حَسبَ الخَليعِ مَلجا

حَسبَ الخَليعِ مَلجا

رَوضٌ عَلى غَدير

رَوضٌ عَلى غَدير

Enough for the libertine as a refuge:

The ignorant man sees the meadow as refuge,

A garden beside a pool,

A garden by a stream,

وَقَهوَةٌ مُدارَه

وَقَهوَةٌ مُدارَه

أَنفاسُها عَبير

أَنفاسُها عَبير

And wine passed round,

And coffee whose fragrance

Its breaths are fragrance.

Is a soothing breath.

صَفراء بِنتُ دَنٍّ

صَفراء بِنتُ دَنٍّ

بِالنورِ تَطلُع

بِالنورِ تَطلُع

Golden, a daughter of a wine jar,

The blonde daughter of baseness

It rises with radiance;

Rises with the light.

يَنشقُّ كُلُّ دَجنٍ

يَنشقُّ كُلُّ دَجنٍ

عَنها وَيَنصَدِع

عَنها وَيَنصَدِع

Every gloom splits open

Every darkness splits open

Before it and breaks apart.

And cracks before her.

إِبريقُها يُغَنّي

إِبريقُها يُغَنّي

وَالكَأسُ يَستَمِع

وَالكَأسُ يَستَمِع

Its ewer sings,

Her pot sings

And the cup listens.

While the cup listens.

وَلا تَزالُ ترجى

وَلا تَزالُ ترجى

لِلحادِثِ النَكير

لِلحادِثِ النَكير

And it is ever hoped for

She still hopes

Against dreadful misfortune,

For the terrible accident,

لِلهَمِّ إِن أَثارَه

لِلهَمِّ إِن أَثارَه

بَينَ الحَشا مُنير

بَينَ الحَشا مُنير

Against sorrow, should it be stirred

For worries, if they’re aroused,

Within the breast by a radiant one.

To shine among the meadows.

هَلِ الكُؤوس راحَه

هَلِ الكُؤوس راحَه

لِذي بَلابِل

لِذي بَلابِل

Are the cups a solace

Do cups bring relief

For one beset by anxieties?

To one with nightingales?

يا واحِدَ المَلاحَه

يا واحِدَ المَلاحَه

بَعدَ اِبنِ راحِل

بَعدَ اِبنِ راحِل

O peerless one in beauty,

O you of salty friends

After Ibn Rahil,

After the son left.

هذي النَوى مُباحَه

هذي النَوى مُباحَه

فَاِحفَظ وَسائِلي

فَاِحفَظ وَسائِلي

This separation is permitted;

This purpose is permitted

So keep my entreaties in mind.

So guard my means.

ما لِلكَئيبِ مَنجى

ما لِلكَئيبِ مَنجى

إِذ باتَ في سَمير

إِذ باتَ في سَمير

The sorrowful one has no escape

No refuge for the somber one

When he spends the night with a companion:

Who spent the night wakeful.

قَلبٌ يَشُبُّ ناره

قَلبٌ يَشُبُّ ناره

في أَدمُعٍ تَفور

في أَدمُعٍ تَفور

A heart that stokes its fire

A heart whose fire kindles

Amid tears that boil.

In flowing tears

قَد مِلت كُلَّ مَيلٍ

قَد مِلت كُلَّ مَيلٍ

لِجانِبِ الصبا

لِجانِبِ الصبا

I have inclined utterly

I’m tired of every inclination

Toward youthful passion.

To youth’s side.

وَيلٌ وَأَيُّ وَيلٍ

وَيلٌ وَأَيُّ وَيلٍ

لِكُلِّ مَن صَبا

لِكُلِّ مَن صَبا

Woe—and what woe—

Woe, what woe,

To everyone who falls in love!

To all who were young!

أَعيا عَليّ لَيلي

أَعيا عَليّ لَيلي

شَرقاً وَمَغرِبا

شَرقاً وَمَغرِبا

My night has proved too hard for me,

My nights besieged me,

Eastward and westward.

East and west,

كَواكِب تُزجى

كَواكِب تُزجى

تُزاحِفُ الكَسير

تُزاحِفُ الكَسير

Stars are driven onward,

Like stars herded

Crawling alongside the broken-limbed.

Crawling feebly.

فَهُنَّ في اِستِدارَة

فَهُنَّ في اِستِدارَة

وَاللَيلُ كَالأَسير

وَاللَيلُ كَالأَسير

So they move in circles,

They’re in orbit

And the night is like a captive.

While night’s a captive,

مَلكٌ لَهُ جُنود

مَلكٌ لَهُ جُنود

مِن طَرفِهِ الكَحيل

مِن طَرفِهِ الكَحيل

A king who has troops

A king who has soldiers

From his kohl-dark gaze;

With sleepy eyes.

أَلحاظُهُ تَرود

أَلحاظُهُ تَرود

في هذِهِ العُقول

في هذِهِ العُقول

His glances roam

Their glances wander

Through these minds.

In these minds,

وَريقُهُ البرود

وَريقُهُ البرود

وَخَدُّه الأَسيل

وَخَدُّه الأَسيل

And his cool saliva,

And his cool saliva

And his smooth cheek:

And smooth cheek left.

راح تَقل فَلجا

راح تَقل فَلجا

كَالدُرِّ في النُحور

كَالدُرِّ في النُحور

Wine bearing well-spaced teeth,

He went away to a refuge

Like pearls upon throats,

Like a pearl in shell

وَنور جلّنارَه

وَنور جلّنارَه

في سَوسَنٍ نَضير

في سَوسَنٍ نَضير

And a pomegranate flower's bloom

And the blazing light of his face

Amid a fresh lily.

In a parallel iris.

لَمّا نَأَيتَ عَنّي

لَمّا نَأَيتَ عَنّي

وَبِتّ مُكمَدا

وَبِتّ مُكمَدا

When you went away from me,

When you were far from me

And I spent the night grief-stricken,

And spent folded up,

عَلَّلت بِالتَمَنّي

عَلَّلت بِالتَمَنّي

قَلباً مُفردا

قَلباً مُفردا

I soothed with wishes

I blamed with wishing

A solitary heart.

A heart alone.

وَإِذ قَرُبتَ مِنّي

وَإِذ قَرُبتَ مِنّي

غَدَوتَ مُنشِدا

غَدَوتَ مُنشِدا

And when you drew near me,

And when you drew near me

I began to chant:

In the morning reciting,

بُشرى لِكُلِّ مَن جا

بُشرى لِكُلِّ مَن جا

بِإِقبالِ الوَزير

بِإِقبالِ الوَزير

Glad tidings to everyone who has come

Good news to all who came

With news of the vizier's arrival:

With the return of the minister,

أَن يُعطى مِن بِشارَه

أَن يُعطى مِن بِشارَه

ما يُعطى البَشير

ما يُعطى البَشير

That he be given, as a reward for good news,

To be given of his tidings

What the bearer of glad tidings is given.

What's given the messenger.