سَلِask الكَأسَthe cup تَزهوit glows بَينَbetween صَبغٍcolor وَإِشراقِand radiance
سَلِ الكَأسَ تَزهو بَينَ صَبغٍ وَإِشراقِ
أَذُوِّبَwas melted? فيهاin it الوَردُthe rose أَمor وَجنَةُthe cheek of الساقيthe cupbearer
أَذُوِّبَ فيها الوَردُ أَم وَجنَةُ الساقي
Ask the cup, gleaming between dawn and sunrise:
Ask the cup, resplendent in color and radiance:
What melts more deeply within it—the rose, or the cupbearer’s cheek?
Was the rose melted into it, or the cupbearer's cheek?
كُؤوسٌcups تُحَيِيهاwelcome them النُفوسُthe souls كَأَنَّهاas though they were
كُؤوسٌ تُحَيِيها النُفوسُ كَأَنَّها
حَديثُword of تَلاقٍa meeting فيin مَسامِعِthe ears of عُشّاقِlovers
حَديثُ تَلاقٍ في مَسامِعِ عُشّاقِ
Cups that souls bring to life, as though they were
Cups that souls welcome, as though they were
gardens of encounter in lovers’ hearing.
Word of a meeting in lovers' ears.
إِذاwhen قَتَلوهاthey kill it بِالمِزاجِby dilution لِيَشرَبواso they may drink
إِذا قَتَلوها بِالمِزاجِ لِيَشرَبوا
أَعاشواthey bring to life مُناهُمtheir wishes بَينَbetween مَوتٍdeath وَإِخلاقِand decay
أَعاشوا مُناهُم بَينَ مَوتٍ وَإِخلاقِ
When they kiss them with mixing-water before they drink,
When they kill it by dilution so they may drink,
they revive their desires between death and frustration.
They bring their wishes to life between death and decay.
تَثورُit seethes كَأَنَّas though الماءَthe water يَلسَعُstings صِرفَهاits unmixed wine
تَثورُ كَأَنَّ الماءَ يَلسَعُ صِرفَها
وَصَوتُand the voice of المُغَنّيthe singer مِثلُlike هَينَمَةِthe murmuring of الراقيthe reciter of healing charms
وَصَوتُ المُغَنّي مِثلُ هَينَمَةِ الراقي
It surges, as though the water stung its pure essence,
It seethes as though water stings its unmixed wine,
while the singer’s voice is like an enchanter’s murmuring.
And the singer's voice is like a healer's murmured spell.
بِموسىof Musa إِذاif ماشِئتَyou ever wish سُكرِيَmy drunkenness غَنِّsing ليto me
بِموسى إِذا ماشِئتَ سُكرِيَ غَنِّ لي
وَأَدهِقand fill to the brim كُؤوسَcups الخَمرِof wine أَيَّةَany degree of إِدهاقِfilling to the brim
وَأَدهِق كُؤوسَ الخَمرِ أَيَّةَ إِدهاقِ
Sing to me of Mūsā, if you desire a double intoxication,
Sing to me of Musa if ever you wish me drunk,
and brim the cups with wine—what a brimming!
And fill the wine cups to the very brim.
وَإِنand if شِئتَyou wish إِعجازاًa miracle ضَرَبتَyou strike بِذِكرِهِby mentioning him
وَإِن شِئتَ إِعجازاً ضَرَبتَ بِذِكرِهِ
فُؤاديmy heart فَفَجَّرتَthen you make gush العُيونَthe springs بِآماقيat the corners of my eyes
فُؤادي فَفَجَّرتَ العُيونَ بِآماقي
And if you wished for a miracle, with mention of him you struck
And if you wish a miracle, with mention of him you strike
my heart, and made springs burst from the corners of my eyes.
My heart, and make springs gush at the corners of my eyes.
يُصاعِدُrise alongside أَنفاسيmy breaths ضُحىًat midmorning نَفَسَthe breath of الصَباthe east wind
يُصاعِدُ أَنفاسي ضُحىً نَفَسَ الصَبا
وَيَقدَحُand kindle فيin الأَحشاءِthe entrails نيرانَthe fires of أَشواقيmy longings
وَيَقدَحُ في الأَحشاءِ نيرانَ أَشواقي
At forenoon the zephyr’s breath sends my sighs aloft
My sighs rise with the east wind's breath at midmorning,
and kindles the fires of my longing in my innermost parts.
And kindle in my entrails the fires of my longing.
إِذاwhen أَناI حَمَّلتُI burden البَليلَthe cool, moist breeze صَبابَتيmy ardent longing
إِذا أَنا حَمَّلتُ البَليلَ صَبابَتي
غَدَتit becomes كَسُمومِlike poisons الفَتكِof deadly violence لَفحَةَa blast إِحراقِof burning
غَدَت كَسُمومِ الفَتكِ لَفحَةَ إِحراقِ
When I burden the moist breeze with my passion,
When I burden the cool breeze with my ardent longing,
it becomes the deadly simoom—a scorching blast.
It turns into a scorching blast, like deadly poisons.
وَتَعرِفُand recognizes مِنّيfrom me الريحُthe wind زَفرَةَa sigh of عاشِقٍa lover
وَتَعرِفُ مِنّي الريحُ زَفرَةَ عاشِقٍ
وَيَفهَمُand understands مِنّيfrom me البَرقُthe lightning نَظرَةَa gaze of مُشتاقِone who longs
وَيَفهَمُ مِنّي البَرقُ نَظرَةَ مُشتاقِ
The wind recognizes in me the sigh of a lover,
And the wind recognizes my sigh as a lover's,
and lightning understands in me the gaze of one who yearns.
And lightning understands my longing gaze.
