هاتِ كَأسَ الراحِ أَو خُذْها إِلَيكْ

هاتِ كَأسَ الراحِ أَو خُذْها إِلَيكْ

يَنْزِلِ اللهوُ بها بين يديْكْ

يَنْزِلِ اللهوُ بها بين يديْكْ

Bring the cup of wine, or take it for yourself;

Bring the cup of joy, or take it to yourself,

with it, merriment will descend before you.

Pleasure descends through it between your hands.

ريقةُ العيشِ بِها فاخلَع عَلى

ريقةُ العيشِ بِها فاخلَع عَلى

شَفَتَيها كُلَّ حينٍ شَفَتَيك

شَفَتَيها كُلَّ حينٍ شَفَتَيك

Life’s sweet essence is in it; so bestow upon

The way of life is through it, so press

its lips, at every moment, your own lips.

Your lips upon its rim each moment.

وأَطِع فيها نَديمَيك بِما

وأَطِع فيها نَديمَيك بِما

حَكَما واعصِ عَلَيها عاذِلَيك

حَكَما واعصِ عَلَيها عاذِلَيك

And concerning it, obey your two drinking companions in whatever

And obey your boon companions in what

they decide, and defy your two reproachers over it.

They decree, and disobey those who reproach you about it.

وإذا سَقّيْتَ منها شفَقاً

وإذا سَقّيْتَ منها شفَقاً

طَلَعَتْ حُمْرَتُهُ في وجنَتَيك

طَلَعَتْ حُمْرَتُهُ في وجنَتَيك

And when you serve from it a draught of twilight,

And when you quench from it the reddening twilight,

its redness rises in your cheeks.

Its redness ascends into your cheeks.

وتَناوَلْ نَشوةً مِن رَوضَةٍ

وتَناوَلْ نَشوةً مِن رَوضَةٍ

طَلَعَت كَالشَّمسِ بِالنجمِ عَلَيك

طَلَعَت كَالشَّمسِ بِالنجمِ عَلَيك

And draw rapture from a garden

And take pleasure from a garden

that rose upon you like the sun amid the stars.

That rises like the sun with stars upon you.

تَتَغَنّى بِنَسيبٍ قُلتَهُ

تَتَغَنّى بِنَسيبٍ قُلتَهُ

فَهَواها راجِعٌ مِنكَ إِلَيك

فَهَواها راجِعٌ مِنكَ إِلَيك

She sings a love lyric you composed;

You sing a melody you composed

so her love returns from you to you.

So its passion returns from you to you.

فَاوَضَتْ في الوَصْلِ عَيني عَينَها

فَاوَضَتْ في الوَصْلِ عَيني عَينَها

فَازْدَهَتْ عَجباً وقالَت ما لَدَيك

فَازْدَهَتْ عَجباً وقالَت ما لَدَيك

My eye conferred with hers about union;

Then her eyes bargained on union with your eyes

then she preened in self-admiration and said, “What is on your mind?

And were perplexed in wonder, and said, “What do you have?

أَعليلٌ أَنتَ ماذا تَشتَهي

أَعليلٌ أَنتَ ماذا تَشتَهي

قُلتُ قَطفي بِيَديْ رمّانَتَيك

قُلتُ قَطفي بِيَديْ رمّانَتَيك

Are you ill? What do you desire?”

Are you sick? What do you desire?”

I said, “To pluck your two pomegranates with my hand.”

I said, “Pluck for me the pomegranates of your hands.”

فانثَنَتْ كِبراً وقالَتْ وَيلَتا

فانثَنَتْ كِبراً وقالَتْ وَيلَتا

أَوَ هَذا كُلّهُ تَطلبُ وَيْك

أَوَ هَذا كُلّهُ تَطلبُ وَيْك

Then she turned away in pride and said, “Woe is me!

So she bowed in dignity and said, “Woe to me!

And is it all this you seek? Woe to you!

Is this all that you request, upon my life?”

أَنا شَمسٌ وَبَعيدٌ فَلَكي

أَنا شَمسٌ وَبَعيدٌ فَلَكي

وَضِيائي نافِرٌ مِن راحَتَيك

وَضِيائي نافِرٌ مِن راحَتَيك

I am a sun, and my celestial sphere is distant;

I am a sun, and you are far away,

and my radiance flees from your palms.

And my radiance is averse from your calm.

لَو بَدا أَمُركَ لي مِن قَبلِ ذا

لَو بَدا أَمُركَ لي مِن قَبلِ ذا

ما رَأَتْ ناظِرَتي ناظِرَتيك

ما رَأَتْ ناظِرَتي ناظِرَتيك

Had your intention been clear to me before this,

If your matter had appeared to me before now,

my eye would not have seen your two eyes.”

My eyes would not have seen your eyes!”