ترى الإِبريقَ يحملُه أَخوهُ

ترى الإِبريقَ يحملُه أَخوهُ

كِلا الظَّبْيَيْن يَلْثِمُهُ ارتِشافا

كِلا الظَّبْيَيْن يَلْثِمُهُ ارتِشافا

You see the ewer carried by its brother;

The pitcher he bears, his brother bears

Each of the two gazelles kisses it with a sip.

Both gazelles sip from it, sipping gently

يَظَلُّ كمُطرِقٍ في القوم يبكي

يَظَلُّ كمُطرِقٍ في القوم يبكي

دماً أَو ناكسٍ يشكو الرُّعافا

دماً أَو ناكسٍ يشكو الرُّعافا

It remains like one among the company, head bowed, weeping

He remains like one who weeps among the tribe

Blood—or one hanging his head, complaining of a nosebleed—

Bowing in grief or complaining of giddiness

يكفِّ مُهفهَف الكَشْحَيْن يُنْمى

يكفِّ مُهفهَف الكَشْحَيْن يُنْمى

إِلى الغُصْنِ اعتدالاً وانعطافا

إِلى الغُصْنِ اعتدالاً وانعطافا

In the hand of a slender-waisted one, likened

He checks the swaying of his slender wrists, he tilts

To a bough in uprightness and bending.

Gently towards the branch in moderation and inclination

يُدير الكأْس من يده دِهاقاً

يُدير الكأْس من يده دِهاقاً

ويَسْقي الرّاحَ من فمه سُلافا

ويَسْقي الرّاحَ من فمه سُلافا

He passes the brimming cup around from his hand,

He rotates the cup in his hand slowly

And gives the choicest wine to drink from his mouth.

And feeds the wind from his mouth sips

ويُهدي الوردَ لا مِنْ وَجنتيْه

ويُهدي الوردَ لا مِنْ وَجنتيْه

فَيَأْبى أَخذَه إِلاّ قِطافا

فَيَأْبى أَخذَه إِلاّ قِطافا

And offers roses, not from his cheeks;

He offers the rose not from his cheeks

So he refuses to take them except by plucking.

It refuses to be plucked except as a snippet

ومُسْمِعُنا الأَغنُّ إِذا تَغَنّى

ومُسْمِعُنا الأَغنُّ إِذا تَغَنّى

خلعت على مَحبَّته العَفافا

خلعت على مَحبَّته العَفافا

And when our sweetly nasal-voiced singer sings,

When our most melodious singer sings his song

I clothe my love for him in chastity.

I become bare of all veils for love of him

يُضاعِفُ من سرور القلب حتى

يُضاعِفُ من سرور القلب حتى

يكاد يشُقّ للطرب الشَّغافا

يكاد يشُقّ للطرب الشَّغافا

He multiplies the heart's joy, until

He increases the joy in my heart until

He nearly rends the heart's membrane with rapture.

It almost splits from the intensity of passion