باكِر إِلى اللَذَةِ وَالإِصطِباح

باكِر إِلى اللَذَةِ وَالإِصطِباح

بِشُربِ راح

بِشُربِ راح

Go early to pleasure and the morning draught,

Hasten to pleasure and cheerfulness

by drinking wine;

With drink of comfort

فَما عَلى أَهلِ الهَوى مِن جُناح

فَما عَلى أَهلِ الهَوى مِن جُناح

اِغنَم زَمانَ الوَصلِ قَبلَ الذَهاب

اِغنَم زَمانَ الوَصلِ قَبلَ الذَهاب

for lovers incur no sin.

For the lovesick have no blame

Seize the time of union before departure,

Seize the time of union before parting

فَالرَوضُ قَد رَوّاه دَمعُ السَحاب

فَالرَوضُ قَد رَوّاه دَمعُ السَحاب

وَقَد بَدا في الرَوضِ سِرٌّ عُجاب

وَقَد بَدا في الرَوضِ سِرٌّ عُجاب

for the garden has been watered by the clouds' tears,

For the garden was watered by the tears of clouds

and in the garden a wondrous secret has appeared:

And a wondrous secret appeared in the garden

وَردٌ وَنسَرينٌ وَزَهرُ الأَقاح

وَردٌ وَنسَرينٌ وَزَهرُ الأَقاح

كَالمِسكِ فاح

كَالمِسكِ فاح

roses, eglantine, and daisy blossoms

Roses, jasmines, and peach blossoms

gave off fragrance like musk,

Whose fragrance wafts like musk

وَالطَيرُ تَشدو باِختِلافِ النَواح

وَالطَيرُ تَشدو باِختِلافِ النَواح

اِنهَض وَباكِر لِلمُدامِ العَتيق

اِنهَض وَباكِر لِلمُدامِ العَتيق

and the birds sing with varied plaintive cries.

And birds sing with diverse melodies

Rise and go early to the aged wine,

Arise and hasten to the aged wine

في كَأسِها تَبدو كَلَونِ العَقيق

في كَأسِها تَبدو كَلَونِ العَقيق

بِكَفِّ ظَبيٍ ذي قَوامٍ رَشيق

بِكَفِّ ظَبيٍ ذي قَوامٍ رَشيق

in its cup it is the color of carnelian,

In its cup appears the hue of carnelian

in the palm of a gazelle of graceful build,

In the palm of a graceful gazelle

مُهَفهَفِ القامَةِ طاوي الجَناح

مُهَفهَفِ القامَةِ طاوي الجَناح

كَالبَدرِ لاح

كَالبَدرِ لاح

slender of stature, his wing folded,

Slender in stature, folding its wings

he shone like the full moon.

Shining like the full moon

عَصيتُ مِن وَجدي عَلَيهِ اللَواح

عَصيتُ مِن وَجدي عَلَيهِ اللَواح

لَمّا رَأَيتُ اللَيلَ أَبدى المَشيب

لَمّا رَأَيتُ اللَيلَ أَبدى المَشيب

In my longing for him, I defied the reproachers.

I disobeyed my fervor for it

When I saw the night reveal its gray hair,

When I saw the night don old age

وَالأَنجُمَ الزُهرَ هَوَت لِلمَغيب

وَالأَنجُمَ الزُهرَ هَوَت لِلمَغيب

وَالوُرقَ تُبدي كُلَّ لَحنٍ عَجيب

وَالوُرقَ تُبدي كُلَّ لَحنٍ عَجيب

and the bright stars sink toward their setting,

And stars like flowers fell to the horizon

and the gray doves utter every wondrous melody,

And leaves reveal every wondrous melody

نادَيتُ صَحبي حينَ لاحَ الصَباح

نادَيتُ صَحبي حينَ لاحَ الصَباح

قَولاً صُراح

قَولاً صُراح

I called to my companions when morning appeared,

I called to my friends when dawn gleamed

with plain words:

Saying clearly:

حَيَّ عَلى اللَذَّةِ وَلاِصطِباح

حَيَّ عَلى اللَذَّةِ وَلاِصطِباح

سُبحانَ مَن أَبدَعَ هَذا الرَشا

سُبحانَ مَن أَبدَعَ هَذا الرَشا

Come to pleasure and the morning draught!

Hail pleasure and cheerfulness!

Glory to Him who fashioned this young gazelle!

Glory to Him who originated this firmament

قُلتُ لَهُ وَالنارُ حَشوَ الحَشا

قُلتُ لَهُ وَالنارُ حَشوَ الحَشا

جُد لي بِوَصلٍ يامَليحاً نَشا

جُد لي بِوَصلٍ يامَليحاً نَشا

I said to him, with fire filling my breast:

I said to Him while the fire filled my chest

Grant me union, O you who grew up fair!

Grant me a union, O Fair One, delicate and dewy

وَسَلَّ مِن جَفنَيهِ بيضَ الصَفاح

وَسَلَّ مِن جَفنَيهِ بيضَ الصَفاح

يَبغي كِفاح

يَبغي كِفاح

And he drew white blades from his eyelids,

And he glanced from his eyelids white as hail

seeking close combat,

Seeking battle

فَأَثخَنَ القَلبَ المُعَنّى جِراح

فَأَثخَنَ القَلبَ المُعَنّى جِراح

أَصبَحتُ مُضنىً وَفُؤادي عَليل

أَصبَحتُ مُضنىً وَفُؤادي عَليل

so he riddled my tormented heart with wounds.

And wounded my heart, O people of meaning, with gashes

I have grown frail, and my heart is ailing,

I awoke afflicted while my heart ailed

في حُبِّ مَن أَضحى بِوَصلي بَخيل

في حُبِّ مَن أَضحى بِوَصلي بَخيل

كَم قُلتُ دَع هَذا العِتابَ الطَويل

كَم قُلتُ دَع هَذا العِتابَ الطَويل

for love of one who now begrudges me union.

In love of one who was miserly with my union

How often I have said: Leave off this long reproach!

How much I said: Leave this prolonged reproach

أَما تَراني قَد طَرَحتُ السِلاح

أَما تَراني قَد طَرَحتُ السِلاح

أَيَّ اِطِّراح

أَيَّ اِطِّراح

Do you not see that I have cast down my arms,

Do you not see me, having cast down arms?

cast them down utterly?

The sweetest love is with disclosure

أَحلى الهَوى ما كانَ بِالإِفتِضاح

أَحلى الهَوى ما كانَ بِالإِفتِضاح

The sweetest love is that which is scandalously exposed.