أَصبِح فقد هَينَم النَسيم

أَصبِح فقد هَينَم النَسيم

وَالصبحُ قد لاح كوكبُه

وَالصبحُ قد لاح كوكبُه

Greet the morning, for the breeze has begun to murmur,

Greet the morning, for the breeze has murmured,

and dawn has gleamed—its star shining forth.

And dawn's star has appeared.

وشنِّف الكأسَ يا نديم

وشنِّف الكأسَ يا نديم

فالراحُ قد طاب مشربُه

فالراحُ قد طاب مشربُه

Deck out the cup, O boon companion,

And adorn the cup, O drinking companion,

for the wine is now sweet to drink.

For wine has grown sweet to drink.

واِشرب على جَنَّة النَعيم

واِشرب على جَنَّة النَعيم

من زاهر الخدِّ مُذهَبُه

من زاهر الخدِّ مُذهَبُه

Drink beside a Garden of Bliss,

And drink beside the garden of bliss,

whose creed springs from a radiant cheek;

From a radiant cheek comes its golden sheen.

أَو دَع فؤادي بها يَهيم

أَو دَع فؤادي بها يَهيم

فالكُلُّ يعمل بمذهبه

فالكُلُّ يعمل بمذهبه

or let my heart wander madly for her—

Or let my heart be lost in love with it,

for each one acts according to his own creed.

For everyone acts according to his own creed.

عِشق الغواني له مَجال

عِشق الغواني له مَجال

ما كُلُّ من جاء يُدركُه

ما كُلُّ من جاء يُدركُه

Love of fair women has a realm of its own;

Love of fair women has its arena;

not everyone who enters can attain it.

Not everyone who comes attains it.

كَم دُكدِكت دونَه جبال

كَم دُكدِكت دونَه جبال

وربَّ حُرٍّ تملَّكُه

وربَّ حُرٍّ تملَّكُه

How many mountains it has leveled in its path,

How many mountains have been crushed before it,

and many a free man it has enslaved!

And many a free man it has enslaved!

فاِقنع من الوصل بالمحال

فاِقنع من الوصل بالمحال

واِحذر على السرِّ يهتِكُه

واِحذر على السرِّ يهتِكُه

So resign yourself to the impossibility of union,

So be content with the impossibility of union,

and guard the secret, lest someone divulge it.

And guard the secret lest it be laid bare.

واِرحل إذا كنتَ لا تُقيم

واِرحل إذا كنتَ لا تُقيم

فالحُبُّ قد عزَّ مطلبُه

فالحُبُّ قد عزَّ مطلبُه

Depart, if you are not going to stay:

And depart if you are not staying,

for love’s prize has become hard to attain.

For love has grown hard to attain.

أَنا الَّذي في هَوى الملاح

أَنا الَّذي في هَوى الملاح

حَديثُ عَهدي مُسلسلُ

حَديثُ عَهدي مُسلسلُ

I am one who, in loving beauties,

I am the one in love with beauties,

has only lately become acquainted—a hadith in an unbroken chain:

Whose tale of devotion forms an unbroken chain.

الكُلُّ أَلقى ليَ السلاح

الكُلُّ أَلقى ليَ السلاح

وأَذعنوا لي وأَقبلوا

وأَذعنوا لي وأَقبلوا

all have laid down their weapons before me,

Everyone laid down arms before me,

yielded to me, and come forward.

And they submitted to me and came forward.

قدحي المعلّى على القداح

قدحي المعلّى على القداح

فَكَيفَ أخفى وَأجهلُ

فَكَيفَ أخفى وَأجهلُ

Mine is al-Muʿallā, highest of the gaming arrows;

My lot-arrow is the highest among the lot-arrows;

so how could I hide this and feign ignorance?

How, then, could I be hidden and unknown?

يَشفى بمنطوقي السَقيم

يَشفى بمنطوقي السَقيم

إِن لَم تصدِّق فجرّبُه

إِن لَم تصدِّق فجرّبُه

My utterance heals the ailing—

The sick are healed by my speech;

if you do not believe it, put it to the test.

If you do not believe it, then try it.