عَناني صَوتُ مُسمِعَةٍ وَراحٍ

عَناني صَوتُ مُسمِعَةٍ وَراحٍ

فَباكَرَني إِذا بَزَغَ الصَباحُ

فَباكَرَني إِذا بَزَغَ الصَباحُ

A songstress’s voice and wine engrossed me;

The voice of a fair one woke me at dawn

then it came to me early, when dawn broke.

As the radiant morn began to glow

وَمَعشوقِ الشَمائِلِ عَسكَرِيٍّ

وَمَعشوقِ الشَمائِلِ عَسكَرِيٍّ

لَهُ قَتلى وَلَيسَ لَهُ جِراحُ

لَهُ قَتلى وَلَيسَ لَهُ جِراحُ

And a soldier, adored for his ways,

The beloved of charming beauty camped

whose victims lie slain, yet he bears no wounds.

He has casualties but no wounds show

كَأَنَّ الكَأسَ في يَدِهِ عَروسٌ

كَأَنَّ الكَأسَ في يَدِهِ عَروسٌ

لَها مِن لُؤلُؤٍ رَطبٍ وِشاحُ

لَها مِن لُؤلُؤٍ رَطبٍ وِشاحُ

As though the cup in his hand were a bride,

As though the cup were a bride in his hand

wearing a sash of dewy pearls.

Adorned with fresh, moist pearls aglow

وَقائِلَةٍ مَتى يَفنى هَواهُ

وَقائِلَةٍ مَتى يَفنى هَواهُ

فَقُلتُ لَها إِذا فَنِيَ المِلاحُ

فَقُلتُ لَها إِذا فَنِيَ المِلاحُ

And a woman asked, “When will love for him end?”

And she asked when his passion would wane

So I told her, “When the beautiful are no more.”

I said: "When salt no longer seasons food"