يا رُبَّ يومٍ واضحٍ نضَّرْتُهُ

يا رُبَّ يومٍ واضحٍ نضَّرْتُهُ

بمهفهفٍ طاوي الحَشا وَضَّاحِ

بمهفهفٍ طاوي الحَشا وَضَّاحِ

Ah, many a bright day I made radiant

O Lord, on a splendid day I adorned it

with a slender, slim-waisted, bright-faced one.

With a folding fan, bending the grove and illuminating

أومى إليَّ براحةٍ قامتْ لنا

أومى إليَّ براحةٍ قامتْ لنا

فيها ثناياهُ مَقامَ الراح

فيها ثناياهُ مَقامَ الراح

He gestured to me with a palm; for us,

She beckoned to me with leisure that stood for us

his front teeth within it took the place of wine.

In which its folds were like the place of rest

يومٌ رشَفْتُ فيه الحمَيّا واللمى

يومٌ رشَفْتُ فيه الحمَيّا واللمى

فشربتُ خمرَ زجاجةٍ وأقاح

فشربتُ خمرَ زجاجةٍ وأقاح

A day when I sipped strong wine and dusky lips,

A day in which I sipped the wine and the pressed grapes

so I drank the wine of a bottle and of daisies.

So I drank from a bottle of wine and early morning drink

ولثمتُ من خَدَّيْ أغرّ مهفهفٍ

ولثمتُ من خَدَّيْ أغرّ مهفهفٍ

شفَقين حُفَّ سَناهما بصباح

شفَقين حُفَّ سَناهما بصباح

And on the cheeks of a fair, slender one I kissed

And I kissed two rosy cheeks of a folding fan

two twilight glows, their radiance encircled by morning.

That embraced their brilliance in the morning

حتى إذا ما السُّكْرُ مال بعطفِهِ

حتى إذا ما السُّكْرُ مال بعطفِهِ

مَيْلَ القضيبِ بمَدْرَجِ الأرواح

مَيْلَ القضيبِ بمَدْرَجِ الأرواح

Until, when drunkenness made his body sway

Until when intoxication leaned with its shoulder

like a slender branch in the path of the winds,

Like the leaning of the rod on the course of spirits

وَسَّدْتُهُ عَضُدي فظلْتُ كأنما

وَسَّدْتُهُ عَضُدي فظلْتُ كأنما

أَطْلَعْتُ في عَضُدي سَنا الإصباح

أَطْلَعْتُ في عَضُدي سَنا الإصباح

I made my upper arm his pillow, and remained as though

I supported it with my arm, so I remained as though

I had made dawn’s radiance rise in my arm.

I glimpsed the brilliance of morning in my arm