقَ في الخَلَواتِ

And one with enchanting movements is wholly sweet,

And the lover of motions is all sweetness

delicious when tasted in private.

When savored in trysts that were among the separated.

ما إِن يَزالُ إِذا مَشى مُتَمَنطِقاً

ما إِن يَزالُ إِذا مَشى مُتَمَنطِقاً

بِمَناطِقٍ مِن فِضَّةٍ قَلِقاتِ

بِمَناطِقٍ مِن فِضَّةٍ قَلِقاتِ

Whenever he walks, he is always girded

He still walks swaying

with jingling belts of silver;

With sashes of tinkling silver.

فَكَأَنَّهُ مُستَصحِباً صِنّاجَةً

فَكَأَنَّهُ مُستَصحِباً صِنّاجَةً

في حَضرَةٍ مِن كَثرَةِ الجَلَباتِ

في حَضرَةٍ مِن كَثرَةِ الجَلَباتِ

so it is as though he has a cymbal-player with him

As if bearing a chiming tambourine

at a gathering, so great is the clamor.

At a refined party of constant rapture.

طالَبتُهُ بِمَواعِدٍ فَوَفى بِها

طالَبتُهُ بِمَواعِدٍ فَوَفى بِها

في زَورَةٍ كانَت مِنَ الفَلَتاتِ

في زَورَةٍ كانَت مِنَ الفَلَتاتِ

I pressed him for promises, and he fulfilled them

I asked him for promises, and he kept them,

in a visit that was one of those chance occurrences.

At a visit that was one of the wasted.