قَبَسٌ بكفّ مديرها أم كوكبُ

قَبَسٌ بكفّ مديرها أم كوكبُ

يَنْشَقّ منه عن الصّباح الغيهبُ

يَنْشَقّ منه عن الصّباح الغيهبُ

Is it a flame in its cupbearer's palm, or a star?

A torch in her graceful hand, or a planet

From it, deep darkness parts to reveal the dawn.

Whose dawn splits away the darkness

وأريجُ مسكٍ فاحَ عن نفَحاتها

وأريجُ مسكٍ فاحَ عن نفَحاتها

فذوائبُ الظلماءِ منه تَطَيّبُ

فذوائبُ الظلماءِ منه تَطَيّبُ

And musk's fragrance wafted from its breaths,

The scent of musk has wafted from her breaths

So the tresses of darkness grow fragrant from it.

Sweetening the dissolving gloom

قالوا الصبوحُ فقلتُ قَرِّبْ كأسَهُ

قالوا الصبوحُ فقلتُ قَرِّبْ كأسَهُ

إنّي لِمُهديها بها أتَقَرّبُ

إنّي لِمُهديها بها أتَقَرّبُ

They said, 'The morning draught!' I said, 'Bring its cup near;

They said it was morning, and I replied "Come near with the cup!"

Indeed, through it I draw close to its giver.'

For through it, I draw nearer to her

لا تسقني اللبنَ الحليبَ فإنّ لي

لا تسقني اللبنَ الحليبَ فإنّ لي

في كلّ داليَةٍ ضروعاً تحلبُ

في كلّ داليَةٍ ضروعاً تحلبُ

Do not serve me freshly milked milk, for I have

Give me not milk, for I have

In every vine, udders to be milked.

In every valley, teats that can be milked

وذخيرَةٍ للعيشِ مَرّ لعمرها

وذخيرَةٍ للعيشِ مَرّ لعمرها

عَدَدٌ يشقّ على يَدَيْ من يحسبُ

عَدَدٌ يشقّ على يَدَيْ من يحسبُ

And many a treasure for living, whose lifetime has seen

Provisions for life, though bitter for its length

A tally of years that taxes the reckoner's two hands.

Are counted by hands that find the tallying troublesome

دَبّابَةٌ في الرّأسِ يَصْعَدُ سُكْرُها

دَبّابَةٌ في الرّأسِ يَصْعَدُ سُكْرُها

فتجدّ منا بالعقولِ وتلعبُ

فتجدّ منا بالعقولِ وتلعبُ

A creeping draught, its intoxication rising in the head,

In my head, a vertigo climbs intoxicated

So it deals with our minds in earnest and in play.

Playing havoc with reason, wantonly

دارَتْ بعقلي سَورةٌ من كأسها

دارَتْ بعقلي سَورةٌ من كأسها

حتى كأنّ الأرضَ تحتي لولبُ

حتى كأنّ الأرضَ تحتي لولبُ

A surge from its cup sent my mind spinning,

A surah from her cup turned round my mind

Until the earth beneath me seemed a spinning screw.

Until the earth beneath me spun about

باكرتُها والليلُ فيه حُشاشَةٌ

باكرتُها والليلُ فيه حُشاشَةٌ

يستلّها بالرّفقِ منه المغربُ

يستلّها بالرّفقِ منه المغربُ

I sought it early, while night still held a last breath,

I came to her while night still blanketed all

Which the west gently drew out of it.

Gently peeled away by the retiring dusk

والجوّ أقبَلَ في تراكبِ مُزْنهِ

والجوّ أقبَلَ في تراكبِ مُزْنهِ

قُزَحٌ بعطفةِ قَوْسِهِ يَتَنَكّبُ

قُزَحٌ بعطفةِ قَوْسِهِ يَتَنَكّبُ

And in the sky, amid its piled-up rain clouds, came

The air arrived layered in its finery

Quzah, shouldering the curve of his bow.

A rainbow bent over its shoulder, leaning askew

صابتْ فأضْحَكَتِ النديمَ بأكْؤُسٍ

صابتْ فأضْحَكَتِ النديمَ بأكْؤُسٍ

عَهدي به من نقطهنَّ يُقَطبُ

عَهدي به من نقطهنَّ يُقَطبُ

Rain poured down, making the drinking companion laugh with cups

It struck, amusing my boon companion with cups

Whose drops, I recall, once made him frown.

Whose drops from it would freeze if spilt

والبشرُ في شربِ المدامةِ فارتقبْ

والبشرُ في شربِ المدامةِ فارتقبْ

منها سرورَ النفسِ ساعةَ تَعْذُبُ

منها سرورَ النفسِ ساعةَ تَعْذُبُ

And cheer lies in drinking wine, so await

And mankind in drinking wine, so wait

From it the soul's delight when it grows sweet.

For the joy of spirit, the exquisite hour