اِسقِياني على اِقتراحِ العَذارى

اِسقِياني على اِقتراحِ العَذارى

وَاِعذراني فَقَد خَلعتُ العِذارا

وَاِعذراني فَقَد خَلعتُ العِذارا

Give me drink, you two, at the maidens' bidding,

Give me to drink at the virgins' suggestion,

and pardon me, for I have cast off the bridle:

And pardon me, for chastity I've discarded.

شمسَ راحٍ من كَفِّ خودٍ رَداحٍ

شمسَ راحٍ من كَفِّ خودٍ رَداحٍ

شَخصَت فيهما العُيونُ حَيارى

شَخصَت فيهما العُيونُ حَيارى

a sun of wine from a full-figured maiden's palm—

A sun of rest from a tender, delicate hand,

eyes stared at them both in bewilderment.

In it the eyes were confused and bewildered.

أَشرقَت في الكؤوس ناراً وَقِدماً

أَشرقَت في الكؤوس ناراً وَقِدماً

عبَدَتها المجوسُ في الدَنِّ نارا

عبَدَتها المجوسُ في الدَنِّ نارا

It shone as fire in the cups, and long ago

In the cups it rose as fire and embers,

the Magians worshipped it as fire in the wine jar.

Worshipped by Magi in avarice a flame.

واِجلواها وَالدَهرُ طلقُ المحيّا

واِجلواها وَالدَهرُ طلقُ المحيّا

وَالقَماري تنادمُ الأَقمارا

وَالقَماري تنادمُ الأَقمارا

And unveil it while Time wears a smiling face,

Make it last, though time's a fickle lover,

and the turtledoves carouse with the moons,

While the gambler makes merry with the moon's peers.

في عَذارى كأَنَّهُنَّ رياضٌ

في عَذارى كأَنَّهُنَّ رياضٌ

وَرياضٍ كأَنَّهُنَّ عَذارى

وَرياضٍ كأَنَّهُنَّ عَذارى

among maidens who seem like gardens,

Among virgins as though they were gardens,

and gardens that seem like maidens.

And gardens as though they were virgins.

لا تَلوما فَما التَصابي بعارٍ

لا تَلوما فَما التَصابي بعارٍ

قبل يَسترجع الصِبا ما أَعارا

قبل يَسترجع الصِبا ما أَعارا

Do not blame me, you two: playing the youth is no disgrace

Reproach me not, for revelry's no disgrace

before youth takes back what it lent.

Before youth reclaims what it loaned in its prime.

وَدَعاني مُجاهِداً في غَرامي

وَدَعاني مُجاهِداً في غَرامي

إِنَّ داعي الهَوى دَعاني جِهارا

إِنَّ داعي الهَوى دَعاني جِهارا

And leave me, you two, to struggle in my passion;

And it called me, ardent in my passion,

indeed, love's herald has called me openly.

For the lover's call summoned me outright.

أَمعيرَ الظُبى شباً وَغِرارا

أَمعيرَ الظُبى شباً وَغِرارا

لحظُهُ والظِبا رَناً واِحوِرارا

لحظُهُ والظِبا رَناً واِحوِرارا

O you whose glance lends sword-blades sharp points and cutting edges,

Does a deer blame its vigor and innocence?

and gazelles their lingering gaze and bright, dark-pupilled eyes:

Its glance and the gazelle's, rapture and fever?

ما لِقَلبي يَزيدُ فيك غَراماً

ما لِقَلبي يَزيدُ فيك غَراماً

كلَّما زِدتَ عن هواه نِفارا

كلَّما زِدتَ عن هواه نِفارا

Why does my heart grow more enamored of you

Why does my heart grow more in love with you

whenever you grow more averse to its love?

Whenever you show it greater disdain?

أَيُّ قَلبٍ ما هامَ فيك ولكن

أَيُّ قَلبٍ ما هامَ فيك ولكن

زادَ قَلبي بحبِّك اِستِهتارا

زادَ قَلبي بحبِّك اِستِهتارا

What heart has not gone mad for you? Yet

What heart has not pined for you, yet my heart

my heart grew still more reckless in loving you.

Increased in your love and grew more defiant.

خاطرَت في هَواكَ مهجةُ صَبٍّ

خاطرَت في هَواكَ مهجةُ صَبٍّ

هَويَت منك ذابِلاً خَطّارا

هَويَت منك ذابِلاً خَطّارا

A lovesick lover's soul risked itself for love of you;

The core of a youth pined in love for you,

it fell in love with your slender, swaying spear.

Swooning for you, bewildered and addled.

من يُباريكَ يا مُنى النَفس حُسناً

من يُباريكَ يا مُنى النَفس حُسناً

لا وَعينيكَ لست مِمَّن يُبارى

لا وَعينيكَ لست مِمَّن يُبارى

Who rivals you in beauty, O my soul's desire?

Who can compete with you in beauty, my soul's desire?

No—by your eyes, you are not one who can be rivaled.

No, and your eyes I'm not one to compete with.

ربَّ لَيلٍ قصَّرتُهُ بلقاهُ

ربَّ لَيلٍ قصَّرتُهُ بلقاهُ

وَليالي الهَنا تَكونُ قصارا

وَليالي الهَنا تَكونُ قصارا

Many a night I shortened by meeting him,

Lord of the nights I shortened in seeing you,

and nights of bliss are short.

While nights of bliss should ever be fleeting.

رُضتُه بالمُدام حتّى إِذا ما

رُضتُه بالمُدام حتّى إِذا ما

تركتهُ لا يَستبِدُّ اِختيارا

تركتهُ لا يَستبِدُّ اِختيارا

I tamed him with wine, until, when

I tamed it with wine until when I

I had left him unable to choose for himself,

Abandoned it, it had no will remaining.

نِلتُ ما شئتُ من هواه وَلَولا

نِلتُ ما شئتُ من هواه وَلَولا

عفَّة الحبِّ لاِرتكبت العارا

عفَّة الحبِّ لاِرتكبت العارا

I gained what I wished of his love; and but for

I got my fill of its love, and had it not been

love's chastity, I would have acted shamefully.

For love's virtue, dishonor I'd have courted.

يا خَليلي عُج بالنَقا لنُقضّي

يا خَليلي عُج بالنَقا لنُقضّي

للهوى في ربوعِه أَوطارا

للهوى في ربوعِه أَوطارا

O my friend, turn aside at al-Naqa, that we may fulfill

My friend, come, let's go reveling, to spend

the desires of love among its dwellings.

Passion's days and nights deep in its deserts.

إِنَّ بَينَ النَقا وَبَينَ المصلّى

إِنَّ بَينَ النَقا وَبَينَ المصلّى

ظبياتٍ لها الأسودُ غيارى

ظبياتٍ لها الأسودُ غيارى

Indeed, between al-Naqa and al-Musalla

For between the tavern and mosque lie

are gazelles over whom the lions are jealous.

Gazelles the wolves fiercely contest.

نَتَمارى إِن لُحنَ هَل هُنَّ غيدٌ

نَتَمارى إِن لُحنَ هَل هُنَّ غيدٌ

أَم ظِباءٌ في حُسنها لا يُمارى

أَم ظِباءٌ في حُسنها لا يُمارى

When they appear, we debate: are they graceful maidens,

We vie - are their voices a chorus

or gazelles whose beauty is beyond dispute?

Or gazelles whose beauty has no rival?

هيَ لَو لَم تَكُن ظِباً وَبُدوراً

هيَ لَو لَم تَكُن ظِباً وَبُدوراً

ما صدَعنَ الدُجى وَجُبنَ القِفارا

ما صدَعنَ الدُجى وَجُبنَ القِفارا

Had they not been gazelles and full moons,

If not gazelles, wandering in the night,

they would not have cleft the darkness and crossed the deserts.

They'd not rouse the gloom or the ruins howl.

لُحنَ للرَكبِ وَالعقولُ حَيارى

لُحنَ للرَكبِ وَالعقولُ حَيارى

فاِختطفنَ العقولَ والأَبصارا

فاِختطفنَ العقولَ والأَبصارا

They appeared to the caravan, while minds were bewildered,

They sang to the caravan and left minds confused,

then snatched away minds and sight,

Snatching minds and sights beyond resistance.

وأَرقنَ الدماءَ طَعناً وَقَتلاً

وأَرقنَ الدماءَ طَعناً وَقَتلاً

وَأَمِنَّ الجزا قِصاصاً وَثارا

وَأَمِنَّ الجزا قِصاصاً وَثارا

and shed blood by stabbing and killing,

They stirred the blood with their blows and murders,

and were safe from punishment—retribution and revenge.

Secured from equal vengeance or blood price.

يا لقَومي أَيذهبُ في الحُب

يا لقَومي أَيذهبُ في الحُب

بِ دَمي باطِلاً وَجرحي جُبارا

بِ دَمي باطِلاً وَجرحي جُبارا

O my people! Shall there be lost in love

Oh my people! Does passion make me spill

my blood in vain, and my wound go without redress?

My blood vainly while my wounds spread chaos?